Improvements in Folding Cases, Crates, or Boxes for the Transport of Fruit and other Goods.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1899-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Cases, Crates, or Boxes for the Transport of
Fruit and other Goods.
I, CHRISTIAN ALBERT JENSEN, of No. 77, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, a communication to me from abroad by G. G. Leflère & Compagnie, of
No. 32, Rue le Peletier, Paris, in the French Republic, Merchants, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
Up to the present time the transport of fruit and other goods of small bulk
and not of a liquid nature has been effected either loose or in packages of various
kinds such as cases, baskets, bales and the like.
If on the one hand the expense of transport loose is relatively low, on the
other hand the costs are often increased to a considerable extent owing to the
fact that the goods thus forwarded generally suffer a good deal from different
handlings and the waste and losses are very material.
As regards the transport in cases and the like, the latter are to all intents and
purposes lost, because they only serve once, their cost adds to the prime cost of
the goods; further on account of their weakness, these packages are very liable
to accidents on the journey and finally they do not offer any security against
any unauthorised person breaking them and removing part of their contents
which often happens. If, on the other hand, it be desired to utilize the boxes
or cases several times, the cost of returning the same to the place of origin is
always very high assuming that the space they occupy when returning empty.
is as great as when they were full, and after all, such returned empties always
require to be repaired which is costly owing to the fact that when being opened
they are often so damaged as almost to render them useless.
Now according to this invention all these disadvantages are done away with
and the following advantages are obtained :-
A packing is produced which facilitates the packing and unpacking and
permits of carrying the maximum weight of goods in the smallest space; while
being relatively light it is very strong and practically unbreakable with ordinary
usage; it can be closed in a few seconds for neither ropes nor nails are necessary;
on arrival it is as easily and quickly opened, without cutting anything, taking out
any nails, tearing or spoiling anything and once the case is empty it may be
folded up to occupy a small space and consequently be sent back at a small
expense. Only a few seconds are required for setting it up again and recon-
stituting the case which may be filled up with goods and made to serve again and
again for a large number of journeys or voyages thus only very slightly increasing
the prime cost of the goods transported.
The cases
or boxes made according to this invention are prismatic their
bottoms are solid, their walls vertical and their covers or lids may be of open
work or solid according as the nature of the goods permits or requires.
The two opposite vertical walls by preference those forming the sides are

page_text: attached to the bottom by hinges; they are each further divided horizontally into
two equal parts and the two parts are hinged together in such manner as to
allow them to fold down on the bottom like folding shutters. The two other
vertical walls forming the ends are removable and are attached to the bottom
by hooking; they may be unhooked and laid flat on the folded down sides
when the box is to be sent back empty and folded up.
The lid is similarly removable: it is fixed on the vertical walls by hooking:
when the box is folded it is put on and attached to the vertical walls laid flat as
above described.
The box thus constructed may be divided into two or several compartments
by one or several removable vertical transverse partitions simply made of boards
the ends of which take into grooves made in the sides for the purpose.
The box may also be divided into several smaller compartments by means of
horizontal partitions made simply of boards resting on brackets or chocks fixed
to the removable vertical walls and to the partition forming the vertical partition.
All the boards which serve to form the vertical and horizontal partitions are
put between the lid and the bottom when the box is folded up.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a sectional end elevation of a folding
case or crate.
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation.
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section.
Figure 4 is an end elevation showing the box folded up ready for returning.
Figure 5 is a detail in vertical section to an enlarged scale.
Figure 6 is a plan section on the line 6–6 Figure 2, also on an enlarged
scale and
Figure 7 represents in end elevation a folded up case or box of different pro-
portions from that illustrated by Figures 1 to 6.
A is the bottom which is made of a frame of wood or metal covered with a
board or boards. The frame is provided underneath with bars a of iron of Tor
half round section to strengthen and to facilitate the sliding of the case on the
floor or ground.
The bottom is further if desired provided at the sides with rings or eyebolts
such as Figure 3 or with hooks such as L Figures 1, 2 and 3 or with both
for the purpose of facilitating the raising and lowering of the box by means of
cranes or tackle.
BB are the sides, they are each made of two frames 661, of wood or iron each
of which inside is provided with a panel of open work. The two frames are
connected by hinges and the lower frame is also connected to the bottom A by
hinges.
CC represent the ends; they are each made of a frame of wood or iron which
inside is provided with a panel of open work. Each of these removable frames
is provided below with hooks such as c (Figure 5) intended to engage in the
mortises made in the bottom and to hook on to the pins which go across
these mortises in a horizontal direction.
The four vertical walls B B and CC are at their vertical ends provided with
eyes arranged in such a manner that when the walls are in position the
eyes at each corner of the box come fair with each other and by putting
a headed rod D into the eyes in each corner each two of the walls are held securely
together at each angle. The heads of the rods D prevent them from dropping
through the eyes they may be removed by being pulled up when the lid
is off but when the lid is in place it is impossible to remove any of the rods.
E is the lid which is constructed of a frame of wood or iron, which is underneath
provided with a panel of open work. This lid is fixed by hooking it on to the
vertical walls in the same way as the walls or ends CC are attached to the
bottom. As shown the walls or sides BB are provided with hooks 63 which hook
on to the pins going across the mortises e in the lid. The hooks 63 might be
on the ends instead of on the sides of the box or crate.

