Container stacking and covering devices

Claim 1

A CONTAINER STACKING AND COVERING DEVICE COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE CONSTRUCTION FORMED ENTIRELY OF AN INTEGRALLY MOLDED SIGLE MASS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT IS RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE AND STRETCHABLE; SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A SHEET-LIKE DISK-SHAPED COVER, A CONTINUOUS DEPENDING SKIRTLIKE ANNUALR RIM CARRIED BY SAID COVER AND SURROUNDING THE CIRCUMFERENCE THEREOF, A CONTINUOUS UPSTANDING ANNULAR RIB CARRIED BY THE TOP OF SAID COVER AND POSITIONED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID RIM AND DIVIDING THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID COVER INTO AN OUTER ANNULAR AREA SURROUNDING SAID RIB AND AN INNER DISK-SHAPED AREA SURROUNDED BY SAID RIB, AND A CONTINUOUS ANNULAR BEAD-STRUCTURE CARRIED BY SAID RIM AND SURROUNDING THE INTERIOR LOWER PORTION THEREOF AND POSITIONED BELOW THE JUNCTION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR CIRUCMFERENTIAL SURFACE OF SAID COVER AND THE INTERIOR UPPER ANNULAR SURFACE OF SAID RIM AND ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID RIM AND PROJECTING RADIALLY INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE INTERIOR UPPER ANNULAR SURFACE OF SAID RIM; SAID DEVICE BEING ADAPTED TO BE ARRANGED IN INTERPOSED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO TWO SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL CYLINDRICAL SEALED SHEET-METAL CONTAINERS DISPOSED IN VERTICALLY STACKED RELATION, WHEREIN SAID DEVICE IS CARRIED BY THE TOP OF THE LOWER SUCH CONTAINER WITH SAID RIM STRETCHES OVER THE TOP ANNULAR BEAD PROVIDED ON THE LOWER CONTAINER AND WETH SAID ANNULAR BEAD-STRUCTURE POSITONED BELOW THE TOP ANNULAR BEAD ON THE LOWER CONTAINER AND WITH SAID COVER SPACED ABOVE THE TOP END WALL OF THE LOWER CONTAINER AND BELOW THE BOTTOM END WALL OF THE UPPER SUCH CONTAINER AND WITH THE TOP PORTION OF THE TOP ANNULAR BEAD ON THE LOWER CONTAINER ENGAGING THE INTERIOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE OF SAID COVER AND WITH THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE BOTTOM ANNULAR BEAD PROVIDED ON THE TOP CONTAINER ENGAGING THE OUTER ANNULAR AREA OF THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID COVER IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE TOP PORTION OF THE TOP ANNULAR BEAD ON THE LOWER CONTAINER AND WITH SAID RIB PROJECTING UPWARDLY TOWARD THE BOTTOM END WALL OF THE UPPER CONTAINER SO THAT IT IS SURROUNDED BY THE BOTTOM ANNULAR BEAD ON THE UPPER CONTAINER IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL LATERAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE UPPER CONTAINER FROM THE LOWER CONTAINER IN THE STACK: SAID DEVICE ALSO BEING ADAPTED TO BE ARRANGED AS A TOP COVER UPON EITHER ONE OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS AFTER OPENING THEREOF BY THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE TOP END WALL THEREOF, WHEREIN SAID DEVICE IS CARRIED BY THE TOP OF THE ONE SUCH CONTAINER WITH SAID RIM STRETCHED OVER THE TOP ANNULAR BEAD ON THE ONE CONTAINER AND WITH SAID COVER CLOSING THE OPEN TOP OF THE ONE CONTAINER AND WITH SAID ANNULAR BEAD-STRUCUTURE POSITIONED BELOW THE TOP ANNULAR BEAD ON THE ONE CONTAINER; SAID RIM ALSO INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS ANNULAR INTERIOR WEDGING SURFACE SURROUNDING THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND SLOPING UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY THEREFROM AND JOINING SAID BEAD-STRUCTURE AND SERVING TO EFFECT READY STRETCHING OF SAID BEAD-STRUCTURE OVER THE COOPERATING TOP BEAD PROVIDED ON AN ASSOCAITED CONTAINER WHEN SAID DEVICE IS PRESSED TOWARD THE COOPERATING TOP BEAD ON THE ASSOCIATED CONTAINER.