Shipping holder for spark plugs or the like

Claim 2

A packing unit for use in shipping objects elongated along an axis having two oppositely facing abutments spaced apart along said axis and a projection along the axis extending beyond one of the abutments, said unit comprising: a plate formed of plastic and having a plurality of sidewalls, said plate having a first set of conformations therein arranged in a given pattern with respect to one of said sidewalls and a second set oF conformations therein arranged in said given pattern with respect to a second of said sidewalls, the conformations of the first set being identical to each other, the conformations of the second set being identical to each other and different than the conformations of the first set, whereby when one of said units is placed above a second of said units, both of said units being the same side up, with the one wall of the one unit above the second wall of the second unit, the first set of conformations of the one unit are vertically above the second set of conformations of the second unit, each conformation of said first set being an opening in said plate of a size large enough to accept said projection, but small enough so that the part of said plate about the opening and at one side of the plate abuts said one abutment, each conformation of said second set of conformations comprising means on the other side of the plate to connect the other abutment when two of the units are positioned one above the other as described above and means on said one side of the plate defining a socket to receive said projection when a third of said units is placed below the second with said one walls of the first and third units in alignment.

Claim 3

A packaging unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said second set of conformations comprises an annular collar extending in one direction from the plate and generally normal thereto, said collar having a proximal end joined to the plate and a distal end, said distal end forming said abutment and having an opening therein.

Claim 4

A packing unit for use in shipping objects elongated along an axis having two oppositely facing abutments spaced apart along said axis and a projection along the axis extending beyond one of the abutments and a second projection along the axis and extending outwardly from the other abutment, said unit comprising: a plate formed of plastic and having a plurality of sidewalls, said plate having a first set of conformations therein arranged in a given pattern with respect to one of said sidewalls and a second set of conformations therein arranged in said given pattern with respect to a second of said sidewalls, the conformations of the first set being identical to each other, the conformations of the second set being identical to each other and different than the conformations of the first set, whereby when one of said units is placed above a second of said units with the one wall of the one unit above the second wall of the second unit, the first set of conformations of the one unit are vertically above the second set of conformations of the second unit, each conformation of said first set being an opening in said plate of a size large enough to accept said projection, but small enough so that the plate about the opening abuts said one abutment, each conformation of said second set of conformations comprising means to contact the other abutment when two of the units are positioned one above the other as described above, each of said second set of conformations comprising an annular collar extending in one direction from the plate and generally normal thereto, said collar having a proximal end joined to the plate and a distal end, said distal end forming said abutment and having an opening therein, said unit being formed of relatively thin sections of molded plastic, each of said second set of conformations including a thimble having a large end and a small end, the thimble being positioned within said collar with the large end joined to said distal end, the small end of the thimble being beyond said plate in the direction opposite to said one direction, said thimble being sufficiently long to accept said second projection, said large end being sufficiently small to contact said other abutment.

Claim 5

A packing unit for use in shipping objects elongated along an axis having two oppositely facing abutments spaced apart along said axis and a projection along the axis extending beyond one of the abutments and a second projection along the axis and extending outwardly from the other abutment, said unit comprising: a plate formed of plastic and having a plurality of sidewalls, said plate having a first set of conformations therein arranged in a given pattern with respect to one of said sidewalls and a second set of conformations therein arranged in said given pattern with respect to a second of said sidewalls, the conformations of the first set being identical to each other, the conformations of the second set being identical to each other and different than the conformations of the first set, whereby when one of said units is placed above a second of said units with the one wall of the one unit above the second wall of the second unit, the first set of conformations of the one unit are vertically above the second set of conformations of the second unit, each conformation of said first set being an opening in said plate of a size large enough to accept said projection, but small enough so that the plate about the opening abuts said one abutment, each conformation of said second set of conformations comprising means to contact the other abutment when two of the units are positioned one above the other as described above, each of said second set of conformations comprising an annular collar extending in one direction from the plate and generally normal thereto, said collar having a proximal end joined to the plate and a distal end, said distal end forming said abutment and having an opening therein, said unit being formed of relatively thin sections of molded plastic, each of said second set of conformations including a thimble having a large end and a small end, the thimble being positioned within said collar with the large end joined to said distal end, the small end of the thimble being beyond said plate in the direction opposite to said one direction, said thimble being sufficiently long to accept said second projection, said large end being sufficiently small to contact said other abutment.

