US3476279A - Container construction - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 4, 1969 R. G. wHARToN 3,476,279

CONTAINER CONSVTHUCTION Filed Oct. 26, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l lfra. l.

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CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 26, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fx/VEA/Toe. HUBERT G. Makro/v 5y 7T Toe/Veys United States Patent O 3,476,279 CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Robert G. Wharton, Alhambra, Calif. (15903 Ashgrove Drive, La Mirada, Calif.

Filed Oct. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 682,715 Int. Cl. B65d 9/12, 9/34 U.S. Cl. 217-12 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Although knock-down or collapsible packing boxes, shipping containers, etc. have been disclosed in the past, (see for example, Patents 1,602,818; 1,737,186 and 2,596,320) they have not been found entirely satisfactory since they required a multiplicity of differently formed or finished pieces of lumber, special locking means, often were not weather tight or dust proof, and were not sufficiently strong to withstand the handling, accidental dropping, and rigorous treatment which such shipping boxes often receive. They were expensive, required great care in their assembly and disassembly in order to render them useful, and had other disadvantages which the present invention obviates. For example, the construction elements which are utilized in the present invention are precut (when stock lumber is used) in substantially equal lengths, need not be cut on an angle or bias, and do not require the formation of mortises and tenons.

The construction disclosed hereinafter provides a simple, inexpensive, strong, rigid and durable container composed of three pars of identical end components, side components and top components; each component of a pair is symmetrical with respect to axes at right angles to each other whereby the various components can be used interchangeably, i.e. a top component may form the bottom or the top of a container; the ends can be inverted or used at either end of the package and the side components can also be inverted or used for either side of the finished container or shipping box. When wood is used as the construction material, only three or four stock elements need be employed, namely (1) sheet paneling, such as laminated plywood, (2) rail lumber of uniform cross-section, each rail comprising a body of rectangular cross-section and an outstanding tongue, (3) frame lumber of uniform section having a groove running along one edge to receive a rail tongue, and cleats of substantially the same rectangular section as the body of a rail. This stock lumber can be transversely cut into predetermined lengths Without the formation of mortises or tenons, assembled in jigs, nailing machines or presses and easily and economically connected by nailing or gluing into the simple pairs of end, side and top components. It is to be understood that extruded artificial lumber (sawdust-resin compositions and the like) can be used for rails, cleats and frames or each component can be press-formed from a suitable composition including thermosetting or thermoplastic resins. The selection of materials used in forming the compoice nents may depend upon the size and conditions of temperature, humidity and use of the finished container.

Moreover, as previously indicated, the present invention provides a container which has smooth internal surfaces, this facilitating packaging and arrangement of contents. The unique interlocking of the components, one with the other, provides a firm mechanical, frictional grip therebetween as well as the formation of labyrinthine seals which protect the contents of the container from the weather, dust, etc.

An object of this invention therefore is to disclose and provide a sturdy, strong container construction adapted to protect contents during rough handling of the container construction.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide such a container construction which is readily assembled and which is readily disassembled for reuse as a container or for reshipping in disassembled knockdown form.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a container construction having a novel interlocking arrangement of pairs of container components to provide a weatherproof container.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose a novel container construction utilizing three pairs of top, side` and end wall components, each of said pairs being symmetrical and permitting interchangeable use of the components of each pair.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a container construction which eliminates the use of nails or screws for assembly of the several components of the container construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown.

ln the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container construction embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken in the Aplane indicated by line lI--II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line III-III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective View of the container construction shown in FIG. 1.

A container construction embodying this invention is generally indicated at 10, FIG. 1, the container 10 being assembled and banded ready for shipping. In FIG. 4 it will be readily apparent that container 10 comprises a pair of top container components 11, side Wall container components 12 and end wall container components 14. Each of the pair of top components 11 are virtually identical in construction, and for brevity and clarity the same reference numerals will be applied to each cornponent of the pair. Each pair of side and end wall components 12 and 14 are generally similarly constructed and similar elements thereof will be given similar referance numerals, those of the end wall bearing a prime sign.

The pair of top components 11 provide the top and bottom of the container when it is disposed as shown in FIG. 1, the bottommost component being referred to as a top component because the container may be turned over or turned upside down without change in relationship to the other components, method of assembly or disassembly.

