Reusable shipping container assembly

Claim 2

A reusable container assembly for housing and shipping an item, comprising: a. means for securing and supporting the item, wherein said means includes: 1. a planar base component, of preselected configuration, made of wood and having a plurality of slots therein and therethrough, and also having a plurality of holes therein and therethrough; 2.

Claim 3

a plurality of adjustable and removable straps made of nylon and having fasteners, with each said strap passing through two different slots of said plurality of base slots; 3. a plurality of bracing blocks, with each said bracing block removably attached to said base at two different slots of said plurality of base slots; 4. a planar floor component, of preselected configuration similar to, and of larger dimensions, than, said base, with said floor having a forward portion, an aft portion, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of holes therein and therethrough, and with said floor disposed under said base, with said plurality of floor holes in vertical alignment with said purality of base holes, thereby forming a plurality of matched sets of vertically aligned, spacedapart holes, consisting of one base hole and one floor hole; 5. first header member attached to the top surface of said floor at the forward portion thereof; 6. a second header member attached to the top surface of said floor at the aft portion thereof; 7. a plurality of bolts, one bolt for each of said plurality of matched sets of holes formed by said base and said floor, with each said bolt passing through a different one of said plurality of matched sets of holes; 8. a first plurality of cushioning members disposed between, and abutting with, said base and said top surface of said floor; 9. a second plurality of cushioning members, one for each of said plurality of bolts, with each said cushioning member of said second plurality encircling its respective bolt and simultaneously also disposed between, and abutting with, said base and said floor; 10. a plurality of relief springs, one relief spring for each of said plurality of bolts, with each said relief spring disposed on and encircling its respective bolt, and with each said relief spring having two ends, with one end abutting said base and with the other end restrained, whereby each said relief spring is held captive; 11. a plurality of skids, with each skid of said plurality having a top surface and a bottom surface, and with each said skid attached by its top surface to said bottom surface of said floor; 12. and, a plurality of rubbing strips, with each rubbing strip of said plurality having a top surface, and with at least two of said rubbing strips of said plurality attached by their respective top surfaces to said bottom surface of a different one of each said skid of said plurality of skids; b. and, means for housing said means for securing and supporting the item, and for housing the secured and supported item, wherein said housing means

Claim 4

a plurality of adjustable and removable straps made of nylon and having fasteners, with each said strap passing through two different slots of said plurality of base slots; 3. a plurality of bracing blocks, with each said bracing block removably attached to said base at two different slots of said plurality of base slots; 4. a planar floor component, of preselected configuration similar to, and of larger dimensions, than, said base, with said floor having a forward portion, an aft portion, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of holes therein and therethrough, and with said floor disposed under said base, with said plurality of floor holes in vertical alignment with said purality of base holes, thereby forming a plurality of matched sets of vertically aligned, spacedapart holes, consisting of one base hole and one floor hole; 5. first header member attached to the top surface of said floor at the forward portion thereof; 6. a second header member attached to the top surface of said floor at the aft portion thereof; 7. a plurality of bolts, one bolt for each of said plurality of matched sets of holes formed by said base and said floor, with each said bolt passing through a different one of said plurality of matched sets of holes; 8. a first plurality of cushioning members disposed between, and abutting with, said base and said top surface of said floor; 9. a second plurality of cushioning members, one for each of said plurality of bolts, with each said cushioning member of said second plurality encircling its respective bolt and simultaneously also disposed between, and abutting with, said base and said floor; 10. a plurality of relief springs, one relief spring for each of said plurality of bolts, with each said relief spring disposed on and encircling its respective bolt, and with each said relief spring having two ends, with one end abutting said base and with the other end restrained, whereby each said relief spring is held captive; 11. a plurality of skids, with each skid of said plurality having a top surface and a bottom surface, and with each said skid attached by its top surface to said bottom surface of said floor; 12. and, a plurality of rubbing strips, with each rubbing strip of said plurality having a top surface, and with at least two of said rubbing strips of said plurality attached by their respective top surfaces to said bottom surface of a different one of each said skid of said plurality of skids; b. and, means for housing said means for securing and supporting the item, and for housing the secured and supported item, wherein said housing means

Claim 5

includes a completely closeable container made of fiberboard. 2. A reusable container assembly for housing and shipping an item, as set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said base is in the form of a rectangular solid having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end, a first edge, a second edge, and a geometric center, with said plurality of slots therein and therethrough comprising a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth set of two adjacent parallel slots, wherein: 1. said first set of slots is disposed perpendicularly to said first end of said base, with each of said two adjacent parallel slots extending from near said first end of said base toward said geometric center of said base; 2. said second set of slots is disposed perpendicularly to said second end of said base, with each of said two adjacent parallel slots extending from near said second end of said base toward said geometric center of said base; 3. with said third set and said fourth set of slots disposed respectively in a converging slanted position from near said first edge of said base toward said geometric center of said base; 4. and, with said fifth set and said sixth set of slots disposed respectively in a converging slanted position from near said second edge of said base toward said geometric center of said base; b. and, said plurality of bracing blocks comprises a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth bracing block, wherein:

Claim 6

said first bracing block is removably attached to said first set of slots, with said first bracing block slideable, on the upper surface of said base, and in and along said two adjacent parallel slots of said first set of slots; 2. said second bracing block is removably attached to said fifth set of slots, with said second bracing block slideable in and along said two adjacent parallel slots of said fifth set of slots; 3. said third bracing block is removably attached to said third set of slots, with said third bracing block slideable in and along said third set of slots; 4. said fourth bracing block is removably attached to said fourth set of slots, with said fourth bracing block slideably in and along fourth set of slots; 5. said fifth bracing block is removably attached to said fifth set of slots, with said fifth bracing block slideable in and along said fourth set of slots;

Claim 7

said first bracing block is removably attached to said first set of slots, with said first bracing block slideable, on the upper surface of said base, and in and along said two adjacent parallel slots of said first set of slots; 2. said second bracing block is removably attached to said fifth set of slots, with said second bracing block slideable in and along said two adjacent parallel slots of said fifth set of slots; 3. said third bracing block is removably attached to said third set of slots, with said third bracing block slideable in and along said third set of slots; 4. said fourth bracing block is removably attached to said fourth set of slots, with said fourth bracing block slideably in and along fourth set of slots; 5. said fifth bracing block is removably attached to said fifth set of slots, with said fifth bracing block slideable in and along said fourth set of slots;

Claim 8

and, said sixth bracinb block is removeably attached to said sixth set of slots, with said sixth bracing block slideable in and along said sixth set of slots.

Claim 9

and, said sixth bracinb block is removeably attached to said sixth set of slots, with said sixth bracing block slideable in and along said sixth set of slots.

Claim 10

A reusable container assembly for housing and shipping an item, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said bracing blocks are made of wood, said floor is made of plywood, said first and second header members are made of wood, said cushioning members of said first and second pluralities are made of polyethylene, said skids are made of wood, and said rubbing strips are made of wood.