Claim 6

A unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein the sidewalls project in one of said directions beyond the plane of the plate, including outwardly extending flanges about the distal ends of said sidewalls.

Claim 7

A unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein said plate is rectangular and including indexing means extending parallel to said one direction from the distal end of at least one of the sidewalls to restrict the orientation in which said units may be stacked.

Claim 8

A unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein said thimble has a base with a dimple therein, said dimple being positioned to receive the distal end of the first projection of the object extending through the opening of the adjacent unit.

Claim 9

A unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one sidewall is 180* with respect to said second sidewall.

Claim 10

A packaging unit for use with other like units in packaging in a container a plurality of objects such as spark plugs having a body threaded at one end with a shoulder at the base of the threads and an insulator projecting from the other end of the body and a metal connector at the distal end of the insulator, each said unit being a thin sheet of thermoplastic having at an opening at each of a plurality of locations therein and having at each of a plurality of other locations therein a collar extending to one side of the sheet, said collar having a proximal end integral with the sheet and a distal end, a thimble having a closed end and an open end, said open end being integral with the distal end of the collar, said thimble extending through the collar with approximately one-half of the collar extending to each side of the sheet, the closed end of the thimble having a dimple therein.

Claim 11

A packaging unit for use with other like units in packaging in a container a plurality of objects such as spark plugs having a body threaded at one end with a shoulder at the base of the threads and an insulator projecting from the other end of the body and a metal connector at the distal end of the insulator, each said unit being a thin sheet of thermoplastic having at an opening at each of a plurality of locations therein and having at each of a plurality of other locations therein a collar extending to one side of the sheet, said collar having a proximal end integral with the sheet and a distal end, a thimble having a closed end and an open end, said open end being integral with the distal end of the collar, said thimble extending through the collar with approximately one-half of the collar extending to each side of the sheet, the closed end of the thimble having a dimple therein.

Claim 12

A unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the openings form one group of conformations and the collars-thimbles form a second group of conformations, in the main each conformation of one group being centered between four conformations of the other group and vice versa.

Claim 13

In the combination of a plurality of spark plugs and packaging units therefor to be shipped in an outer container, wherein said spark plugs have a body with two oppositely facing, spaced abutments and an insulator projecting beyond one of said abutments, the improvement comprising: each of said units including: a plate formed of plastic and having four sidewalls, said plate having a first set of conformations therein arranged in a given pattern with respect to one of said sidewalls and a second set of conformations therein arranged in said given pattern with respect to a second of said sidewalls, the conformations of the first set being identical to each other, the conformations of the second set being identical to each other and different than the conformations of the first set, each conformation of said first set being an opening in said plate of a size large enough to receive said insulator, but small enough so that the plate about the opening abuts said one abutment of said spark plug body, each conformation of said second set of conformations comprising means to contact the other abutment when two of the units are positioned one above the other as described below, said units being stacked in a plurality of layers with alternate layers being positioned so that the one wall of one is aligned with the second wall of the next, the spark plugs being positioned between each layer with the insulators extending through said openings and the one abutments of the spark plugs against the part of the plate about the opening and the other abutments of the body against the means of the second set of conformations of the unit of the adjacent layer.

Claim 14

In the combination of a plurality of spark plugs and packaging units therefor to be shipped in an outer container, wherein said spark plugs have a body with two oppositely facing, spaced abutments and an insulator projecting beyond one of said abutments, the improvement comprising: each of said units including: a plate formed of plastic and having four sidewalls, said plate having a first set of conformations therein arranged in a given pattern with respect to one of said sidewalls and a second set of conformations therein arranged in said given pattern with respect to a second of said sidewalls, the conformations of the first set being identical to each other, the conformations of the second set being identical to each other and different than the conformations of the first set, each conformation of said first set being an opening in said plate of a size large enough to receive said insulator, but small enough so that the plate about the opening abuts said one abutment of said spark plug body, each conformation of said second set of conformations comprising means to contact the other abutment when two of the units are positioned one above the other as described below, said units being stacked in a plurality of layers with alternate layers being positioned so that the one wall of one is aligned with the second wall of the next, the spark plugs being positioned between each layer with the insulators extending through said openings and the one abutments of the spark plugs against the part of the plate about the opening and the other abutments of the body against the means of the second set of conformations of the unit of the adjacent layer.