GB2123789A

GB2123789A - Folding container

Info

Publication number: GB2123789A
Application number: GB08318607A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Powell Folley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-07-08
Filing date: 1983-07-08
Publication date: 1984-02-08
Also published as: NZ204840A; GB2123789B; GB8318607D0

Abstract

A foldable container (10) readily changeable between erected and folded configurations comprises a rectangular pallet base (11), stub legs (12) upstanding from the corners of the base (11) and opposed pairs of side panels (15, 19). Each side panel panel (19) is hinged to one adjacent side panel (15) and has at its free edge hookd (21) whereby it can be releasably secured to corner members (16) at the free edge of the adjacent side panel (15), and the other side panels (15) are pivotally mounted on the pallet base (11). By this construction each side panel (19) can be pivoted to lie in face to face contiguity with a respective other side panel (15) and then each pair of adjacent side panels (19, 15) can be pivoted to lie flat on base (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Folding container This invention relates to a foldable container system comprising a pallet base and side and end walls which fold onto the pallet base, for example, of the type which can be used when erected to be one of a stack of containers or pallets, and when folded, to be one of a stack of folded containers or pallets, but which occupy very much less space.

Many attempts have been made to provide a satisfactory foldable container or pallet, and for example the reader may be referred to Australian Patent 260,327, application 8973/66, the British patent 1360683, the German patent 1 038 482, the United States patents 4,002,126,3,259,082, 2,972,463, 2,498,414 or the French patents 1,089,616, 1,215,619 and 1,357,083. It is believed that the above specifications constitute the most pertinent prior art, but a study of those specifications will indicate that folding containers proposed heretofore have been complex, expensive and inconvenient.

The main objects of this invention therefore are to provide a foldable container system which can be very quickly and easily changed from its folded mode to its erected mode or vice versa, which is inexpensive, and which is easy to manipulate and is convenient to use and it is also important that the container should be strong and stable under load conditions.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a pallet base, a plurality of stub legs upstanding from respective corners of the base, two pairs of opposite side panels, a pivot means connecting the lower edges of the side panels to the upstanding stub legs or brackets, hinge means connecting one side edge of each side panel to one side edge of each adjacent panel, and releasable securing means connecting the free side edge of each side panel to the free side edge of each opposite panel, so arranged that, upon release of the securing means, each side panel is foldable to lie in face to face contiguity with the adjacent side panel to which it is hinged, and to fold to a horizontal position and be supported on the pallet base.

With this invention it is possible to make a very stable construction for relatively low cost. Spigot and socket connections or shot bolts can releasably interconnect the free swinging edges of each side panel module. Where this system is used, as in some embodiments of the invention, the container will have a plurality of permanent pivots and hinges widely distributed throughout the system and when erected this greatly enhances the strength characteristic.

In a further embodiment, a pallet of wood, plastic or metal which is normally used as a load supporting deck, is converted temporarily into a foldable container by releasably cleating to it the folding side panel modules. The retaining cleats which are pivotally and slidably attached to the lower edge of each side panel module, engage the underside of the decking between the planks, in the case of the wooden pallet. In the case of the metal pallets the retaining cleats engage the underside of the pallet frame and the peripheral edge and slots provided in the pressed metal and plastic pallets.

When the side panel modules are in the folded mode and lying horizontally on the pallet base the upstanding stub legs of the side panel module serve to support another pallet, and in this way it is possible to build up a plurality of folded containers or pallets into a comparatively stable stack.

It will be seen that this invention enables pallets, which normally function as a load supporting deck, to perform a dual role, thereby greatly enhancing their usefulness.

In a further embodiment of the invention the folding container has lid means associated therewith, and the invention further comprises end members on each pivotted side panel, each end member having swivel links, pivotally attached to the upper edge of the side panels, a pair of half lids, and further pivot means joining the swinging ends of the swivel links to the half lids, the arrangement being such that each half lid can be moved to a horizontal position where it covers the container, can be swivelled outboard of its respective side panel 1 5 for opening the top of the container, or can be swivelled inboard to lie in face to face contiguity with its said end member and thereupon be folded down to be supported by the pallet base.

Several embodiments of the invention are described hereunder in some detail with reference to and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding container with its sides erected and locked together, Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the side panels are pivotally hinged along their adjacent edges and fold down upon the pallet base, Fig. 3 is a perspective view which illustrates the container in its folded mode, Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing in more detail the hinging means between the side panels, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section showing a half lid pivotted to a folding container with swivel links in accordance with another embodiment, Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating the way in which the half lid will fold to open the container or alternatively will fold against its side panel so that the sub-assembly thereby formed can rest upon the pallet base for stacking purposes, Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pallet of wood having two side panel modules releasably cleated to it, Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on plane 8-8-8 of Fig. 7, Fig. 9 is a view in direction of arrow 9 of Fig. 8, Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view showing how a lining may be saddled to a side panel, and Fig. 11 illustrates one shot bolt interconnection of the free swinging ends of a side panel module.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the folding container 10 comprises a pallet base 11, four stub legs 12 at respective corners of the base 11 which terminate at their lower ends in dish-like feet 13, and project upwardly at their upper ends above the pallet base 11.

Pivotted about parallel axes to opposite pairs of stub legs 12, there are a pair of opposite side panels 15, each side panel 15 having corner members 16 of angle section, the pivot means comprising pivot pins 17 (Fig. 4).

Each side panel 1 5 has one of its side edges designated 18 to which is hinged an adjacent side panel 1 9 so that both adjacent sides can fold to lie in face to face contiguity. This is best illustrated in Fig. 2 which shows how, when so folded, the subassembly or module of side panels 1 5 and 19 can fold down to rest on the pallet base 11. The hinge means comprises a pair of co-axial sleeves 20 welded to each of two respective corner members, and engaged by downturned hooks 21 on the end panel 19.

On the free edge or swinging side edge of each of the panels 19 there are also provided a pair of downturned hooks 21 and these engage sleeves 20 on the other two corner members 1 6 when the container is in its erected mode as shown in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6, a similar folding container 10 is provided with lid means, comprising two half lids 25, each with pivot means generally designated 26 by which they are hinged to respective side panels 1 5. For stiffening purposes, however, the rear edges of the side panels 1 5 are defined by angle section rails 27.

Each pivot means 26 comprises a pair of swivel links 28, each having a pivot pin 29 connecting it to a reinforcing plate 30 on the half lid 25, and it is pivotted to the side panel 1 5 by a second pivot pin 31. This pivot means 26 thereby provides a facility whereby each half lid 25 can be moved to a horizontal position where it covers the container 10 (Fig. 5) can be swivelled outboard of its respective side panel 1 5. Each half lid terminates at its swinging end in a flat bar 33, and as shown in Fig. 5, these bars overlap when the half lids are closed.The embodiment of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrates a timber pallet 35 of a type which is very commonly used, having a plurality of spaced parallel frame members 36, each having secured to it a plurality of upper pallet planks 37 and lower pallet planks 38 all spaced from one another and providing respectively a load support deck and a base.

The panel 1 5 is pivotted to the stub leg 40 by means of a pivot pin 43, and the panel 19 is hinged to a cleat 42 outstanding from the side panel 15.

Retaining cleats 45 each comprise an inverted U-shaped strap 46 which is retained to a lower peripheral bar 47 of a side panel 1 5 by a pivotal bolt 48. A retaining arm 49 pivots on the pivot bolt 48 and prevents displacement of the side panel 1 5 to the right (as shown in Fig. 8) by bearing against frame member 36. The other retaining arm on each cleat 45 is a hook member 50 which hooks beneath a plank 37 as shown in fig. 9, and this limits both upward displacement of side panel 1 5 from the pallet 35, and also displacement to the left (in Fig. 8).

Strap 46 is slidable along bar 47, and when either retaining arm is lifted, strap 46 may also be rotated around bar. This enables an alternative hook arrangement to be utilised, wherein hook 50 can be portion of, or welded to, strap 46.

The drawings herein have illustrated wire mesh infill sheets for the side panels and in the first embodiment, also for the pallet base 11. Fig. 10 illustrates how a lining 51 is glued to the mesh sides and base to give a closure surface, making use of saddles 52.

Fig. 11 illustrates a useful shot bolt arrangement which has the effect of reducing tendency for the panels to pivot relative to one another. The short bolt 53 on side 15 engages a receiving aperture in bracket 1 5 in side 19, but is inclined in its direction of movement.

Claims

1. A foldable container system comprising a pallet base, a plurality of stub legs upstanding from respective corners of the base, two pairs of opposite side panels, pivot means connecting the lower edges of the pivotted side panels to the upstanding stub legs or brackets, hinge means connecting one edge of each side panel to one edge of each adjacent panel, and releasable securing means connecting the free edge of each side panel to the free edge of each opposite panel, so arranged that, upon release of the securing means, each side panel is foldable to lie in fact to face contiguity with the adjacent side panel to which it is hinged, and to fold to a horizontal position and be supported on the pallet base.

2. A foldable container system according to claim 1 wherein spigot and socket connections releasably interconnect the free swinging edges of the panels of each side panel module comprising two said side panels hinged together.

3. A foldable container system according to claim 1 wherein shot bolts releasably interconnect the free swinging edges of the panels of each side panel module comprising two said side panels hinged together.

4. A foldable container system according to any preceding claim wherein said pallet base comprises a pallet of wood comprising a plurality of spaced frame members, and a load supporting deck of spaced planks thereon, each module comprising two said side panels hinged together having a lower bar of one of those panels cleated to a plank of the pallet by a retaining cleat which is both slidable and pivotal with respect to that said bar.

5. A foldable container system according to claim 4 wherein each said module comprises a pair of said stub legs.

6. A foldable container system according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein each said retaining cleat comprises a pair of retaining arms, one of which is a hook-like member which engages beneath said plank to which said module is cleated.

7. A foldable container system according to claim 6 wherein each said cleat comprises a strap slidable along its said panel lower bar, and is pivotted to said strap.

8. A foldable container system according to any preceding claim further comprising end members on each said pivotted side panel, each said end member having swivel links pivotally attached to the upper edge of a said side panel, a pair of half lids, and further pivot means joining the swinging ends of the swivel links to the half lids, the arrangement being such that each half lid can be moved to a horizontal position where it covers the container, can be swivelled outboard of its respective side panel for opening the top of the container, or can be swivelled inboard to lie in face to face contiguity with its said end member and thereupon be folded down to be supported by said pallet base.

9. A foldable container system substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

10. A foldable container system substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive.