US830145A - Foldable shipping-crate. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD SEPT. 4, 1906.

F. E. GOLIGHTLY.

FOLDABLE SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLIOATION FILED OGT.14,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attor n eys Witnesses Inventor by I I mi nURRIS Ilrsns C0 WASNINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED- SEPT. 4, 1906.

F. E. GOLIGHTLY.

'POLDABLE SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION rum) 001.14, 1906'.

2 exams SHEET 2'.

- Inventor Witnesses Attorneys- UNITED srArns PATENT FFIGE.

FOLDABLE SHIPPING-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906 Application filed October 14, 1905. Serial No. 282,802.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK E. GoLIeH'rLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Azotus, in the county of Pope and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Foldable Shiping-Crate, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to shipping-crates, and while primarily designed for the shipment of eggs is also capable of containing any character of commodity.

Among the prime objects of the invention it is proposed to provide for conveniently folding the crate into compact form for return shipment as an empty and in this connection to maintain the several parts of the crate successively connected in order that the crate may be quickly set up in position for use without requiring any reassemblage of the parts. It is moreover proposed to provide for binding the edges of the crate, so as to protect the same, and to make use of the binding elements in hinging and otherwise connecting the parts of the crate.

l/Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the crate partially folded. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the crate folded. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary perspective view. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the terminal binding elements for the bottom of the crate.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The present crate includes a back 1, a front 2, which is a substantial duplicate of the back, a top 3, a bottom 4, and opposite ends 5.

Each end of the back of the crate is embraced by a metallic bracket 6. The top of this bracket or substantially semitubular binding-strip overhangs the top edge of the forwardly-directed ear 10, similar to the ear 8 and constituting a hinged connection between the back of the crate and the end at the bottom of the latter. In addition to the ear 10 the bottom of the strip 6 has aforward extension 11, which embraces the adjacent end of the rear section 4 of the bottom of the crate, whereby said section is rigidly connect ed to the back of the crate. The extension 11 is provided with an ear 12, overlapping the adjacent end of the main bottom section 4, and pierced by pivot-pin 13, whereby the section l is hinged to the section 1 and is capable of being folded upwardly and rearwardly toward the back of the crate.

Each end of the front 2 of the crate is embraced by a substantially semitubular binding-strip 14, the upper and lower end portions 15 and 16 of which embrace the respective top and bottom edges of the front 2 and are secured thereto by suitable fastenings. These top and bottom portions of the strip 14 are extended inwardly to form ears 17 andlS, which respectively overlap the top and bot tom of the adjacent end of the crate, to which they are pivotally connected, as described for the ear 8. Suitable binding- strips 19 and 20 embrace the top and bottom edges of each end of the crate, and the ears of the front and back of the crate overlap said binding-strips.

A transverse partition 21 is provided substantially midway between the ends of the crate, its top and bottom edges being embraced by binding-strips 22 and 23, similar to those for the ends of the crate. Each corner of the partition is hinged to the adjacent side of the crate by means of a substantially U- shaped clip 24, which straddles and is rigidly secured to the side of the crate and has an ear 25 cleft therefrom and overlapping the adjacent edge of the partition to which it is pivotally connected. By preference the front and rear edges of the ends of the crate and the partition are rounded or beveled in order that said members may swing in opposite directions from their normal set-up positions.

Each end of the main bottom section 4 of the crate is provided with a binding-strip 26,

which embraces the upper and lower faces of said bottom section and is provided with a corner extension 27, constituting a bracket lying upon the upper face of the bottom section at the outer corner thereof, so as to brace the same. At the outer end of the strip 26 there is an inturned hooked portion jections 29 of the strips 14 enter the seats or keepers 28, and thereby connect the bottom of the crate with the body portion thereof without necessitating the manipulation of extraneous fastenings.

The top 3 of the crate is provided at each end with a binding-strip 30, which embraces the upper and lower sides of the top and is provided at its inner end with a bearing-eye 31, which is disposed at the inner side of and in alinement with a similar eye 32 upon the top of the adjacent back binding-strip 6. A suitable pintle-rod 33 is passed through the eyes 31 and 32 at each end of the crate, so as to hinge the top to the back of the crate. At the front end of the strip 30 there is a hookshaped seat or keeper 34, similar to that shown at 28 and designed to receive the ear or projection 35 at the top of the adjacent strip 14 when the crate is set up, as exhibited in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

For the purpose of locking the elements of the crate in rigid condition when set up for use there is a locking-bolt 36, mounted in a case 37, secured to the upper clip 24 upon the front 2 of the crate, said bolt being designed to engage with a keeper 38, provided upon the free edge of the top of the crate. This locking-bolt is provided with a projection or finger-piece 39, which works in a longitudinal slot in the case and is capable of being turned into a transverse branch thereof, so as to lock the bolt when engaged with the keeper in the well-known manner of bolts now in common use.

To fold the crate from its set-up condition, as shown in Fig. 1, the bolt- 36 is withdrawn from the keeper 38, and then the ends of the crate are folded in either direction toward the back thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2, until one of the ends and the partition fold flat against the back of the crate. When the front has thus been folded against the back, it is disposed in rear of the main bottom section 4, whereby said main bottom section may be folded upwardly against the front of the crate.

It will here be explained that the upper a pair of notches or recesses 40 for the reception of the individual foot projections 29 whenthe bottom of the crate is folded upwardly against the back thereof. The top 3 is folded downwardly against the rear side of the back and is held in this position by means of hooks, one at each end of the crate, each hook 41 being pivoted upon the adjacent extremity of the back and arranged to engage a pin or projection 42, extending fi'om the ad j acent end of the top of the crate. After the bottom section 4 has been folded upwardly toward the back of the crate and beyond the front thereof the bolt 36 is dropped into one of a pair of sockets or notches 43, formed in the outer free edge of the bottom section 4 and overlapped by the metal parts 27, whereby all the elements of the crate are rigidly locked in the closed or folded condition of the crate, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

When closed, the crate is in compact form for convenience in storage and return shipment, while at the same time the crate may be unfolded and quickly set up without requiring the manipulation of extraneous fastening devices, as all of the interengaging parts of the crate are proportioned so as to come into engagement when the elements are swung into their normal set-up positions.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A crate comprising a back having terminal binding-strips provided at their lower ends with forward extensions, a bottom sec tion rigidly carried by the extensions of the binding-strips, ends having top and bottom binding-strips hinged to the binding-strips of the back, a front having terminal bindingstrips hinged to the binding-strips 0f the ends, a foldable bottom section having terminal binding-strips hinged to the extensions of the back binding-strips, and a top having end binding-strips hinged to the bindingstrips of the back.

2. A crate comprising a back, a bottom hinged to the back, end binding-strips for the bottom, said strips being provided at their outer ends with upturned hook portions, ends hinged to the back, afront hinged to the ends, and binding-strips for the ends of the front, said binding-strips being provided at their lower ends with lateral projections for detachable engagement with the hook portions of the binding-strips on the bottom of the crate.

3. A foldable crate comprising a back, a rigid bottom section immovably secured thereto and extending at an an le therefrom, a front, ends hinged to the en s of the front and back and adapted to fold thereupon to IIO bring the front in position above the bottom I ears upon the front of the crate, a top hinged my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in to and adapted to fold upon the outer face of the presence of two Witnesses.

the back bindin -strips embracin and secured to the end at the top and bottom, and FRANK GOLIGHTLY' 5 hooked keepers integral With said strips and Vitnesses:

adapted to engage the ears. GEO. SAWYER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as R. S. LOOKERBY.

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