US3819044A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Container cooperable with a like container in an empty nesting relation and a plurality of article containing stacking relations
Assignee: Buckhorn Material Handling Group Inc
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Filing: 1971-10-29
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Granted: 1974-06-25
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Expires: 1991-10-29
Abstract
Abstract A container of unitary structure molded of plastic material including a foraminous horizontal wall, a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls, the end and side walls being integrally connected with the periphery of the horizontal wall and extending vertically therefrom. The container is operable to be disposed in a plurality of different vertically stacked relations with containers of like or similar construction and to be disposed in nested relation with respect to a plurality of like or similar containers. The stacked relationships include two cooperating functional relationships, one in which the container, disposed in a first article-containing position with the end and side walls extending upwardly from the horizontal wall, is mounted in stacked relation on a like container therebelow disposed in the first position thereof so that the horizontal wall of the container structure serves as a top closure for the container therebelow defining a container space having a vertical height generally equal to the height of the end walls and a second in which the container, disposed in a second closure defining position with the end and side walls extending downwardly from the horizontal wall, is mounted on a like container in vertically stacked relation therebelow disposed in the first position thereof so that the walls of the container structure serve as a top closure for the like container therebelow defining a container space having a vertical dimension substantially double that of the vertical dimension of the first mentioned container space.
Inventors
- 👤 K Bockenstette
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:53
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D21/00; B65D21/02; B65D21/0234
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
A container operable in an article supporting position or an inverted top closure providing position to cooperate with like containers in a plurality of stably stacked relationships of the type described, said container comprising: a one-piece structure molded of plastic material, said structure including a rectangularly shaped generally horizontally extending wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a pair of opposed side walls of greater horizontal dimension than said end walls integrally connected between said end walls, said end and side walls being integrally connected with the periphery of said horizontal wall and extending vertically therefrom and terminating in a free edge construction; said side walls and said horizontal wall having nesting surface means formed thereon for enabling said structure to be disposed in nested relation with a like container in a like position with the end-to-end orientation of said structure displaced 90* in either direction with respect to the end-to-end orientation of the like container so that the horizontal wall of said structure is spaced vertically from the horizontal wall of said like container a distance substantially less than the height of said end walls; a pair of inner and outer parallel top stacking rails extending upwardly along the free edge construction of each of said end walls; a pair of inner and outer parallel bottom stacking rails extending downwardly along the juncture between said horizontal wall and each of said end walls, each of said outer bottom stacking rails being disposed in a position of vertical alignment between the associated pair of top stacking rails; and a single stacking rail extending downwardly along the juncture between said horizontal wall and each of said side walls within each half of the horizontal extent thereof, the single stacking rails of both of said side walls being disposed in parallel inwardly and outwardly offset relation with respect to one another.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
310 words
A container operable in an article supporting position or an inverted top closure providing position to cooperate with like containers in a plurality of stably stacked relationships of the type described, said container comprising: a one-piece structure molded of plastic material, said structure including a rectangularly shaped generally horizontally extending wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a pair of opposed side walls of greater horizontal dimension than said end walls integrally connected between said end walls, said end and side walls being integrally connected with the periphery of said horizontal wall and extending vertically therefrom and terminating in a free edge construction; said side walls and said horizontal wall having nesting surface means formed thereon for enabling said structure to be disposed in nested relation with a like container in a like position with the end-to-end orientation of said structure displaced 90* in either direction with respect to the end-to-end orientation of the like container so that the horizontal wall of said structure is spaced vertically from the horizontal wall of said like container a distance substantially less than the height of said end walls; a pair of inner and outer parallel top stacking rails extending upwardly along the free edge construction of each of said end walls; a pair of inner and outer parallel bottom stacking rails extending downwardly along the juncture between said horizontal wall and each of said end walls, each of said outer bottom stacking rails being disposed in a position of vertical alignment between the associated pair of top stacking rails; and a single stacking rail extending downwardly along the juncture between said horizontal wall and each of said side walls within each half of the horizontal extent thereof, the single stacking rails of both of said side walls being disposed in parallel inwardly and outwardly offset relation with respect to one another.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
134 words
A container as defined in claim 1 wherein each side wall has a main central portion of a vertical dimension less than half the vertical dimension of said end walls and an upwardly projecting end portion terminating in an inner bottom stacking rail engaging surface extending from the adjacent end of each inner top stacking rail, the height of said surfaces being such as to engage the inner bottom stacking rail of a like container positioned in transversely offset relAtion thereon so as to permit transverse sliding support thereof toward a position of vertically stacked relation at which position the end of the inner bottom stacking rails drop below said surfaces so that the engagement between the end of said inner bottom stacking rails and said end portions prevents further substantial horizontal transverse movement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A container as defined in claim 2 wherein the horizontal dimension of said end walls is slightly less than one-half the horizontal dimension of the central portions of said side walls so as to permit a pair of like containers to be nested on said structure with a like container disposed in side-by-side relation thereto.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
A container as defined in claim 3 wherein the horizontal longitudinal extent of each associated pair of single side wall stacking rails is slightly less than the horizontal dimension between the inner surfaces of said side walls so as to permit said associated pair of single side wall stacking rails to engage between the side walls of a like container when disposed in nested relation therewith to thereby prevent substantial relative horizontal longitudinal movement out of said nested relation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
A container as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said outer top stacking rails includes a central upwardly projecting stacking tongue, the central portion of the free end construction of each end wall having a tongue-receiving opening formed therein between the pair of top stacking rails thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A container as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said outer top stacking rails includes a central upwardly projecting stacking tongue, the central portion of the free end construction of each end wall having a tongue-receiving opening formed therein between the pair of top stacking rails thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-06-24 | 1977-12-24 | 1978-06-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-06-24 | 1981-12-24 | 1982-06-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-06-24 | 1985-12-24 | 1986-06-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |