Improvements in Packing-cases for Fruit, Flowers, Vegetables, Butter, Eggs, and other Produce.
Year: 1890

page_text: e of Application, 5th June, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by VANBUREN B. WHEAT, of New York, U.S.A.]
Improvements in Packing-cases for Fruit, Flowers, Vegetables,
Butter, Eggs, and other Produce.
I, WILLIAM NICHOLAS WHITE, of 10 Russell Street, Covent Garden, in the County
of Middlesex, Fruit Broker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention for improvements in packing cases for fruit, flowers, vegetables,
butter, eggs, and other produce has for its object to provide light and strong cases or
crates in which goods of a perishable nature, and such as are easily damaged by
jarring in transit may be securely and expeditiously packed in a small compass; and
consists more particularly in the construction of a skeleton frame or envelope for
exactly containing a certain number of smaller hoxes or recepticles of special
construction in which the produce is first carefully packed.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:
:-
Fig. 1 represents in perspective one of the boxes of special construction in which
the produce is packed.
Fig. 2 represents in perspective a casing or crate containing six produce boxes and
constructed according to this invention and, Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of
the same.
Two
The produce box or receptacle comprises two sides a secured by nails or other
ordinary means to the ends 6 the upper part of which have grooves c in which the
lid d slides, the bottom being also secured by nails or other well known means.
bent wires e hinged to the sides a at f form handles by which the box may be carried,
and also serve when in their normal position to keep the sliding lid d closed as clearly
shown. These wires also act as springs when the boxes are packed together and so prevent
jarring when subjected to vertical or lateral motion. The box is opened by turning
the handles e over the ends free of the lid d which can then be withdrawn. The
packing is usually accomplished before the bottom is secured, the box being arranged
as shown and then inverted, and the produce inserted after which the bottom is
secured.
The outer casing or crate comprises two solid wooden ends g secured together by
longitudinal strips or laths hij. On the bottom laths are springs 7 supporting
two other laths m which form a false bottom so that, when the crate is packed and
all the laths secured by nails or otherwise the said springs form an elastic cushion for
the produce boxes, and so reduce the injurious effects on their contents of any shocks
or jars communicated to the outer case or crate. Two vertical strips n secured to
each end g keep the laths m in position.
The drawings represent a crate with two longitudinal laths, but it is obvious that
a greater or less number may be employed according to the size of the crate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. The construction of a case or crate for containing produce hoxes or receptacles
with a false bottom or laths supported by springs to reduce the effects of shocks or jars

page_text: 2. The employment of the packing box as shown in Fig. 1. in combination with
the enveloping case or crate substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings,
and for the purpose set forth.
;
3. The arrangement and construction of a case or crate for containing produce
boxes substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of June 1890.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, Agents.