US3865239A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Container assembly
Assignee: Buckhorn Material Handling Group Inc
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Filing: 1973-05-08
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Granted: 1975-02-11
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Expires: 1993-05-08
Abstract
Abstract A container assembly for use with heavy products such as meat or the like including a 90* nestable and stackable container body molded of plastic material having upper stacking parts extending along the upper edge portion of the end walls thereof and the adjacent end sections of the side walls thereof presenting substantially continuous horizontally extending stacking surfaces of shallow U-shaped configuration in plan and complementary lower stacking parts each including a horizontally extending portion of complementary configuration in plan to the associated upper stacking part disposed in vertical alignment therewith and a pair of continuous elongated wall portions extending downwardly from the horizontally extending portion throughout the horizontal extent thereof and providing substantially continuous downwardly facing horizontal surfaces and a shelf structure separately molded of plastic material having end supporting portions for engaging the upwardly facing surfaces defining the hand holes in the end walls of the container body and side supporting portions for engaging the upwardly facing nesting surfaces of the side walls of the container body, the shelf structure being removable and configured to be disposed in a horizontally stable stacking relation with like shelf structures.
Inventors
- 👤 Ralph H Herolzer
- 👤 Joseph Becknell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:24
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D21/00; B65D21/02; B65D21/04; B65D21/043; B65D21/046; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S220/00; Y10S220/15
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
455 words
A nestable and stackable container for meat and the like comprising a unitary container body molded of plastic material, said container body including a rectangular bottom wall, a pair of opposed end walls extending upwardly from opposite end of said bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walLs of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall between said end walls, each of said side walls including a central section of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls and a maximum vertical extent generally equal to one-half the vertical extent of said end walls and an end section of a vertical extent generally equal to the vertical extent of said end walls between each end of said central section and the adjacent end of the adjacent end wall, each end wall and the end sections integral therewith including complementary upper and lower stacking parts formed along the upper and lower extremities thereof, said side wall central sections having nesting surface means formed in the upper portions thereof for supporting a like container body disposed in a 90* horizontally rotated orientation in a nested position therein when said container body is empty to a depth permitting said container body to support another like container body in said stacked position thereon above the container body nested therein, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises each upper stacking part being of shallow U-shaped configuration in plan, each lower stacking part including a horizontally extending portion of complementary configuration in plan to the associated upper stacking part disposed in vertical alignment therewith and a pair of continuous elongated wall portions extending downwardly from said horizontally extending portion throughout the horizontal extent thereof, the wall portions of said lower stacking parts providing substantially continuous downwardly facing horizontal surfaces for engaging a horizontal support surface to support said container body thereon, the upper stacking parts providing substantially continuous upwardly facing horizontal surfaces for engaging the downwardly facing horizontal surfaces of the lower stacking parts of a like container body when the latter filled with a supply of meat of the order of 100 pounds is moved into supported relation thereon in a position of slight vertical misalignment so as to enable the like container to be slidingly supported for horizontal movement into an operatively stacked position of vertical alignment wherein the support of the like container is shifted to the horizontal portions of the lower stacking parts thereof and the wall portions thereof are disposed in substantially horizontally surrounding relation to the upper stacking parts of said container body to thereby prevent substantially horizontal movement of the like container body out of said operative stacked relation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
455 words
A nestable and stackable container for meat and the like comprising a unitary container body molded of plastic material, said container body including a rectangular bottom wall, a pair of opposed end walls extending upwardly from opposite end of said bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walLs of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall between said end walls, each of said side walls including a central section of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls and a maximum vertical extent generally equal to one-half the vertical extent of said end walls and an end section of a vertical extent generally equal to the vertical extent of said end walls between each end of said central section and the adjacent end of the adjacent end wall, each end wall and the end sections integral therewith including complementary upper and lower stacking parts formed along the upper and lower extremities thereof, said side wall central sections having nesting surface means formed in the upper portions thereof for supporting a like container body disposed in a 90* horizontally rotated orientation in a nested position therein when said container body is empty to a depth permitting said container body to support another like container body in said stacked position thereon above the container body nested therein, the improvement in combination therewith which comprises each upper stacking part being of shallow U-shaped configuration in plan, each lower stacking part including a horizontally extending portion of complementary configuration in plan to the associated upper stacking part disposed in vertical alignment therewith and a pair of continuous elongated wall portions extending downwardly from said horizontally extending portion throughout the horizontal extent thereof, the wall portions of said lower stacking parts providing substantially continuous downwardly facing horizontal surfaces for engaging a horizontal support surface to support said container body thereon, the upper stacking parts providing substantially continuous upwardly facing horizontal surfaces for engaging the downwardly facing horizontal surfaces of the lower stacking parts of a like container body when the latter filled with a supply of meat of the order of 100 pounds is moved into supported relation thereon in a position of slight vertical misalignment so as to enable the like container to be slidingly supported for horizontal movement into an operatively stacked position of vertical alignment wherein the support of the like container is shifted to the horizontal portions of the lower stacking parts thereof and the wall portions thereof are disposed in substantially horizontally surrounding relation to the upper stacking parts of said container body to thereby prevent substantially horizontal movement of the like container body out of said operative stacked relation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A container as defined in claim 1 wherein all of the walls of said container body are formed essentially of imperforate interior planar panels having exterior intersecting strengthening ribs extending outwardly thereof normal to the exterior surface of the associated panel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A container as defined in claim 2 wherein one side wall includes a plurality of wash water drain holes extending through the panels thereof in spaced relation to said bottom wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
