Reinforced container for large objects

[54] REINFORCED CONTAINER FOR LARGE OBJECTS

[75] Inventor: Gary D. Lancaster, Lewisburg, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio

[21] Appl. No.: 684,707

[22] Filed: Apr. 12, 1991

[51] Int. C1.5 B65D 5/42

[52] U.S. CI 229/199; 206/335;

206/320; 220/651

[58] Field of Search 229/199, 23 C, 198.2;

220/400, 401, 651, 652, 653; 206/320, 335, 521;

217/65; 108/35; 312/265.4, 260

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

1,585,684 3/1926 Oppenheim .

2,013,346 9/1935 Gomes .

2,254,381 9/1941 Mueller 229/23 C

2,483,481 10/1949 Stetson 229/199

2,753,101 7/1956 Zimmerman .

2,804,253 8/1957 Brandt 229/23 C

3,162,351 12/1964 Rudofski .

3,648,920 3/1972 Stump 229/199

3,835,986 9/1974 Le Beau 217/65

4,171,741 10/1979 Fish 229/23 C

4,356,925 11/1982 Gerhard 220/401

4,360,287 11/1982 Larsson et al 217/65

4,832,256 5/1989 Grigsby 229/23 C

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

721103 ,12/1954 United Kingdom .

Primary Examiner—Stephen Marcus
Assistant Examiner—Christopher McDonald

[57] ABSTRACT

A reinforced container for use in packing and shipping a large object is disclosed. The container includes a framework and a covering fitted around the framework. The framework includes a bottom latticework for supporting the object to be packed, a top latticework disposed substantially parallel to the bottom latticework to define a space for the object between the latticeworks, and spaced parallel posts extending and interposed between the latticeworks to maintain the space for the object. Each of the post members has upper and lower end portions separably engaged respectively with the top and bottom latticeworks to maintain the post members erected in positions between the latticeworks. The latticeworks and the posts are not fixedly connected to each other. The covering, however, holds the latticeworks and the posts together in assembled condition.

19 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets