Ship-display tray and packaging

Claim 2

A tray for shipping, storing and displaying a plurality of articles, comprising: a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of wells depending from said face portion, said wells having shapes and sizes adapted to snugly receive articles of different sizes; lower support columns extending from the bottoms of the wells, the lower columns being hollow and opening into the wells, the columns being tapered inwardly and downwardly and extending at least three-sixteenth inches below the bottom of the wall; hollow upper support columns extending upwardly from the face portion, the distance from the bottoms of the wells to the tops of the upper support columns being slightly larger than a corresponding dimension of the articles that they are adapted to receive, the upper support columns being hollow and opening into the space below the face portion and being tapered inwardly and upwardly; the bottoms of said support columns terminating in a second plane, the tops of the upper support columns terminating in a third plane, said second and third planes being parallel to said first plane.

Claim 3

A package adapted to contain a plurality of articles including a box and a tray within said box, said tray including: a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of wells depending from said face portion, said wells being cavity shaped and having at least two different sizes to closely receive individual articles of corresponding different sizes, said wells being open with respect to the top of said face portion to receive the article; a plurality of lower support columns extending from below the wells, the lower columns being hollow and opening into the well cavity at the bottom of its respective well, the lower columns extending at least three-sixteenth inches below the bottom of the well; hollow upper support columns extending above the face portion from said face portion, the distance from the bottom of a well to the top of the upper support column being slightly larger than a corresponding dimension of the article in that well, the upper support column being hollow, the hollow interior of the upper support column opening below the face portion; the bottoms of the lower support columns terminating in a second plane and resting upon a planar structure associated with said box, the tops of said upper support columns terminating in a third plane and supporting a second planar sTructure, said first and second planar structures being selected from the group consisting of dividers and horizontal structures associated with the box.

Claim 4

A package adapted to contain a plurality of articles including a box and a tray within said box, said tray including: a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of wells depending from said face portion, said wells being cavity shaped and having at least two different sizes to closely receive individual articles of corresponding different sizes, said wells being open with respect to the top of said face portion to receive the article; a plurality of lower support columns extending from below the wells, the lower columns being hollow and opening into the well cavity at the bottom of its respective well, the lower columns extending at least three-sixteenth inches below the bottom of the well; hollow upper support columns extending above the face portion from said face portion, the distance from the bottom of a well to the top of the upper support column being slightly larger than a corresponding dimension of the article in that well, the upper support column being hollow, the hollow interior of the upper support column opening below the face portion; the bottoms of the lower support columns terminating in a second plane and resting upon a planar structure associated with said box, the tops of said upper support columns terminating in a third plane and supporting a second planar sTructure, said first and second planar structures being selected from the group consisting of dividers and horizontal structures associated with the box.

Claim 5

A carton adapted to contain articles individually packed in a plurality of trays, the trays being separated from one another by a layer of cardboard, the trays including: a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of cavities depending from said face portion, said cavities being shaped and sized to closely receive individual articles adapted to be packed therein, some of the cavities in at least one of said trays differing in size from the remaining cavities therein to receive articles of correspondingly differing sizes, said cavities being open with respect to the top of said face portion; lower support columns extending from below said cavities, said lower columns being hollow and opening into the bottoms of the respective cavities, the lower columns extending at least three-sixteenth inches below said cavities and being tapered downwardly and inwardly and terminating in a second plane which is parallel to said first plane; hollow upper support columns extending above the face portion from said face portion to a third plane which is also parallel to the first plane, the distance from the bottom of the cavities to said third plane being slightly larger than the corresponding dimension of the articles to be packed therein, the upper support columns being hollow and opening below the face portion; the bottoms of the lower support columns resting upon a planar structure associated with said box, the tops of the upper support column supporting a second planar structure, said first and second structure being selected from the group consisting of dividers and horizontal structures associated with the box.

Claim 6

A carton adapted to contain articles individually packed in a plurality of trays, the trays being separated from one another by a layer of cardboard, the trays including: a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of cavities depending from said face portion, said cavities being shaped and sized to closely receive individual articles adapted to be packed therein, some of the cavities in at least one of said trays differing in size from the remaining cavities therein to receive articles of correspondingly differing sizes, said cavities being open with respect to the top of said face portion; lower support columns extending from below said cavities, said lower columns being hollow and opening into the bottoms of the respective cavities, the lower columns extending at least three-sixteenth inches below said cavities and being tapered downwardly and inwardly and terminating in a second plane which is parallel to said first plane; hollow upper support columns extending above the face portion from said face portion to a third plane which is also parallel to the first plane, the distance from the bottom of the cavities to said third plane being slightly larger than the corresponding dimension of the articles to be packed therein, the upper support columns being hollow and opening below the face portion; the bottoms of the lower support columns resting upon a planar structure associated with said box, the tops of the upper support column supporting a second planar structure, said first and second structure being selected from the group consisting of dividers and horizontal structures associated with the box.