233 words
A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said end walls have hand openings formed therein the lower portions of which are defined by upwardly facing surfaces extending generally horizontally at a vertical level substantially at the level of the nesting surface means formed in the upper portion of said side walls, and a shelf structure molded of plastic material separate from said container body operable to be moved into and out of supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure including a bottom wall of a rectangular configuration to fit within the interior of said container body, side supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each side of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the end dimension thereof and end supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of eaCh end of said shelf bottom wall through an extent generally equal to the horizontal dimension of said hand openings, said supporting portions having downwardly facing surfaces for engaging the upwardly facing nesting surfaces of said side walls and the upwardly facing surfaces defining the lower portion of said end wall hand openings when said shelf structure is disposed in supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure being configured to be disposed in horizontally stable vertically stacked relation with a like shelf structure when out of supported relation within said container body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
425 words
A container assembly for meat and the like comprising a container body molded of plastic material including a rectangular bottom wall having a pair of opposed generally parallel end walls extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof, upper stacking means along the upper edge of each end wall, lower stacking means along the lower edge of each end wall complementary with said upper stacking means so as to enable said container body to be supported on a like container body in a stacked position of vertical alignment and to be stably supported in said stacked position against substantial horizontal movement in any direction out of said stacked position, said container body including opposed side walls of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall between said side walls, said side walls having nesting surface means formed in the upper portions thereof for supporting a like container body disposed in a 90* horizontally rotated orientation in a nested position therein when said container body is empty to a depth permitting said container body to support another like container body in said stacked position thereon above the container body nested therein, said end walls having hand openings formed therein the lower portions of which are defined by upwardly facing surfaces extending generally horizontally at a vertical level substantially at the level of the nesting surface means formed in the upper portion of said side walls, and a shelf structure molded of plastic material separate from said container body operable to be moved into and out of supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure including a bottom wall of a rectangular configuration to fit within the interior of said container body, side supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each side of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the end dimension thereof and end supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each end of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the horizontal dimension of said hand openings, said supporting portions having downwardly facing surfaces for engaging (1) the upwardly facing nesting surfaces of said side walls and (2) the upwardly facing surfaces defining the lower portion of said end wall hand openings when said shelf structure is disposed in supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure being configured to be disposed in horizontally stable vertically stacked relation with a like shelf structure when out of supported relation within said container body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
425 words
A container assembly for meat and the like comprising a container body molded of plastic material including a rectangular bottom wall having a pair of opposed generally parallel end walls extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof, upper stacking means along the upper edge of each end wall, lower stacking means along the lower edge of each end wall complementary with said upper stacking means so as to enable said container body to be supported on a like container body in a stacked position of vertical alignment and to be stably supported in said stacked position against substantial horizontal movement in any direction out of said stacked position, said container body including opposed side walls of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall between said side walls, said side walls having nesting surface means formed in the upper portions thereof for supporting a like container body disposed in a 90* horizontally rotated orientation in a nested position therein when said container body is empty to a depth permitting said container body to support another like container body in said stacked position thereon above the container body nested therein, said end walls having hand openings formed therein the lower portions of which are defined by upwardly facing surfaces extending generally horizontally at a vertical level substantially at the level of the nesting surface means formed in the upper portion of said side walls, and a shelf structure molded of plastic material separate from said container body operable to be moved into and out of supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure including a bottom wall of a rectangular configuration to fit within the interior of said container body, side supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each side of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the end dimension thereof and end supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each end of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the horizontal dimension of said hand openings, said supporting portions having downwardly facing surfaces for engaging (1) the upwardly facing nesting surfaces of said side walls and (2) the upwardly facing surfaces defining the lower portion of said end wall hand openings when said shelf structure is disposed in supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure being configured to be disposed in horizontally stable vertically stacked relation with a like shelf structure when out of supported relation within said container body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A container assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said shelf bottom wall includes an imperforate bottom panel having intersecting strengthening ribs extending downwardly therefrom and a continuous peripheral wall extending upwardly from the peripheral edges thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A container assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein a plurality of wash water drain openings are formed in one side of said peripheral wall above said imperforate panel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A container assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein the configuration of said shelf structure providing the stacking function thereof includes a stacking lug extending upwardly from each end of each side supporting portion positioned in vertical alIgnment with a lug receiving pocket therebelow.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
