IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR CASES FOR STORING OR CARRYING FRUIT OR OTHER LIKE PERISHABLE MATTER, AND IN THE METHOD OF PRESERVING FRUIT AND OTHER LIKE MATTER."
Year: 1881

page_text: 66
LETTERS PATENT to George Augustus Cochrane, of Montreal, Canada, and of
New York, in the State of New York, but temporarily at Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO APPARATUS OR CASES FOR STORING OR CARRYING FRUIT OR OTHER LIKE
PERISHABLE MATTER, AND IN THE METHOD OF PRESERVING FRUIT AND
OTHER LIKE MATTER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Augustus Cochrane
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th July 1881.
.
GEORGE AUGUSTUS COCHRANE, of Montreal, Canada, and of New York, in the
State of New York, but temporarily at Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR CASES FOR STORING OR
CARRYING FRUIT OR OTHER LIKE PERISHABLE MATTER, AND IN THE METHOD
OF PRESERVING FRUIT AND OTHER LIKE MATTER."
This Invention consists, first, in forming the cases with projecting knobs or
bars on every side, so that no two cases can come close up together, but a space is
left above, below, and on every side of every case; second, in making the cases
thoroughly perforated on top, bottom, and every side, for the free passage of air;
third, placing the fruit in cells in trays piled one on the other and exactly filling the
box, so as not to lie loose therein, each piece of fruit being in a separate cell, so
that it has only to support its own weight and is isolated from all other fruit;
fourth, in wel ventilating (by means of lateral and vertical air passages) the cells and
trays; fifth, in making the cells and trays of non-absorbing materials, so that they
shall not rob the fruit of moisture; sixth, in using distance pieces one above another
on the trays to carry the weight of the trays (instead of having the weight of the
tray above resting on the one beneath), by which means the trays can be made of
lighter material, and an air circulating space is left above the partitions in every
tray; seventh; storing the boxes in warehouses and on ship board, not in the cellar or
lowest hold, but upon a perforated floor or deck above a well ventilated hollow
space, so that the carbonic acid escaping from the fruit can be drawn off;
eighth, forming the partitions of a long strip of perforated glazed cardboard, straw
board, paper, or other like material, passing in and out among the fruit or pressed
into shape as desired; ninth, arranging the packing cases with slides to regulate the
amount of ventilation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said George Augustus Cochrane
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th February 1882.
GEORGE AUGUSTUS COCHRANE, of Montreal, Canada, and of New York, in the
State of New York, but temporarily at Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR CASES FOR STORING OR
CARRYING FRUIT OR OTHER LIKE PERISHABLE MATTER, AND IN THE METHOD OF
PRESERVING FRUIT OR OTHER LIKE MATTER."
The object of this Invention is to provide means whereby the extensive losses
arising from bruising, decomposition, &c., in transporting or storing fruit, vegetables,
and analogous products, may be, if not entirely or at least in a large measure
avoided.
When fruit or vegetables are considered as living matter, which they are, it is
essentially necessary that they should be treated as such if their life is to be
prolonged after they have been severed from the parent branch, or vine, or stalk.
Carbonic acid gas, it is well known, is the great life destroyer, both animal and
vegetable, and as all such living matter exhales carbonic acid gas, it is essential
that to prolong life these emanations should be removed, since death will surely
result from an exposure to these gases.
This Invention relates chiefly to-
A packing box or crate that shall embody, 1st, the necessary requirements for
the perfect drainage or elimination of the deleterious gases emanating from the
substances packed therein, upon whatever side said box may lay or stand, or in
whatever quantities said boxes may be piled together.
2nd. It shall embody in its constructions features that will as far as possible
prevent the bruising of the articles packed therein during the handling of the
crate; and lastly, it shall be so constructed that it may be turned upon any one of
its sides or ends without interfering with the proper ventilation. To these ends
the Invention consists,-
.
