Patent US3722735A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3722735A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Stackable and nestable container
Assignee: Buckhorn Material Handling Group Inc
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Filing: 1971-01-22
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Granted: 1973-03-27
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Expires: 1991-01-22
Abstract
Abstract A stackable and nestable container of molded construction including a generally horizontally extending rigid peripheral structure having a plurality of sides defining an open top area of fixed dimensions, a plurality of side walls fixed at their upper end portions with respective sides of the peripheral structure and a bottom structure connected with the lower end portions of the side walls between a stacking position wherein the side walls extend vertically downwardly from the peripheral structure so that a plurality of like containers can be stacked one on top of the other during transportation when filled and a nesting position wherein the side walls extend downwardly and inwardly from the peripheral structure so that a plurality of like containers can be nested one within the other during storage and transportation when empty. The bottom, side and top structures of the container when in the stacking position define a containing space of generally rectangular configuration in plan bounded by two parallel ends and two parallel sides of a length approximately twice the length of the ends, the upper and lowe surfaces on the container having three sets of upper and lower stacking elements permitting the container to be mounted in vertically stacked relation with a container disposed thereabove or therebelow in any of the following formations: (1) with the sides and ends thereof in vertical alignment with the sides and ends of the other container, irrespective of end-to-end orientation and adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged or, (2) ) with either half of said container vertically aligned with either half of a vertically adjacent container and the other half of said container extending horizontally outwardly from said vertically adjacent container beyond either end thereof or either half of either side thereof and with the adjacent upper and lower stakcing elements interengaged.
Inventors
- 👤 R Herolzer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 11:40
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D21/00; B65D21/02; B65D21/06; B65D21/068
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
279 words
A stackable and nestable container comprising a generally horizontally extending rigid peripheral structure having a plurality of sides defining an open top area of fixed dimensions, a plurality of side walls, each having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, each of said side walls being connected at its upper end portion with an associated side of said peripheral structure for movement between a stacking position wherein said side wall extends generally vertically downwardly from the associated side of said peripheral structure and a nesting position wherein said side wall extends generally downwardly and inwardly from the associated side of said peripheral structure, a bottom structure having portions movable relative to each other between a stacking position wherein said portions extend in a generally horizontal plane within an area generally equal to said open top area and a nesting position wherein the horizontal extent of said bottom structure portions is within an area having corresponding dimensions less than the fixed dimensions of said open top area, said bottom structure being connected with the lower edge portions of said side walls for simultaneous movement of said side walls and said bottom structure between said stacking and nesting positions, stacking means for stabilizing a plurality of like containers in vertically stacked formation with the side walls of each container and the bottom structures interconnected with the lower edge portions thereof disposed in their stacking positions, and complementary vertically spaced nesting stop surface means for preventing wedged interengagement of a plurality of like containers in nested formation with the side walls of each container and the bottom structure interconnected with the lower end portions thereof disposed in their nesting positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
279 words
A stackable and nestable container comprising a generally horizontally extending rigid peripheral structure having a plurality of sides defining an open top area of fixed dimensions, a plurality of side walls, each having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, each of said side walls being connected at its upper end portion with an associated side of said peripheral structure for movement between a stacking position wherein said side wall extends generally vertically downwardly from the associated side of said peripheral structure and a nesting position wherein said side wall extends generally downwardly and inwardly from the associated side of said peripheral structure, a bottom structure having portions movable relative to each other between a stacking position wherein said portions extend in a generally horizontal plane within an area generally equal to said open top area and a nesting position wherein the horizontal extent of said bottom structure portions is within an area having corresponding dimensions less than the fixed dimensions of said open top area, said bottom structure being connected with the lower edge portions of said side walls for simultaneous movement of said side walls and said bottom structure between said stacking and nesting positions, stacking means for stabilizing a plurality of like containers in vertically stacked formation with the side walls of each container and the bottom structures interconnected with the lower edge portions thereof disposed in their stacking positions, and complementary vertically spaced nesting stop surface means for preventing wedged interengagement of a plurality of like containers in nested formation with the side walls of each container and the bottom structure interconnected with the lower end portions thereof disposed in their nesting positions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said side walls is rigidly connected at its upper end portion with the associated side of said peripheral structure for resiliently biased movement toward said nesting position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said side walls is of apertured and ribbed thin wall construction having free side edges which extend generally downwardly and inwardly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
250 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom structure includes a marginal portion rigidly connected with the lower end portion of each side wall and extending inwardly therefrom, each of said marginal portions having an inner side edge structure, a generally horizontally extending rigid central portion having a plurality of outer side edge structures corresponding in number to the number of sides of said peripheral structure and defining an area of lesser dimensions than the fixed dimensions of said open top area, a plurality of rigid connecting portions corresponding in number to the number of side walls, each of said connecting portions having inner and outer side edge structures, and means hingedly interconnecting each of said connecting portions to an associated marginal portion and to said central portion operable to position each of said connecting portions (1) in generally horizontally inwardly extending relation when said bottom structure is disposed in said stacking position with the outer side edge structure thereof abutting the inner side edge structure of the associated marginal portion and the outer side edge structure thereof abutting an associated outer side edge structure of said central portion and (2) in inwardly and upwardly extending relation when said boTtom structure is disposed in said nesting position with the outer side edge structure thereof spaced from the inner side edge structure of the associated marginal portion and the outer side edge structure thereof spaced from the associated outer side edge structure of said central portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 4 wherein said container is molded of plastic material in a one-piece integral construction with said side walls and said bottom structure disposed substantially in said nesting position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 5 wherein said plastic material is polypropylene.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 1 wherein said stacking means includes stacking projections extending upwardly from said peripheral structure and stacking recesses complementary to said stacking projections formed within the periphery of said bottom structure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
