U.S. patent number 3,887,073 [Application Number 05/368,745] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-03 for nestable-stackable receptacle.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Banner Metals, Inc.. Invention is credited to James D. Wilson.
United States Patent |
3,887,073 |
Wilson |
June 3, 1975 |
Nestable-stackable receptacle
Abstract
An improved wire-formed receptacle is provided which may be
stacked, or tiered, with other like receptacles when loaded with
merchandise for transportation and display purposes, and which may
be nested into other like receptacles when empty, for storage or
for return to the distribution center with a minimum of space
requirements. The improved receptacle of the invention is
constructed to have particular utility, for example, in retail
stores for restocking the shelves in such stores. The receptacles
of the invention are constructed so that they may be shipped from
the packing center, or warehouse, in a stacked condition as a
multiplicity of static tiers; and which tiers may be conveniently
elevated up from the floor or the retail store, or other facility,
by a pallet jack, or the like, onto wheeled dollies for convenient
movement about the facility.
Inventors: |
Wilson; James D. (Newport
Beach, CA) |
Assignee: |
Banner Metals, Inc. (Compton,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
23452562 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/368,745 |
Filed: |
June 11, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/507; 206/511;
206/821; 211/126.8; 206/513; 220/485 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
21/048 (20130101); Y10S 206/821 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
21/04 (20060101); B65d 021/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;211/126,128,181,71
;220/19 ;206/503,509,511,513,507,510,512,821 ;108/51,53,55 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Huckert; John W.
Assistant Examiner: Levy; Stuart S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jessup & Beecher
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A receptacle capable of being stacked or nested with receptacles
of like construction, including: a first wire rod extending as a
closed rectangular loop around the periphery of the receptacle,
said closed rectangular loop having spaced and parallel side
portions, having spaced and parallel end portions, and having four
corners; means attached to said wire rod to define a bottom for the
receptacle; and further wire rods forming elongated side brackets
attached to said wire rod at the respective corners of the
rectangular loop, said side brackets extending upwardly to define
corresponding upper support members displaced downwardly from the
plane of the bottom of the receptacle and extending downwardly to
define corresponding lower support members displaced downwardly
from the plane of the bottom and in respective vertical alignment
with the upper support members, each of said further wire rods
defining an inverted U-shape to provide an apex at the upper end of
the corresponding side bracket, and each of the further rods being
formed with the lower end thereof configured into a bent-over
looped end portion.
2. The receptacle defined in claim 1, and which includes an
elongated stamped sheet metal bracket having an essentially solid
rectangular configuration affixed in an upright position to each of
said further rods at the lower end thereof with the lower end of
the bracket positioned on top of and in engagement with said
bent-over looped end portion thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,879, which issued Mar. 26, 1963 to the present
inventor, describes a wire-formed tray or receptacle which is
stackable and nestable, as is the receptacle of the present
invention. As described in the patent, tiers of such receptacles
are usually mounted on dollies, and the tiers of loaded receptacles
are shipped from the packing plant, or warehouse, to the retail
outlet, or other facility, in order that goods and commodities may
be supplied to the facility.
A further U.S. Pat. 3,524,565 which issued Aug. 18, 1970 to the
present inventor, also describes a similar type of wire-formed tray
or receptacle which is stackable and nestable. The receptacles of
the latter patent are generally similar to those described in the
first patent, but are constructed to be appropriate for heavier
loads. The latter receptacles, likewise, are intended to be shipped
from the packing plant or warehouse in tiers supported on
individual dollies.
In each instance, the tiers of receptacles described in the patents
are mounted on dollies and are wheeled manually onto a truck, or
other vehicle, at the packing plant or warehouse for shipment to
the retail outlet. Then they are wheeled manually from the truck
onto the loading dock and into the storeroom, or freezer, of the
retail outlet. A major objection to this procedure is the need for
a large number of dollies in order the transport the tiers of
receptacles from the packing centers, or warehouses, to the retail
outlets. Another objection is the fact that the tiers of
receptacles in the transport trucks are not static, since they are
supported on dollies, and they are free to roll around unless
elaborate means are taken to restrain them.
