US455661A - Folding poultry-crate - Google Patents

Description

H. B. CORNISH. FOLDING POULTRY CRATE.

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(No Model.)

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W/TNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. B. CORNISH. FGLDING POULTRYGRATE.

Patented July?, 1891.

'Y No. 455,661.

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g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRiy E. OORNIsH, -OE HAMPTON, IOWA.

FOLDING POULTRY-CRATE.

sPEoIFIcATIoN Yforming pero ef Lettere Patent Ne. 455,661, dated Juiy 7, 1891. Application filed March 20,1891. Serial No. 385,783. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it nu@ concern.-

Be it known that l, HARRY B. CORNISH, of Hampton, in the county of Franklin and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Poultry-Crates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in poultry-crates, and has for its object to provide a crate capable of being folded for return transportation, and of being expeditiously set up to receive the poultry.

A further Object of the invention is to provide a crate which will be exceedingly simple, economic, and durable.-

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part 0f this specification, in which similar gures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view of the crate. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side thereof. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a side located at a right angle to that illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken at a right angle to the section A 4: and upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the crate, illustrating the same as partially folded.

The crate is constructed with a top A, a bottom B, two sides C of like construction, and two sides D, differing in construction from the sides C.

The top A is preferably made of a single metal plate having a number of openings 10 produced therein, the plate being strengthened by a series of ribs l1, extending from one side to th-e other.l The ribs are preferably four in number, and are located at two sides of the plate at the margins thereof and one at each side of the center, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Theribs are preferably semicircular, are hollow, and are provided with horizontal side flanges, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

In the center of the top of the crate between the intermediate ribs l() a large Opeli- Ving is made, which is covered by a door 12,

hinged at one end and provided with any suitable form of look at its opposite end. The door is also preferably made of a single piece of metal, and is provided with a number-of openings 13. The metal at the edges of one of the longest openings a, located near the centerof the door, is bent downward and horizontally beneath the plate, forming slideways 14C, open at one end, the said slideways being adapted for the reception of an address-card l5 or the equivalent thereof.

The top A of the crate is provided at its marginxvith a continuous downwardly-extending flange 16. The sides C are each constructed of a single piece of metal, and are provided with a series of Openings 17 in like manner to the top. The sides C are connected at their upper edges to the flange 1G of the top plate by means of hinges 18, said hinges'being preferably three in number and located near the ends and at the center. The sides C extend downward to the bottom B of the crate, and when the crate is in position to receive poultry the lower ends of the sides y C are in engagement with flanges 18, extending upward from'the bottom, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the said flanges are preferably provided with openings to receive studs 19, located upon the said sides U.

The bottom B is perfectly solid, and may contain, if desired, a covering of paper to protect it, which cover is held in place only by the sides of the crate engaging' therewith.

The side pieces D are connected to the top and bottom of the crate in a different manner from that of the sides C. The said sides D are hinged both to the top and the bottom of the crate, the hinge connection to the top of the crate heilig effected inlike manner to the hinge-connection of the side pieces C; butthe hinges employed to connect the sides to the bottom are strap-hinges 20, and are pivotally connected to the marginal portions of the bottom and to the centralportion of the sides. The strap-hinges are preferably made to correspond in number to the upper hinges 18.

The sides D at each of their ends are provided with hingedV extensions 2l. The said extensions when the crate is setup stand at a right angle to the sides and overlap the side pieces C, forming corner-braces or re-enforc ing strips. The extensions 2l are prevented from being carried out at more than a right angle to their, sides D by coming in engagement with the flanges 1S of the bottom. Each side piece at its upper edge is very much strengthened by having the metal bent over upon itself upward and inward, forming two walls, as illustrated at l; in Figs. et and 5. The side pieces Dot the crate are provided with openings similar-to those in the sides C; but the openings near the upper edges of the said sides D are made quite long, and are preferably only two in number, each extending from a point near the end to a point at one side of the center, as illustrated at d in Figs. 2 and l. The openings d thus made permit parties carrying the crate to grasp the upper edges of the sides D, which serve as handles, and the said edges will not eut the hands of the carriers by reason of their cylindrical contour, as shown in Fig. 5.

When the crate is emptied, the sides C are carried up in close engagement with the under face of the top and the sides D are forced inward at their lower edges, the extensions 2l having been first folded inward. The orate at this time will assume the position shown in Fig. 6, and when the top of the crate is pressed downward against the bottom, the sides D lie fiat between them upon the strap-hinges 20.

In setting up the crate the sides D are first drawn outward to a Vertical position, their extensions folded outward and then the side pieces C are carried downward in engagement with the flanges of the bottom and against the extensions of the sides D.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A folding crate comprising a top, a bottom, two sides hinged at their upper edges to the top to t'old inward against the under surface of the said top, and two other sides hinged at their upper edges to the top and to the bottom by hinges secured to the edges of the bottom and to the central portions of the said sides, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A folding crate comprising an apertured and ribbed top plate, a solid bottom plate provided with flanges at two opposite sides, apertured side pieces hinged at their upper edges to the top plate and adapted to engage with the bottom flanges at their lower edges, apertured side pieces hinged at their upper edges to the top plate. and connected by straphin ges to the bottom plate, the said straphinges being located at the outside of the side plates and engaging therewith near their central portions, as and for the purpose specified. A

A folding crate comprising a top plate, a bottom plate having flanges at two opposite sides, side pieces hinged to the top plate and capable of free movement over the bottom plate and for engagement with the flanges thereof, and side pieces hinged to the top plate and connected by strap-hinges to the bottom plate, said hinges engaging with the side pieces near their central portions, and hingedextensions located at the ends of the side pieces provided with strap-hinges, the said extensions being adapted to told outward at an angle to the said sides and constitu ting corner or re-enforcing plates, as and for the purpose specified.

HARRY B. CGRNISH.

Witnesses:

HENRY WHITE, WILLIAM H. LECKEY.

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