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US4220431A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for in field unitizing of containers

Assignee: Eagle Research and Development LLC
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Filing: 1977-09-14
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Granted: 1980-09-02
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Expires: 1997-09-14
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Abstract

Abstract A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, such as on pallets, includes elongated hinge bars extending parallel along opposite sides of a support platform, such as the load supporting platform of a cargo vehicle, with detachable first and second guide panels connected together at right angles to each other and hingedly connected to the guide bar for extending vertically from the support platform for guiding the stacking of cartons at the corners of a stack. The guide panels are open to reduce the wind resistance thereof and includes an elongated handle connected to the lower end of one of the panels a flexible tension member detachable connected at one end of the panel spaced upward from the hinge axis thereof and at the other end to the elongated handle spaced outward from the connection of the handle to the panel for assisting in tilting the guide assembly between a vertical guiding position and a horizontally extending nonguiding position.

Inventors

  • 👤 Eugene W. Place
  • 👤 David M. Williams

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 03:33
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G57/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/109

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 130 words
A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, wherein the improvement in said guide assembly comprises: a flat planar support member; an elongated hinge bar mounted on and extending horizontally and parallel to an edge of said support member; first and second vertically extending guide members connected together at a right angle to one another, one of said first and second members having means at a bottom edge thereof for pivotally and slideably mounting on said hinge bar for swinging the same about a horizontal axis into and out of vertical alignment relative to said support member and for movement to multiple positions along said support member for engaging and guiding a plurality of adjacent stacked tiers of cartons into alignment on said support member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 130 words
A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, wherein the improvement in said guide assembly comprises: a flat planar support member; an elongated hinge bar mounted on and extending horizontally and parallel to an edge of said support member; first and second vertically extending guide members connected together at a right angle to one another, one of said first and second members having means at a bottom edge thereof for pivotally and slideably mounting on said hinge bar for swinging the same about a horizontal axis into and out of vertical alignment relative to said support member and for movement to multiple positions along said support member for engaging and guiding a plurality of adjacent stacked tiers of cartons into alignment on said support member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
The guide assembly of claim 1, wherein said guide members comprise a pair of substantially rigid panels for aligning at least a plurality of tiers of cartons at one corner of a stack.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The guide assembly of claim 1, said support member is the cargo bed of a mobile vehicle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The guide assembly of claim 1, wherein said guide members are detachably mounted on said hinge bar for quick detachment from said bar.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 134 words
A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, wherein the improvement comprises: a support member; an elongated cylindrical hinge bar mounted on said support member by support brackets connected thereto by narrow support bars leaving at least 270° of the outer surface of said bar free of obstruction along the length thereof; and first and second vertically extending guide members connected together at a right angle to one another, one of said first and second members having means at a bottom edge thereof for pivotally and detachably mounting on said hinge bar for swinging together into and out of vertical alignment relative to said support member and for sliding movement to multiple positions along said hinge bar for engaging and guiding a plurality of adjacent stacked tiers of cartons.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 134 words
A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, wherein the improvement comprises: a support member; an elongated cylindrical hinge bar mounted on said support member by support brackets connected thereto by narrow support bars leaving at least 270° of the outer surface of said bar free of obstruction along the length thereof; and first and second vertically extending guide members connected together at a right angle to one another, one of said first and second members having means at a bottom edge thereof for pivotally and detachably mounting on said hinge bar for swinging together into and out of vertical alignment relative to said support member and for sliding movement to multiple positions along said hinge bar for engaging and guiding a plurality of adjacent stacked tiers of cartons.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
The guide assembly of claim 5, including a plurality of hinge members secured to said guide members and including a C-shaped hinge body slideably and rotatably embracing said hinge bar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
The guide assembly of claim 6, wherein said support member is the load supporting platform of a mobile cargo vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
The guide assembly of claim 7, wherein said platform includes a pair of said hinge bars extending along opposite parallel edges of said platform.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 41 words
The guide assembly of claim 8, wherein one of said panels extends in a plane parallel to said hinge bar, and the other of said panels extends in a plane at a right angle to the axis of said hinge bar.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 208 words
A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, comprising: a load supporting platform of a mobile cargo vehicle; a pair of elongated cylindrical members having hinge bars mounted on opposite parallel edges of said supporting platform by support brackets connected thereto by narrow support bars leaving at least 270° of the outer surface of said bar free of obstruction along the length thereof; and first and second vertically extending guide panels connected together at right angles to one another and pivotally and detachably mounted on said hinge bar for swinging together into and out of vertical alignment relative to said support member for engaging and guiding a plurality of adjacent tiers of cartons at a corner of a stack, one of said panels extending parallel to said hinge bar and including a plurality of hinge members secured to said guide members and including a C-shaped hinge body for slideably and rotatably embracing said hinge bar, said one of said panels is connected at its lowermost edge to said hinge members and the other of said panels includes latching means secured to its lowermost edge for cooperatively engaging cooperative latch means on said platform for retaining said panel members in a vertically oriented position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 208 words
A carton stacking guide assembly for guiding the stacking of cartons in tiers, comprising: a load supporting platform of a mobile cargo vehicle; a pair of elongated cylindrical members having hinge bars mounted on opposite parallel edges of said supporting platform by support brackets connected thereto by narrow support bars leaving at least 270° of the outer surface of said bar free of obstruction along the length thereof; and first and second vertically extending guide panels connected together at right angles to one another and pivotally and detachably mounted on said hinge bar for swinging together into and out of vertical alignment relative to said support member for engaging and guiding a plurality of adjacent tiers of cartons at a corner of a stack, one of said panels extending parallel to said hinge bar and including a plurality of hinge members secured to said guide members and including a C-shaped hinge body for slideably and rotatably embracing said hinge bar, said one of said panels is connected at its lowermost edge to said hinge members and the other of said panels includes latching means secured to its lowermost edge for cooperatively engaging cooperative latch means on said platform for retaining said panel members in a vertically oriented position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 33 words
The guide assembly of claim 10, including handle means extending outward from said one panel for assisting in pivoting said panels between a vertically oriented guiding position and a horizontally extending shifting position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 67 words
The guide assembly of claim 11, wherein said handle means comprises an elongated bar detachably secured at one end to said one panel at the lowermost edge thereof, and an elongated detachable tension member connected at one end to said elongated bar spaced from said one end and connected at the other end to said one panel at a point spaced upward from the lowermost edge thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 18 words
The guide assembly of claim 12, including tilt frame means for supporting said panels to said hinge bar.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
The guide assembly of claim 12, wherein said panels are open panels having a plurality of openings therethrough for permitting the free flow of air therethrough.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US2602554A Cited
US2844091A Cited
US2720323A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1983-09-02 1984-03-03 1984-09-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1987-09-02 1988-03-03 1988-09-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1991-09-02 1992-03-03 1992-09-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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