GB2265607A

GB2265607A - Fibreboard packing cases

Info

Publication number: GB2265607A
Application number: GB9306325A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clifford White Kelso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-03-30
Filing date: 1993-03-26
Publication date: 1993-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-26
Also published as: GB2265607B; GB9306325D0; GB9206909D0

Abstract

In a packing case provided with supports including fibreboard tubes (16) fixed to its base (9, 10), the tubes (16) include access holes (20) for a stapling head so that the tubes (16) can be stapled onto the case after their formation. After stapling, rigid blocks are inserted into the tubes (16) to hold them erect. <IMAGE>

Description

FIBREBOARD PACKING CASES A common form of fibreboard packing case is formed from a blank of fibreboard that has four rectangular sides hinged together along fold lines, and a top and bottom, each of which is formed by four closure flaps. The four closure flaps consist of two inner flaps, which are hinged along fold lines to the edges of two opposite sides, and two outer rectangular flaps, which are hinged along fold lines to the other two opposite sides. When the packing case is erected, the two inner flaps are first folded towards each other and then the two outer flaps are folded towards each other so that their edges, which are remote from the sides, lie adjacent each other.Large-sized packing cases of this type are commonly handled by forklift trucks and to avoid the necessity for the use of separate pallets, such packing cases have been provided with supports which form part of the cases and support the bottom flaps of the cases above the ground in the same way as a pallet.

Typically these supports consists of fibreboard tubes which are fixed directly to the two outer flaps of the bottom of the case. To enable the packing case to be collapsed flat, as is necessary for storage, the tubes are of rectangular section with fold lines at their corners.

The tubes can therefore be squashed flat but, to prevent the tubes from collapsing and to enable them to carry the weight of the packing case when the packaging case has been erected and filled, elongate rigid blocks, for example blocks of foamed polystyrene, are inserted into the tubes when the case is erected.

GB-B-2,135,972 describes a particular example of a packing case in which an additional pair of flaps are provided at the bottom of the case and the fibreboard tubes are fixed directly to these additional flaps. The additional flaps provide further support for the bottom of the packing case and enable it to stand up to rough usage and make the packing case more able to withstand damage caused by, for example, an inexperienced fork-lift truck driver.

One important consideration for the strength of the resulting packing case is the strength of the connections between the fibreboard tubes and the flaps at the base of the packing case. It is usually necessary to both glue these fibreboard tubes to the flaps and fix them with staples to ensure that a sufficiently strong connection is obtained. Typically the tubes consist of a piece of fibreboard folded into five parallel segments with the outer two segments overlapped. The segment of the piece of fibreboard form of the tube that is to be fixed to the flap of the case is then fixed to the flap of the case using an adhesive. Staples are then used to stitch this part of the tube to the flap and hold it firmly whilst the adhesive sets. The piece of fibreboard is then folded around to form the tube and its overlapping segments are fixed together with adhesive.The tube is then folded flat and clamped into this position and held whilst the adhesive sets.

According to this invention, a packing case provided with supports including fibreboard tubes fixed to its base is characterised in that the tubes include access holes for a stapling head so that the tubes can be stapled onto the case after their formation.

By providing these access holes in the wall of the fibreboard tube, the production of the packing case is considerably facilitated. For example, the tubes may be formed by an initial pre-forming step in which the overlapped sides of the tube are fixed together with adhesive and then these pre-formed tubes may be glued and stapled onto the remainder of the packing case or, preferably, the tubes may be formed and erected and fitted to the packing case in a single operation with the staples not only providing an immediate fixing between the tubes and the remainder of the packing case but also providing a fixing between the overlapped segments of the tube.

Preferably, after being formed, the tubes are folded flat against the remainder of the packing case whilst they are fixed to it.

The tubes may be fixed directly to the outer end flaps of the packing case or to additional flaps as described in GB-B-2,135,972. Equally, the tubes may extended across the entire underside of the packing case so that the packing case is of the two-way entry type or, alternatively, the tubes may only be present adjacent the outer edges of the packing case and the rigid member inserted into the tubes may then consist of two parallel strips held spaced apart by three blocks to enable the four-way entry of the forks of the pick-up truck, again as described in GB-B-2,135,972.

Preferably the access holes are elongate and aligned in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of the rigid member. With the access holes arranged in this way, the access holes do not substantially weaken the fibreboard tubes nor the connection they provide between the packing case and the rigid members.

Since the staples penetrate both the overlapped portions of the fibreboard tubes and the flaps of the packing case, a stronger connection is provided than previously where the staples only penetrated a single layer of the fibreboard tube and the only thing holding the tube together was the adhesive connection between its overlapped portions. Not only this, but the staples of course hold the overlapped portions of the tube together whilst the adhesive sets as well as holding the tube onto the flaps, again whilst the adhesive sets. Thus, as soon as the packing case in accordance with this invention has been manufactured it is entirely self-supporting and thus can be readily handled without it needing to be held in a clamped configuration whilst the adhesive sets.

Two examples of packing cases in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompany drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first example; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of the first example showing the bottom partly open; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the case showing elongate members of rigid material in the course of insertion into support tubes; Figures 4 to 6 are views similar to Figures 1 to 3, respectively, but of the second example; and, Figure 7 is a cross-section through a support tube and flap showing how the support tube is fitted.

The first example of the fibreboard packing case in accordance with this invention as shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises four side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. 1st top is closed by two inner flaps, which are not shown, but which are hinged to the top edges of the sides 1 and 3, and to outer flaps 5 and 6 which are hinged to the tops of the sides 2 and 4. As shown most clearly in Figure 2, the bottom is closed by four bottom flaps 7, 8, 9 and 10 hinged to the bottom edges of the sides 1, 3, 2 and 4 respectively.

The bottom flaps 9 and 10 each have three support tubes 16 fixed to them. The support tubes 16 are all the same as each other and each is of rectangular cross-section and is formed from a strip of fibreboard folded so that there are fold lines at each corner of the section of the tube and the wall of the tube adjacent the flaps 9 and 10 is formed by two thicknesses of fibreboard 17 and 18.

Support tubes 16 are fixed one at each of two opposite side edges of the flaps 9 and 10 and one in the centre of each of the flaps 9 and 10. When all four bottom flaps are closed as shown in Figure 3 each of the tubes 16 on the flap 9 is aligned axially with a corresponding one of the tubes 16 on the flap 10 and this allows elongate blocks of rigid material 23 which, in this example, are of foamed polystyrene, to be inserted one into each pair of aligned tubes 16. The insertion of the rigid member 23 into the tubes 16 prevents the tubes from collapsing and it also holds the flaps 9 and 10 in their closed position as shown in Figure 3.

In this example, the support tubes 16 with their rigid members 23 form a pallet which provides only a two-way entry for the forks of the fork-lift truck. Thus it will be seen most clearly from Figure 1 that the forks of the fork-lift truck can be inserted under the packing case in between the support tubes 16 from the side 2 of the packing case and also from the opposite side 4. Owing to the continuity of the tubes 16 which abut each other, however, the forks of the fork-lift cannot be inserted from the sides 1 and 3 of the packing case.

The second example of the packing case in accordance with this invention as shown in Figures 4 to 6 of the drawings provides an entry for the forks of a fork-lift truck from any one of the four sides of a packing case.

The second example is the same as the first example except for the support tubes and the rigid members which are inserted through the support tubes from the bottom flaps of the packing case when closed. The parts of the second example which correspond to the first example will therefore be given the same reference numerals and will not be described.

In the second example, however, in place of the support tubes 16 which extend right across the flaps 9 and 10 much shorter support tubes 116 are provided. The support tubes 116 are constructed out of folded fibreboard in the same way as the tubes 16 but they extend only from the fold line for a short distance towards the opposite free end of the flaps 9 and 10.

Thus, when the bottom flaps 9 and 10 are closed, as shown in Figure 6, each of the support tubes 116 is aligned with a corresponding one but there is a substantial gap in the adjacent ends of the aligned tubes. After the flaps 9 and 10 have been closed as shown in Figure 6 a rigid member 123 is inserted into each pair of aligned tubes 116.

Unlike the members 23, which are solid, each of the members 123 comprises two timber strips 124 and 125 which are held spaced apart from each other by three timber blocks 126, 127 and 128. The strips 124 and 125 are fixed to the blocks 126, 127 and 128 by gluing, stapling or both gluing and stapling. The blocks 126 and 128 are at the ends of the strips 124 and 125 and the block 127 is in the centre of the strips. Thus, as shown at the bottom of Figure 6, when the member 123 has been fully inserted into the tubes 116, the blocks 128 and 126 lie in the tubes 116 and the block 127 lies below the centre line of the packing case where the edges of the flaps 9 and 10 abut each other.

It can be seen that with this arrangement the forks of the fork-lift truck can be inserted under the packing case from any one of its sides. When inserted from the sides 2 or 4, the forks extend between adjacent pairs of tubes 116 and when inserted from either of the sides 1 and 3 the forks extend through the spaces between the strips 124 and 125 on the two sides of the block 127.

Figure 7 illustrates how the tubes 16 or 116 can be fitted to the flaps 9 and 10. The tubes 16 and 116 include cut-out portions 20 which, when the tube is collapsed, enable a conventional industrial stapler to insert staples through the overlapped portions of fibreboard 17 and 18 and into the underlying bottom flap 9 or 10 as shown in Figure 7. Thus, to manufacture a packing case in accordance with this invention, glue is applied to both the top and bottom pieces of the portion 18 of each tube, or to other faces that are adjacent to it after folding, the strip of fibreboard is then folded into the configuration shown in Figure 7 and then staples 21 are inserted. The staples 21 hold the two thicknesses 17 and 18 of fibreboard together and in a secure location with respect to the flaps 9 and 10 whilst the glue sets.

In the final connection, the overlapped portions of 17 and 18 of the tube are attached to one another by both gluing and stapling and also the tubes are attached to the end flaps by both gluing and stapling. In this way a very secure connection is made between the tubes 16 or 116 the end flaps 9 and 10 and this is sufficiently secure to resist damage by the forks of a fork-lift truck.

Claims

CLAIMIJ

1. A packing case provided with supports including fibreboard tubes fixed to its base, characterised in that the tubes include access holes for a stapling head so that the tubes can be stapled onto the case after their formation.

2. A packing case according to claim 1, in which the access holes are elongate and aligned in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tube.

3. A packing case according to claim 1 or 2, in which the tubes comprise a piece of fibreboard folded into five parallel segments with the outer two segments overlapped and the staples penetrate both the overlapped portions of the fibreboard and the base of the packing case.

4. A packing case according to any preceding claim, in which a rigid member is inserted into each tube.

5. A packing case substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.