or improved Mode and Means of and Appliances for Packing and Conveying or Holding Eggs.
Year: 1885

page_text: NOW or improved Mode and Means of and Appliances for
Packing and Conveying or Holding Eggs.
I, WILLIAM MIDDLETON, of 61 Wallace Street, in the town and county of
Stirling, Provision Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF AND APPLIANCES FOR PACKING AND
CONVEYING OR HOLDING EGGS," to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to more simple, cheap, and efficient mode and means
or appliances for packing and conveying eggs than has heretofore been in use.
The improvements consist in the construction and use of a rectangular box,
preferably of wood and not larger than one or two men or women could lift easily,
but in any case, of such a size that it would be divided off by partitions into smaller
rectangular chambers, which chambers would hold square or rectangular open trays
divided off into squares of a size equal to the depth and width of the largest eggs
desired to be packed in them, each tray containing a certain number of dozens, as
say square with six holes each way, which would hold three dozen in each tray, so
that no counting of the eggs would be required. These trays would be inade of
strips of thin pasteboard or millboard, of the depth of the eggs, and all half checked
to near the thickness of the boards; and when the whole were put together, that
is, seven strips each way to form the six rows of square chambers for receiving the
three dozen eggs, with the small end of each strip which bound the strips forming
the squares projecting a little beyond the outer rows of recesses. These projecting
ends would just fit the divided-off chambers in the box, and being soft and elastic
would not require further packing. These trays would thus be made with their
recesses open at top and bottom, and they would be built or superimposed over
cach other in the chamber of the strong transporting box with sheet of millboard
between them as each tray was filled with eggs. This method of packing gives
the greatest amount of elasticity of the strips of light millboard from the sides of
the squares containing the eggs, so that the sides accommodate themselves to the
different sizes of eggs; and the person packing the eggs can feel at once by the
tightness where to drop in a larger or smaller egg to prevent crushing, the eggs by
their own weight slipping into the proper tightness to be securely packed by the
mere elasticity of the sides of the recesses. A square sheet of millboard is laid in
the botton below the first tray which is then filled in its place in the box, then
another sheet of millboard is laid on the top of this tray to form the bottom of the
J

page_text: second tray which is filled in like manner, and so on till each chamber of the box
is filled with trays of packed eggs, when a sheet of the millboard is placed on the
top, the box being made to the proper height to suit the number of trays it is
intended to contain; I find five a suitable number, (but a few more might be
added without much risk of breakage), which would hold 15 dozen eggs securely
packed in one chamber of the box, thus giving 30 dozen in a box about 12 inches
square by 26 inches long which one person could lift with good handles on the box.
The lid would be made portable to lift off, with bars at each end projecting down
outside the top ends of the box resting on a corresponding bar secured on the ends
of the box to strengthen the top ends and prevent the lid from being knocked or
bruised. The bars on lid would also afford a convenient means of fixing it at one
end by dowel pins in the box or bar entering holes in the other; while at the
other end of the lid, one or two simple swivelling or oscillating' snecks could be
concealed in a hole or recess in the bar of the lid and enter a check in the side of
the box, which would conveniently and securely fix the lid without lock or hinges,
which would give trouble and annoyance at both ends of the journey; and the
ends or levers of these swivelling snecks, when formed in the top, could be covered
up by a swivelling name plate when desired.

page_text: Packing and Conveying or Holding Eggs.
I, WILLIAM MIDDLETON, of 61 Wallace Street, in the town and county of
Stirling, Provision Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being
had to the several figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the
reference letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My invention has reference to a more simple, cheap, and efficient mode and
means or appliances for packing and conveying eggs than has heretofore been
in use.
Figures 1 and 2, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, are respectively a
sectional elevation and a plan, (the former taken on the line 1-1 in the latter,
which shows the lid A3 or top removed), of a box A, and its fittings, for packing,
transporting, or conveying eggs, all in accordance with my said invention. Figure 3
is an isometrical plan of one of the light divided packing trays, C, forming each
course of, and as detached from the general views Figures 1 and 2.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2-My improvements consist in the construction
and use of a rectangular box A, preferably formed of strong dovetailed wood, and
of such a size that one or two men or women could easily lift; but, in any case,
the size of the box would be such that it would be divided off by partitions as A¹
into smaller rectangular chambers B. These chambers B (two of which are shown
in the box A) would be made so as to hold square or rectangular open cellular
trays C, (as shown detached in Figure 3) divided off into squares C¹ of a width
and depth equal to the thickness and length of the largest eggs to be packed in
each square, so that the eggs rest on end in the trays. Each tray C may be made
square with six holes cach way, and would thus contain three dozen of eggs; or it
may be made rectangular with eight rows of six holes, which would contain four
dozen. By this method the necessity of counting the eggs is entirely dispensed
with.
The trays C would be made of strips c of thin pasteboard or millboard of the
depth of the eggs E, and all half checked into each other to near the thickness of
the boards, to make them very light when the whole is put together, as seen
particularly on the left hand in Figure 1, and in the detached strip c of the trays C
in Figure 4. Seven strips c run each way across one another to form six rows of
square chambers C each way, for containing three dozen of eggs. The short ends c'
of each strip c, which bind the strips forming the squares, project a little beyond
the outer rows of recesses. These projecting ends c¹ would just fit the divided-off*
chambers A¹ A1 and A2, As, in the box A would act as a packing to the trays and
would be quite sufficient for keeping them steady. The trays C would be thus
made with their recesses C¹ open at top and bottom. Each tray would be built or
superimposed on one another in the chambers B of the box A, with a sheet b of
strong millboard between them; this millboard sheet being placed over each tray
when filled with eggs to form a cover for it and a bottom for the next tray placed

page_text: above it. This method of packing eggs gives the greatest amount of elasticity of
the pasteboard strips c forming the sides of the cells C¹, which thus accommodate
themselves to the different sizes of eggs; and the person packing can feel at once
by the tightness where to drop in a larger or smaller egg to prevent crushing
The eggs by their own weight slip into the proper tightness to be securely packed
by the mere elasticity of the sides c of the recesses. A square sheet of millboard b
is laid in the bottom of each chamber B of the box; upon this sheet the first tray
is then laid in its place in the box and filled with eggs as stated; over this first
tray is then placed a similar sheet of millboard which forms a cover for it and a
bottom for the second tray, which is now placed in its position and filled in like
manner, and so on till the chamber B is filled with trays of packed eggs, when a
sheet b of millboard is placed over the upper tray of eggs. The height of the box A
would be determined by the number of trays it is intended to contain. I find five
trays a suitable number (being that shown in the Drawing); but a few more
trays might be added without increasing the risk of breakage. Five trays in each
chamber B would hold 15 dozen eggs securely packed, so that 30 dozen could be
packed in a box not much larger than 12 inches square by 26 inches long, and
which one person could conveniently lift by handles on it. The lid A would be
made so as to be lifted off and on freely, and with strong bars a at each end (or at
the sides as well), projecting down close to the outside top ends of the box and
resting on corresponding bars a secured on the ends of the box to strengthen its
top ends and prevent the lid from being knocked or bruised. The bars a on the
lid would also afford a convenient means of fixing it at one end by dowel pins a², a²,
projecting from the box, in the bar a entering holes in the other; while at the
other end of the lid one (or two) simple swivelling or oscillating snecks a³ could be
concealed in a recess a¹ in the bar a of the lid A³ and enter a check at as in the
side of the box, which would conveniently and securely fix the lid without a lock
or hinges which might give trouble or annoyance at both ends of the journey. The
ends or levers a³ of these swivelling snecks, when formed in the top, could be
covered up by a swivelling name plate to conceal them when desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The construction of a box divided into compartments and provided with
internal fittings for the packing and transporting of eggs, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a box for packing and transporting eggs, the superimposing of
cellular trays for packing or containing and securing the eggs, with intermediate
sheets of millboard below and above each tray, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 16th day of November 1885