page_text: In the middle of the length of each of the walls B is arranged inside a vertical
groove. This groove is clearly shown at b in Figure 6. These two grooves are
intended to receive the ends of the boards which form the vertical partition E
dividing the box into two large compartments. Some of these boards as well
as the ends C have brackets or chocks f¹ c' on which rest the boards G serving to
divide each of the large compartments into several smaller compartments and as
an example three are shewn."
The box is put together or set up as follows:-Having raised the sides B; the
ends Care put on by causing the hooks c to descend into the mortises a¹ and by
pushing these ends sideways as shewn by the arrow in Figure 5 the hooks take
on to the pins a². This being done, the eyes 22 being plumb or fair with each
other, the rods D) are threaded therein. The boards forming the partition F
are then dropped into the grooves & and the lower compartments are then filled
up to the level of the lower sets of chocks cf. These lower compartments are
then covered with boards forming the horizontal partitions G the intermediate
compartments are filled, the upper horizontal partitions Gare put in position
the space above them is filled with goods, the lid is put on in such manner
that the hooks 63 go into the mortises and the lid is pushed from the end to
effect the hooking operation. The only thing then to be done is to drop the
bolt H (Figure 2) into a hole made in the lid and in the frame of one of the ends C
and to provide this bolt with a padlock h which prevents its unauthorised
removal. When the bolt is in place it is impossible to open the box because
the lid cannot be slided sufficiently to enable its hooks to be unhooked.
It is evident that if the hooks were on the ends C, the holes for the bolt H
would have to be made in one of the long sides of the lid and in one of the
frames b¹.
The taking to pieces and the folding up of the box or crate are effected by
operating in the inverse manner to that described for the putting together or
erecting. It will be noticed that when the hinged parts 661 of the sides are
folded down as shown in Figure 4 there is a considerable space left between
their panels which spaces form boxes suitable for receiving the boards F and G
as well as the rods D and the bolt H. On the folded sides are placed the
movable ends C, end to end and the lid E is placed on top of the ends. The
lid is kept in place by means of hooks I arranged on two opposite sides or on the
four sides of the bottom which hook on to screws put in the edges or sides of the
lid.
It is evident however that any other means for obtaining security, say a bar
and padlock for example may be employed to render impossible the opening of
the folded case during transit.
It will be noticed that when the box is wider than it is high there will be a
space (such as indicated by Figure 7) left between the two hinged walls B
when folded and this space may situably be utilised for receiving all or part
of the boards F and G. It should then be closed at each end and for this
purpose, one may use one of the boards For G which is suitably recessed or
notched to receive the eyes 62. The board is retained in place by any suitable
means for example as shown by the bolt H and padlock h.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. A folding packing case or box in which two opposite vertical walls are each
divided hinged together, and to the bottom while the two other vertical walls are
fixed to the bottom by means of hooks and to the other two walls by means of
rods and in which the lid is fixed to the case by hooking all substantially in the
manner and for the purpose set forth.
2. A folding packing case or box divided into compartments by a vertical
partition formed of removable boards of which the ends project into grooves

page_text: made in the sides of the case and divided by horizontal partitions into smaller
compartments by means of removable boards resting on chocks fixed to the
vertical partition, and to the ends of the case all substantially in the manner
and for the purpose set forth.
3. The constructions of folding packing cases as described and shown on the
drawing.
Dated this Sovonioonth day of June 1899
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.