Each top container component 11 comprises a rectangular flat panel having a smooth uninterrupted inner surface 16. Along outer peripheral marginal edge portions of panel 15 are secured pairs of side and end frame elements 17 and 18, respectively. Frame elements 17 and 18 may be secured in abutting inter-relationship to edge surface margins of panel by any suitable means such as adhesives, bonding agents, nailing or screws. Outer side faces of frame elements 17 and 18 are ush with the longitudinal edges of panel 15. Each frame element 17 and 18 may include a longitudinal groove 19 opening or facing away from the inner surface 16 of panel 1S. Ends of side frame elements 17 abut at 20 opposed surface portions of end frame elements 18 and may be adhesively bonded thereto. The peripheral arrangement of frame elements 17 and 18 provides a framed opening into which may be received edge portions of panels 22 and 22 of side and end wall components.

Each side wall component 12 may comprise a hat, rectangular panel 22 and longitudinally extending parallel rail elements 23 secured thereto and spaced apart by end studs or cleats 24 also xed to the panels. Each rail element 23 includes a longitudinally extending outstanding tongue 25 extending toward longitudinal side edges 26 of panel 22. Each tongue 25 is inwardly and laterally spaced from edge 26 and lies in a plane parallel to panel 22. Each rail element 23 has a length slightly greater than the length of panel 22 to provide a rabbetted edge or recess 27 at each end of component 12 sufficient to receive vertical edge portions of panel 22 of end wall components 14.

Each end Wall component 14 may comprise flat rectangular panel 22' and transversely extending parallel rail elements 23 spaced apart by end studs or cleats 24. Each rail element 23 includes a longitudinally extending outstanding tongue 25 spaced inwardly from edge 26' of panel 22 and lies in a plane parallel to panel 22'. Each end wall component 14 differs from its corresponding counterpart side wall component 12 in that flat panel 22 has a width such that a relatively Wide rabbetted recess 27' is provided to receive and to interlock with cleat 24 of side wall component 12. Thus as best shown in FIG- URE 3, each corner of the container 10 is comprised of cleats 24 and 24 in abutment as at 31 and adjacent surface portions of rail elements 23 and 23 as indicated at 32, 32'.

Each panel 15, 22 and 22 may be made of the same material such as laminated plywood of selected thickness and number of laminations depending upon strength required for the panel. Other sheet, plate, or board like material may be employed.

Each frame element 17 and 18 used in the construction of the pair of top container components 11 may be identical and may comprise stock lumber of rectangular cross-section with a longitudinal groove formed in one longitudinal edge face. Similarly, each rail element 23, 23' may be made of stock lumber of selected rectangular cross-section in which the outstanding tongue 25, 25 is provided. Each cleat 24, 24' may be made of stock lumber having a cross-section similar to the stock lumber from which the rail elements 2.3, 23' were formed. In end and side wall components 12 and 14, end cleats 24, 24 are shown; it will be understood that in containers of substantial length that intermediate studs or cleats may be used between the end cleats for strength and rigidity.

Each of sheet panels 15, 22 and 22 may be secured to their respective frame and rail elements as by bonding by suitable glues or adhesives or as by nailing or by both. It should be noted that each of the components 11, 12 and 14 are symmetrical with respect to axes at right angles to each other and that each of the components may be interchanged for the other of the pair of components so that only three pairs of components are required to construct a container embodying this invention, each component including three stock elements, namely, a panel, rail elements, and cleats.

Assembly of the container construction 10 is readily apparent from FIG. 4 of the drawings. A top component 11 may be placed upon a supporting surface and the side and end components 12 and 14 assembled with tongues 25, 25' extending into grooves 19 and with the corner rabbetted edges 27, 27 in assembly as shown in FIG. 3. Top component 11 may then be placed in assembly with the upper tongues 25, 25 of the components 12 and 14. Horizontal edges of panels 22, 22' may slidably contact the inner surfaces 16 of panels 15 of the top components 11 and vertical edges of panels 22 may slid'ably contact inner surfaces of rail elements 23 and cleats 24. Vertical edges of panels 22 may contact inner edge surfaces of panels 22. The assembled container 10 may then be secured for shipping by employing metal band-like fasteners 34 at corners of the container to secure cleats 24, 24' together in assembled relation. Fasteners 34 may be of well-known form and each may comprise a blendable, fiat elongated member having one or more teeth (not shown) struck from end portions thereof. The teeth at each end may be readily driven into adjacent end cleats 24, 24'.

In addition to the fasteners 34 which secure together end and side components of the container for shipment, bands 35 may also be placed around the box and over the top and bottom components 11 so as to secure all of the components of the entire container in assembled relation. Bands 35 may be of metal such as steel or may be of other suitable nonstretchable material such as rib-bons of iiber glass, plastic and the like.

