Collapsible pallet box

Abstract

A collapsible pallet box having four sidewalls each in lapped relationship with the ends of the adjacent sidewalls when the box is erected. The sidewalls have aligned horizontal cleats, and the cleats have aligned channels carrying an endless strap running around the periphery of the box. The strap is slidable in the channel, and the cleats, are designed so that the strap is tight both when the box is erected and when it is collapsed. .Iadd.

I claim: 
     
       1. A collapsible pallet box comprising: four side walls each in lapped relationship with the ends of the adjacent side walls when said box is erected; a set of four aligned horizontal cleats secured to the exterior of said side walls, each pair of said cleats being aligned in abutting end-to-end relationship when said box is collapsed, and each of said cleats extending the width of the side wall to which it is attached and beyond one end thereof a distance equal to the thickness of the adjacent side wall, and said cleats having aligned longitudinal channels; and an endless strap slidably located in said channels and passing around the periphery of said box, said strap fitting tightly around said box when said box is in erected and collapsed positions. 
     
     
       2. The pallet box as defined in claim 1 wherein said box includes a first and second set of cleats, said first set positioned adjacent to the top of said side walls and said second set positioned adjacent to the bottom of said side walls. 
     
     
       3. A collapsible pallet box comprising: four side walls each in lapped relationship with the ends of the adjacent side walls when said box is erected; a set of four aligned horizontal cleats secured to the exterior of said side walls, said cleats extending the width of said side walls and over the ends of said lapped adjacent side walls, the length of each cleat being equal to the internal horizontal dimension of said box along the side wall to which said cleat is attached plus twice the thickness of said side walls and said cleats having aligned longitudinal channels; and an endless strap slidably located in said channels and passing around the periphery of said box, said strap fitting tightly around said box when said box is in erected and collapsed positions. 
     
     
       4. The pallet box as defined in claim 3 wherein one of each adjacent pair of inside vertical edges of said side wall is rounded to facilitate overlapping when said box is set up. 
     
     
       5. The pallet box as defined in claim 3 wherein said strap is retained in said channels by overlying staples. 
     
     
       6. The pallet box as defined in claim 3 wherein the ends of said cleats are inwardly beveled. 
     
     
       7. A collapsible pallet box comprising: four side walls, each side wall overlapping the end of one adjacent side wall and overlapped by the end of the other adjacent side wall when said box is erected; a first and second set of four aligned horizontal cleats secured to the exterior of said side walls, said first set positioned adjacent to the top of said side walls and said second set positioned adjacent to the bottom of said side walls, each pair of cleats in each of said sets being aligned in abutting end-to-end relationship when said box is collapsed, said cleats each extending the width of the side wall to which it is attached and beyond one end thereof a distance equal to the thickness of the adjacent side wall, and said cleats having aligned longitudinal channels; and an endless strap for each set of cleats, said strap slidably located in said channels and passing around the periphery of said box, said strap fitting tightly in said channels when said box is in erected and collapsed positions. 
     
     
       8. A collapsible pallet box comprising: four side walls, each side wall overlapping the end of one adjacent side wall and overlapped by the end of the other adjacent side wall when said box is erected; a first and a second set of four aligned horizontal cleats secured to the exterior of said side walls, said first set positioned adjacent to the top of said side walls and said second set positioned adjacent to the bottom of said side walls, said cleats each extending the width of said side walls and over the ends of said lapped adjacent side walls, the length of each cleat being equal to the internal horizontal dimension of the box along the side wall to which it is attached plus twice the thickness of said side walls, and said cleats having aligned longitudinal channels; and an endless strap for each set of cleats, said strap slidably located in said channels and passing around the periphery of said box, said strap fitting tightly in said channels when said box is in erected and collapsed positions. 
     
     
       9. The pallet box as defined in claim 8 wherein one of each adjacent pair of inside vertical edges of said side walls is rounded to facilitate overlapping when said box is set up. 
     
     
       10. The pallet box as defined in claim 9 wherein said strap is retained in said channels by overlying staples. 
     
     
       11. The pallet box as defined in claim 9 wherein the ends of said cleats are inwardly beveled. .Iadd. 12. A collapsible pallet container comprising four side walls each formed of vertically extending slots, said side walls having inner and outer faces and first and second opposed vertical edges; the vertical edges of the adjacent side walls being in lapped relationship when the container is in the erected position with said first vertical edge of each side wall in end abutting relation with the inner face of an adjacent side wall adjacent the second vertical edge of said adjacent side wall, two sets of four aligned horizontal cleats secured to the outer faces of said side walls said cleats each having a length which is equal to the length of the side wall to which it is secured plus the approximate thickness of the side wall slats, one of said sets being positioned adjacent the top of said side wall and the other of said sets being positioned adjacent the bottom of said side walls with the end of one of the two adjacent cleats at each corner of said container being aligned with the adjacent second vertical edge of the side wall to which said cleat is attached and with the end of the other adjacent cleat at said corner extending beyond the first vertical edge of the side wall to which said cleat is attached a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said slats, whereby, when the container is in the erected position, the second edge of one of the two adjacent slats at each corner overlaps the first edge of the other adjacent slat with its inner face engaged with the first vertical edge of said adjacent slat and the adjacent ends of the cleats in each of said sets are contiguous but non-overlapping and, when the container is collapsed, alternate pairs of adjacent cleat ends in each of said sets come into end abutting relationship, a pair of endless flexible metal straps, each extending around said container parallel to and overlying one of said sets of cleats, the circumference of said straps being such that said straps fit substantially tightly around said container in both the erected and collapsed positions, said cleats including means for laterally retaining said straps on the cleats while permitting longitudinal movement thereof as the container is moved between the erected and collapsed positions. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. A container as defined in claim 12 wherein said cleats are butt-ended and wherein said slats have a thickness not exceeding approximately 0.4 times the thickness of said cleats. .Iaddend.