U.S. patent application number 09/978576 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-24 for crate for 20-24 oz. bottles.
Invention is credited to Hammett, Roy.
Application Number | 20030075546 09/978576 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25526229 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030075546 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hammett, Roy |
April 24, 2003 |
Crate for 20-24 oz. bottles
Abstract
A low depth bottle crate has a peripheral wall of uniform height
that includes a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and a
crate bottom connected to the peripheral wall. An upper surface of
the crate bottom is formed to include a bottle supporting platform
for each bottle to be received in the crate. There are a plurality
of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of the side
and end walls that define columns between the cut-outs, lower
portions of the peripheral wall and the columns being of single
wall construction except for hollow caps at upper ends of the
columns that are of double wall construction. The cut-outs
terminate at a ledge that separates the upper portions of the side
and end walls from the lower portions of the side and end walls.
Each of the columns, except for four corner columns, has a support
buttress extending downwardly and inwardly from a lower edge of a
respective one of the hollow caps to the crate bottom. The lower
portions of the side and end walls are connected to the crate
bottom by a plurality of inwardly directed ribs arranged in groups,
directly below each cut-out.
Inventors: |
Hammett, Roy; (Odessa,
FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON & VANDERHYE, PC
1100 N GLEBE ROAD
8TH FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22201-4714
US
|
Family ID: |
25526229 |
Appl. No.: |
09/978576 |
Filed: |
October 18, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/519 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 1/243 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/519 |
International
Class: |
B65D 001/24; B65D
001/36; B65D 057/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform
height, said peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a
pair of end walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral
wall, an upper surface of said crate bottom formed to include a
bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the
crate; a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper
portions of said side and end walls defining columns between said
cut-outs, lower portions of said peripheral wall and said columns
being of single wall construction except for hollow caps at upper
ends of said columns that are of double wall construction; each of
said columns, except for four corner columns, having a support
buttress extending downwardly and inwardly from a lower edge of a
respective one of said hollow caps to said crate bottom, and
wherein said cut-outs terminate at a ledge that separates said
upper portions of said side and end walls from said lower portions
of said side and end walls, and further wherein said lower portions
of said side and end walls are connected to said crate bottom by a
plurality of inwardly directed ribs arranged in groups, directly
below each cut-out.
2. The crate of claim 1 wherein each group comprises three
substantially L-shaped ribs.
3. The crate of claim 1 wherein said buttresses engage said crate
bottom inwardly of said groups of inwardly directed ribs.
4. The crate of claim 1 including at least one nesting rib between
each of said buttresses and an interior surface of each of said
columns.
5. The crate of claim 4 including a nesting rib on an interior
surface of each said corner column.
6. The crate of claim 1 wherein said bottle supporting platforms
are flush with said crate bottom.
7. The crate of claim 1 wherein handle cut-outs are provided in
lower portions of said end walls, and handle bars extend between
adjacent columns in said end walls directly above said handle
cut-outs.
8. The crate of claim 7 wherein said handle bars are of double wall
thickness.
9. The crate of claim 8 wherein each handle bar is connected
directly to said crate bottom.
10. The crate of claim 1 wherein each of said hollow caps is formed
with a pair of bottle supporting ribs facing respective adjacent
bottle receiving platforms.
11. The crate of claim 1 wherein said crate bottom has a lower
surface formed with an array of recesses adapted to engage bottle
caps of bottles carried in an underlying similar crate.
12. A low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform
height, said peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a
pair of end walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral
wall, an upper surface of said crate bottom formed to include a
bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the
crate; a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper
portions of said side and end walls defining columns between said
cut-outs, said cut-outs terminating at a ledge that separates said
upper portions of said side and end walls from lower portions of
said side and end walls, and wherein handle cut-outs are provided
in lower portions of said end walls, defining handle bars that
extend between adjacent columns in said end walls directly above
said handle cut-outs, each handle bar connected directly to the
crate bottom at a mid-point of said handle bar.
13. The crate of claim 12 wherein said handle bar is connected to
said crate bottom by a strut extending from said handle bar to a
raised pedestal on said crate bottom.
14. The crate of claim 12 wherein said upper surface of said crate
bottom is flat, with no defined bottle receiving pockets.
15. The crate of claim 12 wherein said handle bars are of double
wall thickness.
