Crate for carrying glass panels

Abstract

A crate for carrying glass panels comprises a longitudinal body frame consisting of a base, opposite side panels and opposite end panels and including supports extending vertically from the base for holding glass panels in the longitudinal direction of the frame. The supports are pivotally mounted to move between a vertical position to receive and hold the glass panels and a horizontal position in which the supports lie over the base once the glass panels have been removed. The side panels are inwardly foldable to rest over the supports once in their horizontal position. The end panels each include an upper end section inwardly foldable to rest over the side panels when folded over the supports and a fixed lower end section which is constructed to contact the end panels of superposed and underposed similarly constructed crates thereby allowing such crates to be vertically stacked when the glass supports, side panels and upper end sections of the end panels are in their folded position.

1 . A crate for carrying glass panels comprising: 
 a longitudinal body frame consisting of a base, opposite side panels and opposite end panels; and    supports extending vertically from said base for holding glass panels in a longitudinal direction in said frame; said supports being pivotally mounted to move between a vertical position to receive and hold glass panels and a horizontal position wherein said supports rest over said base once said glass panels have been removed from said crate;    wherein said side panels are inwardly foldable to rest over said supports in said horizontal position; and    wherein said end panels each include an upper end section inwardly foldable to rest over said side panels when folded over said supports and a fixed lower end section adapted to contact end panels of superposed and underposed similarly constructed crates thereby allowing said crates to be vertically stacked when said supports, said side panels and said upper end sections are in a folded position.    
     
     
         2 . A crate as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each said side panel includes an upper panel section which extends horizontally parallel to said base to form a top cover for said crate.  
     
     
         3 . A crate as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each said side panel is formed of three panels sections hingedly connected to one another and being foldable in accordion-like manner.  
     
     
         4 . A crate as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each upper end section of said end panel includes a pair of corner posts and each lower end section of said end panel includes a pair of corner posts in respective vertical alignment, when in a vertical position, with said corner posts of said upper end section.  
     
     
         5 . A crate as defined in  claim 4 , wherein each said corner post of said upper end section of said end panels has an upper extremity adapted to support a lower extremity of a corner post of a fixed lower end section of a superposed stacked similarly constructed crate.  
     
     
         6 . A crate as defined in  claim 4 , wherein each said corner post of said fixed lower section of said end panel has an upper extremity adapted to support a lower extremity of a corner post of a fixed lower end section of a superposed similarly constructed crate when said supports, said side panels and said upper end sections of said end panels are in a folded position.  
     
     
         7 . A crate as defined in  claim 4 , further comprising a box-like structure having a top, opposite sides and opposite ends and including corner posts engageable with the upper extremities of corner posts of said upper section of said end panels to enable storage of glass panels of greater height than that of glass panels in said crate.  
     
     
         8 . A crate as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said supports consist of a pair of comb-like members spaced longitudinally along said base.  
     
     
         9 . A crate as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising means to prevent said upper end sections from accidentally folding.  
     
     
         10 . A crate as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said means consists of a flat bar fixedly mounted to said lower end sections and including a finger adapted to engage a ridge on said upper end section.