Combined reinforcing and support means for the corners of a collapsible container
AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.
InventorBenjamin A. Downing
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container comprises a horizontally disposed base having upstanding and contiguous side walls disposed thereon to define an open top compartment. A combined reinforcing and support member is attached to an upper end of each corner of the container, defined at the juncture of each adjacent pair of side walls, and has a horizontally disposed platform bridged between such pair of side walls.
Claims14
In a container of the type comprising a horizontally disposed base and upstanding, contiguous side walls positioned on said base to define an open top compartment therewith and a corner at the intersection of each pair of adjacent side walls, the improvement comprising a rigid combined reinforcing and support means attached to an upper end of each of said corners, said means comprising a horizontally disposed platform portion bridged between a respective pair of said side walls to collectively provide a substantial support with the other of said platform portions for additional containers stacked thereon, a locating flange formed on an inboard edge of said platform portion to extend vertically downwardly therefrom, a stacking flange formed on outboard edges of said platform portion to extend vertically upwardly therefrom and clamping flanges formed on the outboard edges of said platform portion to extend downwardly in at least general vertical alignment with said stacking flange and straddling respective side walls of said container along with said locating flange.
A rigid reinforcement and support bracket adapted for attachment to an upper end of a corner of a container comprising a flat triangularly shaped platform portion defining an inboard edge and a pair of outboard edges each intersecting with said inboard edge and with each other at an apex of said support portion, a locating flange extending downwardly from the inboard edge of said platform portion and extending at least substantially the full length thereof, a stacking flange extending upwardly from the outboard edges of said platform portion and at least one clamping flange formed out of said platform portion and extending downwardly from an outboard edge thereof in at least general alignment with said stacking flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.