16. The crate of claim 14 wherein said crate bottom has a lower
surface formed with an array of recesses adapted to engage bottle
caps of bottles carried in an underlying similar crate.
17. A low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform
height, said peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a
pair of end walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral
wall, an upper surface of said crate bottom formed to include a
bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the
crate; a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper
portions of said side and end walls defining columns between said
cut-outs, lower portions of said peripheral wall and said columns
being of single wall construction except for hollow caps at upper
ends of said columns that are of double wall construction; and
wherein handle cut-outs are provided in lower portions of said end
walls, and handle bars extend between adjacent columns in said end
walls directly above said handle cut-outs, each handle bar
connected directly to the crate bottom; said crate bottom having a
lower surface formed with an array of recesses adapted to engage
bottle caps of bottles carried in an underlying similar crate, said
recesses in each of four quadrants being individually different but
substantial mirror images of recesses in adjacent quadrants in
respective longitudinal and transverse directions.
18. The low depth crate of claim 17 wherein said lower portions of
said peripheral wall are connected to said crate bottom by a
plurality of groups of substantially C-shaped ribs.
19. The low depth crate of claim 18 wherein said recesses have
peripheries defined by vertically oriented ribs, and wherein said
substantially L-shaped ribs have horizontal components with heights
less than corresponding heights of said vertically oriented
ribs.
20. The crate of claim 17 wherein said handle bars are of double
wall thickness.
21. The crate of claim 20 wherein each handle bar is connected
directly to said crate bottom.
22. The crate of claim 17 wherein each of said hollow caps is
formed with a pair of bottle supporting ribs facing respective
adjacent bottle receiving platforms.
23. The crate of claim 12 wherein said side walls are formed with a
plurality of laterally spaced wedge slides that provide a smooth
transitions from said upper portions to said lower portion of said
side walls.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to crate constructions for bottles
and more specifically, to a low depth crate for 20-24 oz.
bottles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Low depth bottle crates are well known in the art as
exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,836; 4,928,841; 5,060,819; and
5,855,277. These crates typically have side and end walls that
extend only about one-third the height of standard two-liter
bottles. This means that, when loaded and stacked, crates rest
directly on the bottles in an underlying crate. The low depth of
the crate is attractive, however, since it reduces material costs,
enhances visibility of the bottles, and reduces shipping space when
the crates are stacked empty. Some prior crates employ crate height
increasing features to provide greater support for bottles received
therein, while still permitting the bottle labels to be seen. Such
features may include columns that extend above the side and end
walls of the crate as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,899,874;
4,978,002; and 5,501,352.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The crate of this invention includes a peripheral wall
(inclusive of side and end walls) of uniform height with
substantially U-shaped cut-outs spaced along the side and end walls
of the crate. The cut-outs extend from the upper edge of the
peripheral wall downwardly to a ledge or shelf that separates the
peripheral wall into upper and lower portions. These cut-outs in
the upper portion of the side and end walls may also be viewed as
defining columns or pillars in the upper portion of the side walls,
end walls and corners, between the cut-outs. The lower portion is
solid about the periphery of the crate with the exception of two
cut-outs in the end walls extending from the crate bottom upwardly
to respective handle bars that are flush with the top surface of
the peripheral wall. As such, the handle bars interrupt the
otherwise regular occurrence of the cut-outs in the upper portion
of the peripheral wall.
[0004] The interior of the crate is open, i.e., there are no
partitions, columns or other interior structures defining
compartments for one or more bottles. Thus, the crate bottom, a
grid-like structure described in detail further below, has a flat
upper surface throughout the crate interior, but with defined
bottle support platforms arranged in four rows of six, that are
flush with the upper surface, each platform including a solid
annular ring. Thus, the crate is designed to carry twenty-four
individual 20-24 oz. bottles.
[0005] The peripheral wall is generally of single thickness
construction with the exception of certain areas at the tops of the
columns and the handle bars that are of double thickness as
described below.
