Patent Publication Number: US-6210069-B1

Title: Support block for use in interconnecting storage crates, and method of using same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a support block for use in interconnecting storage crates, and to a method of using the support block to interconnect such crates. More particularly, the present invention relates to a support block having a hollow bore formed therethrough, and to a method of using the support block, in cooperation with fasteners, to interconnect storage crates. In particular, the block hereof is useful with crates of a type having recesses formed therein. 
     2. Background Art 
     Storage crates of relatively large capacity are widely used in industrial settings. A commonly used type of large plastic storage crate, which is foldably collapsible when not in use, is commercially available from the Ropak Corporation of Georgetown, Ky. Many other types of storage crates are commercially available. Sometimes, a particular storage crate does not have adequate capacity for a specific application thereof, and a user may wish to connect two or more storage crates together, to form a larger capacity crate assembly. 
     Various devices and methods have been advanced for connecting storage crates together. Methods and equipment for connecting containers together are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,599,824, 4,108,326, 4,728,234, 4,819,820, 4,942,975, 4,993,125, 5,199,589, and 5,454,673. Several of the known devices, for interconnecting crates or other containers, are somewhat complicated and cumbersome. While numerous devices are known and available for interconnecting containers of various types, a need still exists for an improved method and apparatus for interconnecting storage containers. In particular, a need exists for equipment to durably and reliably interconnect storage crates of a type having recesses formed therein. Ideally, an apparatus for use in interconnecting containers would be reliable, easy to manufacture, relatively inexpensive, and somewhat forgiving if two containers were not initially in perfect alignment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for interconnecting a plurality of storage containers. The method and apparatus hereof is intended to be used with storage containers of a type having rectangularly shaped recesses formed therein, that is, recesses having a square or rectangular outline. 
     In one embodiment hereof, the present invention provides a support block for use in interconnecting storage crates of a type which have recesses formed therein. 
     A support block in accordance with the present invention, generally, includes four integral side walls which are connected to one another to define a substantially rectangular block shape, and a support boss which is located in between all four side walls and which is connected to at least two of the side walls, the support boss having a central bore formed therethrough to receive and support a shaft of a fastener therein. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the support block according to the present invention, the support boss is connected to the walls of the block by a partition plate which contacts at least two of the side walls and which is substantially perpendicular thereto, the partition plate being integrally formed with the side walls and having a central hole formed therethrough which is coextensive with the central bore of the support boss. 
     Another feature of the preferred support block hereof is that each of the side walls has a center line located midway between opposed edges thereof, wherein the center lines of all four walls lie in a common plane. Further, in this preferred embodiment, each of the side walls is thickest at the center line thereof, and tapers so as to be progressively thinner as it extends further away from the center line. 
     An optional feature of the preferred support block according to the present invention is that the central bore in the support boss may be made to taper from a maximum diameter section at a first end thereof, to a minimum diameter section at a second end thereof. This is done to facilitate alignment of the block with a threaded fastener which may be passed through the bore of the support boss, and/or with a drilled hole at the back of a recess in a crate wall. 
     As noted, the present invention also encompasses a method of using the support block hereof to interconnect two storage crates. A method of interconnecting storage crates according to the present invention, generally, begins with a step of removing a section of wall from one side of a first crate, and removing a section of wall from one side of a second crate. 
     Another step, in the method according to the present invention, is drilling holes through the first and second crates. These holes are drilled at the back of recesses formed in the crate walls that have had sections removed therefrom. 
     Another step in the method hereof is aligning the first and second crates so that the drilled holes line up, and placing support blocks, in accordance with the present invention, in between the first and second crates adjacent the drilled holes thereof, with fastening members placed through the bores of the support blocks. The crates are pushed together so that the blocks fit into aligned recesses in both crates to strengthen the joint therebetween. 
     The next step in the method hereof is inserting a cooperating fastener, such as a nut, on an end of fastening members which extend past an inner surface of a crate wall to lock the two crates together. 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the reader is referred to the following detailed description section, which should be read in accordance with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following description, like numbers refer to like parts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support block in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the support block of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2A is a front plan view of an alternate embodiment of a support block in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the support block of FIGS. 1-2, with the interior of the block shown in phantom; 
     FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of the support block of FIGS. 1-3; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support block of the present invention in place in between two storage crates, the storage crates being joined together by fastening members; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a storage crate of a type which is usable with the block according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a cutaway perspective view of two inverted storage crates, similar to the single crate of FIG. 6, which are being positioned for joining together according to the present invention to form a single large storage crate; and 
     FIG. 8 is a single large storage crate formed out of two smaller crates, using the support blocks and method according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     I. Support Block 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings, a support block, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown generally at  10 . The support block  10  is advantageous for use, in conjunction with fastening members as will be further described herein, in a method of interconnecting storage crates such as that shown at  12  (FIG.  6 ). Preferably, storage crates to be joined together, using the method and apparatus hereof, are of a type which have recesses such as those shown at  14 ,  15  formed therein. The block  10  will fit into recesses  14 ,  15  which have substantially flat upper and lower internal surfaces. In the practice of the present invention, it is preferred, but not required, that the block  10  be formed as an integral unit. Preferably, the block  10  is formed from a strong plastic, but other materials such as aluminum, die cast metal, etc. may be used to form the block. One suitable plastic material for use in forming the block  10  hereof is sold by GE plastics under the trademark XENOY. 
     The block  10  is approximately cube-shaped, with four integral side walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22 , which are connected to one another at right angles, as shown in FIG. 2, to define a substantially rectangular block or cube shape. Each of the walls  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24  is bisected by a center line  25 , the center line lying along a plane which is common to all four walls and which bisects the block  10 . As seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the block  10  is thickest or widest at the center line  25 , and narrows as it moves away therefrom. The block  10  is made tapered in this way to make it somewhat self-aligning, and easy to insert into a recess  14  in a storage crate  12 . 
     The block  10  also includes a support boss  24 , which is centrally located in between all four side walls. The support boss  24  is provided for receiving and supporting a cylindrical shaft  26  of a fastener  28  therein. In the depicted embodiment  10 , the support boss  24  is shown as being substantially cylindrical, although it may be made in any cross-sectional shape. The support boss  24  is attached to the walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  by a partition plate  30  which is transverse to the walls and which forms a fifth side of the block  10 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     Alternatively, the partition plate may be located across the center of the block  10 , as shown in phantom at  32  in FIG.  5 . In either case, the partition plate  30  or  32  fixedly connects the support boss  24  to the walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22 . It is preferred that the partition plate contact at least two of the side walls so as to interconnect the support boss  24  thereto. Optionally, the partition plate may have gaps or holes (not shown) formed therein, but the use of either a solid continuous partition plate  30  or  32 , or multiple radial fin design is, however, preferred for strength and reinforcement. 
     Another alternative means of connecting the support boss to the walls is shown in FIG.  2 A. In this embodiment of the block  110 , four walls  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  122  are substantially identical to the walls  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  as previously described, and a support boss  124  is centrally located and is substantially identical to the support boss  24  of the block  10  in the first embodiment, but here, instead of using a partition plate, the support boss and walls are interconnected by a plurality of radially oriented fins  130 . Where used, it is preferred that these fins  130  extend the full length of the block  110 . 
     The support boss  24  has a central bore  34  formed therethrough to receive and support a shaft  26  of a fastener  28  therein, as noted. In the preferred design of the block  10 , the bore  34  in the support boss tapers from a maximum diameter section at a first end  36  thereof, to a minimum diameter section at a second end  38  thereof. The bore is tapered to make it easier to line up the first end  36  thereof with a hole  40  (FIG. 5) in a crate. 
