US2455991A - Desk of packing-case construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, 1948. Q E. R. GOLDFIELD ET AL 9 DESK OF PACKING CASE CONSTRUCTION Filed March a, 1947 INVENTOR EDWIN R. GOLDFIELD 2. RALPH c. SCHIRING ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 14, 1948 a nppliestimi mm s, 1947 Serial No. 733,358

This invention relates. .to" irnpr"ovemerits"'irrv a desk formed of,p'a;ckingcases.v p 1 V An object of th'e' resent' inventionis' toutuizea plurality" of packing cases in which portable equipment is carried about .fOr' the purpose of providin a desk when the equipment is" set up foriuse; p p Anoth'er 'objectof' the presentjinvention is to utilize sloping skid rails on a packingcase having one purpose toinsure that the case is not set upon the floor with the skid equipped end down, and having as a second purpose to provide a sup port foradesk'surfacez.

Another-"object of tliepresent invention is to provide slopingnails. ononeend ot a packing case connected by a cross-bar spaced from the case together with a second packing case having a retaining plate or lip secured to one side wall thereof, whereby the second case may be retained on top of the first case providing a desk with an inclined surface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and specification, and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing three packing cases arranged according to our invention with a portion of one of the cases broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the uppermost case of Fig. 1; while Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1. I

We have chosen to illustrate our invention in connection with packing cases used for carrying the equipment for mass chest photofiuorography as disclosed in the copending application of Edwin R. Goldfield, Robert J. Stava, and Edgar J. Bastin, Jr., Serial No. 624,172, filed October 24, 1945, although other uses of our invention will occur to those skilled in this art.

The equipment disclosed in the above-mentioned copending application is designed for portability, various parts of which are packed in cases I0, H and i2 of the present application. It is desirable, when a large number of persons are being examined rapidly by use of the equipment disclosed in said copending application, that a desk be provided for the operator. The present invention provides a novel manner for constructing such a desk utilizing the packing cases in which the equipment is carried about.

Certain of the cases, such as those shown at 10 and I I should never be placed upon a support- 5 clai s. (01. 46- 69)- ingsurfaee with theend Hia or-l'ta downwardly; This is because certain equipment is pacJfeiP-in these cases in a predetermined direction and means must 'be provided on th'epackingcaseends Mia and PM to insurethat these ends are'pes'iitimed u wardly and "not Y ownwardly; A n ver structure for this purposefittih in withthe-pres enti'nvention is the provision of parallel inclined skid-rails- I 3 secured to the tops Ll fld and .l f'a' These rails are secured by weldin or riveting to the metal case's Mand H To this end, the support l ta f'or the" higher end ofthe" skid raiil'is ex tended dewnwardlyalong'theback or fihe'packing to th'e' l 'ar' Wall at theioW vided with an inturned hangs 12in 'is--s'e'-- cured as by welding to the top of the packing case. Preferably also, an intermediate support I5 is provided generally of Z-shape having one flange l5a secured to the rail l3 and the other flange [5b secured to the top of the associated packing case. A crossbar l6 has its opposite ends Welded to the rails I3 so as to provide a unitary structure. Preferably, the rails l3 are part of a strengthening band and skid construction which provides a strong packing case and prevents damage to the same when it is dragged over surfaces. To this end, bands l3a extenddownwardly the entire length of the packing case, as indicated at l3d and are then bent at right angles and eX- tend as shown at I36 across the other end of the packing case to the front edge thereof. A hinged door I1 completes the front of the case, but forms no part of the present invention. Preferably, slight humps are formed in the bands Kid and He, as indicated at l8, so that if the packing case is dragged across a floor they will protect the bottom and back of the packing case against damage.

The packing case I2 is utilized for the desk top. This case in the present instance is elongated for the purpose of carryin some of the longer portions of the equipment described in the abovementioned copending application. The case provides parallel side walls I2a and H11. To the side wall IZa are secured two retaining plates or lips H) which in the present instance are indicated as spot welded to the wall IZa of the case. The portion |9a of each plate is flat and secured tight against the Wall [2a. The portion I917 is bent outwardly from the wall of the packing case by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the crossbar l6 already described. The top of the packing case I2 is closed by the hinged lid l2c.

Utilizing the above construction, it is very simple to set up a desk after the packing cases have been emptied. The cases It] and l l are positioned in spaced alinement as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noticed that the handles 20 are so positioned on the packing cases above the center of gravity that the cases are naturally set down by a workman with the ends Illa and Na upward. The packing case I2 is then placed across the tops of the cases I 0 and H with the lips 19b downwardly. By sliding the surface |2a down the inclined skid rails Hi, the lips 191) are engaged be: neath the crossbars I6, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The upper side lZb of the packing case now forms an inclined desk surface and a person sitting at the desk will find knee room between the cases Ill and H.

While We have shown two packing cases supporting the case I2, it should be understood that one packing case might be used, although in our opinion, this would not provide as satisfactory a desk.

What we claim is:

1. In combination, two packing cases, one of said cases having a skid formation on one end thereof providing a surface inclined with respect to the surface of said case end to prevent resting of said end on a supporting surface and to compel the placing of said skid formation upward,

a second packing case having generally parallel wide fiat sides, and means for securing one of said sides of said second case to said skid formation of said first case, whereby to provide a desk with a sloping top.

2. In combination, a packing case having two parallel skid rails secured to one end thereof, said rails being inclined in the same general direction,

a crossbar connecting said rails, and a desk member having a lip integral therewith, said lip adapted to hook over said crossbar.

3. In combination, a packing case having two parallel skid rails secured to the outside thereof, each rail extending beneath the bottom of the case and then alon the back thereof and extending above the top wall of the case," each rail then having a portion extending forwardly and downwardly across the top of the case, whereby said skid rails protect and strengthen three sides of said case and encourage placing said case bottom down, and means connected with said case and rails for anchoring a desk member thereto, whereby a desk member may be secured to said rail portions extending across the top of said case.

4. In combination, a packing case having a pair of parallel skid rails secured to one end thereof, said rails being inclined in the same general direction, a crossbar connecting said pair of rails, a second packing case having generally parallel wide fiat sides, and a lip secured to one of said sides and adapted to hook over said crossbar.

5. In combination, two packing cases, each case having a pair of parallel skid rails secured to one end thereof, said rails being inclined in the same general direction, a cross-bar connecting each said pair of rails, a third packing casehaving generally parallel wide flat sides, and two lips secured in alinement to one of said sides and adapted to hook over the crossbar of said first named cases.

EDWIN R. GOLDFIELD. RALPH C. SCI-IIRING.

No references cited.

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