[0006] The interior of the lower portion of the peripheral wall is
joined to the crate bottom directly below respective cut-outs in
the upper peripheral wall portion by three vertical, inwardly
projecting ribs. The two outside ribs of each group of three ribs
merge with edge surfaces of adjacent columns. The upper
(approximate) 1/3 of the columns are of double thickness, forming a
closed "cap" on the top of each column. For the columns along the
side and end walls, an internal support buttress extends from the
lower edge of the cap downwardly and at an acute angle relative to
vertical, joining with the crate bottom well inwardly of the lower
portion of the peripheral wall and the three vertical ribs between
adjacent columns. Since the bottle support platforms are generally
aligned with the cut-outs, the buttresses extend partially between
adjacent support platforms and thus provide some support for
individual bottles located along the side and end walls of the
crate. The corner columns are generally similar, but do not include
the internal buttresses.
[0007] The handle bars are also of double thickness and extend
between a pair of columns in the respective end walls. A support
strut and pedestal arrangement connects the center of each handle
bar directly to the crate bottom.
[0008] The lower surface of the crate bottom is formed with
recesses aligned with the bottle support platforms on the upper
surface, thus providing defined spaces for the caps of bottles in
an underlying crate when similar filled crates are stacked. The
recesses each have a flat base area that is larger than a
respective bottle cap, but the recesses are not all of the same
configuration. Rather, there is a symmetrical array of partially
circular recesses.
[0009] Specifically, the lower surface of the crate bottom is
arranged in four quadrants, each a mirror image of the adjacent
quadrants along the longitudinal and transverse axes. Within each
quadrant, the undersides of the six bottle supporting platforms is
different in terms of rib height, but similar in terms of overall
grid configuration. Annular ribs depending from each bottle
supporting platform generally have a maximum rib height that
coincides with the bottom surfaces of the grid that engage a
supporting surface. In the instant invention, the annular ribs are
formed to have some circumferential portion reduced in height so as
to be contiguous or flush with reduced height ribs both inside and
outside the annular ribs thereby providing additional selectively
oriented spaces for the bottle caps to slide in an uninhibited
manner. This arrangement facilitates dragging of an upper, filled
crate off a lower filled crate when stacked.
[0010] More specifically, the height of the annular rib defining
one recess (adjacent one side wall and the transverse axis of the
crate) is decreased through an angle of slightly more than
90.degree. along a portion facing the nearest side wall, thus
permitting a respective bottle cap to slide across rib and
laterally toward the nearest side wall.
[0011] The next adjacent recess along the side wall in the
direction of the nearest end wall is defined by an annular rib that
is decreased in height through approximately 180.degree. along
portions facing the nearest side and end walls, such that the
bottle cap is free to move transversely toward that side wall, and
longitudinally toward but not into the next adjacent recess.
[0012] The next adjacent recess in the nearest corner of the crate
is defined by a rib that is decreased in height through about
200.degree. also along portions facing the nearest side and end
walls. A respective bottle cap is thus free to move transversely
toward side the nearest wall and longitudinally toward the nearest
end wall.
[0013] The above described recesses lie in one row of one quadrant,
extending from the transverse axis along the side wall to an end
wall. The second row of the quadrant extending from the transverse
axis to the same end wall but along the longitudinal axis (and
adjacent the first row in the longitudinal direction) has recesses
that are generally similar to adjacent recesses in the first row,
but with slight differences in the angles through which the reduced
height annular ribs extend as dictated by the grid pattern of the
crate bottom.
[0014] The overall symmetrical pattern of recesses generally
centers one filled crate atop another, but allows movement of
underlying bottle caps within defined areas and thus facilitates
the dragging of one filled crate off another filled crate.
[0015] Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention relates to a low
depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, the
peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end
walls; a crate bottom connected to the peripheral wall, an upper
surface of the crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting
platform for each bottle to be received in the crate; a plurality
of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of the side
and end walls defining columns between the cut-outs, lower portions
of the peripheral wall and the columns being of single wall
construction except for hollow caps at upper ends of the columns
that are of double wall construction; each of the columns, except
for four corner columns, having a support buttress extending
downwardly and inwardly from a lower edge of a respective one of
the hollow caps to the crate bottom, and wherein the cut-outs
terminate at a ledge that separates the upper portions of the side
and end walls from the lower portions of the side and end walls,
and further wherein the lower portions of the side and end walls
are connected to the crate bottom by a plurality of inwardly
directed ribs arranged in groups, directly below each cut-out.
