IMPROVEMENTS IN CRATES AND PACKING CASES AND OTHER CASES OR BOXES
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWIN THOMAS LUCOCK of Stourport in the County of Worcester Accountant
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CRATES
AND PACKING CASES AND OTHER CASES OR BOXES ">
to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in crates and
packing cases and other cases and boxes whereby the said crates cases and boxes
are capable of being folded up when not in use and in their folded condition occupy
little room.
Crates cases or boxes made according to my invention only occupy
little room when in their folded condition and are not only stored and returned by
carrier when empty with great economy of room but are in that condition much
less liable to be injured than when stored or returned in their expanded state.
I will describe my invention as applied to an oblong packing case. 1 connect
the five parts of which the case (without its lid) is composed namely the bottom
the two longer sides and the two shorter sides or ends by means of junctions
somewhat resembling the joint of a hinge. That is I form on the edges of the
parts to be connected knuckle pieces like those of a hinge the knuckles on one edge
alternating when the parts are connected together with one another thus forming
when a pin or axis is passed through the said alternating knuckles a joint which
not only holds the parts securely together but permits them to turn on the joint pin
so that they can be either folded flat upon one another or inclined at any angle to
one another.
By means of junctions of the kind described the two longer sides of the case are
connected to the bottom and the two shorter sides are respectively hinged to the
opposite ends of the two longer sides. By raising the longer sides perpendicular
to the bottom and turning inwards through a right angle the two ends the several
parts are brought into their proper relative positions and by passing pins or axes
through the knuckles of the unconnected edges of the sides and ends so as to
connect them together an oblong open top box is produced of great strength and
rigidity and capable by the removal of the two last described pins or axes of being
folded flat when it has been emptied. In order to make the folded box occupy
a minimum of space both superficially and in depth one of the ends is folded
inwards upon the side to which it is jointed and the other is folded outwards
[Price 6d.]

page_text: upon the side to which it is connected. The two sides are thus respectively folded
on opposite sides of the bottom when the collapsed or folded box has the smallest
dimension it is capable of assuming.
Each of the joint pins or axes may have a ring on one end to hold it by and
a screw on its other end and the knuckle into which the screwed end of the pin
passes has in this case a screw thread with which the screw on the end of the pin
engages. By thus fixing the parts together by screw pins their connection is made
much more secure and the trouble of fixing the parts of the box in their open
positions but little increased.
When a jointed lid or cover is used with the box it may be connected to the
body of the box and fastened down by joints and pins of the kind described.

page_text: I EDWIN THOMAS LUCOCK of Stourport in the County of Worcester Accountant
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CRATES AND
PACKING CASES AND OTHER CASES OR BOXES" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in crates. and
packing cases and other cases and boxes, whereby the said crates, cases and boxes
are capable of being folded up when not in use and in their folded condition
occupy little room. Crates, cases and boxes made according to my invention only
occupy little room when in their folded condition and are not only stored and
returned by carrier when empty with great economy of room and saving of expense
but are in that condition much less liable to be injured than when stored or
returned in their expanded state.
I will describe my invention as applied to an oblong packing case. I connect
the five parts of which the case (without its lid) is eomposed, namely, the bottom,
the two longer sides and the two shorter sides or ends, by means of junctions
somewhat resembling the joint of a hinge. That is, I form on the edges of the
parts to be connected knuckle pieces like those of a hinge, the knuckles on one
edge alternating when the parts are connected together with one another, thus
forming when a pin or axis is passed through the said alternating knuckles, a joint
which not only holds the parts securely together but permits them to turn on the
joint pin so that they can be either folded flat upon one another or inclined at any
angle to one another.
By means of junctions of the kind described the two longer sides of the case are
connected to the bottom and the two shorter sides are respectively hinged to the
opposite ends of the two longer sides. By raising the longer sides perpendicular
to the bottom and turning inwards through a right angle the two ends, the several
parts are brought into their proper relative positions and by passing pins or axes
through the knuckles of the unconnected edges of the sides and ends so as to
connect them together, an oblong open top crate case or box is produced of great.
strength and rigidity and capable by the removal of the two last described pins or
axes of being folded flat when it has been emptied. In order to make the folded
box, crate or case occupy a minimum of space both superficially and in depth, one
of the ends is folded inwards upon the side to which it is jointed and the other is
folded outwards upon the side to which it is connected. The two sides are thus
respectively folded on opposite sides of the bottom when the collapsed or folded
box has the smallest dimension it is capable of assuming.
Each of the joint pins or axes may have a ring on one end to hold it by and
a screw on its other end and the knuckle into which the screwed end of the pin
passes has in this case a screw thread with which the screw on the end of the pin
engages. Or a screw nut may be used instead of a screw knuckle. By thus fixing
the parts together by screw pins, their connection is made much more secure and
the trouble of fixing the parts of the box in their open positions but little
increased.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in plan; Figure 2 in end
elevation and Figure 3 in isometrical perspective, an oblong folding crate expanded
for use constructed according to my invention the perspective view Figure 3 being
drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 represents the several
folding parts of the crate laid out flat ready for folding up, drawn to the same

