Shipping and dispensing container

Claim 2

A unitary basket structure for the conveyance of comestibles and other articles including a body having first and second pairs of sidewalls, said first pair of sidewalls including inwardly projecting vertically extending, integral supporting means having vertical inner surfaces and having their upper extremities disposed adjacent the upper extremity of the body and their lower extremities terminating adjacent the lower extremity of said body, the other pair of said sidewalls incorporating a plurality of vertically oriented nesting channels corresponding in number to at least the number of said supporting means, said nesting channels being adapted to receive the upper extremities of said supporting means when the lower extremity of one container is disposed within another identical container in nesting relationship, and a bottom formed integrally with said first and second pairs of sidewalls.

Claim 3

A container of the character defined in claim 1 in which said supporting means is constituted by a plurality of inwardly directed columns formed integrally with said first pair of sidewalls and the upper extremities of said columns are received in said nesting channels, when said columns of one basket are disposed in nesting relationship with the channels of a basket disposed above said one basket.

Claim 4

A container as defined in claim 1 in which said nesting channels are constituted by a plurality of vertically oriented openings adapted to receive the upper extremities of said supporting means when said containers are disposed in internested relationship.

Claim 5

A container of the character defined in claim 1 in which said bottom is provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced recesses at the sides thereof to facilitate the handling and transportation of said containers.

Claim 6

A unitary, one-piece container for the shipment and display of comestibles which includes a body having a first pair of sidewalls incorporating a plurality of inwardly projecting vertically oriented supporting and reinforcing columns having vertical inner surfaces, said supporting and reinforcing columns having their upper extremities terminating adjacent the upper extremity of said container and having their lower extremities terminating adjacent the lower extremity of said container, a second pair of sidewalls formed integrally with said first pair of sidewalls and including a plurality of nesting openings for the reception of the upper extremities of the reinforcing columns of a like lower encompassing container when said container is disposed in nesting relationship with said lower container, a bottom wall formed integrally with said first and second pairs of sidewalls, said bottom wall incorporating a plurality of openings for facilitating the sanitation and cleansing of said containers.

Claim 7

A unitary, one-piece container for the shipment and display of comestibles which includes a body having a first pair of sidewalls incorporating a plurality of inwardly projecting vertically oriented supporting and reinforcing columns having vertical inner surfaces, said supporting and reinforcing columns having their upper extremities terminating adjacent the upper extremity of said container and having their lower extremities terminating adjacent the lower extremity of said container, a second pair of sidewalls formed integrally with said first pair of sidewalls and including a plurality of nesting openings for the reception of the upper extremities of the reinforcing columns of a like lower encompassing container when said container is disposed in nesting relationship with said lower container, a bottom wall formed integrally with said first and second pairs of sidewalls, said bottom wall incorporating a plurality of openings for facilitating the sanitation and cleansing of said containers.

Claim 8

A container of the character defined in claim 5 in which each of said reinforcing columns affords a continuous internal aligning surface for engagement with packages of comestibles to prevent undue shifting thereof within the confines of said container body.

Claim 9

A container as defined in claim 5 in which the upper extremities of said columns incorporate detent means and the lower extremities thereof incorporate corresponding receiving means whereby, when a plurality of container bodies are disposed in superimposed relationship with one another, said detent and receiving means will engage one another to automatically align said supporting and reinforcing columns to create a continuous columnar structure whose heighT is determined by the number of containers disposed in superimposed relationship with one another.

Claim 10

A container of the character defined in claim 5 in which said container body is provided with a continuous intermediate shoulder adapted to be engaged with the upper extremity of a lower container when said containers are disposed in internested positions.

Claim 11

A container as defined in claim 5 incorporating a continuous reinforcing rim about the upper extremity thereof, said rim having a reinforcing element disposed therein to rigidify said upper extremity of said container.

Claim 12

A container as defined in claim 5 in which said bottom wall incorporates a plurality of recesses uniformly distirbuted about the outer edge thereof for facilitating the transportation and handling of said container.