A container assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein each side supporting portion includes upper and lower horizontally extending generally parallel wall portions extending outwardly from the upper and lower edges of said peripheral wall, a flange extending downwardly from the outer edge of the lower horizontal wall portion and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical ribs integrally joined ion strengthening relation therewith.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
346 words
A container for meat and the like comprising a container body molded of plastic material including a rectangular bottom wall having a pair of opposed generally parallel end walls extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof, upper stacking means along the upper edge of each end wall, lower stacking means along the lower edge of each end wall complementary with said upper stacking means so as to enable said container body to be supported on a like container body in a stacked position of vertical alignment and to be stably supported in said stacked position against substantial horizontal movement in any direction out of said stacked position, said container body including opposed side walls of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall between said side walls, said side walls having nesting surface means formed in the upper portions thereof for supporting a like container body disposed in a 90* horizontally rotated orientation in a nested position therein when said container body is empty to a depth permitting said container body to support another like container body in said stacked position thereon above the container body nested therein, said nesting surface means dividing said side walls into two end sections of a height generally equal to the height of said end walls and a central section extending therebetween of a height generally one-half the height of the end sections, the central section of one of said side walls having a recess formed in the upper central major portion thereof, the recessed portion of said one side wall including a structure of inverted U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, a plurality of horizontally spaced strengthening ribs integrally joined to the exterior surfaces thereof and extending vertically throughout the interior space defined thereby, an integral vertical panel extending upwardly adjacent the inner edge of the inverted U-shaped structure, a horizontal rib extending horizontally outwardly from the upper edge of said panel and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertically extending ribs integrally interconnected with the horizontal rib, panel and adjacent inverted U-shaped structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
346 words
A container for meat and the like comprising a container body molded of plastic material including a rectangular bottom wall having a pair of opposed generally parallel end walls extending upwardly from opposite ends thereof, upper stacking means along the upper edge of each end wall, lower stacking means along the lower edge of each end wall complementary with said upper stacking means so as to enable said container body to be supported on a like container body in a stacked position of vertical alignment and to be stably supported in said stacked position against substantial horizontal movement in any direction out of said stacked position, said container body including opposed side walls of a horizontal extent greater than the horizontal extent of said end walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall between said side walls, said side walls having nesting surface means formed in the upper portions thereof for supporting a like container body disposed in a 90* horizontally rotated orientation in a nested position therein when said container body is empty to a depth permitting said container body to support another like container body in said stacked position thereon above the container body nested therein, said nesting surface means dividing said side walls into two end sections of a height generally equal to the height of said end walls and a central section extending therebetween of a height generally one-half the height of the end sections, the central section of one of said side walls having a recess formed in the upper central major portion thereof, the recessed portion of said one side wall including a structure of inverted U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, a plurality of horizontally spaced strengthening ribs integrally joined to the exterior surfaces thereof and extending vertically throughout the interior space defined thereby, an integral vertical panel extending upwardly adjacent the inner edge of the inverted U-shaped structure, a horizontal rib extending horizontally outwardly from the upper edge of said panel and a plurality of horizontally spaced vertically extending ribs integrally interconnected with the horizontal rib, panel and adjacent inverted U-shaped structure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
A container as defined in claim 10 wherein said lower inverted U-shaped structure extends completely around the lower peripheral portion of said container body, said bottom wall being relatively flexibly connected with said peripheral structure by a peripheral horizontally extending web integrally joined therewith.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
A container as defined in claim 11 wherein the part of said inverted U-shaped peripheral structure extending along each end wall and the associated end sections of said side walls constitutes said lower stacking means, said upper stacking means including the upper part of each end wall and the associated end sections of said side walls, said upper and lower stacking parts having upwardly and downwardly facing horizontal surfaces extending continuously through.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
233 words
A container as defined in claim 12 wherein said end walls have hand openings formed therein the lower portions of which are defined by upwardly facing surfaces extending generally horizontally at a vertical level substantially at the level of the nesting surface means formed in the upper portion of said side walls, and a shelf structure molded of plastic material separate from said container body operable to be moved into and out of supported relation within said container body, sAid shelf structure including a bottom wall of a rectangular configuration to fit within the interior of said container body, side supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each side of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the end dimension thereof and end supporting portions extending laterally outwardly from the central part of each end of said shelf bottom wall throughout an extent generally equal to the horizontal dimension of said hand openings, said supporting portions having downwardly facing surfaces for engaging the upwardly facing nesting surfaces of said side walls and the upwardly facing surfaces defining the lower portion of said end wall hand openings when said shelf structure is disposed in supported relation within said container body, said shelf structure being configured to be disposed in horizontally stable vertically stacked relation with a like shelf structure when out of supported relation within said container body.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-10 | 1978-08-12 | 1979-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-10 | 1982-08-12 | 1983-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-10 | 1986-08-12 | 1987-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |