US 5,161,709 AGranted

Hinged collapsible container

AssigneeWorld Container Corporation

InventorGerald F. Oestreich, Jr.

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Abstract

A hinged collapsible container having a rigid construction including a base and upstanding hinged sides connected to a base having a generally flat supporting surface with a plurality of legs with mortises arranged to extend downward from the planar base support surface to receive and secure tenons attached to upstanding hinged sides. The plurality of legs are spaced about the periphery of the base and are adapted to be easily supported by a forklift. Upstanding hinged sides with tenons inserted into mortise elements of the unit are held in substantially erect position with the edges of the upstanding sides having a lap joint corner construction. Two of the sides are provided with latches at the edges to lock the upstanding sides together. The upstanding sides are hinged above the tenons to permit the hinged sides to be folded on the base. An access gate in at least one side is hinged and latched to the side and is locked in place by a boss and cavity lock.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A collapsible container which comprises:

A. A base having a generally planar support surface;
B. A plurality of legs mounted about the periphery of said support surface and extending from said surface downwardly and perpendicular to said support surface;
C. Said legs having mortises extending into said legs and from the periphery of said support surface and perpendicular to said support surface;
D. A first pair of sides having tenons extending from a bottom edge of each of said first pair of sides and for engaging the mortises in said legs to form a mortise joint to position each of said pairs of first sides in an upright position perpendicular to said support surface on opposite sides of said base and each of said sides having upright edges perpendicular to said support surface;
E. Each of said first pair of sides having a hinged joint extending between said upright edges and parallel to said bottom edge of said first side to divide each of said first pairs of sides into an upper portion and a lower portion;
F. A second pair of sides having tenons extending from a bottom edge of each of said second pairs of sides and for engaging the mortises in said legs to form a mortise joint to position each of said pairs of second side in an upright position perpendicular to said support surface on opposite sides of said base having upright edges in edge to edge contact with the upright edges of said first sides;
G. Each of said second pair of sides having a hinged joint extending between said upright edges of said second sides and parallel to said bottom edge of said second sides to divide each of said second pair of sides into an upper portion and a lower portion;
H. Said upright edges of said first and second sides forming a lap joint connection;
and
I. Lock means interconnecting said first and second pairs of sides at the edge to edge contact of upright edges on adjoining first and second sides.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.