US2641383A - Container with handle stacking means - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1953 a. E. COURSEY 2,641,333

I CONTAINER WITH HANDLE STACKING MEANS Filed May 28. 1951 ATTOIYMEYS.

Patented June 9, 1953 CONTAINER. WITH HANDLE STACKING MEANS George E. Coursey Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor .to The Qharles Wm.;Doepke Manufacturing Com pany, Rossmoyne, Ohio, a. corporation of..0hio

A ppIicati'on'MayZS 1951, Serial No. 228,704

e Claims. 1

This invention relates to. a receptacle or box for storing and handling small partsof various kinds, such as nuts, bolts, or other similar-articles. it is particularly concerned with a structure of the type in which the units may be stacked one ontop of another when inoperativeuse, or when outof use may be nested to occupya minimum of storage space. The preferred form of unit is-also so constructed that a plurality of stacked may be arranged in side by side relation.- ship, and'in this positi-on likewise occupy a minimum of storage space.

It is appreciated that in the past container thereof, so- -that when two or more. are in the stacked'position, the interiors of'the lower con.- tainers are readily accessible from both ends, thereby greatly facilitating the handling-of parts in a factory or production line where adjoining departments are required to utilize the same a parts.

Another object has been to provide a pluralityof container units adapted to benested-to the maxi-mum degree permitted by the configuration of the structure, but which when nested will never jam and thereby render it diflicultto dis-- lodge one unit from the other.

Another object has been to provide a container of the character described in which a pair of transversely extending shoulders are formed in the base, one at each end thereof. These shoulders engage with the balls of the next lower unit in the stacked position to prevent either longitudinal or transverse movement of the unit, and at the same time provide a'transverse reinforcement forthe base of the container.

Another object has been to provide bails necessarily configurated to perform the dual functions of nesting and stacking, but configurated in one plane only, thereby greatly simplifying their manufacture.

Another object has been to provide flange extensions on the outer ends of the side walls of substantial and outwardly increasing width for supporting the bails in the-nested position and to accomplish this result without correspond-- ingly-extending the sidewall ends laterally.

Another object. has been to provide a. .con-

tainer of the character described: from asinglelsheet of metal. or equivalent material cutand formed to the desired. configuration.

Other and further objects: and advantages will. be apparent from. the further and more detailed description of a structure comprising. apreferred.

form of the invention when considered imconjunction with :the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a. pair of. units of thetype of. the invention arranged-.one. ontop. of the other in stacked relationship.

Figure 2 is a perspective: viewof'the same units: arranged in nested relationship.

- Figure .3: is a. longitudinal crossrsectional View showing twoboxes in the nested positionand a; third in. thestacked position.

Figure 4. is an. end view of. one of the units: with the ibails in nesting position.

Figure: 5 is" an enlarged fragmentary viewof; the upper right hand corner of Figure 4. with. the bail in stacking position and'the nesting position. shown. in dotted lines.

Referring now t the drawings for afurtherand more:.detailed description of the invention. the: general nature.- of the structure andthe stack ing and nesting. utilities .thereof are clearly ap parent; from. the drawings. and-particularly Figures I and 2', in. which l0 designates a. unit generally. As: shown, the container is of. gen-- erally rectangular: configuration. having an openupper face. It is formed preferably from a sin gle-sheet ofmedium gauge metal. cut and. formed tor the'desired configuration.

The side walls, which are. of identical configuration, are designated generally as H. These walls are: flared outwardly as 'shownparti'cularly Figure 4. The end wallsv are desig; nated 1 2 and are: also. flared. outwardly to form hoppers. The bottomqisdesignatedas l3. Bails M have their outerends journaled in the side walls a'sat F5 and are: adapted to' be swung from the extended or nesting position, shown for example in Figure 4,. to: the retracted or stacking position, shown'in-full lines in Figure 5. Shoulders it are formed at the upper edges of the. inner faces of the side walls and thewalls are then continued outwardly to form the flanges Hand again upwardly toform the wallexten, I8 Itis in these extensions that the bails are journaled. As shown particularly Figures 1-, 2anid 4. the flanges n are parallel to the base in their centralsection butincline downwardly from shoulders IE to the end walls. As this downward inclination continues, the flanges widen in correspondence to the inclination of the side walls so that at their outer ends they provide relatively wide seats IQ for the bails when the latter are in stacking position. It will be noted, however, that the extensions l8 remain vertical and straight longitudinally and this greatly facilitates the positioning of the units in side by side position to occupy a minimum of space.

