US2534402A - Collapsible box - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 F. BLAIR 2,534,402

CQLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed Jan. l0, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l grd l 'T T-1:1 f /4 Z0 /9 L/z lll/J l l l/l/ /l/I/l l//l lll/[1l I Il lll 11 Dec. 19, 1950 F, BLA|R v 2,534,402

COLLAPSIBLEBOX Filed Jan. 1o, 1947 `2 sheets-shea 2 'l lll/lll! l Effe/151 ,4 /2

Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNiTED STATES PATE-.NT OFFICE 'coLLAPsILE Box :Fletcher Blair, At1anta,Ga. n `irlplicationJanuary 10, 1947,5 Serial `No."1211,239

, 1 Thisinvention relates toreceptacles, and more particularly'to receptacles of the 'collapsibletype An object ci this invention is to provide a receptacle for holding articles of merchandise which will permit the ready display of the articles therein irrespective of the quantity or amount of articles in the receptacles.

It is well known that when a box containing food articles is opened and a substantial quantity of the articles removed, the remaining articles cannot be displayed to advantage due to the depth of the box and other factors. This invention is designed so' that the dealer may keep the contents of the box within sight irrespective of the quantity removed and the quantity remaining in the box. This is accomplished by having a movable bottom which can be selectively raised as the contents are removed so that the contents will be substantially flush with the upper edge of the box.

A further object of this invention is to provide a box having a movable bottom wall which is insertible from the top of the box and will initially lock into upwardly and inwardly flared anges carried by the sides of the box. The sides of the box are also formed with partly severed tongues disposed at spaced intervals which are adapted to be pressed inwardly when the box is partially empty so as to support the bottom in raised position. When the box is made out of ber or cardboard, the sides may be collapsed flat and the bottom wall nested into the lid so that the dealer can easily set up the box for use.

I do not mean to conne myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail top plan of a box constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, the cover being removed,

Figure 2 is .a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an exploded side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the box,

Figure 4 is a bottom plan of the box.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally the side walls of a box which in the present instance are shown as being sub stantially square in transverse section, but elongated from the upper to the lower end. The side walls I0 of the box are formed from a single sheet of material which is bent, as shown in Figure 1, and one edge of one side is formed with a flange or flap I2 which is adapted to underlap the ad- Y 2 jacent side wall and to be secured thereto by cement or other suitable fastening means.

The lower edges of the side walls lil are formed with upwardly and inwardly extending flanges or bottom locking means I3. These flanges or bottom locking means I3 form a V-shaped keeper I4 at the bottom of the box within which the lower edge of a bottom wall is adapted to be locked as will be hereinafter described.

A bottom wall generally designated as I5 is adapted, when the box is initially lled, to engage the locking or supporting anges I3. The bottom wall I5 includes a plate I6 which is formed at the outer marginal edges thereof with downwardly and outwardly inclined anges I'I. The flanges I'I are adapted to engage in the keepers I4 so that the bottom wall I5 will be held against downward and outward movement.

After a portion of the contents of the box have been removed, the bottom wall I5 is adapted to be pushed upwardly and is held in its adjusted upward position by means of a plurality of tongues or tabs I3 which are struck from each side wall II! and are adapted to be bent inwardly on an obtuse angle, as shown in Figure 2. There is one tongue or tab I8 of substantial width carried by each side wall so that there will be four points of support for the raised bottom wall. When the bottom wall I5 is in its raised position, the anges I1 thereof will engage between the tongues or tabs I8 and the inner sides of the side wall. A cap or top member I9, including a top wall 20, and depending flanges `2I is adapted to engage over the upper ends of the ends of the side walls.

With a box as hereinbefore described, when the box or receptacle is initially iilled, the bottom wall will be disposed at its lowermost position, locked between the anges I3 and the lower ends of the side walls Ill. After a portion of the contents has been removed, the bottom wall I5 may be pushed upwardly just above the lowermost series of tabs or tongues I8 and these tabs then pressed inwardly and the bottom Wall I5 permitted to drop downwardly until the iianges Il thereof engage between the tongues or tabs I8 and the side walls I6. The raised bottom wall will thereby be held in its raised position so that the top of the reduced contents will be substantially Iiush with the top'of the box. There may be as many series of tabs or tongues I8 as may be desired so that the bottom wall may be periodically raised to bring the contents of the box to the top thereof in order that the cusomer will not get the impression that the box is empty. A box as hereinbefore described is particularly desirable for use in merchandising food articles such as crackers, cookies or the like so that the customer will not gain the impression that the contents of the box are not suitable or of standard quality, rather than of broken and undesirable quality, particularly where customers dipinto a box of this kind to remove the contents after the box has been substantially emptied.

I do not mean to conne myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A receptacle of the kind described comprising a body formed of a plurality of angularly related side walls, an inwardly and upwardly inclined ange on the bottom edge of each of said side walls, a bottom member including a horizontal wall having side edges spaced inwardly from said side walls and depending outwardly and downwardly inclined flanges carried by said side edges, the bottom edges of Said bottom member anges being adapted to slidably bear against said side walls and to engage between said side Walls and said side wall flanges when said bottom member is in its lowermost position, upwardly and inwardly extending tongues struck from said side walls and spaced from the bottom edges thereof, said bottom member anges being adapted to engage between said tongues and said side walls when said bottom member is in a raised position.

FLETCHER BLAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,076,156 Schierse Oct. 21, 1913 1,443,207 Blount Jan. 23, 1923 1,680,539 Hadi Aug. 14, 1928 2,005,245 Stoner June 18, 1935 2,166,265 Ressinger July 18, 1939

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