US1661419A - Collapsible crate - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1928.

- 1,661,419 i c. FLAGSTAD 4 COLLAPSIBLE CRATE Filed June 12. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuvnfob CORNELL F LAGSTAD March 6, 1928.

C. FLAGSTAD CQLLAPSIBLE CRATE Filed June 12, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet m ON gwuento'o CORNELL FLAGS-mo 11m my March 6; 1928.

c. FLAGSTAD GOLLABSIBLE CRATE Filed June 12. 1926 4 s -s t 5 CORNELL FLAGSTAD.

March 6, 1928.

C. FLAGSTAD COLLAPSIBLE CRATE Patented Mar. 6, 1928. v

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE..-

CORNELL FLAGSTAD, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF NINETY-FIVB ONE-HUNDBEDTHS TOTHE FOLDING CRATE 8c BOX COMPANY, OF MINNEAFOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

GOLLAPSIIBLE CRATE.

Application filed June 12, 1926. Serial No. 115,638

This invention relates to collapsible crates the respectivecharacters, A B C D E or shipping carriers, and the primary object and F and in the crate indicated in Fig. 12

isto provide a comparatively simple and the correspondmg parts are referred to as practical, yet highly efficient type of ship- A B C D E and F 55 ping crate, especially constructed and adapt- The side, base, and cover sections of the ed for use in transporting wet batterles. and crate are pre'lerably made up of crossed which may. when emptied ofits contents, be slats nailed together, while the end sections quickly collapsed. or knocked down, into (see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 12), are preferably a compact form for return shipment to the made up of single slats 13, havlng cross 00 original consignor or shipperflFurther and cleats 14, and are hinged as at to the more specific objects will bedisclosed in the ends of the base, so as to fold down flat upon course of the following specification, referthe base when the crate is collapsed. The

euce being had to the accompanying, drawend sect ons 1), E, 1) and E are preferably i i whi h; a narrower than the width of the crate, for l5 Fi 1 is a perspective view of a set up the purpose of conserving materlal, butthe crate showing a preferred embodiment of crate shown 1n F1g. 5, being of a modified my invention." construction, requires that the end sections Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the crate as D and E he wide enough to fill hetween shown in Fig. 1, but with the coverin its the side sections and interlock at their upper-'1 open position and with one end section outer corncrs,w1th the side sections, by the f ld d i lock or corner latch devices shown inFigs.

Fig. 3 isa plan view of the crate, shown 9, 10, and 11. 7 in Fig. 1, when in its folded or collapsed Referring more specifically to the crate condition. shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, it may benoted Fig. 4 is a sectional view. as on, the irthat the side sections B and C are hinged regular line H in Fig. 3. 1 to the edges of the baseA by respectivesets Fig. 5 isa plan view of a modified form of hinges 16 and 17, andthat the cover F otthe crate. A hinges, as at 18, to the side section B and Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail view of the closes toward the opposite section 0 where so cover locking device usedin the crate. it is secured by the latch Gr. The side sec' I Fig. .7 isan enlarged sectionaldetail'view tions B and Care provided with integral showing the method of locking the crate end extensions 19, which serve as handles -by when collapsed, as in Fig. 4. which the crate maybe carried, and also Fig. 8 is a detail section showing the same serve to support hinges 20 of end crosshars 86 locking device and how utilized to lock the 21, which connect the side sections A and 'B.

cover when the crate is set up. Those crossbars cause the side sections to I Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are enlarged perspecmaintain parallel planes at all times, with tive detail views of the end section locking respect to each other, and also serve as stops devices employed in the crate structure for the end sections which swing upwardly 90 shown in Fig. 5. against them. The hinges 16 are what I Fig. 12 is a perspective end view of a conveniently term as spanning hinges, and crate similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, but are so constructed that whenthe' crate is 001 shows a further modification in the end lapsed, as in Fig.4, the side sectionB will latches. i be parallel with but spaced from the base A 96 Referring to the drawings more particuso as to provide room for the end sections larly and by reference characters, A desigbetween the base and the sidesection B. nates the bottom orbase section, of a crate All of the hinges 18 and 20each consists of having side sections 13 and C, end sections twostrap iron butts connected by a pintel, D and E, and acover or top section F. In and although the 'pintels of the hinges 18 100 the modification shown'in Fig.5, thecorreand 20 011 the B' side ot the crate are in sponding crate sections are designated by alignment, it will be noted that as the bars 21 are above the edges of the side sections and the cover F is below or between the upper ends of the side sections it is necessary to reverse the butts on the cover in order to etl'ect a proper closing of the crate as shown in Fig. 4. Y

