Shellfish growout tray

Claim 1

A device for sustaining the growth of shellfish such as oysters and the like comprising a tray molded of plastic material including a bottom wall of generally rectangular configuration having four integrally interconnected side walls formed integrally with the periphery of said bottom wall and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, compatible upwardly and downwardly facing tray supporting surface means formed respectively along the upper end portions of said side walls and along the juncture between said side walls and said bottom wall operable when said tray is arranged in an operative vertically stacked relation with a plurality of like trays to support the trays in said stacked relation with the upwardly and downwardly facing tray supporting surface means of adjacent trays of the stack disposed in interengaged supporting relation, compatible upper and lower stacking means adjacent said upwardly and downwardly facing tray supporting surface means respectively operable when said tray is disposed in said operative stacked relation with a plurality of like trays to positively prevent relative horizontal movement between adjacent trays of the stack, the interior surfaces of the walls of said tray when disposed in said operative stacked relation with a plurality of like trays defining the bottom portion of an operative space for containing shellfish the top portion of which is defined by the exterior surface of the bottom wall of the like tray in the stack immediately thereabove with the interengaged tray supporting surface means and stacking means providing a peripheral enclosure between said top and bottom portions, said bottom wall having perforations formed therein constituting a percentage of the operative interior area thereof within a range of from 10 to 55 so as to permit relatively free flow of water therethrough during vertical movements of the tray while secured in said operative stacked relation into and out of an operative position within a body of water the largest dimension of the perforations in said bottom wall measured in any direction being of the order of 3/4 inch so as to support immature shellfish within said operative space, said side walls having a height such that the vertical dimension of said operative space is at least approximately 1 inch but not more than approximately 4 inches so as to accommodate growth of immature shellfish supported within said operative space to a mature size while permitting an efficient number of trays within a given stack height, said side walls each having perforations formed therein constituting a percentage of the operative interior area thereof within a range of from 10 to 55 percent to permit a flow of water therethrough when disposed in said operative position sufficient to nourish immature shellfish supported in said operative space, the largest dimension of the perforations in said side walls measured in any direction being of the order of 3/8 inch so as to exclude from said operative space predatory water life such as relatively mature oyster drills or the like.

Claim 2

A device for sustaining the growth of shellfish such as oysters and the like comprising a tray molded of plastic material including a bottom wall of generally rectangular configuration having four integrally interconnected side walls formed integrally with the periphery of said bottom wall and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, compatible upwardly and downwardly facing tray supporting surface means formed respectively along the upper end portions of said side walls and along the juncture between said side walls and said bottom wall operable when said tray is arranged in an operative vertically stacked relation with a plurality of like trays to support the trays in said stacked relation with the upwardly and downwardly facing tray supporting surface means of adjacent trays of the stack disposed in interengaged supporting relation, compatible upper and lower stacking means adjacent said upwardly and downwardly facing tray supporting surface means respectively operable when said tray is disposed in said operative stacked relation with a plurality of like trays to positively prevent relative horizontal movement between adjacent trays of the stack, the interior surfaces of the walls of said tray when disposed in said operative stacked relation with a plurality of like trays defining the bottom portion of an operative space for containing shellfish the top portion of which is defined by the exterior surface of the bottom wall of the like tray in the stack immediately thereabove with the interengaged tray supporting surface means and stacking means providing a peripheral enclosure between said top and bottom portions, said bottom wall having perforations formed therein constituting a percentage of the operative interior area thereof within a range of from 10 to 55 so as to permit relatively free flow of water therethrough during vertical movements of the tray while secured in said operative stacked relation into and out of an operative position within a body of water the largest dimension of the perforations in said bottom wall measured in any direction being of the order of 3/4 inch so as to support immature shellfish within said operative space, said side walls having a height such that the vertical dimension of said operative space is at least approximately 1 inch but not more than approximately 4 inches so as to accommodate growth of immature shellfish supported within said operative space to a mature size while permitting an efficient number of trays within a given stack height, said side walls each having perforations formed therein constituting a percentage of the operative interior area thereof within a range of from 10 to 55 percent to permit a flow of water therethrough when disposed in said operative position sufficient to nourish immature shellfish supported in said operative space, the largest dimension of the perforations in said side walls measured in any direction being of the order of 3/8 inch so as to exclude from said operative space predatory water life such as relatively mature oyster drills or the like.