page_text: scale as Figures 1 and 2 and Figure 5 represents an end view of the crate partly
folded, with the end pieces partly opened and Figure 5ª represents in perspective
the crate partly folded; Figure 6 represents in elevation and plan a portion of one
of the ends and sides of the crate straightened out drawn to the same scale as
Figure 3; Figure 7 represents in plan and elevation a portion of the end of the
expanded crate exhibiting the manner in which the catches or angle pieces on the
ends of the crate engage under the bottom of the said crate as herein after more
fully explained.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawing.
The folding crate is made of five principal parts marked respectively a. b. c. d
ande each part being composed of a series of flat or cylindrical metallic or wooden
strips or bars crossing one another and rivetted together, a being the bottom of the
crate; b and c the two longer sides and d and the two shorter sides or ends.
The several parts a. b. c. d. e are jointed together by junctions resembling the joints
of hinges, the sides bc of the crate being jointed to the longer sides of the bottom a
of the crate and the ends d, e of the crate being jointed to the opposite ends of the
sides b, c of the crate as will be understood by an examination of Figure 4.
The manner in which the joints are made will be best seen by referring to the
perspective view Figure 3 and the portions of the end and side Figure 6, from an
examination of which Figures it will be understood that on one jointed part of the
crate is a series of knuckles fand on the adjacent part is another series of knuckles g
the knuckles on one edge alternating with those on the opposite edge. Some of
the knuckles f, g are bent from the ends of the strips or bars of which the folding
parts are composed and others of the knuckles are made separately and rivetted
to the end strips of the folding parts. I do not however limit myself to any
particular way of constructing the knuckles, nor to the number of knuckles
employed.
When the two series of knuckles f, g are brought together in the manner repre-
sented, a pin or axis h can be passed through them thereby forming a joint which
not only holds the two parts together but permits them to turn upon the said joint
pin so that they can be folded flat upon one another or inclined at any angle to
one another.
In order to form a crate from the flat jointed parts represented in Figure 4 the
longer sides b, c are raised perpendicular to the bottom a and the ends d, c are
turned inwards through a right angle. The several parts are thereby brought into
their proper relative positions to form a crate and by passing the pins or axes
marked h³, h³ through the unconnected edges of the sides and ends so as to connect
them together, an oblong open top crate is produced having great strength and
rigidity.
The bottoms of the joint pins or axes h, h², h³ at the corners of the folding crate
are screwed and upon the screwed bottoms screw nuts i (see Figure 3) are placed
which act as stops to prevent the said pins or axes becoming detached from their
knuckles and also when the crate is expanded for use serve as feet for the crate to
rest upon and thus keep the bottom of the crate from touching the ground. The
screw nuts i also prevent the bolting pins or axes h³, h³ from being lost when the
crate is folded up for storage or transit. Handles kk affixed to the sides and ends
of the crate serve for moving the package about when full.
In order to support and bind the ends of the bottom a of the crate to the end
parts d, e when the crate is expanded for use the bottom edge of each end part d
and e is furnished with catches or angle pieces l, which when the said end parts
are turned at right angles for completing the sides of the crate as before described
pass under the end bars of the bottom part a of the crate as best seen in
Figures 3 and 7.
In order to fold up the crate for storage or transit, the two joint pins or axes h², h³
are withdrawn from their knuckles and the several folding parts laid out flat or
brought into the position represented in Figure 4. The middle part a is now

page_text: folded upon or brought up against the side of the part b so that the part c will fall
down upon the underside or bottom of the part a as shown in the partly folded
crate Figures 5 and 54. The end d is next folded upon the outerside of the part b
as indicated by the dotted line and arrow and the end e is folded in the opposite
direction upon the outerside of the part c as indicated by the dotted line and
arrow. In Figure 5 the ends d, e are shown only partly closed upon the parts b, c.
The knuckles of the joints are so constructed that the sides b, c and ends de of the
folding crate can only fold in the directions described and indicated. Should the
parts be turned otherwise than as described, the knuckles act as stops and prevent
the closing of the parts thereby indicating that the folding is being effected in the
wrong direction.
In this way, the side and end b, d and the side and end c, e are respectively
folded on opposite sides of the bottom part a and the folded or collapsed crate bas
the smallest dimension it is capable of assuming both superficially and in depth.
When a jointed lid or cover is used with the crate it may be connected to the
body of the crate and fastened by joints and pins of the kind described or otherwise
jointed and fastened, the said cover when connected with the body of the crate or
box constituting a sixth jointed side. Detached or unjointed covers may be used
with crates boxes or cases made according to my invention. The joint pins h, h
which do not require to be removed in using the crate or box may be fixed
permanently in their places by their lower ends being rivetted or expanded instead
of fixing them by screwing their ends and fitting screw nuts thereon.
Although I have described and represented a packing crate composed of crossing
strips or bars or lattice work, yet it may be made of continuous pieces of metal or
non-metallic material jointed together as described and represented so as to form
a packing case or other case or box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Constructing folding crates packing cas's and other cases or boxes, of five
principal parts, namely, of a bottom, two sides and two ends, and where desired of
a jointed lid in addition to the said five parts, the said parts being jointed together
and made to fold flat upon one another for storage or transit and opened or
expanded and the unconnected end parts connected or bolted to the side parts so as
to form a crate, case or box substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, whether the sides and ends are the same or of
different lengths.
Dated this Twenty third day of October 1884.