Nest and stack containers

Claim 2

A nesting and stacking container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two sidewalls along opposite side edges of and projecting upwardly from said bottom wall, each sidewall having a rail providing a seat spaced above said bottom wall, each sidewall also having a panel hinged to and depending from said rail provided with a foot, the seats of said container being adapted to support the feet of an upper container of identical construction in stacked relation thereon in one position of the panels of the upper container, the panels of said container being swingable inwardly to a different position such that the feet thereof clear the seats of a lower container of identical construction when lowered with respect thereto into a nested relation therewith, said bottom wall having means providing panel stops, and said panels having hooks engageable with said panel stops to limit outward swinging of said panels to substantially upright positions for stacking.

Claim 3

The container defined in claim 1, including spring means urging said panels to their substantially upright positions for stacking.

Claim 4

The container defined in claim 2, wherein releasable means are provided to prevent inward swinging of said panels from their substantially upright positions.

Claim 5

The container defined in claim 3, wherein said releasable means comprise stops on said bottom wall and tabs on said panels, said tabs being manually movable to positions clearing said last-mentioned stops.

Claim 6

The container defined in claim 2, wherein said seats are in the form of elongated upstanding ridges extending parallel to one another, said feet are in the form of elongated grooves adapted to receive the ridges of a lower container of identical construction, said grooves having end stops engageable with the ends of the ridges of a lower container stacked therewith to locate the two stacked containers one substantially directly above the other.

Claim 7

The container defined in claim 2, said container having two additional sidewalls along the remaining opposite side edges of said bottom wall.

Claim 8

The container defined in claim 2, said container having an additional sidewall along one only of the two remaining side edges of said bottom wall, the side of said container along the other of the said two remaining side edges of said bottom wall being open.

Claim 9

A nesting and stacking container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two sidewalls along opposite side edges of and projecting upwardly from said bottom wall, each sidewall having a member which provides a seat and which is fixed with respect to and spaced above said bottom wall, each sidewall also having a panel hinged to and depending from said member and provided with a foot, each panel being swingable inwardly from a substantially vertical position for stacking to an inclined position for nesting, the seats of said conTainer being adapted to support the feet of an upper container of identical construction in stacked relation thereon in the substantially vertical position of the panels of the upper container, the feet of said panels of said container, when said panels are swung inwardly to their inclined positions, clearing the seats of a lower container of identical construction when said container is lowered with respect thereto into a nested relation therewith.

Claim 10

A nesting and stacking container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, two sidewalls along opposite side edges of and projecting upwardly from said bottom wall, each sidewall having a member which provides a seat and which is fixed with respect to and spaced above said bottom wall, each sidewall also having a panel hinged to and depending from said member and provided with a foot, each panel being swingable inwardly from a substantially vertical position for stacking to an inclined position for nesting, the seats of said conTainer being adapted to support the feet of an upper container of identical construction in stacked relation thereon in the substantially vertical position of the panels of the upper container, the feet of said panels of said container, when said panels are swung inwardly to their inclined positions, clearing the seats of a lower container of identical construction when said container is lowered with respect thereto into a nested relation therewith.

Claim 11

The container defined in claim 8, including means providing panel stops fixed with respect to said bottom wall, said panels have abutment means engageable with said stops to limit outward swinging of said panels to their substantially vertical positions.

Claim 12

The container defined in claim 8, including spring means urging said panels to their substantially vertical positions.

Claim 13

The container defined in claim 8, including releasable means for preventing inward swinging of said panels from their substantially vertical positions.

Claim 14

The container defined in claim 8, wherein said seats are in the form of elongated, upstanding, parallel ridges, and said feet are in the form of elongated, downwardly opening, parallel grooves.