lVben the end sections are considerably narrower than the width of the crate, as above mentioned. they cannot engage the side sections A or B to brace the crate in its rectangular or set up position, as is the case in Fig. 5. To provide the proper bracing, therefore. I have recessed the bars 21, as at 22, so that they will receive the end sections, when the latter are swung up, and when in this position it will be obvious that the crate cannot be distorted from its set up position as the bars provide a rigid bracing connection between the side and end sections. It may also be noted that the upper cleats 1% of the end sections. may serve as convenient supports for the ends of the cover section. In the modification shown in Fig. 12. instead of recessing the bar 21 to receive the end section D I provide the end section D with an angle-iron bracket the projecting flange of which has a notch to receive a detent or flange of an angle iron 24 secured upon the under side of the bar 21. lVith the two members 23 and 24 locked together, as when the end section D is held in its vertical position, it is obvious that the crate will be braced in substantially the same manner as in Fig. 1. After the cover F has been opened the end section may be folded down to release the latch 23-24.

It will be noted from Figs. 1, 2. 3, and 12 that the end sections D and E are provided with vertical extension H which extend substantially above the tops of the crates proper. The object of these extensions is two-fold, i. 0., to serve as a. warning to the crate handlers that the crate should never be tipped or so loaded that the members H will be in any but an upright position; and. to prevent the crates from being piled parallel one on top of another thus increasing the danger of having a column of loaded crates tip over. The extensions will not, of course, prevent the crates from being stacked with the crates of each tier transversely of the crates below it. as there is no great danger of a series of crates so stacked to tip over. These precautions are considered as of primary importance in crates designed for shipping liquid containers such as batteries. for in such instances the tipping or tumbling of the crate may result in harmful as well as expensive results.

When the crate is collapsed a finger 25, on the cover F. engages a strap 26 on the side section C. and thus prevents the folded crate from buckling up in the middle. The cover is secured. both when the crate is set up and when collapsed, by the latch G comprising sliding bolts 27 the extended or retracted positions of which are determined by spring held linger pieces "The construction ol the. members 27 and is substantially identical with the. latch shown in Figs. 5 and (3 of a co pcnding application. Ser. No. 12,974, tiled May 3. 192:). jointly by ()scar A. Flagstad and myself. for collapsible crate, and will therefore not here be described in detail or claimed. The method of emplo \'ing the latch in the pro-cut instance. hrnvever. is of eonsideral'ile llllpOl'titllt't. and may be described as follows: tw'ecured upon the inner face of the side section C and at the upper edge thereof. are a pair of substantially J shaped members or catches 29, one for each latch G. (See Figs. 1, 2. 2i, 4. 7, and 8). These hook shaped members 29 are so arranged that the bolts 27 may engage under them either when the crate is set up. as in Figs. 1 and 8, or when the crate is collapsed, as in Figs. 4 and 7. In Fig. 5 the U-shaped loops 30 perform the same function in substantially the same way.

The modified crate shown in Fig. 5 is similar in many respects to the crates above described. the following diilerenccs. however. heing noted in particular. As the end sections D and E of this crate are as long as the width bet ween the side sections. the cross bars (like 21) are eliminated. and the end sections interlock. at their upper corners, directly with the side sections. to brace the crate and to limit the outward swinging movements of the side and end sections to the vertical or upright positions with respect to the base when the crate is set up for loading. The corner irons. for effecting this interlocking action are shown particularly in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, and each consists of a. socket member 31, attached to the side section. and a tongue or latch 32. attached to the end section. The angularly formed socket member is provided with a substantially F shaped slotor socket 33. which receives the head 34 oil the tongue 32. Between the head and body of the member 32 is a reduced neck portion which when it engages in the narrow portion of the slot 33, prevents the end sections from swinging out beyond the ends of the side sections. and it is obvious that the head 34 also locks the side sections to the ends. As the members 32 are nailed to the outer faces of the end sections it will be seen that the heads 34 are pulled into place and therefore. any inward pressure against the end sections will not have a tendency to loosen the members 32 or the nails which secure them to the end sections.

It may here be noted that the crate structures here shown are common in many respects to the constructions shown in my copending application for collapsible crate, Serial No. 54,792, filed September 5th, 1925,

A collapsible crate comprising abase, hav-.

ing side and end sections hinged thereto, and a cover hinged to one of the side sections, a latch member carried by the other side section to receive a latch bolt carried by the cover, the construction of said latch member and bolt being such that they may be interlocked both when the crate is set up and when collapsed, and a catch carried by the cover near its hinged edge for interlocking engagement with an adjacent crate portions when the crate is collapsed. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CORNELL FLAGSTAD.

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