1st. Of a crate or packing box composed of boards baving end slits or slots
that form ventilating apertures when united. 2nd. In combination with the
ventilated box or crate of carriers or cells made of a flexible material, and provided
with ventilating apertures and of ventilated trays or partitions for said cells made
of like flexible material. And the Invention further consists in providing each
crate with means whereby direct or close contact with the floor upon which it
may stand with other crates packed upon or around it, or both, is effectually
prevented on whatever side the crate may lay or stand. And the Invention
further consists in a novel form of tray, all as fully described hereinafter and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved crate, a portion being broken
away to show one arrangement of cells and trays. Figure 2 is a like view, the
crate being turned bottom upward, a portion being broken away to show another
arrangement of cells. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the crate.
Figures 4 and 5 show the blank and the corner piece made therefrom, detached.
Figure 6 is a plan view of one of my improved trays with the pockets shown open.
Figure 7 is a like view of the same with the pockets closed, and Figure 8 is an
under side view of the tray. Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all
the Figures of Drawings.
A is the box which in practice I preferably make of such size as to be conveniently
handled or carried by a man of average strength, that is to say, of such size and
weight when filled, not to exceed 90 pounds. I have found that a proportion of

page_text: the losses sustained in shipping articles such as described arise from the necessity
of handling packages two heavy to be carried.
For this reason I prefer to make the boxes of convenient size and as set forth,
preferably square, because in such form they can be carried with greater ease, and
also because in this form such packages can be more economically stored, and the
articles more economically packed therein so far as space is concerned. In the
construction of the box I employ boards of suitable or convenient width, which are
cut to the proper length.
After cutting the boards to the required length I form them in bundles of twelve,
or more or less, and cut the ventilating slots or slits B into the edges thereof by
means of a gang of saws. I preferably make these ventilating slots B at each end
of the board of a length equal to one third of the length of said board, so that two
thirds thereof will be provided with openings. The number of such slots B will
depend upon the nature of the articles to be packed therein.
It will be seen that when the box A is completed, as shown in Figure 1, it will
be provided upon every side with ventilating slits for the perfect drainage of the
deleterious gases emanated from its contents. The four lower corners of the box
are each provided with a spacing piece D, made from a sheet metal blank of the
form shown in Figure 5. By means of a suitable die the projections or swells d
are formed into the blank, the part d' is then bent at right angles on the line 1, and
after that the part d² is bent at right angles to the part d' on line 2 forming the
corner piece, as shown in Figure 4.
The four upper corners are provided with corner pieces D having but two faces
and swells d, as shown, and are applied to the box in such manner that when the
lid A is secured in place one edge of the said corner pieces will be flush with the
upper face of said lid. By means of this construction and arrangement of corner
piece the corners of the lid are protected from wear, and to prevent close contact of
the lid with the floor or with the lid of another crate when turned toward each
other, I apply to said lid A¹ two spacing strips a¹ that perform the same functions
as the swells d. The swells or projections extend outward sufficiently to prevent
close contact of the crates with the floor upon which they rest, and also between
themselves when piled, thus leaving air spaces all around the boxes. The articles
are packed in the boxes on perforated trays E, that is to say, on trays each
provided with such a number of perforations, openings, or air passages e as to
prevent the obstruction of the circulation of air among the articles.
When the articles are enclosed in cells that are not connected with one another
or with the tray, or in cells of different shape, or when small fruit such as
strawberries are packed in cavities or pockets formed in said trays, each strawberry
in a separate pocket or cavity, the said trays are or may be provided at each
corner and at other convenient points with spacing pins or supports e¹ of a length
equal to or a little greater than the thickness of the article supported upon said
trays, and on which a second tray may rest without coming into contact with said
articles.
Each of the trays is provided with or supports a series of cells F provided with
ventilating apertures or notches f, the strips formning the cells being so arranged as
to project beyond the outer cells, as shown in Figure 1, and form air spaces fl
between said cells and the walls of the box. Or the pockets or cells may be
arranged or connected with the tray so that the latter will form the spaces f¹, as
shown in Figures 6 and 7. The cells or trays are or may be made of any suitable
material, such as card board, straw board, veneer, or other cheap and flexible or
yielding material. This material is or may be made water and acid proof by any
of the well known means, such as water and acid proof varnishes or paints. When
the crates are to be returned to the shipper I prefer to protect the trays and cells
from impregnation of the fruit juices by coating them with a water and acid proof
substance, and this also permits of their being scoured or washed previous to
packing other fruit in them.
