HDBK-252 – Wood Crate Design Manual - Wooden …

1 HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual HDBK- 252 wood crate design manual This handbook provides guidelines established by the Department of Agriculture for the creation of open wood shipping crates including styles which are panelboard sheathed to create a closed Crate . Handling hazards, storage conditions, material costs, recommended fasteners, general Design principles and testing methods are all presented. Keywords: Str es s , m at er ia l , c o nt a in er , f r am e, s tr ut , c r at e, m em ber, l o ad , wo od , n a il , l um ber , s k i d, s he a th e d, p l ywo o d, b as e , l a g, o p en , de s i g n, we ig h t, h a nd l i ng , s pec i es , pa n el , j o is t , as s em b l y, c o ns t r uc t io n, f l oor b oa rd , m ois t u re, s h i p pi n g, s c r e w, f as t en er , s i l l, t es t , d ia gr am , he a v y, br ac i ng , m il it ar y, h ea d er , s tor a ge , m eth od , f orm ul a, f ork l if t, bl oc k i ng , f abr ic a t i on , s tr a p p in g , s up por t, t e ns io n, do m es tic , l if t, c om pres s i on , d am age , s l i ng , s truc tu ra l , o ve r s e as , p r ot ec t i o n, tr a ns p or ta t i on , t im ber, we at h er, f l oor b o ard , e qu i pm ent , m ac hi ne , p ac k in g, gl u e, wat er pr o of , a nc ho ri ng.

2 S h oc k , c a lc u la t in g Published: 2/1/1964. T e xt i n b l u e b o x e s s u c h a s t h i s o n e i s i n s t r u c t i o n a l a n d i s i n t e n d e d t o a s s i s t y o u i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e d o c u m e n t . T e xt i n r e d b o x e s s u c h a s t h i s e x p l a i n s c h a n g e s m a d e t o t h e d o c u m e n t b y T h e W o o d e n C r a t e s O r g a n i z a t i o n . R e d t e x t h a s b e e n a d d e d t o t h e d o c u m e n t o r m o d i f i e s t h e d o c u m e n t s i n c e i t s f i n a l v e r s i o n wa s o f f i c i a l l y p u b l i s h e d . Sof t C onv e r sio n of I mpe r ia l t o M etr i c Conv e r si ons , w h en m ad e , c ons id e r mat e ri al s t hat ar e av ai la bl e in m et ri c or i mp er i al s iz e s ra the r th an co nv e rt i n g s iz es e x ac tl y. Fo r e xa mp le: Pa ne lbo a rd ( pl yw ood) i n th e U S i s t yp ic al l y 4 f e et X 8 f e et ( 1 22 0 x 2 4 40 m m) w hile pa ne lbo a rd in met ri c c ount ri e s is t y pic a ll y 12 0 0 X 2 4 00 m m.

3 Sin ce t h e st and a rd w a s dev e lop ed b as ed on r ea di l y av ai la bl e ma te ri al s the se v a ri at ion s in m at e r ia l s iz e s co uld n ot h av e b een p r act i c al l y con sid e r ed. Th i s d o c u m e n t h a s b e e n c o n ve r t e d t o a l l o w f o r b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d a n d e a s i e r n a vi g a t i o n b e t w e e n documents. Although this document may be retired by the original publisher, it may still be useful in understanding the subject matter. I f yo u i d e n t i f y a n y e r r o r s o r i n a c c u r a c i e s i n t h i s d o c u m e n t , p l e a s e c o n t a c t u s a t i n f o @ w o o d e n c r a t e s . o r g E f f o r t s h a ve b e e n t a k e n t o p r e s e r ve t h e c r e d i t s o f t h e o r i g i n a l w r i t e r ( s ) w h e n a va i l a b l e . U n d e r S e c t i o n 5 o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s C o p yr i g h t A c t a n d i n a c c o r d a n c e wi t h F A R 5 2.

4 2 2 7 - 1 4 t h e o r i g i n a l c o n t e n t s o f t h i s d o c u m e n t i s n o n c o p yr i g h t . Mo d i f i c a t i o n s t o t h i s d o c u m e n t a r e t h e p r o p e r t y o f Th e W oo d e n C r a t e s O r g a n i z a t i o n a n d t h i s ve r s i o n o f t h i s d o c u m e n t m a y n o t b e m o d i f i e d wi t h o u t wr i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n o f W o o d e n CR A TE S o r g , L L C . U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f D e f e n s e . U . S . G o ve r n m e n t W o r k ( 1 7 U S C 1 0 5 ) . F o r e i g n C o p yr i g h t s m a y a p p l y. C o p y r i g h t W o o d e n C R A TE S o r g , L L C , A l l R i g h t s R e s e r ve d . Ma y b e d i s t r i b u t e d f r e e l y b u t n o t m o d i f i e d . HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual WOOD Crate . Design Manual HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual AGRICULTURAL HA NDBOOK NO.

