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US 11,873,134 B2Granted
Knock-down crate for durable goods
AssigneeUFP Industries, Inc.
InventorJohn M. Grigsby, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A knock-down container readily assembled from a pallet, side support members, and a top frame pivotably changeable from a symmetric first configuration square for capping the container to a second collapsed configuration for component shipping, for containing durable goods for storage and shipping. The top frame has corner supports pivotally connected to a pair of opposing end members and connected to a pair of opposing side members, being movable from the first configuration for capping the knock-down container and the second configuration pivoted for collapsing the opposing side members together for shipping as a component.
Claims34
A knock-down container for durable goods containment, comprising:
- a pallet for supporting a durable good;
- a plurality of vertical posts, each for extending in a first direction from the pallet to a distal extent;
- and
- a top frame for capping the knock-down container by seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts, said top frame comprising:
- a plurality of corner supports for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts;
- a pair of opposing end members, each end member pivotally connected at opposing ends to two opposing ones of the plurality of the corner supports;
- a pair of opposing side members, each side member connected at opposing ends to a respective one of the corner supports of a first and a second one of the pair of opposing end members,
- whereby the top frame movable from a first configuration squared for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts for capping the knock-down container and a second configuration pivoted for collapsing the opposing side members together for shipping as a component;
- and
- a transverse support member pivotally connected at a first end to one of the pair of the opposing side members and movable to an extended position for connecting to other of the pair of the opposing side members with the top frame in the first configuration.
7 more elements
A knock-down container for durable goods, comprising:
- a pallet for supporting a durable good, the pallet having a pair of end assemblies interconnected by a pair of outside runners and a pair of inner runners;
- each of the end assemblies comprising:
- a pair of opposing U-shaped stacking receivers;
- a pair of opposing corner receivers, each attached to a respective stacking receiver and extending in the first direction;
- a first transverse member connected at distal ends to the opposing corner receivers;
- a second transverse member vertically spaced from the first transverse member and connected at distal ends to the opposing stacking receivers,
- whereby the pair of outside runners connect to a respective corner receiver and the pair of inner runners connect to the first transverse member;
- a plurality of vertical posts, each for extending from a respective one of the corner receivers in a first direction to a distal extent;
- and
- a top frame for capping the knock-down container by seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts, said top frame comprising:
- a plurality of corner supports for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts;
- a pair of opposing end members, each end member pivotally connected at opposing ends to two opposing ones of the plurality of the corner supports;
- and
- a pair of opposing side members, each side member connected at opposing ends to a respective one of the corner supports of a first and a second one of the pair of opposing end members,
- whereby the top frame movable from a first configuration squared for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts for capping the knock-down container and a second configuration pivoted for collapsing the opposing side members together for shipping as a component.
12 more elements
A knock-down container for durable goods containment, comprising:
- a pallet for supporting a durable good comprising:
- a pair of supports disposed spaced-apart and interconnected by a plurality of transverse members extending between opposing interior sides of the pair of supports,
- wherein each support comprises:
- a pair of opposing elongated runners disposed in spaced-apart relation;
- a plurality of transverse braces spaced-apart and connected at respective distal ends to the opposing elongated runners;
- and
- a pair of legs spaced-apart and connected at respective distal ends to the opposing elongated runners with a distal extent outwardly of the elongated runners for contacting a support surface;
- a pair of opposing end assemblies each comprising:
- a pair of opposing stacking receivers open in a first direction;
- a pair of opposing corner receivers, each attached to a respective stacking receiver and extending in a second direction opposing the first direction;
- a first transverse member connected at distal ends to the opposing corner receivers and defining a pair of spaced-apart openings,
- whereby for each support a first of the opposing elongated runners attaches to a respective corner receiver and a second of the opposing elongated runners attaches to a respective first transverse member, the ends of the second of the pair of runners each define an opening;
- a respective fastener of a plurality of fasteners for extending through a respective one of the openings in the first transverse member and a respective opening in the end of the second of the pair of runners for attaching together;
- and
- a second transverse member vertically spaced from the first transverse member and connected at distal ends to the opposing stacking receivers;
- and
- a plurality of vertical posts, each for extending in a first direction from the pallet to a distal extent;
- and
- a top frame for capping the knock-down container by seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts, said top frame comprising:
- a plurality of corner supports for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts;
- a pair of opposing end members, each end member pivotally connected at opposing ends to two opposing ones of the plurality of the corner supports;
- and
- a pair of opposing side members, each side member connected at opposing ends to a respective one of the corner supports of a first and a second one of the pair of opposing end members,
- whereby the top frame movable from a first configuration squared for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts for capping the knock-down container and a second configuration pivoted for collapsing the opposing side members together for shipping as a component.
21 more elements
A knock-down container for durable goods containment, comprising:
- a pallet for supporting a durable good comprising:
- a pair of supports disposed spaced-apart and interconnected by a plurality of transverse members extending between opposing interior sides of the pair of supports,
- wherein each support comprises:
- a pair of opposing elongated runners disposed in spaced-apart relation;
- a plurality of transverse braces spaced-apart and connected at respective distal ends to the opposing elongated runners;
- and
- a pair of legs spaced-apart and connected at respective distal ends to the opposing elongated runners with a distal extent outwardly of the elongated runners for contacting a support surface;
- a pair of opposing end assemblies each comprising:
- a pair of opposing stacking receivers open in a second direction opposing the first direction;
- a pair of opposing corner receivers, each attached to a respective stacking receiver and extending in the first direction;
- a first transverse member connected at distal ends to the opposing corner receivers,
- whereby for each support a first of the opposing elongated runners attaches to the corner receivers and a second of the opposing elongated runners attaches to the first transverse members;
- a plurality of connectors each attached to a respective corner receiver for connecting to the distal end of the respective first of the opposing elongated runners;
- and
- a second transverse member vertically spaced from the first transverse member and connected at distal ends to the opposing stacking receivers;
- a plurality of vertical posts, each for extending in a first direction from the pallet to a distal extent;
- and
- a top frame for capping the knock-down container by seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts, said top frame comprising:
- a plurality of corner supports for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts;
- a pair of opposing end members, each end member pivotally connected at opposing ends to two opposing ones of the plurality of the corner supports;
- and
- a pair of opposing side members, each side member connected at opposing ends to a respective one of the corner supports of a first and a second one of the pair of opposing end members,
- whereby the top frame movable from a first configuration squared for seating on the distal extents of the plurality of vertical posts for capping the knock-down container and a second configuration pivoted for collapsing the opposing side members together for shipping as a component.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.