It will be seen that by means of the construction of box and the combination

page_text: therewith of trays and cells, as described, such box may be turned upon any of its
sides without thereby endangering its contents or obstructing the thorough
ventilation. This is of great importance in storing fruit, especially the more
lucious fruit, which when resting a certain length of time in the same position
becomes settled, that is to say, the part that supports the weight of the fruit
becomes flattened or bruised, the tissues or cells are ruptured, and rapid decom-
position ensues.
If the crates are turned from one side to the other from time to time, each time
the crate is turned the fruit will correspondingly change its position, that is, to
say, a fresh surface will support the weight thereof; and if this turning is effected
before the tissues or cells of the fruit have been ruptured the partly settled or
flattened surface will generally swell out again or at least prevent decomposition.
This is especially the case where proper precautions are taken to remove the fruit
from contact with the deleterious gases emanated therefrom. For shipment and
sale of the higher priced and more delicate fruit by producers or wholesale dealers
that possess a variety of such fruits, I employ the fancy trays shown in Figures 0
and 7.
These trays E have attached thereto a number of variously shaped cells F to
accommodate different kinds and sizes of fruit, and each tray is provided with two
ribbons, cords, or other analogaus supporting means E, whereby the trays may be
held and carried by the purchaser. Each cell or pocket F is provided with a paper
lace cover F¹ that when folded will leave air passages, and at the same time serve
as an elastic packing to hold the smaller fruit from being too much jarred, and all
the cells may be covered with like paper lace covers connected with the edges of
the outer rows of cells or with the edges of the trays. These trays and cells are
intended to be given with the fruit to the purchaser, and are preferably made of
the finer kind of white card board provided with perforations arranged to form
ornamental or geometrical figures, as shown in Figure 8, so that when purchased
the tray may be placed upon the table.
In practice however and with a view to economy I shall make these trays of
papier maché, paper, or wood pulp, preferably the latter, and form them by means
of molds. By means of this construction of fruit tray I overcome great incon-
veniences to the purchaser, and also avoid the danger of the fruit being bruised
in transit from the dealer to the place of consumption. The tray can be readily
carried and avoids the necessity of dumping the fruit in a basket that may contain
various other articles bought in market, which latter may bruise or taint the fruit,
and I provide a cheaper article than the baskets in which assorted fruit has
heretofore been sold and an article of more artistic or tasteful appearance.
Having now described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,--
1st. The means employed for draining the carbonic acid gas from packed fruit,
which consist of a ventilated crate combined with ventilated cells and trays, and
constructed to form ventilating passages between it and the floor upon which it
may stand, and between the crates when, stacked for storage, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
2nd. A fruit crate and carrier cells and trays combined therewith, constructed
substantially as described, whereby each cell is thoroughly ventilated in whatever
position the crate may be laid,, or in whatever number such crates may be
stored.
3rd. A crate composed of boards having end slots B, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4th. In combination with a ventilated crate, sheet metal or other corner pieces D
having swells or projections d, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5th. As a new article of manufacture a ventilated cell tray or carrier for fruit
provided with means for carrying the same, each cell of which 'is provided with a
covering of paper lace, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6th. As a new article of manufacture a ventilated cell tray or carrier for assorted

page_text: fruit having a series of differently shaped ventilated cells or pockets for containing
different kinds of fruit, each cell being provided with a cover of lace paper in
combination with ribbons E¹ or their equivalent attached to the ends of the trays,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7th. As a new article of manufacture an ornamental ventilated cell tray or
carrier for assorted fruits constructed, substantially as described, of wood or other
pulp or papier maché, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Augustus Cochrane, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
GEORGE AUGUSTUS COCHRANE. (L.S.)