5 252 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE. W O O D CR AT E. Des i gn Ma n ua l B y L . O . A ND E R SO N , E ng i n eer , a nd T . B. H E E BI N K, En g in e er FO R E ST P RO DU CT S L A BO R AT O R Y. (M ai n ta i ne d a t M ad is o n, W is ., i n c oo p er at i on wit h t he U n i v ers it y of W is c ons i n). AG RI CU LT UR E H AN D BO O K NO . 2 52 FE B RU A R Y 19 6 4. FO R E ST S E R VI C E U. S. D E P A RT M ENT O F AG R IC U LT UR E. ACKNOWLEDGMENT. In preparing this publication, the authors have been privileged to draw on much of the research of the late C. A. Plaskett, the late T. A. Carlson, and H. J. Kueling, as well as a number of other members of the Forest Products Laboratory and various Defense Agencies. The number of these contributors is so great that individual acknowledgment is impractical. HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual Table of Contents 1.

6 INTRODUCTION .. 1. 2. FACTORS THAT AFFECT CR AT E D E SIG N .. 2. CONTENTS .. 2. DESTINATION AND METHOD OF T RA N SIT .. 2. HANDLING HAZARDS .. 2. STORAGE CONDITIONS .. 3. COSTS .. 3. 3. MATERIALS FOR CRATES .. 5. WOOD AND WOOD-BA S E M AT E RI A L S .. 5. Species .. 5. 3. 1. 2 Other Factors Affecting W ood S tr en g th .. 11. Working Stresses .. 12. Lumber Sizes .. 14. Plywood .. 14. Paper-Overlaid Veneer .. 16. FASTENINGS .. 17. Nails .. 17. Lag Screws .. 25. Bolts .. 27. Timber Connectors .. 28. Wood Screws .. 29. Adhesives .. 29. Steel Strapping .. 29. 4. DESIGNING CRATES .. 31. IMPORTANCE OF DIAGONALS .. 31. Design PRINCIPLES .. 31. Truss Diagram .. 34. Stress Diagram .. 34. Determining Size of Members .. 35. DESIGNING THE Crate B A S E .. 37. Skids .. 37. DESIGNING THE TOP .. 39. 5. SHEATHED CRATES .. 42. MILITARY TYPE SH E A T HED C R AT E S.

7 42. Base Construction .. 42. Side Construction .. 48. End Construction .. 50. Top Construction .. 52. Assembly .. 54. HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual LIMITED-MILITARY SH E AT H ED C RAT E S .. 57. Base .. 57. Sides .. 57. Ends .. 57. Top .. 57. Assembly .. 57. LIGHT-DUTY S H EAT H ED C R AT E S .. 58. Base .. 58. Sides, Ends, and Top .. 58. Assembly .. 61. 6. OPEN CRATES .. 63. MILITARY TYPE OPEN CRATES .. 63. Base .. 64. Sides and Ends .. 64. Tops .. 67. Assembly .. 67. LIMITED-MILITARY TYPE OPEN CRATES .. 67. Styles A and A-1 Open Crates .. 67. Style B Open Crates .. 67. Style C Open Crates .. 68. LIGHT-DUTY OPEN CR AT E S .. 74. Base .. 74. Sides .. 74. Ends .. 75. Tops .. 75. Assembly .. 75. 7. SKID ASSEMBLIES .. 84. SKID SIZES .. 84. Use of Formula .. 86. Use of Table .. 86. FLOORBOARD SIZES .. 91. DIAGONAL BRACING.

8 91. ASSEMBLY .. 91. 8. TESTING CRATES .. 92. SUPERIMPOSED-LOAD TESTS .. 92. 8. 1. 1 Top Load Tests For Joists a nd Fr am in g .. 93. HANDLING TESTS .. 94. Sling Handling .. 94. Grabhook Handling .. 96. Forklift Handling .. 96. HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual DROP AND IMPACT T E ST S .. 97. Edgewise-Drop Test .. 97. Cornerwise-Drop Test .. 98. Pendulum-Impact Test .. 98. 9. A P P EN DIX I . P AN E L M EM B E R S IZ E S .. 99. 10 . A P P EN DIX I I. D ET A IL S O F S HI P P ING .. 17 9. 11 . A P P EN DIX I II . G LO S S AR Y .. 18 5. HDBK-252 . W ood Crate Design Manual 1. INTRODUCTION. The packaging industry consumes 15 to 20. percent of each year's timber cut, in the form of lumber, plywood, veneer, container fiberboard, composite materials such as paper overlaid veneer, and papers of various types. Because of this continued heavy use of wood, the Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, has always devoted much research to packaging.

9 Much of this research has been conducted over the years in cooperation with the Air Force, the Army Corps of Engineers and Ordnance Corps, other agencies of the Defense Department, and several industrial firms. Of principal concern are the fundamental principles of Design and the relationships of of Crate Design criteria for virtually any type of various details in the construction of containers machine or other industrial product. These that are balanced in strength. Special testing criteria are based on the following machines and methods of testing have been considerations: developed. From this research, supplemented by 1. A Crate must be strong enough to protect its study and observation of shipping containers in contents from the hazards of shipping and service, has come much information of value to storage. packaging engineers.

10 2. The lumber and other materials used to build The growth of American industry has generated the Crate must be of suitable quality and great needs for containers of all kinds, from dimensions. colorful wraps for retail merchandise to 3. A Crate must be as light in weight as shipping workhorse containers for the worldwide shipment hazards and the inherent strength properties of machines and equipment of any size, shape, of the materials permit. and weight. Among these containers, the wood 4. It must require a minimum of shipping space. Crate is one of the most important used for With Design criteria based on these shipping and is perhaps the most adaptable to considerations, the effective engineering of the application of engineering principles in crates for specific purposes becomes Design . Crates are generally made of wood (or a possible.)