Improved Construction of Folding or Collapsable Crates for use in Transporting China, Crockery, and various other Goods.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of Folding or Collapsable Crates for use in
Transporting China, Crockery, and various other Goods.
I, CHARLES RICHARD CLARK, Winton Works, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs,
Merchant, 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 :-
t
This my invention has reference to the construction of crates of any suitable.
shape and size for use in transporting china, earthenware and various other goods,
and the object of my said invention is to make such crates or cases so that they
can be readily erected for use, and folded or collapsed for storage, or for trans-
mission from place to place when not in use.
To carry my said invention into practice I make such crates somewhat cubiform
or rectangular in shape, each side of such crates I make with a suitably shaped
top and bottom wooden rails, which rails are connected or joined by any suitable
uumber of wooden staves, each end stave of each side I prefer to make, stronger
than the intermediate staves, and the sides of such crates I connect to wooden
bottom side rails of suitable shape and size by means of two or more suitable
metallic bands, which permit the sides of such crates to be folded or laid down
upon the ends of the crate, which ends have been first folded or laid down upon
the staved bottom of the crate, the said bottom side rails I rigidly connect by.
means of suitably shaped transverse wooden rails or sleepers, and the bottom part
of each end of such crates I connect to such transverse rails by two or more
suitably shaped metallic hinges.
On or near to the ends of each top side rail I loosely fit a suitably shaped iron
or other metallic ring, having a projecting part or finger, with a hole of suitable shape
and size formed through the said finger near to its outer end, with which fingered
metallic rings and suitable metallic bolts and nuts or their equivalent, I rigidly
connect the upper ends of such crates to their sides when erected or set up ready
for use.
The rails, staves and battens of such crates being made of or from ash, birch,
hazel or other suitable wood or woods.
In order that my said invention may be more readily understood and explained
in detail have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings on which letters of
reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the figures alike.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a collapsable or folding crate made according to
my invention, and erected ready for use.
Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation, reduced in size of Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of Figure 3 shewing the crate folded or collapsed.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged side, end and plan views respectively of a
portion of each end of the top side rails of the crate shewn in the above figures,
and of the fingered-metallic rings I fit on, or near to the ends of each top side rail,
for use in combination with bolts and nuts or their equivalent for securely
connecting the sides and ends of such crates when erected or set up ready
for use.
Figure 8 is an enlarged elevation of the lower portion of the ends of such crates
as illustrated in the foregoing figures.

page_text: Figures 9, 10 and 11 are enlarged end, front and plan views respectively of the
metallic hinges I prefer to use in connecting the lower portion of the wooden ends
of such crates to the wooden transverse rails or sleepers which unite the lower
portion of each side of such crates.
The above figures are not drawn to any particular scale; but are given to
illustrate the method of carrying my said invention into practice.
In these figures the top and bottom wooden side rails a, a, b and of such
crates as illustrated are connected by any suitable number of square wooden
staves c at suitable distances apart, each end stave c², c³, c* and c* of such crates I
prefer to make stronger than the intermediate staves, the staves c being turned or
otherwise made parallel, or slightly tapering for a suitable distance from each of
their ends, and fixed into the said top and bottom rails so that two corners of each
stave are transverse to the said top and bottom rails, and to strengthen the sides of
such crates I fix the ends of two or more metallic rods or tubes d into the top
and bottom rails of each side of such crates by means of metallic bolts, nuts,
rivets or the like, and the staves in the bottom side of such crates I have shewn
square in cross section, and fixed diagonally, in manner similar to those in the
sides of the crate; but I would have it understood that such staves may be
circular, triangular, rectangular or other suitable cross-section fixed at any
suitable distance apart, and the stared bottom of the crate herein illustrated I
have shewn strengthened by two longitudinal wooden bars d fixed at their ends by
nails, rivets, screws or other suitable means to wooden transverse bars or rails e,
which transverse bars connect the bottom wooden side rails f, f, the said rails
I connect to the lower rails a³, 6 of the side of each crate by two or more
suitably shaped metallic bands or loops g, which bands permit the sides of such
crates to be folded inwardly or collapsed, and I strengthen the connection of the
transverse bars e with the bottom side rails f, f at their ends by hoop iron or other
suitable metallic bands h.
When erected or set up ready for use the top side rails a and b are connected to
the battened or framework ends ', ' of such crates by the fingered metallic rings i,
and bolts and nuts or their equivalent, the bottom part of each of the ends h³, h³ of
such crates I connect to the transverse rails e, e by two or more suitably shaped
metallic hinges j, the lower parts of which hinges are passed. through suitable
slots or apertures formed in the transverse bars e and bent or forced back and
screwed, nailed or otherwise secured to the under side of the said bars e.
In folding such crates the pins or bolts which bind the metallic fingered
rings to the upper part of each of the ends *, * of such crates are first with-
drawn, and the ends h³, h folded down upon the bottom of the crate, then either
side is folded or laid upon the ends, and then the other side upon the side first laid
down.
If necessary a cord, rope, string or other suitable means may be used to tie such
folded crates together when collapsed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The construction of collapsable or folding wooden crates of any suitable shape
and size, each side of such crates having top and bottom side rails connected by
wooden bars or staves square in cross section, the said sides being connected to
suitably shaped wooden side rails by two or more metallic bands or loops, the said
side rails being united by suitably shaped transverse wooden bars, the ends of such
crates being connected at their lower portion to the said transverse wooden bars by
suitably shaped metallic hinges, and when erected or set up ready for use the ends
of such crates are rigidly retained in position by means of bolts and nuts and
suitably shaped fingered metallic rings fitted on to, or near to each end of each top
side rail of such crates, in the manner and for the purpose as herein substantially
described set forth and fully illustrated on the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: 2. The construction of collapsable or folding wooden crates of any suitable shape
and size, the sides of such crates having top and bottom side rails of suitable size
connected by wooden bars or staves circular, triangular, rectangular or other
suitable transverse section, the said sides being connected to suitably shaped wooden
side rails by two or more metallic bands or loops, the said side rails being united by
suitably shaped transverse wooden bars, the ends of such crates being connected at
their lower portion to the said transverse wooden bars by suitably shaped metallic
hinges, and when erected or set up ready for use the ends of such crates are rigidly
retained in position by means of bolts and nuts and suitably shaped fingered metallic
rings fitted on to, or near to each end of each top side rail of such crates in the
manner and for the purpose as herein substantially described and set forth.
Dated this 17th daw of Naramber 1802
JOHN NEWTON,
Longport, Staffs, Agent for Applicant.
JOHN NEWTON,
Longport, Staffs, Agent for Applicant.