GB2168952A

GB2168952A - Securing packaging containers to pallets

Info

Publication number: GB2168952A
Application number: GB08432258A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Thorpe; Glyn Lott; Arthur H Tomkins; David R Allen
Original assignee: TRANSIT PACKAGING Ltd
Current assignee: TRANSIT PACKAGING Ltd
Priority date: 1984-12-20
Filing date: 1984-12-20
Publication date: 1986-07-02
Also published as: GB8432258D0

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a packaging container (10) formed from folded corrugated board and having a bottom wall consisting of an upper pair of base base flaps connected to one opposing pair of sides (14) of the container and a lower pair of base flaps secured to another pair of opposing sides (12) of the container. To secure the container to a pallet (36) at least two straps (30) are disposed between the upper and lower base layers with the ends (34) of the straps projecting from between opposite edges of the base and being attached to corner support blocks (40) of the pallet by nails (38). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Securing packaging containers to pallets This invention relates to packaging containers of the type hereby defined as having four sides and a base, the base comprising a lower base layer provided by a pair of lower base flaps folded from two opposite sides of the container and an upper base layer provided by a pair of upper base flaps folded from the other two sides of the container. The flaps of at least one of the layers abut or overlap.

Such a container is of a standard construction.

The most basic way to secure such a container to a pallet is to bang nails through the base into the pallet. In the case of large containers, however, this can prove difficult, and the container may be damaged by the hammerman crawling inside the container.

Alternatively, straps may be looped around the container and pallet. However, the tension which must be placed in the straps to prevent the container slipping on the pallet during transit is large, and can damage the top edges of the container and/or reduce the containers resistance to compression loading when several such containers are stacked.

The object of this invention is to enable a container to be secured firmly to a pallet in a simple manner which does not involve any complicated modification of the container or pallet and which does damage or significantly weaken the container.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a container as hereinbefore defined, wherein at least two spaced apart straps are disposed between the upper and lower base layers with the ends of each strap projecting from a pair of opposite edges of the base for attachment to a pallet disposed beneath the container to secure the container to the pallet.

Preferably, each strap extends alongside a respective one of the folds for the upper base flaps, the ends of the folds for the lower base flaps having slots extending part-way along the folds to permit the ends of the straps to project from the container.

There follows, by way of example, a description of a specific embodiment of the invention and modifications thereto, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a container blank; Figure 2 shows, on a larger scale, a securing strap; Figure 3 shows the container ready for attachment to a pallet; and Figure 4 shows a modified securing strap.

Referring to Figure 1, a container blank 10 of corrugated board provides in a well-known manner a pair of long sides 12, a pair of short sides 14, a stitching flap 16, a pair of upper base flaps 18 connected to the short sides 14, a pair of lower base flaps 20 connected to the long sides 12, and four top flaps 22. The container is constructed by folding successive sides 12, 14, 12, 14 at right-angles to each other and stitching the stitching flap 16 to the area which is shown hatched in Figure 1. The upper base flaps 18 are then folded inwardly at right angles, and then the lower base flaps 20 are folded inwardly at right angles and secured in po sition-to form the base of the container.

As shown in Figure 1, each end of each fold line 24 between the lower base flaps 20 and the long sides 12 has a slot 26 extending part-way along the fold line, the four slots 26 being the only distinction of the blank from a standard container blank.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown one of a pair of straps 28 which are used to secure the container to a pallet. The strap 28 comprises a strip 30 of plywood of length approximately equal to the width W of the short sides 14 of the container. A pair of rectangular pieces of plywood are flexibly connected by metal hinges 32 to the ends of the strip 30 to form securing tabs 34.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown the container 10 as described above and a wooden pallet 36 of standard construction. The support area of the pallet is about the same as the area of the base of the container. In order to secure the container to the pallet, the straps 28 are fitted between the base layers of the container by insertion in the directions indicated by the arrows D in Figure 3. The hinges 32 lie adjacent the slots 26, and the tabs 34 project from the corners of the base of the container and are folded downwardly. The container 10 is then placed on the pallet 36 and nails 38 or the like are used to attach the tabs 34 to the corner support blocks 40 of the pallet.

After use, the pallet can be re-used by releasing the securing tabs 34 from the pallet, removing the used container, and securing a fresh container to the pallet in a similar manner.

Various modifications may be made to the arrangement described above. For example, Figure 4 shows a modified strap 28 which has locking tabs 42 flexibly connected to the securing tabs 34 by further metal hinges 44. The locking tabs 42 are wrapped around the outer corners of the pallet support blocks 40 and nailed to the blocks to prevent the nails holding the securing tabs 34 from springing free.

Furthermore, straps may be used which are flexible along their whole length. Alternatively, stiff moulded plastics straps may be used which are thinned at the hinge locations to provide flexible integral hinges. The central portions of the straps may be provided with surface irregularities which key into the material of the base flaps between which the straps are sandwiched.

