A ROLL CONTAINER

Abstract: At each lateral side of a roll container, each side wall (8) has a horizontal, profiled metal plate (19) incorporating a stop (19b) which bears upon an upper portion (14a) of a base (13-16) to restrict forward turning of the base (13-16) about a horizontal hinge pin from a raised nesting condition into a horizontal, use condition, until the side wall (8) has been turned inwards into its use condition.

Description: A ROLL CONTAINER This invention relates to a roll container. EP-B-0106703 discloses a roll container of the type comprising a base member in the form of a plate which is tiltably journalled between a pair of opposite side members, which are mutually turnable away from each other about respective substantially vertical axes between a nesting condition in which the container with tilted-up base plate and diverging side members can receive an identical container, and a use condition in which the base plate is substantially horizontal and prevents turning of the side members away from each other. At least one side member has a first, inwardly extending projection extending transversely of the plane of the side member and having an edge disposed below the base plate and forward of the substantially horizontal axis of turning of the base plate and having an edge disposed below the base plate to co¬ operate with an edge of a second projection extending from the underside of the base plate, the projections being positioned relatively closely to the substantially horizontal axis of turning of the base plate and the substantially vertical axes of turning of the side members, so that those edges co-operate to transform a moment of the base plate into a moment for turning the side member towards its use condition when the base plate forms an acute angle with the horizontal plane. WO-A-8101820 discloses a roll container of the same type, but in which at least the edges of a metal base plate are covered with a sound damping material, for example a rubber-like material. The front edge of the base plate is covered with the damping material to such an extent that there is no metal-to-metal contact between the metal base plate and the metal rear wall as the base plate arrives in its raised position. A hinge tube whereby the base plate is pivotally mounted above a horizontal, rear, cross member may be covered in sound damping material, as may various other parts of the roll container. The base plate may be provided on its underside with rubber buffers whereby it bears upon the rear cross member in its horizontal, use condition. The base plate centrally pivotally mounts therebelow a latching plate which engages behind an upwardly bent portion of the rear cross member in the raised position of the base plate, to prevent the base plate from falling forwards until the latch is released; however, it does not prevent the base plate from falling forwards into its horizontal, use position when the side members are still in their nesting condition. As a result, damage can be caused to the side walls and adjacent parts if attempts are made to turn them inwards, automatically or manually, from their nesting conditions when the base plate is in its horizontal, use position. A similar risk of damage to the side walls and adjacent parts arises with FR-A-2528784, where the base member is arrested in its horizontal, use position by upper portions thereof rearwards of its horizontal pivot axis abutting upwardly against underneath portions of the rear cross member. No provision is made to minimize the noise arising as the base member arrives in its use position. A roll container of the above type is disclosed in US-A-4199164, but the base member and the side members are constrainedly interconnected by respective arcuate, spiral, plate cams fixed in the side members, the plate cams being permanently engaged by cam followers in the form of slotted arms fixed to respective opposite sides of the base member. Thus, turning of the base member from its nesting position to its use position must be accompanied by turning of the side members from their nesting conditions to their use conditions, and likewise turning of the base member in the opposite sense must be accompanied by turning of the side member in their opposite senses. This has the disadvantage that significant inward forces on the side members in their nesting condition, at which time they are not so well supported by the other parts of the roll container as when in their use condition, can damage the side members and/or the plate cams and/or other adjacent parts, rendering the roll container unusable. According to the present invention, there is provided a roll container comprising a base, hinge means mounting said base for turning about a substantially horizontal axis between an upwardly tilted, nesting position and a substantially horizontal, use position, first and second opposite side members between which said base is located and which are turnable away from each other about respective substantially vertical axes between a nesting condition, in which the container with tilted-up