Solid Wood Products 2645 



CRATES 



A wood crate is a structural framework of members sometimes sheathed 

 together to form a rigid enclosure, which will protect the contents during ship- 

 ping and storage. A crate differs from a nailed wooden box, in that the frame- 

 work of members in sides and ends provides the basic strength (fig. 22-42), 

 whereas a box relies for its strength solely on the boards of the sides, top, and 

 bottom. 



Most crates manufactured in the United States are made of softwoods. It 

 might seem, since crate components are typically short, that most of the pine-site 

 hardwoods could be used more intensively. To make such usage viable, howev- 

 er, a system is needed for producing crate parts cheaply and promptly on order. 

 Custom crate manufacturers typically prefer the long lengths obtainable in 

 spruce, Douglas-fir, southern pine, and other commercial softwoods because 

 these long lengths give them flexibility to instantly produce crate parts in a great 

 variety of sizes. 



Readers interested in crate design are referred to Anderson and Heebink's 

 (1964) 131-page manual which describes and illustrates design of wood crates 

 by engineering principles. The authors pay particular attention to construction of 

 crate bases, tops, sides, and ends. Materials and other factors that affect crate 

 design are discussed, as well as test methods, and loading and shipping 

 procedures. 



BOXES 



Factories for manufacture of wood boxes (fig. 22-43) were, before World 

 War II, a familiar feature in most communities, whether agricultural-rural or 

 industrialized-urban. The success of corrugated containers caused the demise of 

 many — perhaps most — of these enterprises. For some products, however, the 

 wood box remains a viable competitor. 



Readers interested in the design and construction of wood boxes are referred 

 to the following publications: 



Subject Citation 



Nailed and lock-comer wood boxes USD A Forest Service, Forest 



Products Laboratory (1958) 



Nailing better wood boxes and crates Anderson ( 1 959) 



Wood containers and pallets, references '^ 



Preservative moisture-repellent treatment Verrall (1959) 



Preservative treatments for protecting 



wood boxes Verrall and Scheffer (1969) 



Wood beverage cases that cause little 



damage to bottle caps Anderson and Miller (1973) 



Assessment of common carrier 



shipping environment Ostrem and Godshall (1979) 



Odor and taste imparted to food by wood boxes. — In earlier days, it was 

 common to pack butter in wood boxes, principally of yellow-poplar. Butter may 