[0016] In another aspect, the invention relates to a low depth
bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, said
peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end
walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral wall, an upper
surface of the crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting
platform for each bottle to be received in the crate; a plurality
of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of the side
and end walls defining columns between the cut-outs, the cut-outs
terminating at a ledge that separates the upper portions of the
side and end walls from lower portions of the side and end walls,
and wherein handle cut-outs are provided in lower portions of the
end walls, defining handle bars that extend between adjacent
columns in the end walls directly above the handle cut-outs, each
handle bar connected directly to the crate bottom at a mid-point of
the handle bar.
[0017] In still another aspect, the invention relates to a low
depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, the
peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end
walls; a crate bottom connected to the peripheral wall, an upper
surface of the crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting
platform for each bottle to be received in the crate; a plurality
of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of the side
and end walls defining columns between the cut-outs, lower portions
of the peripheral wall and the columns being of single wall
construction except for hollow caps at upper ends of the columns
that are of double wall construction; wherein handle cut-outs are
provided in lower portions of the end walls, and handle bars extend
between adjacent columns in the end walls directly above the handle
cut-outs, each handle bar connected directly to the crate bottom;
and the crate bottom having a lower surface formed with an array of
recesses adapted to engage bottle caps of bottles carried in an
underlying similar crate, the recesses in each of four quadrants
being individually different but substantial mirror images of
recesses in adjacent quadrants in respective longitudinal and
transverse directions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the crate in accordance with
the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a right side elevation view of the crate shown in
FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a right end view of the crate shown in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the crate in FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the crate shown in FIG.
1;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 5;
and
[0026] FIG. 9 is a partial bottom perspective view of one quadrant
of the crate shown in FIGS. 1-5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] With reference initially to FIGS. 1-5, the crate 10 in the
exemplary embodiment is a one-piece molded plastic construction and
has a peripheral wall 12 that includes a pair of side walls 14, 16
and a pair of end walls 18, 20. The peripheral wall 12 is of
uniform height, extending from a crate bottom 22 to an intermittent
or discontinuous top surface 24. The latter is created by a series
of U-shaped cut-outs 26 that are spaced about the peripheral wall,
with six such cut-outs in each of the respective side walls 14, 16
and two in each of the respective end walls 18, 20. The cut-outs 26
reduce the weight of the crate and also provide good visibility
with respect to labels on individual bottles in the crate. In this
regard, the cut-outs 26 are centered on individual bottle support
platforms formed in the crate bottom, with two mutually
perpendicular cut-outs for the support platforms in the corners of
the crate. Each cut-out in the side and end walls has a pair of
inclined, substantially straight sides 28, 30 that extend
downwardly from the discontinuous top surface 24 to a shelf or
ledge 32 that separates the peripheral wall into upper and lower
portions. The lower portion is solid about the periphery of the
crate, with interruptions only in the end walls where handle
cut-outs 34 extend from the crate bottom 22 upwardly to handle bars
36 that allow the crate to be grasped at opposite ends.
[0028] The cut-outs 26 may also be said to define a plurality of
columns or pillars 38 along the side walls and 38' along the end
walls that extend upwardly from the shelf or ledge 32, terminating
at the top surface 24 of the peripheral wall. In the exemplary
embodiment, there are five columns 38 along each side wall, two
columns 38' along each end wall, and one column 40 in each of the
four corners of the crate. With exceptions explained below relating
to the end wall and corner columns 38', 40, respectively, the
structure of all of the columns 38, 38' and 40 is substantially
identical, and therefore, only one need be described in detail.
Thus, with particular reference to FIGS. 1, 4, 6 and 7, each column
38 is of generally single wall construction. The upper portion of
the column is formed as a hollow cap 42 by making approximately the
upper one third of the column of double thickness, with top surface
24 connecting the outer surface of the column to an inner surface
44. From the lower edge 46 of the inner surface 44, a support
buttress 48 extends downwardly and inwardly at an acute angle to
the column. An inward step 50 and a rib 52 that runs the length of
the buttress, provide added strength. Two additional ribs 54, 56 on
the inner surface 44 of the hollow cap strengthen the cap but also
face toward, and provide support for, bottles on adjacent support
platforms. Note also that side edges 58, 60 of the columns 40 wrap
around the shelf or ledge 34 to provide additional stiffness to the
columns.
[0029] With reference especially to FIGS. 1 and 2, wedge "slides"
62 are provided in alternating columns along the side walls. These
"slides" bridge the upper and lower portions of the side walls,
essentially eliminating the ledge 32 at these locations, and thus
providing a smooth transition between the upper and lower portions
of the side walls. This arrangement allows one crate side wall to
slide down an underlying crate side wall without interference from
ledge 24, when individual crates are removed from a stack of
similar crates.