base and diverging side members can receive a similar roll container, and a use condition, said first side member serving, when in its nesting condition, to resist falling of said base into its use position but, when said base is in its nesting position, being turnable from its nesting condition into its use condition, and controlling means at a location relatively close to said hinge means for co-operating with said base in the nesting condition of said first side member to control said base outside its use position, characterized in that said location is rearward of, or substantially on, said substantially horizontal axis. Owing to the present invention, it is possible to provide a roll container of simplified and cheaper construction. The controlling means may extend inwards from the first side member and be either fixed or articulated thereto; for example, the controlling means can be an abutment extending inwards from the first side member. Alternatively, the controlling means may be connected to an inner wall of a rear wheel box; for example, a spring-loaded or elastomeric element may produce friction in a substantially horizontal hinge providing the substantially horizontal axis of turning of the base. The friction may be sufficiently high that SUBSTITUTESHEET(RULE25 the base cannot fall under gravity through to its use position but instead requires the manual or automatic application of a small downward force component. Alternatively, or additionally, the controlling means may be connected to a rear, lower, cross-member. The controlling means advantageously takes the form of an arresting means against which the base abuts when it arrives in the intermediate position. The arresting means is preferably fixed, to and extends inwards from the first side member or both side members. In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in whic :- Figure 1 shows a top plan view of a roll container in a nesting condition, Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through part of the roll container, but with a base thereof horizontal, Figure 3 shows a top plan view of the part shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with a lateral wall of the roll container in a nesting position and with the base at an acute angle to the horizontal. Referring to the drawings, the roll container includes two wheel boxes 1 in which respective ground wheels are journalled by way of bearing bores (of which one is seen and referenced 2) . The wheel boxes 1 include inner and outer vertical walls la and lb and are firmly fixed together by means of a horizontal cross-member 3 welded thereto. Fixed at their lower ends to the laterally outer faces of the respective wheel boxes 1 are respective vertical channel members 4 which guide a vertically liftable and lowerable loading gate 5. A rigid tie 6 interconnects the upper ends of the members 4. Connected by respective vertical hinges 7 to the members 4 are respective lateral walls 8 of the roll container. Fixed to the lower front corners of the side walls 8 are respective horizontal wheel plates 9 on the undersides of which are mounted respective front castor wheels (not seen) . Located forwards of the hinges 7 and fixed at its respective ends to the respective wheel boxes 1 is a horizontal pivot pin 10 upon which is turnably mounted a base 11 of the roll container. The base 11 includes a front transverse member 12, a rear transverse member 13, two rearward extensions (of which one is seen and referenced 14), and a wire mesh 15,16 for supporting packages, for example milk or orange-juice cartons thereon, the wire mesh consisting of transverse wires 15 and longitudinal wires 16. Formed through each extension 14 is a slot 17 extending longitudinally thereof and guiding the base 11 on the pivot pin 10. Projecting inwardly from the respective wheel boxes 1 are respective arcuate guide strips 18 upon which the respective extensions 14 bear during turning of the base 11 between its nesting position shown in Figure 1 and its substantially horizontal use position shown in Figure 3. As the base 11 approaches its nesting position, the SUBSTITUTE SHEET {RULE 26} extensions 14 are no longer supported by the strips 18, so allowing the substantially vertical base 11 to fall into its nesting position, in which the extensions 14 drop down in front of the forward edges of the strip 18 to retain the base 11 in its nesting position, the elongate slots 17 allowing such dropping of the base 11 relative to the pin 10. To disengage the base 11 from its nesting position, the user needs only to lift the base 11 and tilt it forwards slightly to bring the lower ends of the extensions 14 to immediately above the forward zones of the strips 18. Fixed to the respective walls 8 at locations rearwards of the pivot pin 10 and forwards of the hinges 7 are respective horizontal, profiled, metal plates 19 which extend transversely to the planes of the respective walls 8. The plates 19 extend horizontally through the upper parts of the respective wheel boxes 1, by way of horizontal slots 20 and 21 in the outer and inner walls lb and la, and protrude inwardly from the horizontal slots 20 to above the respective strips 18. Each plate 19 incorporates a detent 19a which limits the extent to which its lateral wall 8 can be turned outwards and a stop 19b which limits the extent to which the base 11 can be turned to its horizontal, use position, unless the walls 8 are substantially in their respective use conditions in which they are parallel to each other. The plates 19 limit outward turning of the side walls 8 by abutment of their detents 19a with the inside faces of the outer wall lb. The plates 19 limit the extent of approach of the base 11 to its horizontal position by abutment of their stops 19b with top edge portions 14a of the extensions 14 as the base 11 approaches its horizontal position. Thus, with the walls 8 in their nesting conditions, in which they are turned outwards to substantially the maximum extent, the base 11 is stopped at a significant acute angle to the horizontal. In effect, the moment of the base 11 towards its horizontal position is transformed into a moment on the plates 19 tending to turn the side walls 8 towards their use conditions. If the user then turns the walls 8 gradually towards their use conditions, the stops 19b gradually move rearwards along the top edges of the extensions 14 and thus allow the base 11 to turn gradually towards its horizontal, use position until the stops 19b arrive at recesses 14b in the top edges, whereupon the base 11 can drop into its horizontal, use position. In that use position, hooks 21 at the front of the base 11 engage in slots 22 in the respective wheel plates 9 to retain the walls 8 releasably in substantially their use condition. In an alternative version, not illustrated, the profiled plates 19 of the side members 8 in their nesting conditions can approach so close to the upper portion (i.e. the portion that is upper in the use position of the base 11) of the base in its nesting position as virtually to prevent forward turning of the base 11 out of its nesting position.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A roll container comprising a base (11), hinge means (10) mounting said base (11) for turning about a substantially horizontal axis between an upwardly tilted, nesting position (Figure 1) and a substantially horizontal, use position (Figure 3) , first and second opposite side members (8) between which said base (11) is located and which are turnable away from each other about respective substantially vertical axes (7) between a nesting condition (Figure 1) , in which the container with tilted-up base (11) and diverging side members (8) can receive a similar roll container, and a use condition, said first side member (8) serving, when it its nesting condition (Figure 1) to resist falling of said base (11) into its use position but, when said base (11) is in its nesting position (Figure 1) , being turnable from its nesting condition (Figure 1) into its use condition (Figure 3) , and controlling means (19b) at a location relatively close to said hinge means (10) for co¬ operating with said base (11) in the nesting condition (Figure 1) of said first side member (8) to control said base (11) outside its use position (Figure 3) , characterized in that said location is rearward of, or substantially on, said substantially horizontal axis (10) . 2. A roll container according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means (19b) co-operates with an upper portion (14a) of said base (11) in the nesting condition (Figure 1) of said first side member (8) . 3. A roll container according to claim 2, wherein said controlling means (19b) takes the form of an arresting means (19b) against which said upper portion (14a) of the base (11) abuts. 4. A roll container according to claim 3, wherein the arresting means (19b) is fixed to and extends inwards from the first side member (8) . 5. A roll container according to claim 4, wherein said arresting means (19b) comprises a stop (19b) provided upon a horizontal, profiled plate (19) which extends through a rear wheel box (1) and includes a detent (19a) which serves to abut against a wall portion of a wall (lb) of said wheel box (1) to limit the extent of outward turning of the side member (8) . 6. A roll container according to claim 3, 4, or 5, wherein said arresting means substantially prevents turning of said base out of its nesting position towards its use position. 7. A roll container according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means is connected to an inner wall (la) of a rear wheel box (1) . 8. A roll container according to claim 1 or 7, wherein said controlling means comprises a spring-loaded or elastomeric element arranged to produce friction in said hinge means (10) . 9. A roll container according to claim 1 or 7, wherein said controlling means is connected to a rear, lower, cross- member (3) interconnecting said side members (8) .

Inventors: HAGELBERG HARRY, MATONIEMI MARKKU, HAGELBERG, HARRY, MATONIEMI, MARKKU
Applicants: ELOPAK LTD, ELOPAK LIMITED
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B62B3
IPC codes: B62B3