US2702141A - Fruit and vegetable container - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 15, 1955 w. c. MccUAlG FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONTAINER Filed May 2 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM QMecuAlG.

United States Patent" FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONTAINER William C. MeCuaig, Penn Yan, N. Y. Application May 2, 1950, Serial No. 159,589

1 Claim. (Cl. 217-43) This invention relates broadly to shipping containers for fruit and vegetables and more specifically to improvements in ventilated boxes of the type that may be collapsed to accommodate storage and return shipment thereof.

One of the objects of the invention resides in the provision of cleats or skids on the top and bottom of the box to facilitate stacking and handling thereof when filled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible box which may be retained in its operative position by merely dropping loose bottom boards therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide dowel pins mounted in blind openings in the corners of the box to facilitate the folded or collapsed adjustment thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lid which may be interlocked with the ends of the cleats on the top of the box and secured in place by a locking strip which requires but two nails to assure the adlxture thereof.

Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a box which is rigid in structure, light in weight, economic of manufacture, and framed to insure ventilation of the contents and avoid injury thereto.

Other objects and advantages, more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and the manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear in the following description, which, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the improved box or crate;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, the section Ib eing taken on a plane indicated by the line 2 2 in ig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through another portion of the box, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the position;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a fragmentary portion of the box illustrating an alternate latching mechanism for the lid;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a fragmentary por- ;ion of the box illustrating a corner post of an alternate orm.

Referring first to Fig. 1 the box comprises a pair of rectangular end walls embodying bottom skids 10, top rails 11, corner posts l2, and spaced vertically disposed end boards 13 nailed to the outer face of the skids and top rails. The posts are disposed between the bottom skids and rails and each member is bored with a blind opening therein for the reception of a dowel 14 (Figs. 2 and 3). In assembly the dowels are mounted in the openings in the posts simultaneous the engagement of the bored ends of the skids and rails therewith. Thereafter the end boards 13 are nailed to the transverse frame members, thus effecting the retention of the dowels. The side panels of the box are formed by spaced, horizontally box in its collapsed disposed boards 15 nailed to the inner face of the posts 12. The bottom or oor of the box is formed by. a plurality of boards 16 milled for snug engagement with the inner face of the end boards 13. The tioor boards rest upon the ledges formed by the upper faces of the skids 10, but are not nailed or otherwise affixed thereto, hence it is desirable to form the boards from relatively wide stock and to mill the ends thereof square and parallel in order to restrain undue diagonal fiexure of the box assembly.

The lid of the box is formed with end rails 17 with slats 18 nailed upon the upper face thereof in normal relation thereto and top skids 111 secured to the rails 11. The slats are disposed in spaced relation with each other and the outer ends of the rails 17 which are of a requisite length to accommodate the telescopic engagement thereof with the lower face of the top skids 111. The ends of the top skids 111 overhang the corner posts 12 a distance equal to the thickness of the rails 17 of the lid and the cross slat 18 adjacent one end of the lid is set inwardly from the ends 19 of the top rails to facilitate the reception of a locking strip 20. The lid is assembled upon the box by introducing the ends 19 of the rails beneath the overhanging ends of the top skids 111, then moving the lid horizontally and downwardly until the opposed ends 21 of the rails will clear the inner edge or the adjacent skid. The lid is then retracted until the slat remote from the locking strip abuts the skid 111, whereupon the locking strip 20 may be set in place and nailed or otherwise atiixed to the top rails 17. lf the strip 20 is nailed in place, two nails 23 are deemed adequate since no appreciable strain is imposed thereon.

When it is desired to collapse the box for storage or return shipment, the lid and tloor boards are removed, then the side and end panels are revolved about the dowels in the corner posts until the end boards 13 engage the side panels 15 as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the box is folded the lid and tloor boards may be stored or shipped therewith or stacked for independent handling since the simplicity of the parts accommodates interchangeable assembly thereof.

It will be noted that the box is free from internal protuberances such as the corner posts frequently found in similar crates that scar or bruise the fruit, and it will also be observed that the box may be used without the lid since the skids 10 and 111 will separate the box from a superimposed unit and thus safeguard any protruding surface of the fruit or vegetables packed therein.

ln the lid-supporting structure illustrated in Figs. S and 6 the ends of the skids 111 are ush with the outer faces of the corner posts and the lid top rails 17 abut the inner face of the posts. The slats 18, moreover, are even with the ends of the top skids 111 which are milled with grooves 24 in the inner face thereof for the reception of hat, relatively thin latch plates 25 pivotally mounted on the top of the end slats 18 for engagement within the grooves.

If desired, the corner posts may be triangular in transverse section as illustrated in Fig. 7. With such structure the side panels are nailed upon the outer face thereof in order to eliminate sharp edges and corners within the Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specie terminology is not intended to be restrictive or coniining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

A box for the shipment of fruit consisting of a pair of end frames, comprising top and bottom rails and corner posts between said rails, the posts and rails of each end frame lying in a common plane and the post ce Patented Feb. 15, 1955r end rails positioned outside said posts and beneath said 10 overhanging portions' of the `top' skids,V and spaced slats nailed on said lid end rails and lying skids, whereby the lid iS held in position.

between the top References Cited in the le of this patent CIT UNITED STATES PATENTS Boyd Aug. 11, 1903 Boyd Oct. 3, 1905 Dolph June 19, 1906 Ritter `luly 8, 1919 Smith Sept. 8, 1936

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