US1303746A - Collapsible potjltry-crate - Google Patents

Description

F. WALTHE R.

COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY i4, I911.

. Patented May 13, 1919.

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F- WALTHER.

COLLAPSlBLE POULTRY CRATE.

APPLICATION F ILED MAYI4.19I7.

1,303,746. I Patented May13, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ormon.

FRED WALTHER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed May 14, 1917. Serial no. 168,426.

' crate adapted to be expeditiously andeasily collapsed and as readily set up ready for use as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing a crate constructed in accordance with my invention as set up ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l, with the walls 5 omitted.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the crate as collapsed.

Fig. 4: is an end elevation showing the I crate opened or set up and ready for use.

Fig. 5 is an intermediate cross-section of same, with the walls 5 omitted.

6 is a cross-section showing the crate collapsed.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The specific construction herein disclosed constitutes the best practical embodiment of my invention that I have as yet devised, and I would have it understood at this point that either wood or metal may be employed to form the major portion of the crate.

Among other elements'the crate comprises a bottom wall 1, flanged as indicated by 2- adjacent to its side edges, and flanged as indicated by 2 adjacent to its end edges; the flanges 2 extending the full width of the bottom wall and having their inner sides spacedfrom theends of the flanges 2 for an important purpose hereinafter set forth. The crate also comprises a top wall 3 having side flanges 4 corresponding to the flanges 2 andalso having end flanges 4* corresponding to the end flanges 2* of the bottom wall.

and arranged'with their 1 inner sides spaced from the ends of the side flanges 4.

Interposedbetween the bottom wall 1 and the top wall 3 are inwardly folding side walls which respectively comprise lower and upper sections 5, h'inged'together at 6, to

permit of the inward folding, as shown in Fig. 3, and hingedattheir lower and upper edges to the inner sides of the side flanges 2 and 4 as shown. The said side walls correspond in length to the flanges 2 and 4, and hence their ends are spaced from the inner sides of the end flanges 2 and A.

At 7 is provided a transverse partition which for the sake of lightness is preferably of open-work construction as shown in Fig. 5. The saidpartition 7 is hinged at 8 to the bottom wall 1 and hence has the capacity of being swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 5 and vice Versa. 'Adj'acent-to its free edge the partition 7 is provided with a suitable fastener 9, designed tobe manipulated by an attendant into and out of engagement with a keeper 9 on the underside of the top wall 3, the connection being effected when it is desired to maintain the partition 7 in an upright position and the crate in an open state,

and being interrupted when it is desired to swing the partition 7 into the position shown in Fig. 3 preceding the collapsing of the crate. For the purpose of manipulating the fastener 9 from a point exterior of the crate access may be gained to the fastener through any available opening in one of the crate walls and in any approved manner.

Arranged in vertical planes immediately inside the vertical planes of the flanges 2' and 4? are collapsible end walls made up of lazytong members 10, riveted together and to the flanges 2 and 4 in a pivotal manner and adapted to be collapsed in closely arranged superimposed relation, after the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and also adapted to be extended as shown in Fig. 4. It will here be noted that the vertically collapsible end walls are arranged in the same planes as the before referred to spaces between the inner sides of the end flanges 2 and 4 and the ends of the side flanges 2 and 4:, and hence the said spaces are made tc'receive and accommodate the lazytong members so that the crate may be collapsed to such an extent that the flanges of the top wall will rest in superimposed relation on the flanges of the bottom wall, with the folded side walls and the collapsed end walls within said flanges, and the crate as, a whole reduced to a very small compass, as shown in Fig. 3. In the practical use of my novel crate, it

is secured in the open state shown in Figs.

tener 9 from the complementary keeper 9 onthe top wall 3, and swing the partition 7 to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the crate may be reduced to acollapsed state of small compass by pressing: downwardly on the top wall 3 or by pressing the bottom and top walls 1 and 3 toward each other, and in the collapsed state the crate may be conveniently returned to the point from which it was shipped with poultry or other produce. I

In addition to the practical advantages hereinbefore ascribed to my novel crate, it will be appreciated that the crate is simple, cheap and so constructed that the flanges of the top and bottom walls meet when the crate is collapsed, with the, result that the side walls and the end walls are adequately protected during return shipment, and at the same time the crate is reduced to very small compass'i. e., about one third of the full size when the majorportion of ,the

crate is of wood, and about one fourth of the full size when the major portion is of sheet-metal. Again the crate .is well adapted to withstandv the rough usage to which devices of corresponding character are ordinarily subjected, and is further advantageous because it-involves nothing, in its construction that is calculated to detract fromits capacity when it is setup ready for use. I

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangements of parts comprised in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order tov impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confined myself to the said specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as such changes in the form and arrangements of parts maybe made in the future practice of the invention as are comprehended by the appended claims.

being formQ lQf lazytong Inemberspivotally connected together and to the bottdin and top walls. n

,2. A collapsible crate eqmprising bee tom andtop walls,,eac'h of said wallshaving end flanges on its inner side extending throughout width and also 1 having side flanges on its inner side and arranged with their ends spaced from the inner sides of the end flanges, and the flanges of the said walls being arranged to meet when the crate is collapsed, opposed side walls interposed between the bottomand top walls and each made up of sections hinged together and to inner sides of the side flanges and corre sponding in length tosaid side flanges, and end walls interposed between the bottom and top walls and pivoted to the inner sides of the end flanges and made up of lazytong members, pivotally connected together.

3.' A collapsible crate comprising bottom and top walls, each of said walls having end flanges on its inner side extending throughout its width and also having side flanges on its ,innerside and arranged with their ends spaced from the inner sides of the endflanges, and the flanges of thesaid walls'being arranged to meet when the crate is collapsed, ,oppositeside walls interposed between the bottom and top walls and each made up of sections hinged together and to the inner sides of the side flanges and corresponding in length to said side flanges, end walls interposed between the bottom and top Walls and pivoted to the inner sides of the end flanges and made up of lazytong members pivotally connected together, a partition hinged on the upper side of the bottom wall and adapted to be swung to and from an upright position, and cooperating means on said partition and the top wallfor detachablyconnecting the former in upright position to the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED WALTH'ER. Witnesses: a

H. C. SEERYF, W. A. COREY.

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