1. A container as hereinbefore defined, wherein at least two spaced apart straps are disposed between the upper and lower base layers with the ends of each strap projecting from a pair of opposite edges of the base for attachment to a pallet disposed beneath the container to secure the container to the pallet.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each strap extends alongside a respective one of

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Securing packaging containers to pallets This invention relates to packaging containers of the type hereby defined as having four sides and a base, the base comprising a lower base layer provided by a pair of lower base flaps folded from two opposite sides of the container and an upper base layer provided by a pair of upper base flaps folded from the other two sides of the container. The flaps of at least one of the layers abut or overlap. Such a container is of a standard construction. The most basic way to secure such a container to a pallet is to bang nails through the base into the pallet. In the case of large containers, however, this can prove difficult, and the container may be damaged by the hammerman crawling inside the container. Alternatively, straps may be looped around the container and pallet. However, the tension which must be placed in the straps to prevent the container slipping on the pallet during transit is large, and can damage the top edges of the container and/or reduce the containers resistance to compression loading when several such containers are stacked. The object of this invention is to enable a container to be secured firmly to a pallet in a simple manner which does not involve any complicated modification of the container or pallet and which does damage or significantly weaken the container. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a container as hereinbefore defined, wherein at least two spaced apart straps are disposed between the upper and lower base layers with the ends of each strap projecting from a pair of opposite edges of the base for attachment to a pallet disposed beneath the container to secure the container to the pallet. Preferably, each strap extends alongside a respective one of the folds for the upper base flaps, the ends of the folds for the lower base flaps having slots extending part-way along the folds to permit the ends of the straps to project from the container. There follows, by way of example, a description of a specific embodiment of the invention and modifications thereto, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a container blank; Figure 2 shows, on a larger scale, a securing strap; Figure 3 shows the container ready for attachment to a pallet; and Figure 4 shows a modified securing strap. Referring to Figure 1, a container blank 10 of corrugated board provides in a well-known manner a pair of long sides 12, a pair of short sides 14, a stitching flap 16, a pair of upper base flaps 18 connected to the short sides 14, a pair of lower base flaps 20 connected to the long sides 12, and four top flaps 22. The container is constructed by folding successive sides 12, 14, 12, 14 at right-angles to each other and stitching the stitching flap 16 to the area which is shown hatched in Figure 1. The upper base flaps 18 are then folded inwardly at right angles, and then the lower base flaps 20 are folded inwardly at right angles and secured in po sition-to form the base of the container. As shown in Figure 1, each end of each fold line 24 between the lower base flaps 20 and the long sides 12 has a slot 26 extending part-way along the fold line, the four slots 26 being the only distinction of the blank from a standard container blank. Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown one of a pair of straps 28 which are used to secure the container to a pallet. The strap 28 comprises a strip 30 of plywood of length approximately equal to the width W of the short sides 14 of the container. A pair of rectangular pieces of plywood are flexibly connected by metal hinges 32 to the ends of the strip 30 to form securing tabs 34. Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown the container 10 as described above and a wooden pallet 36 of standard construction. The support area of the pallet is about the same as the area of the base of the container. In order to secure the container to the pallet, the straps 28 are fitted between the base layers of the container by insertion in the directions indicated by the arrows D in Figure 3. The hinges 32 lie adjacent the slots 26, and the tabs 34 project from the corners of the base of the container and are folded downwardly. The container 10 is then placed on the pallet 36 and nails 38 or the like are used to attach the tabs 34 to the corner support blocks 40 of the pallet. After use, the pallet can be re-used by releasing the securing tabs 34 from the pallet, removing the used container, and securing a fresh container to the pallet in a similar manner. Various modifications may be made to the arrangement described above. For example, Figure 4 shows a modified strap 28 which has locking tabs 42 flexibly connected to the securing tabs 34 by further metal hinges 44. The locking tabs 42 are wrapped around the outer corners of the pallet support blocks 40 and nailed to the blocks to prevent the nails holding the securing tabs 34 from springing free. Furthermore, straps may be used which are flexible along their whole length. Alternatively, stiff moulded plastics straps may be used which are thinned at the hinge locations to provide flexible integral hinges. The central portions of the straps may be provided with surface irregularities which key into the material of the base flaps between which the straps are sandwiched. CLAIMS

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each strap extends alongside a respective one of the folds for the upper base flaps, the ends of the folds for the lower base flaps having slots extending part-way along the folds to permit the ends of the straps to project from the container.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein each strap is made of stiff material with flexible portions or hinges at the locations where the strap projects from the container.

4. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with a pallet of approximately the same size in plan as the base of the container, the ends of the straps being secured to the pallet.

5. A container and pallet assembly substantially as herebefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.