Improvements in Packages for Carrying Perishable Merchandise.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July. 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Packages for Carrying Perishable
Merchandise.
A communication from FREDERICK MERWIN PECK, of Hartford, in the County
of Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Merchant.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 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 :-
The invention relates to the class of packages provided for transporting and
storing perishable merchandise, such as butter and the like which requires to be
kept at an even degree of temperature and sealed from the contaminating effect of
the odors of foreign substances, to ensure its prime condition.
The object of the invention is to provide an article of this class which shall be
cheap, light, strong and simply constructed, into the centre of which merchandise
may be easily and quickly placed and surrounded on all sides with any desired
kind of heat non-conducting material, or cooling medium, and from which the
merchandise may be readily removed in a clean condition for use, the construction
being such that the merchandise receptacle is held tightly closed away from the
side walls of the package with the non-conducting material packed in chambers so
that it cannot shift during transportation and leave one side of the merchandise
exposed, whereby the merchandise is maintained at an even temperature and is
tightly sealed so that it cannot absorb odors from foreign matter and become
tainted or lose its own life.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. is a plan of the package with the outer cover removed..
Fig. 2 is a perspective view with the outer and inner covers removed.
Fig. 3 is a plan with the merchandise receptacle removed; and
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the package.
In the views the letter a indicates the side walls of the exterior shell, which are
preferably formed of pieces of light, thin wood secured together at their ends by
corner posts .
A piece secured to the corner posts covers the bottom and a removable piece c
rabbeted on the edge to make a tight joint, covers the top of the shell. The inner
side or corner of each of the posts to which the sides of the thin exterior shell are
secured, is provided with a groove or channel 6, and an interior receptacle d made
of wood or any other desirable material, of less depth than the exterior shell, with
its corners adapted to closely fit the grooves or channels in the posts bis slipped
into the shell with its corners projecting into the grooves b'. Thin pieces of wood e
or a similar material are placed below the interior receptacle across the shell
between the grooves of the two adjacent posts and similar pieces e¹ are placed
above the receptacle cover so that when the cover c of the shell is placed in
position these pieces hold the receptacle and its cover tightly in place and with
the corner posts and receptacle divide the space in the shell into a number of
separated compartments above and below, f' on the sides, and fat the ends
into which may be placed any desirable kind of heat non-conducting material, as
bran, meal, hay, straw or a similar material or ice or any other convenient cooling
medium as desired.
The interior receptacle which may be made of or lined with, any desired material
to prevent the merchandise from becoming tainted by contact, or which will not
absorb matter from the merchandise, is preferably provided with a cover d¹ that
has a rabbeted edge so that it will close tightly and exclude all odor or air. This

page_text: receptacle is readily filled with the merchandise desired, and slipped into the shell
with its corners in the grooves of the corner posts, a packing material placed in
the surrounding compartments, and the cover placed in position on the shell and
held there by any suitable fastening which can be easily removed when desired so
that the merchandise, receptacle may be taken out and placed in a refrigerator
without disturbing the contents, or may be opened for inspecting or displaying the
contents without injury to the package or merchandise.
In order that a package of this class shall be practicable it must be cheap, light
and strong and with the construction shown a very light cheap exterior shell may
be used as it is strengthened at the corners by the posts having the grooves which
are firmly braced against any crushing or twisting strain by the inner receptacle
that fits closely between the posts with its corners in the grooves. This construction
also holds the merchandise receptacle in the centre of the shell without any chance
of its settling to one side, and divides the space in the shell into a number of
separated compartments into which the heat non-conducting material or cooling
medium may be packed, and from which it cannot shift during transportation, and
thus leave one side of the interior exposed.
The construction is simple and the lightness combined with strength, and the
facility with which it can be handled gives great efficiency to the package
particularly when it is used for the transportation of, or storing of butter or a
similar article which requires an even temperature, and which becomes quickly
tainted when exposed to the odors of foreign matter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion 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 :-
A package for merchandise consisting of two receptacles, an exterior-receptacle
with solid air-excluding walls interior corner posts extending from top to bottom
to which the walls are secured having their inner edges channelled and an interior
receptacle with solid air-excluding walls of less length width and depth than the
exterior receptacle of such size that its corners loosely fit the channels in the corner
posts and loose strips passing across above and below the inner receptacle between
the channels of the two adjacent posts whereby the inner receptacle when in place
is held from contact with but braces and strengthens the outer air-tight receptacle
substantially as specified.
Dated this 19th day of July 1892.
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Chartered Patent Agent.