     II. Method of Use 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, a series of steps in assembling two crates  12 ,  42  into a single large crate  55  (FIG.  8 ), using the support block according to the present invention, are shown. The crates  12 ,  42  are substantially identical to one another. A first crate  12  is shown in FIG.  6 . The crate shown in FIG. 6 is based on products which are made and sold by the Ropak Corporation of Georgetown, Ky. Crates of other types and designs may be used with the support block  10  according to the present invention, but it is necessary that crates to be joined together by the method of the present invention have recesses such as those shown at  14 ,  15  formed therein, and that the recesses have substantially flattened top and bottom surfaces. 
     In joining two crates together according to the method of the present invention, a section of wall  17  is removed from one side of a first crate  12 , and a section of wall is also removed from one side of a second crate  42  which is substantially identical to the first crate. Where using ROPAK crates, a wall section  17  may be removed from a crate simply by removing a hinge pin which connects the wall section to the base  19  of the crate  12 . Some trimming of the base  19  may be required in preparation for joining the two crates  12 ,  42 . 
     Then, the crates may, optionally, be inverted so as to make the recesses  14 ,  15  easier to work on, and holes such as that shown at  40  and  44  (FIG. 5) are drilled through the first and second crates  12 ,  42 , at the back of recesses formed at the bottom of the open walls thereof. The first and second crates  12 ,  42 , are then aligned as shown in FIG. 7 so that the drilled holes  40 ,  44  line up with one another, and so that the open walls thereof face one another. 
     A plurality of support blocks  10 , in accordance with the present invention, are then placed into the recesses in between the first and second crates, adjacent the drilled holes thereof. A fastener  28 , such as a bolt or threaded rod  45 , is also placed through the central bore  34  of each support block used, and also through the drilled holes  40 ,  44  of the crates  12 ,  42 . Preferably, in the practice of the present invention, a threaded rod  45  is placed through the bore  34  of each support block  10  used, and then the support blocks  10 , with the rods  45  installed therein, are placed into the recesses  14 ,  15  of one of the crates  12  as shown in FIG. 7, with the threaded rods  45  extending through holes  40  formed in the backs of the recesses. Then, the crates  12 ,  42  are pushed together in abutting relationship so that the threaded rods  45  also extend through the holes  44  formed in the second crate  42 . Where bolts (not shown) are used, at least one end thereof extends past an inner surface  50  of a crate wall. 
     Then, a washer  48  and a nut  46 , or other fastener is placed on each end of each rod  45  which extends past an inner crate surface  50 ,  52 . Access holes  54  are provided in the crate bottom surfaces so that a wrench may be inserted to tighten the nuts  46  in place. Preferably, locking nuts such as those sold under the trademark NYLOX are used so as to avoid unplanned loosening thereof. The finished product is a single, large crate such as the crate assembly  55  shown in FIG.  8 . 
     Side Rails 
     Optionally, in the practice of the method according to the present invention, added reinforcements in the form of side rails  56  are used in forming the crate assembly  44 . The material used for the side rails may be, e.g., ¼″ steel bar stock or, most preferably, may hollow square tubing because of its superior strength. As shown in FIG. 6, ROPAK containers normally have a hollow gridwork  58  on the sides thereof for strength and reinforcement. Where side rails  56  are going to be installed to join side wall sections  60 ,  62  of the crate assembly together, a router may be used to cut material away from the gridwork  58  to form slots  64 ,  66  in the wall sections. Then, holes are drilled through the wall sections  60 ,  62  at the slots  64 ,  66  and corresponding holes are drilled through the side rails  56 . Suitable fasteners, such as nuts and bolts  68 , are then used to fasten the side rails  56  to the crate assembly  44 . In the preferred practice of the present invention, the fastener surfaces inside the crate assembly  44  are either countersunk to be recessed or flush with the inner crate surface  70 , or are partially recessed and then trimmed to be flush with the surface  70 . 
     Although the present invention has been described herein with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope hereof. All such modifications, which fall within the scope of the appended claims, are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.