An additional objection to the aforesaid procedure is the fact that
a large number of dollies are used to transport the tiers of
receptacles to the retail outlets and this results in an inordinate
number of dollies at the retail outlets which have a tendency to
become lost, or used for other purposes, thus entailing additional
expense. Moreover, the dolly-supported tiers represent a problem in
unloading the truck when the truck is on a slope, such as the case
with most retail outlets which make use of a truck well.
It is clear, therefore, that the dolly-supported tier is a problem
until it reaches the retail outlet. After the tier has been taken
into the outlet, however, the dolly is then essential, since it
permits the personnel of the retail outlet to wheel the tiers of
receptacles into the various areas where they are needed. The
receptacles of the present invention overcome this problem since
they are constructed so that they can be stacked into a static tier
which is supported up from the floor on legs to permit either a
fork truck or a pallet jack to slip under the tier and raise it up
for moving about the packing center, warehouse, into the trucks,
and off the trucks into the retail store.
While the tiers of receptacles of this invention are on the trucks,
however, they are static, and can easily be restrained from
movement as they are transported to the retail outlet. Once they
are unloaded from the truck into the retail outlet, a pallet jack
may be slipped under the individual tiers to raise it up from the
floor, and to permit a dolly to be slipped under the stack, so that
it may then be conveniently moved from place-to-place within the
outlet.
Therefore, by the use of the particular receptacle construction of
the present invention, the use of dollies is eliminated everywhere
except where they are actually needed, and that is on the floor of
the retail outlet. The configuration of the receptacles of the
invention permit a static tier of the receptacles to exist up until
the time the tier is actually deposited on the floor in the
storeroom of the retail outlet. At that time, the store personnel
will roll a standard pallet jack under the tier and raise it up, so
that a U-shaped dolly may be inserted from the opposite side. Then,
the pallet jack may be lowered, to transfer the tier onto the
dolly. The pallet jack may then be removed, and the tier of
receptacles may be easily moved on the dolly about the store, until
the receptacles of the tier have served their purpose of stocking
the shelves, etc., in the stores. When the receptacles are empty,
the pallet jack is again inserted under the empty tier to remove
the dolly, and replace the tier back on the floor as a static tier.
The receptacles may then be nested down for pick-up by the truck
driver on his next round.
The receptacles of the invention are similar in construction to the
receptacles of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,565. However, they have an
additional elongated projection at the lower corners which displace
the lower horizontal wire loops down from the bottom of the
receptacle. In this way, when the receptacles of the invention are
stacked on one another, the resulting tier is displaced up from the
floor, so as to permit a pallet jack, or the like, to lift up the
tier to deposit it one a dolly, at the retail outlet, as described
above.
As in U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,565, the construction of the individual
receptacles of the present invention is such that, when the
receptacles are stacked on top of one another into a tier, they are
held firmly in place, so as to constitute a stable assembly. Also,
each receptacle of the present invention, as is the case with the
receptacles in both the aforesaid patents, may be nested down into
a lower receptacle, merely by displacing it longitudinally with
respect to the lower receptacle, and permitting it to move down
into the lower receptacle.
The receptacles of the present invention, like the receptacles of
U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,565, are constructed so that an upstanding
elongated looped wire side bracket extends from each horizontal
bottom loop of the receptacle to the corresponding upstanding upper
projection. With such construction, any load supported on the upper
projection of the receptacle is directly supported by the
compressive stress of the corresponding side brackets, and no
bending stress or strains are relied on for load support. In
addition, metal brackets are welded, or otherwise attached to each
of the upstanding elongated looped wire side brackets for further
reinforcing purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle constructed in
accordance with the concepts of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial side elevation showing two receptacles, of the
type illustrated in FIG. 1, preliminarily to being nested within
one another;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing a partial view of two
receptacles, of the type illustrated in FIG. 1, stacked on top of
one another;
FIG. 4 is a perspective representation of a tier of receptacles,
such as the receptacle of FIG. 1, supported on a pallet jack;
and
FIG. 5 is a perspective representation of a U-type shelf dolly
which may be used to support the tier in FIG. 4 in the place of the
pallet jack.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
The receptacle indicated in FIG. 1 is indicated generally as 50. In
the receptacle 50, an intermediate wire rod 52 extends as a closed
rectangular loop around the periphery of the receptacle. The closed
rectangular loop formed by the wire rod 52 has spaced and parallel
end portions, as shown, and it also has spaced and parallel end
portions. The side portions of the loop formed by the wire rod 52
are displaced down from the merchandise to be inserted into and
withdrawn from the receptacle, especially when it is stacked on
other like receptacles, and yet form a barrier to prevent the
merchandise from sliding out the sides of the receptacle.