Claim 7

The tray of claim 1 of unitary construction formed from a sheet of high impact polystyrene.

Claim 8

A tray for shipping, storing and displaying a plurality of articles comprising: a generally planar pluralpart face portion composed of integral parts at differing levels, a plurality of wells depending from said face portion, said wells having shapes and sizes adapted to snugly receive articles of different sizes, the smaller wells depending from a higher level part of said face portion; lower support columns extending from the bottoms of the wells, the lower columns being hollow and opening into the wells, the columns being tapered inwardly and downwardly and extending at least three-sixteenths inches below the bottom of the well; hollow upper support columns extending upwardly from the face portion, the distance from the bottoms of the wells to the tops of the upper support columns being slightly larger than a corresponding dimension of the articles that they are adapted to receive, the upper support columns being hollow and opening into the space below the face portion and being tapered inwardly and upwardly; the bottoms of said lower support columns terminating in a second plane, the tops of the upper support column terminating in a third plane, said second and third planes being parallel to said first plane.

Claim 9

A tray for shipping, storing and displaying a plurality of articles comprising: a generally planar pluralpart face portion composed of integral parts at differing levels, a plurality of wells depending from said face portion, said wells having shapes and sizes adapted to snugly receive articles of different sizes, the smaller wells depending from a higher level part of said face portion; lower support columns extending from the bottoms of the wells, the lower columns being hollow and opening into the wells, the columns being tapered inwardly and downwardly and extending at least three-sixteenths inches below the bottom of the well; hollow upper support columns extending upwardly from the face portion, the distance from the bottoms of the wells to the tops of the upper support columns being slightly larger than a corresponding dimension of the articles that they are adapted to receive, the upper support columns being hollow and opening into the space below the face portion and being tapered inwardly and upwardly; the bottoms of said lower support columns terminating in a second plane, the tops of the upper support column terminating in a third plane, said second and third planes being parallel to said first plane.

Claim 10

A carton adapted to contain articles individually packed in a plurality of trays, the trays being separated from one another by a layer of cardboard, the trays including; a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of cavities depending from said face portion, said cavities being shaped and sized to closely receive individual articles adapted to be packed therein and being open with respect to the top of said face portion; lower support columns extending from below said cavities, said lower columns being hollow and opening into the bottoms of the respective cavities, the lower columns extending at least three-sixteenth inches below said cavities and being tapered downwardly and inwardly and terminating in a second plane which is parallel to said first plane; hollow upper support columns extending above the face portion from said face portion to a third plane which is also parallEl to the first plane, the distance from the bottom of the cavities to said third plane being slightly larger than the corresponding dimension of the articles to be packed therein, the cavities of at least one other tray differing in size from the cavities of at least one other tray in said carton, the distance between the second and third planes being the same for each tray regardless of the size of the cavities therein, the upper support columns being hollow and opening below the face portion; the bottoms of the lower support columns resting upon a planar structure associated with said carton, the tops of the upper support column supporting a second planar structure, said first and second structure being selected from the group consisting of dividers and horizontal structures associated with the carton.

Claim 11

A carton adapted to contain articles individually packed in a plurality of trays, the trays being separated from one another by a layer of cardboard, the trays including; a face portion disposed about a first plane; a plurality of cavities depending from said face portion, said cavities being shaped and sized to closely receive individual articles adapted to be packed therein and being open with respect to the top of said face portion; lower support columns extending from below said cavities, said lower columns being hollow and opening into the bottoms of the respective cavities, the lower columns extending at least three-sixteenth inches below said cavities and being tapered downwardly and inwardly and terminating in a second plane which is parallel to said first plane; hollow upper support columns extending above the face portion from said face portion to a third plane which is also parallEl to the first plane, the distance from the bottom of the cavities to said third plane being slightly larger than the corresponding dimension of the articles to be packed therein, the cavities of at least one other tray differing in size from the cavities of at least one other tray in said carton, the distance between the second and third planes being the same for each tray regardless of the size of the cavities therein, the upper support columns being hollow and opening below the face portion; the bottoms of the lower support columns resting upon a planar structure associated with said carton, the tops of the upper support column supporting a second planar structure, said first and second structure being selected from the group consisting of dividers and horizontal structures associated with the carton.

Claim 12

Carton structure in accordance with claim 6, wherein the sizes and number of cavities in each tray provide in sum packing space for a predetermined volumetric measure of articles.

Claim 13

Carton structure in accordance with claim 7, wherein said predetermined volumetric measure is the same for all trays in the carton.

Claim 14

Carton structure in accordance with claim 7, wherein said predetermined volumetric measure is one-quarter bushel.