Disassembly of container construction 10 is readily and easily accomplished by cutting bands 35 and, if desired, removing fasteners 34 at, at least, two adjacent corners of the container. In this instance, one of the top components can be removed by lifting to disengage grooves 19 -with tongues 25, 25. Either one end or one side wall component may then be removed. In shipment of certain articles, removal of a top component and one of the end or side wall components is usually sufficient to permit removal of the article from the container. The several components need not be damaged during removal because of the releasable self-interlocking features of construction described above. In the event a different article is to be reship-ped, the lwall and top components may be readily reassembled. If it is desired to return the container construction in knock-down form, it will be apparent that after cutting the bands 35 and removing al1 of the corner fasteners 34, the several parts of the box can readily be disassembled and arranged in suitable fashion to occupy minimum space for return shipment in knock-down or disassembled form. In such disassembled form the parts may be readily held together by bands such as 35.

As ibest viewed in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 it will be apparent that when the container construction 10 is completely assembled, the interior of the box is provided with smooth, continuous, uninterrupted, interior wall surfaces. Articles shipped in such a container may be restrained from movement by the placement within the container of suitable dunnage as space filling and cushioning material including polystyrene, crushed or shredded paper, sponge material and the like. Because the entire interior surfaces are uninterrupted and no obstructions are present in the container construction, articles may be readily positioned within the container with assurance that the article will not be damaged by contact with obstructions or sharp pieces of wood or cleats which might penetrate, bend, dent or damage the shipped article.

It should also be noted that container construction 10 provides a weatherproof, self-locking container construction. Around the periphery of the top components 11, a tongue and groove construction provides the first part of a labyrinthne joint. Inwardly of frame and rail elements 23 and 23' the longitudinal edge marginal portions of the panels form with the frame element of the top container components 11 a further extension of the labyrnthine joint. Thus the connections between the top components and the side and end components are virtually weatherproof, dustproof and dirtproof. The corner constructions also provide a labyrinth joint in the interlocking of the rabbetted recesses 27 and 27 at the corners between the end and side components. The abutment between the end face of the side frame element 17 and end frame element 18 is sealed by a suitable adhesive when the top component 11 is constructed.

The panels 22, 22 thus interlock with the frame elements 17 and 18 inwardly of the peripheral tongue and groove interlock between frame elements 17 and 18 and rail elements 23 and 23' respectively and provide a rigid mechanical frictional double interlock which affords a strong sturdy container construction capable of `withstanding shock and impact forces imparted to the container during handling and in transit.

I claim:

1. A readily assembled and disassembled container structure comprising:

three -pairs of top, side and end wall components, each component of a pair being symmetrical with respect to two axes at right angles to each other;

each of the pair of top components comprising a rectangular panel having frame elements secured in abutting relation to marginal edge portions of one surface of the panel, each of said frame elements being provided with a longitudinal groove opening away from the panel;

each of the pairs of side and end wall components comprising a rectangular wall panel, a rail element secured to an outer surface of such panel along each longitudinal edge portion thereof, each rail element being provided with a longitudinal tongue extending toward such edge but spaced from said outer panel surface;

said tongue on said rail element being cooperably engageable with said groove on an opposed frame element of said top components; said longitudinal edge portion of said wall panels extending along the inner surface of said frame element of said top components into proximity with the interior surface of said rectangular panel of said top components whereby said rail elements and said longitudinal edge portions of said wall panels are interlocked in assembly and form a labyrinth-type seal with said frame elements.

2. A container structure as stated in claim 1 wherein the rectangular wall panel of the pair of side wall cornponents is coextensive in length with the longitudinal grooved frame element secured to a longitudinal marginal portion of the panel of the top component; and the rectangular wall panel of each of the pair of end wall components is shorter in length than the grooved frame element secured to transverse marginal portions of the panel of the top component and is adapted to extend between and position the panels of side wall components, when the rail elements thereof are grasping the frame of a top component.

3. A container structure as stated in claim 2 wherein the rail element of each of the pair of end wall components is longer than the rectangular wall panel of such component and coextensive in length with the grooved frame ,member secured to the cooperating marginal edge portion of the top component.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 875,548 12/1907 Miller 217-12 1,602,818 10/1926 Geddes 217-12 2,939,601 6/1960 Evans et al. 217-12 3,144,951 8/1964 Knabe 217-12 XR RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

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