A further wire rod 56 extends around the periphery of the
receptacle 50 at the bottom of the receptacle, and the wire rod 56
forms a support for bottom wires 58 which extend from one side of
the receptacle to the other in spaced and parallel relationship,
and which are welded to the side portions of the wire rod 56. The
wire rod 56 also forms a support for longitudinal rods 60 which are
of somewhat larger diameter than the bottom wires 58, and which
serve to reinforce the bottom. The rods 60 extend longitudinally
from one end of the bottom to the other, and are welded, or
otherwise attached, to the end portions of the wire rod 56. A
pluralilty of V-shaped individual wire rods 62 extend between the
side portions of the wire rod 52 and of the wire rod 56, so as to
complete the barrier.
The upper and lower supports for the receptacle 50 are formed by
V-shaped wire rods 68 of relatively large diameter. These rods are
each folded back on one another to form an upper mounting
projection at each corner of the receptacle, and the rods 68 are
bent over into a horizontal loop at their lower ends, to form the
looped lower support members. As shown, each of the wire rods 68
extends below the bottom of the receptacle 50, so that the lower
support members are each displaced down from the plane of the
bottom into a second plane spaced and parallel below the bottom
plane. In addition, a sheet metal bracket 76 is welded, or
otherwise attached to the lower end of each of the rods 68 as an
additional reinforcing means.
The ends of the receptacle are formed by wire rods 70 which extend
as closed loops between the upright rods 68 at both ends of the
receptacle, and which are welded, or otherwise affixed to the rods
68. In addition, upright rods 72 are welded to the rods 70 and to
the rods 52 and 56 to complete the end structures. The rods 68
provide a positive support between the receptacles of the tier,
even when loaded with heavy merchandise, and, together with the
additional reinforcing brackets 76, permit merchandise of
substantial weight to be placed in each receptacle of the tier
without any tendency for the receptacles to collapse or bend.
As best shown in FIG. 2, for example, the receptacle of FIG. 1 may
be nested down into a similar receptacle, merely by displacing it
slightly from the lower receptacle as shown in FIG. 2, and
subsequently dropping it into place into the lower receptacle.
Likewise, the receptacle of FIG. 1 may be stacked on a lower
receptacle to form a tier, the stacking being accomplished, as
shown in FIG. 3, by engaging the upper projection of the rod 68 of
a lower receptacle with the looped lower support member of the
corresponding rod 68 of the upper receptacle.
As shown in FIG. 4, a tier of receptacles of the type shown in FIG.
1 may be conveniently placed on a pallet jack 100, merely by
slipping the pallet jack under the lowermost receptacle 50, which
is displaced up from the floor by the lower extensions of the rods
68, the pallet jack may then be controlled to its upper level, so
as to lift the tier up off the floor and permit a U-shaped shelf
dolly 104, as shown in FIG. 2, to be conveniently slipped under the
tier as a mobile support means.
The invention provides, therefore, an improved receptacle which is
nestable and stackable, and which includes side brackets interposed
between its upper and lower support members. The side brackets are
extended, so that the receptacles are displaced from one another
when formed into a tier, and are also displaced up from the floor
of the supporting surface, to permit a pallet jack, or the like,
conveniently to be slipped under the tier, to enable it to be
loaded in a dolly, for the reasons described above.
While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and
described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the claims
to cover the modifications which fall within the spirit and scope
of the invention.
* * * * *