US409386A - Folding crate - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. BROOK. FOLDING GRATE.

Patented Aug. 201.1889;

lA/VE/VTOH Jzzas' 7737 007.

A WIT/11588558: Oked/ A TWO/M15) 2 t e e h s s t e e h S 3 T 0 M RC G N I WD L m m M M O Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

INVENTUI? 1.76527766 Wfii'flair By M ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IV. BROOK, OF LYN OI-IBURG, VIRGINIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,386, dated August 20, 1889. Application filed April 26, 1889. Serial No. 308,743. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. BROOK, of Lynehburg, in the count-y of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification. a.

My invention is an improvement in crates; and it consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

I11 the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my crate. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same the cover being raised. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bottom and end pieces. Fig. at is a detail view of the front side piece. Fig. 5 shows the rear side piece and top. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the partition, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the fastening-bar, all of which will be described.

The crate, when in position for use, pre sents the appearance of an ordinary crate with a hinged top.

I construct the box with a bottom section A, having the ends B hinged at their lower ends to it, such bottom having frame beams or sills a, and the ends having frame beams or uprights I), such beams to and Z) being arranged to lie side by side when the ends are folded down on the bottom, so that the parts A and B may be compactly folded together. I provide the sills acentrally between their ends with the upwardly-projected dowels O, to enter the sockets in the side pieces presently described. I also form the end uprights I) with. sockets (Z, to receive the dowels on the side pieces.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when not in use the ends and bottom may be detached from the other parts of the crate and be compactly folded, the ends folding down close on the bottom piece.

For convenience of reference, I shall refer to the side pieces E and E as respectively the front and rear sides. Each of such sides is provided in its lower edge with a socket c, to receive the dowels C of the base, and at each end with dowels D, to enter the sockets d in the end pieces. It will be seen,therefore, that when the ends B are turned up at right angles to the base A, and the sides are applied by fitting the sockets c on dowels O, and the dowels D into sockets (l, and the sides are firmly clamped together, a strong rigid box is provided. By preference each of the sides has a central upright F and end uprights f.

The front side E is provided at its ends, near its upper edge, with eyes G to receive the hooks h on one end of rods H, which are secured to the rear side section E.

It will be noticed that the eyes or staples G are arranged on the inner sides of the end uprights f, and the hooks are connected with the end uprights f of the rearsection at the outer side thereof, the result of such peculiar arrangem ent being that the hook-rods H extend diagonally between the front and rear sides, at the end of same, and serve as a closure of the space at the ends of the top, as shown.

The hooks 7L are locked in the eyes or staples G by the mechanism presently described.

The front section is provided near its lower end with the hookrods I, secured at one end to the end uprights f, near the lower ends of the latter, and provided at their other ends with hooks i to enter eyes or staples g, provided on the uprights f of the rear side piece. It will be understood that these rods will in use be held in engagement with the eyes g by the material packed in the crate above said rods I. The rods 11 I and the eyes engaged thereby serve as simple efficient means for clamping the front and rear sides together. The top J is hinged at its rear edge to the upper edge of the rear side piece E, preferably by means of the pintle-rod K, which extends through coincident opening in said top and side pieces, and has its ends bent at k, being thereby secured. This rod K, running between the upper edge of the side piece E and the rear edge of the top piece, operates in a measure to close the gap between such parts at said place.

I provide in my crate a hollow ventilatingpartition L, such partition serving to divide and give strength to the box by bracing the same, and also operating to give ventilation to the articles packed in the middle of the crate. By preference, the partition is formed with bars or posts Z and slats Z,nailed to the opposite side of same, such slats being extended beyond the posts Z, so as to lap on opposite sides of the central uprights F of the side pieces and brace the partition in place. At its upper end the partition fits between beams or bars j of the top.

The. top J ,whenclosed down in-positi'on,

This arm and portion turning into thestaple operates to draw the front side more closely against the end piece and braces such front, as will be seen. It will also be seen that the fastening-rod M extends above and close to the hooks h and secures such hooks in their staples. When taken apart, the bottom and end pieces are folded together, as before. described. The top is folded down on the rear side piece, it being provided at D with sockets for the dowels thereof, so it may be folded flat down, and the rear side piece having sockets h for the hooks h when the parts are folded.

' The fastening-rod M is placed in the holes in the front side piece, and the said parts, together with the partition, may be packed together and secured, or the crates may be made in different sizes and the small ones be folded and packed in the large ones when being returned to the shipper.

Cross beams or sills A are provided at the ends of the bottom piece and cover the space below the slats of the end pieces when the ends are raised, and also serve to give strength and'rigidity to the bottom.

Having thus described my inventionavhat I claim as new is- 1. An improved crate provided with ahollow ventilating-partition Lyconsisting of the bars or posts Z, and slats Z nailed to the opposite sides of bars 1 and separated, providing spaces between them, substantially as set forth.

2. In a crate substantially as described, the combination of the bottom, the sides having uprights F, and the hollow ventilatingpartition formed of posts or uprights and .slats, theslats being secured to the opposite sides of the said uprightsand extended at their ends beyond the same whereby to lap on opposite sides of the uprights F, substantially as set forth.

3. In a crate, substantially as described, the combination, with the sides having uprights F and the top having beams or bars j j, of the ventilating-partition formed to fit between the bars j, and having slats arranged to extend on opposite sides of the uprights F, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a crate, of the bot tom, the ends hinged to said bottom, the side pieces fitted to said ends and bottom, interj, secured to the under side.

.between said sides, substantially as set forth.

6. As an improvement in crates, the combination, with the front side pieces having the eyes or staples, and the hooks h, enter ing said staples, ofthe top, and the fastening-rod by which tosecure said top closed,

such rod in its locked position being extended close to the hooks 71., whereby to hold the same in their staples, substantially asset forth.

7. In a crate, substantially as described, the combination of the front and rear side pieces having near their ends uprights f, the top, the eyes or staples G, secured'on the inner sides of the uprights f of the front section, and the rods H, secured at one end to the outside of the uprights f of the rear side section, and having at their other ends hooks engaging the eyes'G of the front side section, whereby said rods 11 will extend diagonally and serve to fill in ameasure the space at the end of the top,'substantially'as set forth.

i 8. In a folding crate, the combination lOf the front side piece, the end piece having a staple O, the top, and the lock-rod M, passed through coincident openings in the top and I side piece, and having at its end a cranklike arm m, provided with a portion N, ar-' ranged to enter the staple O, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. The improved crate herein described,

consisting of the bottom having dowels O, the

ends B, having sockets d, a staple O on one of said ends, the front side piece E, having eyes or staples G and hook-rods I and provided with dowels D and sockets c, the rear IIO side section having dowels D and socketsc,

the hook-rod I-I, connected with the rear side section, the top hinged to the rear side section, the partition, and the'lo'ck-rod M, having at one end a crank-like arm m, having a portion N, arranged to enter the staple O, substantially as set forth.

10. In a folding crate, substantially as dedescribed, the combination of the bottom piece or section A, having frame beams 01' sills a, and the end pieces B, hinged or pivoted to the bottom A and having frame beams or uprights 1) arranged to lie alongside the sills a, whereby the ends may be folded fiat down against the bottom piece, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES XV. BROOK; Vitnesses:

P. B. TURPIN, SoLoN C. KEMON.

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