US621044A - Egg-case - Google Patents

Description

No. s2|,o44'. Patented Mar. '14, I899. A. DEERWESTER.

EGG CASE 2 Sheots$heei I.

(Application filed Apr.

(No Model.)

.Zhveniafi diva flee/Mariel" 62!,044. Patented. Mar. l4, I899. No A. DEERWESTER.

EGG CASE.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1598.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

fivenior all/a Jeerwqfler 15y Wifizesses: 2

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"m: Noam: PETER co PHOYOLITHUH WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA DEERWESTER OF CULVER, MISSOURI.

EGG-GAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l atent No. 621,644, dated March 14, 1899.

Application filed April 1 5 1 8 9 8.

T0 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA DEERWESTER, of Culver, Bates county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg- Oases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to egg-cases; and my object is to produce a case which is adapted when not filled with eggs to be folded within very small compass in order that a car may contain a much greater number of empty cases than filled ones, and consequently their shipment be facilitated and cheapened.

With this general object in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features'of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective View of the case when arranged to receive the fillers and eggs, the top or cover being de tached. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the case when collapsed or folded for shipment. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the case, and Fig. 4 a section taken on the line IV IV of Fig. 2. V

In the said drawings, where like numerals designate corresponding parts, a shallow rectangular box 1 forms the base or body portion of my improved egg-case. The same is preferably constructed of sheet metal, and the sides by preference project slightly higher than the ends, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1, and at the upper edges of both sides and ends are formed the eyes or sleeves 2. The eyes or sleeves of the sides and ends, respectively, carry the longitudinal hinge-rods 3 and the transverse hinge-rods 4, and said hinge-rods are preferably connected together at the corners of the case by means'of verti cal portions 5, and being thus formed integral serve to stiffen and strengthen the entire case, as will be readily understood. This rectangular base portion is of regulation eggcase'size, but in practice is only about an inch deep, more or less.

6 designates the sides or wings, which are provided at their lower edges with eyes or sleeves 7, pivotally engaging the sections 3 of Serial No. 677,649. (No model.)

the hinge-rod, and said sides occupy the same wardly-projectin g guide-sleeves 9, said guidesleeves being arranged at a suitable distance from their upper edges and in vertical alinement with the similar guide-sleeves 9, projecting inward from the sides of the base-section, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, to the endthat the board 10, which is adapted to divide the case into two square compartments, may be slipped vertically downward in and be held reliably by said guide-sleeves. This board also serves to prevent the sides or wings from swinging or collapsing inward under any pressure, and thereby prevents the eggs from breakage. One of said sides at a suitable 7 point either above or below its guide-sleeve 9 is providedwith a pair of openings 11 at opposite sides of the partition 10 in order to receive the legs of sleeves 9 of the opposite side when the case is folded down to its inoperative position, as indicated in Fig. 4. If these openings were not provided, the guide-sleeve 9 of said opposing side would prevent the latter from being folded flatly down upon the side beneath, as will be readily understood.

The sides or wings 6 near their opposite ends and asuitable distance from their upper edges are also provided with the staples 12, projecting outward. The function of these staples will hereinafter appear. The ends 13 of the case are provided with eyes or sleeves 14 at their lower edges, which are mounted pivotally upon the sections 4 of the hinge-rod and occupy the same vertical plane as the ends of the base-section, and the aggregate height of said ends 13 and the ends of the base-section is equal to that of the regulation case. The pivoted ends 13 at their side margins are provided with inwardly projecting arms or flanges 15, which fit snugly between the sides or wings 6, and the arms 8 of the latter also externally clasp said wings 13. By this construction and arrangement the corners of the case are reinforced or of double thickness, the angles of the ends fitting snugly in the angles of the sides. Consequently an exceedingly stiff, strong, and durable case is produced. When so arranged, the sides and ends are secured reliably in this position by means of the angle clips or clasps 16, which are of inverted-U shape in cross-section and embrace externally and internally the corners of the case. They arepositioned by simply slipping them down, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and are as easily removed. \Vhen the case is arranged'as described, it is ready to receive the customary fillers and the eggs.

17 designates the detachable lid or cover, provided with depending annular flange 18 to clasp the sides and ends of the case, and 19 and 20 designate lugs depending, respectively, from the ends and sides of the cover, the former being adapted to embrace externally the ends 13 of the case and the latter to be bent around under the staples 12, so as to constitute a hook connection therewith, as shown in Fig. 3. This prevents any possibility of the lid or cover becoming accidentally dislodged, but presents no difficulty in the way of removing the cover quickly and easily when a person attempts to disengage said hooks 20 from the staples 12 by bending the latter outward in an obvious manner.

To prepare the case for shipment in its empty state, the cover, clips, or clasps 16 and the partition 10 are removed, and said partition and clips are laid down in the bot-tom of the case. The ends 13 are then folded down into the base section. The side 6, provided with openings 11, is then folded down and inward to a horizontal position and is followed by the opposite side 6, the guide-sleeve 9 of the latter projecting downward through the openings 11 of the former, and the arms 8 of the latter externally clasp the corresponding parts of the former, as shown clearly in Fig.

4:. i The lid or cover is now slipped down upon the case as folded and the lugs 19 are bent inward, so as to clasp firmly the ends of the basesection, and the side lugs 20 are preferably hooked under the bottom of the case or the lugs 20 may be clasped around sections 3 of the hinge-rod, as preferred. By this arrangement it is obvious that there is no possible chance of accidental dislocation of the lid or cover and that the cases maybe more quickly and easily handled with less chance of injury or breakage than ordinary empty ones. It is also obvious that a great many of these cases can occupy the space of one case when open.- Consequently the transportation of the empty cases is facilitated and cheapened, as will be readily understood.

From the above description it will be ap= parent that I have produced a folding or collapsible egg case which embodies the features of advantage enumerated in the statement of invention and is extremely simple, strong and durable, and cheaper in the end than the old cases by reason of the diminished cost of transportation when empty.

It is to be understood, of course, that I reserve the right to make such changes in form, proportion, detail construction, or arrangement of the parts as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A collapsible or folding eggcase, comprising a base-section, ends hinged thereto,- sides also hinged thereto and provided externally with staples, angle-clips securing the sides and ends together in their vertical position, and a lid or cover provided with an an nular depending flange to externally embrace the sides and ends, and with lugs for engagement with said staples, substantially as described.

2. A collapsible or folding egg-case, comprising a base-section, ends hinged thereto and provided with inwardly-projecting arms or flan ges,sides also hinged thereto and adapted to externally embrace the arms or flanges of the ends, angle-clips fitting down over the overlapping corners of said sides and ends and securing them together, and a lid or cover for the case, substantially as described.

3. A collapsible or folding egg-case, comprising a base-section, ends hinged thereto, sides also hinged thereto and provided externally with staples and internally with guidesleeves; one of said sides being provided with two openings through which the legs of the guide-sleeve on the other side may project, a partition 10 fitting in said guide-sleeves, angle-clips securing the sides and ends together in their vertical position, and a lid or cover provided with an annular depending flange to externally embrace the sides and ends, and with legs for engagement with the staples of the sides, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVA DEERVVESTER.

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