Pallet case

Claim 2

A fiberboard container made from a blank of sheet material, which container comprises a rectangular bottom panel and a pair of flanking rectangular end panels, said two rectangular end panels being each hinged along the bottom edge thereof to an end edge of said bottom panel, two flanking side panels being each hinged at the bottom edge thereof to one of the side edges of said bottom panel, a pair of cover panels hinged respectively to upper edges of said end panels, four rectangular flaps hinged respectively to side edges of said end panels, each of said rectangular flaps containing means dividing said flap into vertical column members, said column members of each rectangular flap being doubled back on each other to lie at least partially in surface-to-surface contact and form a double thickness column, and a pair of corner flaps flanking each of said cover panels and being hinged thereto along the side edges of said cover panels, said columns being disposed adjacent the inner surface of said respective side panels and the inner surface of said corner flaps.

Claim 3

A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein the sum of the height of one of said side panels and the height of one of said corner flaps is slightly less than the height of said column members to provide a slight gap between the bottom edge of said corner flap and the upper edge of said side panel.

Claim 4

A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rectangular flaps are each divided into a pair of vertical column members of substantially equal width.

Claim 5

A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vertical column members are secured adhesively in surface-to-surface contact with each other over a major portion of the adjacent surface area.

Claim 6

A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein the width of said cover panels and said corner flaps is at least about equal to the width of said column.

Claim 7

A container according to claim 1 wherein serration means are provided along the sides of said top panels to permit the top panels to be torn from said corner flaps.

Claim 8

A container in accordance with claim 1 which is made from double-faced corrugated fiberboard in which the flutes of the corrugating medium extend vertically in said column-defining members.

Claim 9

A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lines along which said rectangular flaps are hinged to said end panels are offset inwardly from the lines along which said side panels are hinged to said bottom panel.

Claim 10

A substantially rectangular blank of fiberboard sheet material being suitably cut and scored to define a rectangular bottom panel and a pair of flanking rectangular end panels, said bottom panel being defined at the side edges thereof by a pair of score lines extending longitudinally of the blank and being defined at the end edges thereof by first and second transverse score lines extending between said pair of longitudinal scoRe lines, said first and second transverse score lines respectively each defining one end edge of said bottom panel and the bottom edge of one of said two rectangular end panels, cover panels hingedly attached to upper edges of each of said end panels, respectively, along third and fourth transverse score lines which are parallel to and spaced from said first and second transverse score lines, said blank being cut inward from each of its longitudinal marginal edges in general alignment with said four transverse score lines to define two side panels integral with and hinged to the side edges of said bottom panel and to define four rectangular flaps hinged respectively to said end panels and to also define a pair of corner flaps flanking each of said cover panels which are hinged thereto along score lines substantially aligned with said pair of longitudinal score lines, said rectangular flaps being hinged to said end panels along score lines offset slightly inward from said longitudinal score lines and parallel thereto, and each of said rectangular flaps having means parallel with its hinge attachment dividing said flap into vertical column members whereby said column members of each rectangular flap may be doubled back on each other to at least partially lie in surface-to-surface contact and form a double thickness column, whereby when said blank is erected into a container with said columns disposed at about 90* to said end panels, said columns lie adjacent the interior surfaces of said side panels and said corner flaps.

Claim 11

A substantially rectangular blank of fiberboard sheet material being suitably cut and scored to define a rectangular bottom panel and a pair of flanking rectangular end panels, said bottom panel being defined at the side edges thereof by a pair of score lines extending longitudinally of the blank and being defined at the end edges thereof by first and second transverse score lines extending between said pair of longitudinal scoRe lines, said first and second transverse score lines respectively each defining one end edge of said bottom panel and the bottom edge of one of said two rectangular end panels, cover panels hingedly attached to upper edges of each of said end panels, respectively, along third and fourth transverse score lines which are parallel to and spaced from said first and second transverse score lines, said blank being cut inward from each of its longitudinal marginal edges in general alignment with said four transverse score lines to define two side panels integral with and hinged to the side edges of said bottom panel and to define four rectangular flaps hinged respectively to said end panels and to also define a pair of corner flaps flanking each of said cover panels which are hinged thereto along score lines substantially aligned with said pair of longitudinal score lines, said rectangular flaps being hinged to said end panels along score lines offset slightly inward from said longitudinal score lines and parallel thereto, and each of said rectangular flaps having means parallel with its hinge attachment dividing said flap into vertical column members whereby said column members of each rectangular flap may be doubled back on each other to at least partially lie in surface-to-surface contact and form a double thickness column, whereby when said blank is erected into a container with said columns disposed at about 90* to said end panels, said columns lie adjacent the interior surfaces of said side panels and said corner flaps.

Claim 12

A blank in accordance with claim 9 made of double-faced corrugated fiberboard wherein the flutes of said corrugating medium run longitudinally of said blank.

Claim 13

A blank in accordance with claim 9 wherein the sum of the height of one of said side panels and the height of one of said corner flaps is slightly less than the height of said column members.

Claim 14

A blank according to claim 9 wherein said column-forming portions of each rectangular flap are adhesively secured in surface-to-surface contact with each other over a major portion of the adjacent surface area thereof.

Claim 15

A blank according to claim 9 wherein serration means is provided along the side edges of said cover panels to permit said cover panels to be torn from said corner flaps.