The details of the construction of'the base i3 are best illustrated in Figure 3. In this view as previously stated, the end walls .12 'areinclined outwardly as shown to form hoppers at each end of the units, so that parts can be deposited in and withdrawn from any desired unit in a stack. At their lower ends, the end walls l2 are turned horizontally inwardly to form the base sections 20 which have their inner termination points, atv'the shoulders 21. The walls. then ex-v tend downwardly to form the vertical offset-22 and finally are configurated horizontally to form the base section l3. These base sections are preferably reinforced at each side of a .unit by the skid strips 2323 which add strength to the structure and. prevent the wearing out of the base" if J the units are subjected to continuous slidingmovement over a hard surface; such as a cement floor.

The side walls II are preferably secured to the end walls [2 by folding over flaps 24 at each corner and then spot welding. Beads 25 are preferably formed at the upper edges of the end walls to add additional rigidity.

The exact construction of the bails I4 is of considerable importance. As shown particularly in Figures 4 and 5, they are bent in one plane only which greatly reduces the manufacturing cost. Thearms 26 extend substantially parallel to the side wall extensions [8 in both positions while the transverse portions 21 are substantially parallel to the end walls. Offsets 28 are formed at each endof the transverse por-:

tions 21. In the stacked position shown in Figure' '1, the transverse portions 21 of the bails as .defined by the offset portions 28 engage the notches 29 formed between the sections 20 and 22. The offsets themselves engage the corners of the container at the respective ends of notch-;; es '29. The bails thus preventthe shifting one unit with respect to the. other either longitudinally or horizontally when the units are in stacked position. j

I1 Itwill be noted from Figures 4 and particu: larly that the length of the bail arms 26 with relation to the distance between the points l5 at which they are journaled in the side walls and the upper ends of the end walls is such that inithe stacked position the transverse portions 2'Iof the bails are disposed slightly to the interior of the upper beaded edges 25 of the end walls. It will be observed also that the transverse portions 21 of each bail is below the pivot axis of the bail as defined by the journals IS. AS a result of this construction, when the units are in nested position, the upper units are in each case supported by the bails ofthe next lower unit rather than by the inner walls of the container; And no matter how'tightly the upper container is forced against the bails of the next lower one, the instant that the upper container is raised, due to thefact that the transverse portions 2! of the balls are below their pivots and must swing outwardly if raised at all, contact;-is im- 4 mediately broken. The containers, therefore, cannot jam and it is a very simple matter to lift out one or more of the upper units by simply elevating the balls of the unit below the lowest one which it is desired to elevate.

The arrangement provided for supporting the units in stacked position is also particularly effective. As contrasted with more complicated constructions in which an actual locking arrangement is provided between the bails of one container and .the base of the one which is su- 1 perimposed on it, the engagement here between the notch 29 and the angle formed between the transverse portions 27 of the bails and the offset portions 28 is entirely adequate for the purpose nestingv position. Since in lighter weight materials there is some tendency of the sides to spring apart and cause the bails to swing downwardly into the interior of the container, this tendency is completely averted by the construction de-.

scribed. A further factor in achieving this re sult is found in the fact that the side wall extensions l8 form a straight line longitudinally. This permits the bail arms 26 tobe positioned very close to the inner surface of the end wall extensions l8 at all times, as will be particularly noted in Figures 4 and 5, and further prevents the bail ends from slipping out of the bores in which they are journaled. a An important feature. of the invention is the ease and simplicity of its manufacture. As previously stated, the side and end walls are formed from a single sheet of metal so that'there is a minimum of fabrication expense. The bails are likewise configurated in a single operation because the configuration'is in one plane only.

, The present container can be used ina num ber of differentgways to facilitate the handling of small parts. plurality of the containers can be. stacked in a bank and used in place of conventional small parts bins. ,Since, thecontainers have hoppers;

at bothends; the parts, are availableat both sides of the bank. Also, the offsets 28 on the bails are adapted to, receive hooks so that the containers maybe hung from chain conveyors to move parts orsmall sub-assemblies from place tozplace in manufacturing processes utilizing production line techniques. H The cointainers in addition can be used with out the bails for storing parts on a workbench. In this use, the bails, are removed and: several containers bolted together side byside withthe bolts extending through theqbail holes, While the structure which has been described and illustrated comprises the preferred form of the invention, it-w ill be obvious that various changes and departures may be made without departing from the principles of the invention as set out in the ensuing claims. --'.Having fully described by invention, I claim:-

' 1. ;A container for parts or the like comprising a'pai'r'of outwardlyflared side walls, apair of outwardly flared end walls and a base; eachof said side walls having acontinuous horizontal In a stock'room, for example, a,

manner ing upwardly from thaouteredgeofisai'd flanges,- baiis; journaled in said: extension; portions, one bail being adjacent each end of the container, said, bails. having transverse arms substantially parallel to. the end wallsof the container, the ends. of thetransyerse arm-s being adaptedto: be

supported, on the; side: wall flanges, said bails.-

beingadapted to-be swung from: a stacking posi.-- tion in which the transverse.- arms. are towards the-center of, thecontainer toav nesting position in} which they are slightly inwardly of theupper. edges, of, the end walls and below the. uppermost. level of the flanges, in said latter position said. bails. forming the sole support for. a. like: container, superimposed thereon.

2; A container for parts or the like adapted to" be, selectively stacked. or nested with, a plurality ofj'like, containers, said container comprising a pair of outwardly flared side walls, a pair of outwardly flared end walls and a base, said end walls. being. lower than, the side walls, each of said side walls having a continuous horizontal flange spaced from the upper edge thereof, said flanges being inclined downwardly at their ends, bailsj'ournaled in said side walls atlpoints above said flanges and being adapted to be. supported thereby, one bail being adjacent each end of the container, saidrbail's haying transverse port'ions with an offset. adjacent each outer end thereof, said" bails being adapted to be swung irom a stacking position in which the transverse; portions are, adjacent the center of the container to a nesting position in which they areadjacent, the end walls-thereof, the base of said container, being configurated toiorm transverse oflsets at each end thereof, said transverse offsets'ibeing engageable with the offset portions of the bails of. a lower container when said bails are in stacking position to support said container and to restrain. longitudinal and transversemovementof the upper container'with' respect to saidlower container; v

3. A container for parts or the like adapted to be selectively stacked or nested with a plurality of like containers, said container being formed from a single sheet of flat material and comprising a pair of outwardly flared side walls, a pair of outwardly flared end walls, said end walls being lower than the side walls and said side walls being inclined downwardly at their ends to constitute hoppers at each end of the container when a plurality of containers are in stacked position, each of said side walls being configurated to provide a continuous outwardly extending horizontal flange spaced from the upper edge thereof, said flanges being inclined downwardly at their ends, bails journaled in the side walls at points above the flanges but below the uppermost level thereof, one bail being adjacent each end of the container, said bails having transverse portions with an offset adjacent each end of said transverse portions, said bail being adapted to be swung from a stacking positron in which the transverse portions are towards the center of the container to a nesting position in which they are adjacent the end walls thereof, the base of the container being configurated to form transverse ledge portions at each end thereof, said ledge portions being engageable with the offsets or the bails of a lower container when said bails are in stacking position to support said container against movement in any direction and at the same time to permit access to any container in the stack through the hoppers provided at each end of the containers.

III

4. A container'fon parts; or: the like-adapted toalbe: selectively stacked or nested: with a. plus.- rality" of like containers, said container: comprise ing apair of outwardly flared side walls, a pair. or outwardly flared end walls and a base, saidend walls being lower than. the side walls and said side walls being inclined downwardly at their ends to. constitute: hoppers. at. each end. ofthe container whena plurality of. containers are in: stacked position, each of. said side walls the-. ing configurated to: provide a. continuous out weirdly-extending horizontalz'flange spaced from" the upper edge thereof, said. flanges: being in.-';v clined downwardly at their ends, bails-journaledv I name side walls: at points abovethe flanges, one

bail being adjacent. each end of the container,-

said bails being configurated in one plane. only t'oprovide armportions adapted to' swingparallel to the side walls. of the container,, transverse portions adapted toswing parallel. totherend walls-and offset portions formed on the transverse; portions adjacent each endthereofysaid bails being adapted tobe swungrfrorn a stacking posi.- tion in which the transverse arms are towards the center of. the container to a nesting position in which theyare adjacent the end walls thereof, said offset portions being engageable with the base of an-upper container of like configuration in the stacking position to preventrelative-movement between the two containers.

