- 26 - 



These data indicate that the corrugated board was a definite asset in 

 preventing bruising against the sides. Surprisingly, the solid plywood side 

 did not show up quite as well as might be thought when compared with 1 by 

 6 boards with bullnosed edges. This difference might be due to experimental 

 error. 



The use of corrugated board liners over plywood had a definite advantage 

 in preventing bruising of bottom apples. Wide-spaced slats with corrugated 

 board over them did not show up as well. Two types of bullnosing were tried 

 on bottom boards spaced about 3/4-inch apart. One had a radius equal to half 

 the thickness of the board, the other had a radius equal to the full-thickness 

 of the board. The latter appeared to be definitely better. The effect of 

 bottom construction on bruising of apples was studied by determining the number 

 of bruises occurring per 100 apples touching different types of bottom structure 

 of 24-inch deep pallet boxes. The type of bottom construction, the number of 

 bruises, and the bruise index are given below: 



Bruises per 



Description of bottom construction 100 apples Index 1/ 



Plywood, corrugated board liner ....... 



Plywood ........ ... 



Wide-spaced slats, corrugated board liner . . 

 Spaced slats, bullnosed edges: 



1. Radius = 1/2 thickness of board 



2. Radius = thickness of board 



Solid floor, slats with eased edges ..... 



1/ 21.5 bruises = 100. 



Records showed that the diagonal corner post was apt to cause least 

 bruising. The next best corner was a 2 by 4 with a rounded exposed edge. 

 The use of 1 by 4's in the corners or a construction with no corner posts 

 inside the box rated third. 



PALLET BOX PERFORMANCE AND BREAKAGE 



The period of study to date, which consists only of a part of the 

 1957-58 season, is still too short to make any significant analysis of the 

 durability of any particularly designed pallet box. Records were kept of the 

 number of pallet boxes damaged and the causes of this damage at 8 commercial 

 apple storage and packinghouses located in Washington. Records were also 

 kept on the experimental boxes. These packinghouses have had no experience 

 with pallet boxes prior to this season, so the records reflect only the 

 damage to the pallet boxes during their first year of use. Failures may in- 

 crease as the pallet boxes get older and require additional repairs. Also, 

 since pallet boxes are a new development and there has been little experience 

 in construction or handling, a higher failure may have resulted than there 

 will be with more experience. 



Number 





9.8 



45 



20.3 



94 



22.3 



104 



27.1 



126 



21.4 



100 



25.0 



116 



