Plastic bottle crates

Claim 1

In a plastic bottle crate of the type adapted to be stacked with matching crates in aligned as well as in displaced fashion, the combination comprising a plurality of rib configurations distributed over the bottom of the crate projecting downwardly therefrom, a plurality of rib projections projecting downwardly from the bottom of the crate and located in the spaces between the rib configurations, the lower edge surfaces of said rib configurations and said rib projections being substantially coplanar for supporting the crate, said crate having a continuous upper edge, the bottom of said crate having a periphery such that one crate may be stacked on another in aligned fashion with the upper edge of one crate surrounding the bottom of the crate above it, said upper edge havIng a plurality of recesses complementary to portions of said rib projections, the relative positions of said recesses being such that the downward rib projections of a matching crate may be received therein to permit the matching crate to be stacked thereon in aligned as well as displaced fashion, said rib projections comprising groups of bosses, said groups of bosses comprising opposed bosses adjoining opposed portions of adjacent rib configurations and at least one isolated boss intermediate the opposed bosses in the space therebetween, said recesses comprising corresponding slots in the upper peripheral edge of the crate.