5; A container for partsor'the' likeiadapt'ed to be selectively stacked or. nested with aplurality, of like containers, said container comprising a pair of outwardly flared side walls, a. pair of outwardly flared end walls, and a basesaidien'd'walls being lower than the. side walls and said side walls being inclined downwardly at their ends to constitute hoppers at each end of the container when a plurality of containers are in stacked position, each of. said side walls being configurated to provide a, continuous outwardly extending horizontal flangeispace'd from the upper edge thereof, said flanges being inclined downwardly at their ends and progressively increasing in width from the point at which their downward inclination commences to the ends of the container, bails journaled in the side walls at points above the flanges, one bail being adjacent each end of the container, said bails having arm portions adapted to swing parallel to the side walls of the container and closely contiguous thereto and transverse portions adapted to swing parallel to the end walls, said bails being adapted to be swung from a stacking position in which the transverse portions are towards the center of the container to a nesting position in which they are inwardly of the end walls thereof, in said latter position the arm portions of said bails being supported by the widened portions of the flanges and the transverse portions being engageable with the end wall of an upper container of like configuration.

6. A small parts container or the like comprising outwardly flared side and end walls and a bottom, said end walls being lower than the side walls and flared to a substantially greater degree than said side walls, said side walls slanting downwardly at their respective ends and constituting end hoppers in conjunction with the respective end walls, the upper margin of each side wall turned outwardly and then upwardly to provide a continuous ledge at the inner side thereof, a pair of balls, each bail of the pair configurated in a single plane to provide end pivots with arms extending at right angles to the end pivots and a transverse portion'connecting said arms, each bail mounted transversely of the container adjacent an end thereof with its, end pivots journaled in the respective side walls in the downwardly slanting ends thereof above the ledges, whereby the ledges are engaged by the arms of the bails when they are swung inwardly toward the center of the container, in which position the bails are adapted to support a similar container in stacked relationship, and engaged by the arms of the bails when they are swung toward theend walls, in which position the bails are adapted to support a similar container in nested relationship.

A small parts container or the like comprising outwardly flared side and end walls and abottom, said end walls being lower than the side walls and flared to a substantially greater degree than said side walls, said side Walls slanting downwardly at their respective ends to constitute in conjunction with the respective end walls a pair of end hoppers, the upper margin of" each side wall turned outwardly and then upwardly to provide a ledge extending the full length thereof, a pairof bails, each bail of the pair configurated to provide end pivots with arms extending at right angles to the end pivots and a transverse portion connecting said arms, each bail mounted transversely of the container adjacent an end thereof with its respective ends pivotally, journaled in the side walls above the ledges and in the downwardly slanting ends thereof, whereby the arms of the bail are adapted to rest upon the ledges adjacent the end wall with the transverse portion of the bail lower than the axis of its-end pivots, and the arms of the bail bein of such a size that when in the described position the transverse portion of the bail is spaced inwardly of the end wall.

8. A small parts container comprising outwardly flared side and end walls and a bottom, said end walls being lower than the side walls, a pair of balls, each ball of the pair having'end pivots with arms extending at right angles to the end pivots and a transverse portion connecting the arms, eachbail pivotally journaled in the respective side walls adjacent one end of the container in'such a position that when the bail is swun outwardly the transverse portion is parallel to but spaced inwardly from the end wall, and means supporting the bail in the outward position with its transverse portion below the axis of its end pivots where it is, engageable with the end wall of a second like container nested therein.

I 9. A small parts container comprising outwardly flared side and end walls and a bottom, said end walls being lower than said side walls and flared to a substantially greater degree than said sidewalls, a pair of bails, each bail of the pair Having ,a pair of end pivots disposed upon a common axis and a transverse portion disposed in spaced parallel relationship with respect to said :axis, each bail having its end pivots journaled in the respective side walls adjacent an end of the container in such a position that the bail may be swung into an outwardly and downwardly angulated positionin which the transverse portion is parallel to, but spaced inwardly from, the adjacent end wall and below the axis of said end pivots, and means supporting said bail in said position where it is engageable with the end wall of a second like container nested therein.

GEORGE E. COURSEY. 1

References Cited in the m of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,308,824 Walker July 8, 1919 1,447,800 McLennan et al. Mar. 6, 1923 1,862,609 Shaw June 14, 1932 2,061,414 Tufts et al. Nov. 1'7, 1936 2,224,818 Hovorka Dec. 10, 1940

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