304 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 1 wherein said peripheral structure includes a first pair of sides disposed parallel with respect to each other and a second pair of sides disposed parallel with respect to each other and having a length generally twice the length of said first pair of sides, said stacking means including a first set of stacking projections extending upwardly from said first pair of sides between the ends thereof, a second set of stacking projections complementary to said first set extending upwardly from said second pair of sides at positions within one half the length thereof corresponding with the positions of said first set of stacking projections on said first pair of sides, a third set of stacking projections complementary to said first set extending upwardly from said second pair of sides at positions within the opposite half of the lengths thereof corresponding with the positions of said first set of stacking projections on said first pair of sides, and a plurality of complementary recesses formed in the periphery of said bottom structure at positions corresponding to all of said stacking projections so as to permit said container to be mounted in vertically stacked relation to a like container disposed thereabove or therebelow in any one of the following vertically stacked formations: (1) with the sides and ends thereof in vertical alignment with the sides and ends of the other container, irrespective of end-to-end orientation and adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged, or (2) with either half of said container vertically aligned with either half of a vertically adjacent container and the other half of said container extending horizontally outwardly from said vertically adjacent container beyond either end thereof or either half of either side thereof and with the adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
303 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom structure includes a marginal portion rigidly connected with the lower end portion of each of said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom, each of said marginal portions having an inner side edge structure, a generally horizontally extending rigid central portion having a plurality of outer side edge structures corresponding in number to the number of sides of said peripheral structure and defining an area of lesser dimensions than the fixed dimensions of said open top area, a plurality of rigid connecting portions corresponding in number to the number of side walls, each of said connecting portions having inner and outer side edge structures, and means hingedly interconnecting each of said connecting portions to an associated marginal portion and to said central portion operable to position each of said connecting portions (1) in inwardly and slightly downwardly extending relation when said bottom structure is disposed in said stacking position with the outer side edge structure thereof abutting the inner side edge structure of the associated marginal porTion and the outer side edge structure thereof abutting an associated outer side edge structure of said central portion and (2) in inwardly and upwardly extending relation when said bottom structure is disposed in said nesting position with the outer side edge structure thereof spaced from the inner side edge structure of the associated marginal portion and the outer side edge structure thereof spaced from the associated outer side edge structure of said central portion, each of said side walls being rigidly connected at its upper end portion with the associated side of said peripheral structure for resiliently biased movement toward said nesting position so that such biased movement functions to yieldably maintain said bottom structure in both said stacking position and said nesting position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
A stackable and nestable container as defined in claim 9 wherein said connecting portions include inner and outer end edge structures, adjacent inner end edge structures of adjacent connecting portions interengaging when said bottom structure is disposed in said stacking position and adjacent outer end edge structures of adjacent connecting portions interengaging when said bottom structure is disposed in said nesting position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
278 words
A stackable container comprising bottom, side and top structures defining an interior containing space of generally rectangular configuration in plan bounded by a pair of parallel ends and a pair of parallel sides having a length approximately twice the length of said ends, stacking means for enabling said container to be mounted in vertically stacked relation with a similar container disposed thereabove or therebelow in any one of the following formations: (1) with the sides and ends thereof in vertical alignment with the sides and ends of the other container, irrespective of end-to-end orientation and adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged, or (2) with either half of said container vertically aligned with either half of a vertically adjacent container and the other half of said container extending horizontally outwardly from said vertically adjacent container beyond either end thereof or either half of either side thereof and with the adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged, said stacking means comprising a first set of complementary upper and lower stacking elements along the upper and lower surfaces thereof adjacent each end of said container, a second set of complementary upper and lower stacking elements along the upper and lower surfaces thereof at positions within one half of the length of the sides of said container corresponding with the positions of said first set of stacking elements on the ends of said containers, and a third set of complementary upper and lower stacking elements along the upper and lower surfaces thereof at positions within the opposite half of the sides of said container corresponding with the positions of said first set of stacking elements on the ends of said container.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
278 words
A stackable container comprising bottom, side and top structures defining an interior containing space of generally rectangular configuration in plan bounded by a pair of parallel ends and a pair of parallel sides having a length approximately twice the length of said ends, stacking means for enabling said container to be mounted in vertically stacked relation with a similar container disposed thereabove or therebelow in any one of the following formations: (1) with the sides and ends thereof in vertical alignment with the sides and ends of the other container, irrespective of end-to-end orientation and adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged, or (2) with either half of said container vertically aligned with either half of a vertically adjacent container and the other half of said container extending horizontally outwardly from said vertically adjacent container beyond either end thereof or either half of either side thereof and with the adjacent upper and lower stacking elements interengaged, said stacking means comprising a first set of complementary upper and lower stacking elements along the upper and lower surfaces thereof adjacent each end of said container, a second set of complementary upper and lower stacking elements along the upper and lower surfaces thereof at positions within one half of the length of the sides of said container corresponding with the positions of said first set of stacking elements on the ends of said containers, and a third set of complementary upper and lower stacking elements along the upper and lower surfaces thereof at positions within the opposite half of the sides of said container corresponding with the positions of said first set of stacking elements on the ends of said container.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
A stackable container as defined in claim 11 wherein each of said upper stacking elements comprises a horizontally elongated projection extending upwardly from the adjacent upper surface of the container and wherein each of said lower stacking elements comprises a horizontally elongated recess formed in the adjacent lower surface of said container.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-26 | 1976-09-25 | 1977-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-26 | 1980-09-25 | 1981-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-26 | 1984-09-25 | 1985-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |