End-nesting containers adapted to stack

Claim 1

A metal container pallet for stacking and end-nesting with a second like container, comprising four parallel vertical hollow tubular columnar posts respectively generally at the four corners of a rectangle, with two posts at the rear of said container spaced closer than the two posts at the front of said container so that the rear posts may pass through between the front posts of a like container, four rigid bottom frame members rigidly connected to said corner posts in a horizontally extending planar relation, each of said frame members connecting two of said corner posts, said bottom frame members being spaced above the lower ends of said corner posts sufficiently to permit the forks of a lift truck to enter between said frame members and a floor upon which said corner posts rest, three rigid top frame members extending along the sides and the rear of said container at the top and rigiDly connected to said posts and leaving the top open between said top frame members, the front of said container being open between said front corner posts, lower support members at the level of the bottom of the corner posts comprising inverted V-shape members linearly extending continuously one along each side of the container from front to rear and rigidly connected to said corner posts and to said bottom frame members laterally inside of the inner edges of said front corner posts and closely adjacent thereto and laterally outside of the outer edges of said rear corner posts and closely adjacent thereto, and upper support members comprising two of said top frame members which are inverted V-shape members linearly extending uninterrupted along each side of the container from front to rear and each presenting said V-shape open at the front end and rigidly connected to said corner posts and vertically directly above the corresponding lower support inverted V-shape members and complementary thereto, said top V-shape members being rigidly secured to said third top frame member laterally outside said rear corner posts and closely adjacent thereto and being rigidly secured laterally inside of said front corner posts and closely adjacent thereto, said upper inverted V-shape members being the uppermost parts of the sides of said container, whereby an upper second container may be stacked upon a first container by engaging the self-centering lower support members of the second container with the upper support members of the first container, which coacting support members slidingly guide said second container rearwardly on said first container, and a second container may be nested in a first container by entering the second container into the open end and open top of a first container with the lower support inverted Vshape members of said second container sliding over the bottom members of the first container.