US1484581A - Egg crate - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19 1924.

. STOTHART ET AL 'EGG CRATE Filed Oct. 16. 1922 patented Feb., lg, 11924.

JMES R. STOEHBT AND LEON BERNSTEIN, OF COUSHATTA, LOUISIANA.

EGG CRATE.

.application led ctober 16, 1922. Serial No. 594,903.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that We, JAMES R. STOTHART and LEON BnRNsTEIN, citizens of the United States, both residing at Coushatta, in the 5 parish of Red River and State of Louisiana,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg Crates, of which the following is a specification. j

The present invention relates tovimprovel ments in egg crates inv which provision is made for transporting eggs or similar fragile articles without entailing breakage and the invention has for its primary object to secure in an egg crate at relatively low l cost and involving but simple manufacture a4 high degree of safety for the contents.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an egg crate into which the eggs may be readily introduced and from whlch they may with equal facility be removed, while at the same time to provide elastic devices for tightly embracing the eggs so long as they remain in the carton or categto utilize in connection with the construction of such a crate, material that is readily available and can be had at small cost; and to secure a crate which may be ltransported quickly and readily because of the fact that so much care need not be exercised in handling the same.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

ln the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the crate in the open position,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through the crate in its closed position,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 2,

Figure fi is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the crate closed, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view showing a detail of the end portion.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the crate consists mainly of a body and a cover of two similar and complemental sections which are hinged together as indicated at 1. The body portion consists of an open rectangular frame made up of side rails 2 and 3 and front and rear bars 4: and

5 which are dove tailed or otherwise secured together.

Within the rectangular open frame is a cellular structure composed of partitions 6 extending in spaced relation between the front and rear beams 4 and 5 and bars 7 extending between the side rails 2 and 3 and being mortised into the lower portion of the partitions 6 in order to properly space the partitions and to reinforce them throughout their length and in general to build up a strong and durable cellular structure within the open frame work.

Now the bar 7 also forms a number of supports at fixed intervals for the wide bands of rubber 8 which are stretched between each of the partitions 6 and between the outermost partitions and the rails 2 and 3. Such rubber bands are stretched in suitable tension and have their ends engaged in slots-9 and 10 in the front and rear bars 4 and 5. Strips or enlargements 11 are vulcanized or otherwise secured to the extremities of the rubber bands in order to avoid their pulling through the openings 9 and 10.

The upper edges of the partitions 6 are slotted as indicated at 12 to receive pairs of relatively thin narrow rubber bands 13. These bands intersect the relatively larger bands and they are also xed in slots 14 and 15 in the side rails 2 and 3, being preferably pinched in these Slots so as to hold the bands in place. y

rlhe lbands are situated apart a suitable distance to receive therebetween an egg in the manner indicated in Figure 1 wherein the egg, which rests at its lower end upon one of the bottom broad bands 8 is supported at its sides by the bands 13 which are put under tension and therefore firmly hold the egg in position.

Now the top section is similarly constructed of a front beam 16 and rear beam 17 and side rails 18 and 19, all united together in an open skeleton structure having similar cells provided by the partitions 2O which in this instance extend between the rails 18 and 19 and in other words intersect the partitions of the body section. rlhe top portions of the partitions receive the bars 21 which are mortised into the partitions and are secured to the front and rear beams 16 and 17. Flat wide rubber bands 22 lie in spaces between the partitions 2O and are secured in a similar manner to the bands in the body need not be hinged but may be simply laidA one upon another and secured together. In any event the opposite end portions oi the egg will engage the wide rubber bands 8 and 22 while the lateral portions of the egg will be received between the thin rubber bands 13 and 23 and it will be noted that the pairs of bands will engage at right angles to one anothervso that these bands will avoid the egg sliding sidewisein the cell which might allow it to come into contact with the wooden partition and be broken.

With a crate of this character the eggs are individually held in cushioned cells and are prevented from coming into;Y contact with rigid parts so that the carton or crate may be subjected to rough handling without the likelihood of causing a breakage or injury to the contents.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of vthis inventionvwithout departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications be-v ing restricted only by the scope lowing claims. Y

What is claimed is:

1. An egg` crate comprising a body section, a top sectionpartitions disposed in said top and body sections and dividing. thecrate into a number of cells adapted toreceive eggs, broad flat rubber bands stretched of the folacrossthe top and body sections above and below the opposite ends of. the eggs, and

pairs of relatively. thin rubber bands held by said partitions for engaging the lateral portions of the eggs, substantially as described. Y

2. An egg crate comprising a body, a cover for the body, said body and cover being made up of rectangular open-frames,

intersecting partitions mounted in said open frames and dividing the crate into a number of cells for receiving the' eggs, broad rubber bands stretched across the bottom portion of the body and upper portion of the top and lying beyond the ends of the cells for receiving the opposite end portions of the eggs, said eggs adapted to engage and place therubber under tension when the cover isclosed on the body, and pairs of relatively narrow rubber bands carried by the open frame works and by the partitions and extending through'the cells at opposite lateral portions of the eggs near the ends thereof and adaptedto space the eggs from the A partitions, substantially as described.

3. An egg crate comprising a body composed of a substantially rectangular skeleton frame, a cellular structure mounted fast` Within said frame, a 4number of bands stretched from Vone side toY the other of the bottom portion offthe body beneath rows of the cells and being unattached to said cellularstructure, pairs of relatively narrow rub- Vber bands attached to saidirame and to the cellular structure and adapted to engage side portions ofthe egg, acoverfor theV body A also made up of anV open' frame, a rcellular structure therein, broad rubber bands stretched across from one side to the other of the lower part of said body, and pairs of rubber bands carried by said cover and feX- tending `at right angles to the bands of the body for engaging side portions of the egg, the eggs adapted to engage at their ends and to seatr'in the broadv bands carried by both the bodyV and cover, substantially.v as described. JAMES R. STOTHART.

. LEON BEIRNSTlSZIlT..`

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