Shipping container for mirrors and the like

July 5, 1960

E. POESCHL ETAL

2,943,733

SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR MIRRORS AND THE LIKE

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July 5, 1960

E. POESCHL ETAL

2,943,733

SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR MIRRORS AND THE LIKE

Filed Oct. 9, 1959 ₂ Sheets-Sheet 2

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BY

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Arrowe w

2,943,733

Patented July 5, 1960

United States Patent Office

2,943,733

SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR MIRRORS AND THE LIKE

Ernest Poeschl and Annelore Poeschl, both of 1123 E. 63rd St., Cleveland, Ohio

Filed Oct. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 845,509

Claims. (Cl. 206—62)

This invention relates to a novel and improved shipping container for mirrors and other thin plates of fran· gible material.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient and rugged reusable container of the kind indicated is especially useful for use by furniture movers, and which enables the secure and cushioned handling and transportation of such as mirrors, so that danger of damage to mirrors is eliminated, along with the high existent rate of claims for such damage, and the moving industry is provided with safe and efficient means of packing and transporting mirrors, the use of which can be charged for as a special service to customers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and easily used container of the character indicated above which has therein padded screw actuated mirror edge clamping members which hold mirrors of different sizes securely and out of contact with Walls of the container, in conjunction with resilient separator plates to be put between adjacent mirrors, these plates being engaged and held in place by the clamping members.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container of the invention, with its cover in open position and parts broken away;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container, partly broken away, and in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3—3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4—4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 5—5 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated container comprises a strong and rigid flat rectangular and longitudinally elongated box form 10 comprising a bottom wall 12, and walls 14, a front wall 16, and a back wall 18, these walls having a common upper edge 20. A cover 22 is hinged on the back wall, at the upper edge thereof, as indicated at 24. The box 10 can be made of such as plywood or aluminum.

Horizontal transverse cleats 26 are suitably fixed to the inner sides of the end walls 14, on a level near to and spaced upwardly from the box bottom wall 12, to whose inward faces channel slideways 28 are suitably fixed, in which front and rear slide blocks 30 and 32, respectively, are engaged. Extending between the rear slide blocks 32 in a rear horizontal longitudinal bar 34 which has depending lugs 36 on its ends which are fixed to the rear slide blocks, as by means of studs 38, and vertical pressure or clamping plates 40, rise from and extend along the bars 34 at the inward edge thereof. The pressure plates 40 have free upper edges 42 which are on a level only slightly below the upper edge 20 of the box. The facing sides of the clamping plates 40 are 6 covered by relatively thick resilient and compressible pads 44 of such as foam rubber. A front pressure or clamping plate assembly 46, similar to the rear pressure plate assembly, is mounted on and between the front slide blocks 30.

Fixed to and depending from midlength points of the bars of the pressure plate assemblies, are ears 48 having threaded openings 49 therethrough, which have threaded thereto related oppositely screw threaded end portions 50 and 52, respectively, of a transverse horizontal clamping 16 screw 54.

The clamping screw 54 has a reduced rear end portion 56 which is journaled, as indicated at 58, in the box back wall 18 at a point spaced below the base 34, and a forward end portion 60 which is journaled in a bearing 20 62 secured to the inward side of the box front wall 16, the forward end portion 60 having a polygonal extension 64 which is exposed in an opening 65 provided therefor in the front wall 16. A removable hand crank 66 is provided to be engaged on the extension 64 for rotating the screw 54, in opposite directions, for moving the pressure plate assemblies toward and away from each other. False bottoms 68, secured to and extending inwardly from the box front and rear walls on a level immediately beneath the slideways, have free inward transverse edges 70 which are spaced from each other to provide clearance for the lugs 36.

Secured on the inward surfaces of and extending the lengths of the end walls 14 are relatively thick resilient and compressible liners 72 having exposed or inner sur³⁸ faces 74, and the ends 76 of the pressure plates run close to the surfaces 74.

In order to pack a number of mirrors 78 in the container, a relatively thick resilient and compressible bottom separator plate 80 is, of the approximate size of the mirrors, placed upon the false bottoms 68, and a bottom mirror rested upon the plate 80. Thinner resilient and compressible separator plates 82 are put between intermediate mirrors, above the bottom mirror, and a thicker ., resilient and compressible top separator plate 84 is placed upon the top mirror, with the end edges of the mirrors 78 engaged with the end wall liners 72. The screw 54 is then rotated, by means of the handle 66, in a direction to move the pressure plate assemblies toward each other, 0 until their pads 44 engage and are indented by the front and rear edges of the mirrors 78, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The approach of the pressure assemblies toward each other not only anchors the edges of the mirrors 78 in their pads 44, but puts the separator plates under horigg zontal compression so that they are squeezed vertically between the mirrors and the false bottoms 68, so that the mirrors are floated in the box 10 and cushioned against breakage, even should the box 10 be dropped on an unyielding surface. The mirrors can be freed to be re00 moved from the box 10 simply by rotating the screw 54 in a direction to move the clamping plate assemblies away from each other.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood 05 that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes within the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.