[0030] Between each pair of adjacent columns 38 (and between
respective corner and end wall columns 40, 38'), the lower portions
of the side walls 14, 16 and end walls 18, 20 are connected to the
crate bottom 22 by groups of three laterally spaced, substantially
L-shaped ribs 64, 66 and 68, extending between the shelf or ledge
32 and the crate bottom 22. The "outside" ribs 64 and 68 merge with
respective edges 58, 60 of the adjacent columns, as best seen in
FIGS. 1 and 7. This generally open arrangement of ribs along the
interface of the peripheral wall and crate bottom facilitates
drainage but also provides the required strength with reduced
amounts of plastic material.
[0031] The columns 40 that are in the four corners of the crate do
not have support buttresses, and have only a single rib 70 on an
inner surface 72 of the respective hollow caps, as best seen in
FIG. 1. The columns 38' that are formed in the end walls 18, 20 do
have support buttresses 48 but have only one side edge 60, the
other side edge removed to accommodate the end wall handle cut-outs
34 and handle bars 36. Note that the handle bars 36 extend between
and are flush with the top surface 24 of the crate as defined by
the hollow caps 42' of the end wall columns 38'. A reinforcement or
support strut 74 extends downwardly from the middle of each handle
bar 36 to an upwardly projecting, substantially hollow pedestal 76
that is integral with the crate bottom 22. The combination of the
strut 74 and pedestal 76 provides stiffness and strength to the
handles and to the crate end walls.
[0032] The interior of the crate is open in that there are no
partitions or other internal structures that might otherwise serve
to divide the crate interior into bottle receiving pockets or
compartments. The crate bottom 22 is a grid like structure
comprised of longitudinal, transverse and diagonal ribs along with
solid annular rings as described further below. The upper surface
of the crate bottom is flat and smooth across substantially the
entire interior of the crate, save where the buttresses 48 join
with the outer periphery of the crate bottom, well inwardly of the
respective groups of three substantially L-shaped ribs 64, 66 and
68. The flat grid structure nevertheless defines bottle receiving
platforms that include solid, outer annular rings 78 that are
engaged by respective bottles. The rings 78 are connected by a
regular array of longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal ribs 80, 82
and 84, respectively, that create a generally open bottom that also
prevent liquids and small debris from collecting in the crate.
These ribs extend through the outer annular rings 78 and converge
at an inner annular ring 86 at the center of each platform. At the
center of each group of four surrounding platforms, certain of the
ribs 80, 82 and 84 converge at drainage holes 88 or 90. All of the
diagonal ribs are radially oriented relative to the center rings 86
of the various platforms.
[0033] In the exemplary embodiment, the crate bottom is formed to
include four longitudinal rows with six platforms in each row.
Thus, the crate is designed to carry 24 bottles, individually or in
six pack carriers. Note, however, that if six pack carriers are
utilized, they cannot be of the conventional cardboard type that
have side and end walls connected to a carrier bottom. Such
traditional six pack carriers will not fit in the exemplary crate
due to the inwardly projecting buttresses 50. Shrink wrap carriers
of the type that attach only to the upper portions of the bottles
may be used, however, and the buttresses 50 can thus extend between
lower portions of adjacent bottles, unencumbered by any carrier
surface.
[0034] With specific reference to FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, the lower
surface of the crate bottom 22 can be viewed as divided into four
quadrants, each a mirror image of the adjacent quadrants along both
the longitudinal and transverse axes. Within each quadrant, the
undersides of the six bottle supporting platforms are different in
terms of rib height, but similar in terms of overall configuration.
Maximum rib height coincides with the bottom surfaces of the grid
that engage a supporting surface and that define recessed areas
that are designed to receive bottle caps of bottles in an
underlying crate when stacked. In other words, with the exception
of the recessed areas, most of the ribs in the grid are
substantially of maximum height. Thus, if the outer annular ribs 92
(that depend from the underside of the radially outer edge of outer
rings 78 that form the support platforms on the upper surface of
the crate bottom) were of maximum height about a full 360.degree.,
and if the ribs within each ring were of lesser height, the bottle
caps would be confined within circular recesses bounded by the
outer annular ribs 92. In the instant invention, however, the outer
annular ribs 92 are formed to have some circumferential portion
reduced in height so as to be contiguous with reduced height ribs
inside the annular ribs 92, as well as selected of the ribs 80, 82,
84 beyond or outside the annular ribs, thereby providing additional
selectively oriented spaces for the bottle caps to slide in an
uninhibited manner. The overall pattern in the four mirror image
quadrants, however, serves to generally center one filled crate
atop another filled crate, but also facilitates dragging of an
upper filled crate off a lower filled crate.
[0035] Specifically, and with reference to FIG. 9, one quadrant of
the undersurface of the crate is shown. For convenience, the bottle
cap receiving areas defined in part by annular ribs 92 are
designated A, B, C, D, E and F. For ease of understanding, the
periphery of each recessed area has been drawn with darker lines.
The height of rib 92 in area A in the first row of the quadrant is
decreased through an angle of slightly more than 90.degree. as
indicated by the arrow 94 in an area adjacent the side wall 14.
Thus, annular rib 92 between portions 96, 98 of one of the
longitudinal ribs 80 is the same height as the ribs 80, 82 and 84
inside the annular rib 92 and the same height as the bottom
surfaces of ribs 64, 66 and 68, thus permitting a bottle cap to
slide across rib 92 and laterally toward (and beyond) the side wall
14 within this open area. Note in this regard that ribs 64, 66 and
68 in all cases are of reduced height and thus do not engage any
supporting surface.
[0036] For platform B, the annular rib 92 is decreased in height
through approximately 180.degree. as indicated by arrow 96, such
that the bottle cap is free to move transversely toward (and
beyond) the side wall 14 and longitudinally toward (but not into)
the next adjacent area C.
[0037] For platform C, the annular rib 92 is decreased in height
through about 200.degree. as indicated by arrow 98, and is thus
free to move transversely toward (and beyond) side wall 14 and
longitudinally toward (and beyond) the end wall 20.
[0038] Receiving area D in the second row of the quadrant is
generally similar to receiving area A but lies inboard, adjacent
the longitudinal axis. The annular rib 92 has a reduced height
through about an 85.degree. angle indicated by arrow 100. The
bottle cap is confined, however, by longitudinal rib 80 running the
two rows of the quadrant in the longitudinal direction.
[0039] Area E is generally similar to adjacent area B, but also
lies inboard, adjacent the longitudinal axis of the crate. The
annular rib 92 is reduced in height through about 180.degree., as
indicated by arrow 102, with the open area generally facing
diagonally toward area C. Within the 180.degree. area, the bottle
cap is free to move beyond rib 92 in both longitudinal and
transverse directions, but confined by longitudinal and transverse
ribs 80, 82 between adjacent recesses.
[0040] Area F is similar to adjacent area C, with rib 92 reduced
through about 200.degree. as indicated by arrow 104. Area F is thus
open in the longitudinal direction toward the nearest handle
opening 34, and open in the transverse direction to the
longitudinal rib 80 between the first and second rows of the
quadrant, and open into the corner area.
[0041] In all cases, the reduction in height of the annular ribs
92, or other ribs that confine the bottle caps, is achieved through
a taper as opposed to a sharp shoulder. This further enhances the
capability of an upper crate to slide across a lower crate.
[0042] When empty, the crates 10 are nestable, with the columns of
an underlying crate extending upwardly through spaces in the crate
bottom below the columns in the overlying crate. Referring to FIGS.
5 and 6, vertically extending, transversely oriented ribs 106 are
engaged between the inner surfaces of the columns 38 and the inner
surfaces of the buttresses 48, and extend below the hollow caps 42,
42', terminating at edges 108. Ribs 106 are bisected by vertically
extending, longitudinally oriented ribs 110 that extend just beyond
edges 108 of the ribs 106, terminating at edges 112. The top
surfaces 24 of underlying columns will thus engage edges 108
between ribs 110 and the inside surface of the buttresses 48 when
stacked empty. Similar nesting ribs are provided in the end columns
38. Corner columns 40 are provided with single, radially oriented
nesting ribs 112 that extend between the hollow caps and corner
surfaces, with edges 114 at the same height as edges 108 to thereby
engage corner columns of an underlying crate.
[0043] While the invention has been described in connection with
what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be
limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is
intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *