U.S. patent number 3,628,684 [Application Number 04/863,059] was granted by the patent office on 1971-12-21 for plastic bottle racks.
Invention is credited to Georges Sere.
United States Patent |
3,628,684 |
Sere |
December 21, 1971 |
PLASTIC BOTTLE RACKS
Abstract
Bottle racks made of plastic material, comprising at their upper
part, four handling openings having a trapezoidal form and
undulated edges without any sharp angles.
Inventors: |
Sere; Georges (Lourdes
(Hautes-Pyrenees), FR) |
Family
ID: |
8655268 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/863,059 |
Filed: |
October 2, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/516; 206/427;
220/519; 206/512; 220/771 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
1/243 (20130101); B65D 2501/24847 (20130101); B65D
2501/24929 (20130101); B65D 2501/24942 (20130101); B65D
2501/24541 (20130101); B65D 2501/2484 (20130101); B65D
2501/24216 (20130101); B65D 2501/24566 (20130101); B65D
2501/2407 (20130101); B65D 2501/24777 (20130101); B65D
2501/24796 (20130101); B65D 2501/2435 (20130101); B65D
2501/24331 (20130101); B65D 2501/24598 (20130101); B65D
2501/2414 (20130101); B65D 2501/24853 (20130101); B65D
2501/24592 (20130101); B65D 2501/24019 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
1/24 (20060101); B65D 1/22 (20060101); B65d
001/24 (); B65d 021/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/21,97R,94A,72 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
691,168 |
|
Jul 1964 |
|
CA |
|
93,222 |
|
Jan 1969 |
|
FR |
|
94,470 |
|
Jul 1969 |
|
FR |
|
1,129,480 |
|
Oct 1968 |
|
GB |
|
432,353 |
|
Sep 1967 |
|
CH |
|
Primary Examiner: Lowrance; George E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Bottle rack made of a plastic material in the shape of a
parallelepiped having four vertical sides, and a trapezoidal
opening near the top of each side adapted to admit a human
hand;
a pair of lugs extending upwardly from the upper edges of two
opposed vertical sides, each lug having four upwardly extending
surfaces including a first surface transverse to the side which
carries it and a second transverse surface opposite the first, said
first transverse surface sloping upwardly more gently than any
other of said upwardly extending surfaces,
the bottoms of said two opposed sides defining recesses aligned
with said lugs and dimensioned to receive corresponding lugs on
another rack when stacked thereon:
whereby the engagement of the lugs of one rack in the recesses of
another rack inhibits horizontal movement of said one rack relative
to the other but provides less resistance to movement in a
horizontal direction transverse to said gently sloping surfaces
than in any other horizontal direction.
2. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 1 in which the gently sloping
surfaces on each of said pairs of lugs are on the sides of those
lugs most remote from each other, and said recesses of each pair
being open at the ends thereof remote from each other.
3. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 1 comprising rounded vertical
ribs at its four vertical corners, the central portion of each rib
being depressed with respect to the remainder of that rib and
thickened along its outer edge to form an abutment which
facilitates hooking of a person's fingers over said thickened
edge.
4. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 1 comprising a pair of
horizontal lugs projecting outwardly from each of two opposed sides
of said rack, said lugs being spaced horizontally by a distance at
least equal to the length of each lug and vertically by a minimal
clearance, whereby two racks may be placed side-by-side with each
lug on one side of one rack lapping a lug on the adjacent side on
the other rack, to inhibit relative vertical motion between said
racks.
5. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 4 comprising two of said pairs
of horizontal lugs on each of said opposed sides of said rack.
6. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 1 having a bottom comprising a
plurality of individual bottle supports connected by transverse
crossbars, each individual support consisting of an annular member
defining a central aperture surrounded by a rim which curves
outwardly and upwardly, together with four arms which radiate
outwardly from said rim and are supported only at the ends thereof
attached to said rim.
7. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 6 comprising perforated vertical
walls separating the spaces above each individual support from each
other, the lower parts of said walls integral with said
crossbars.
8. Bottle rack as claimed in claim 1 in which each of said opposed
vertical sides defines a pair of horizontally spaced apertures,
dimensioned to receive the arms of a forklift, each aperture being
positioned in the upper part of the side in which it is located,
near one end of that side.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The use of bottle racks made of plastic material is well known.
However, the bottle racks manufactured up to this day, the shape of
which is more or less similar to the known type of shape of the
wooden bottle racks, are not easily handled and show different
drawbacks, namely because of the lower rabbet usually provided for
allowing the stacking of the bottle racks one above the other, the
said rabbet-causing cracks, after a certain time, particularly on
the lower bottle racks of the various stacks, resulting from the
weight of the superposed bottle racks which is only transmitted
through the peripheric part of these bottle racks.
The present invention is intended to avoid these drawbacks, and has
for its object an improved type of bottle racks, made of plastic,
showing a certain number of features facilitating namely the
handling and the use of these bottle racks as regards their
delivery, their storage and the dripping of the empty bottles,
storage which must be also expected to be performed in an
horizontal position.
In order to avoid the lower nesting rabbet, the upper part of the
new bottle racks is provided on its edge, close to the angles of
this bottle rack, with lugs in the shape of the frustum of a
pyramid, with a rectangular base, having slopes with inclinations
and intended for engaging with recesses in the shape of passages,
provided in the base of said bottle racks, in order to enable the
nesting of the bottle racks superposed one above the other, to
ensure their vertical alignment whilst making their disengagement
and their longitudinal displacement in relation to a lower bottle
rack easier.
An increased stability of the bottle racks is thus obtained, whilst
it avoids any overhang and any risk of cracks as regards the lower
bottle racks.
The present invention is also intended to add another improvement
to the new bottle rack, by presenting rounded corners showing
vertical ribs, the central rib of which is not so thick, on one
part of its height, than the other horizontal and vertical
reinforcement ribs, this central rib ending externally in the shape
of a rounded bulb, which facilitates the gripping of the bottle
racks and their disengagement in relation to the neighboring piles
of bottle racks, namely allowing the lifting of these bottle racks
by holding the lower part of a median horizontal rib, placed at the
level of said rounded corners.
A third important improvement consists in the fact that the bottle
rack, bored in the longitudinal direction of ports enabling the
passage of lifting forks, includes on its lateral faces, close to
its upper part, median ports in a general trapezoidal shape, wider
at their lower part than at their upper part and enabling the
lifting of the bottle rack by holding same by one slanting side of
said trapezia, which facilitates its handling when the said bottle
rack is filled with full bottles.
Furthermore, the edges of the above mentioned trapezoidal median
ports show an undulated outline, which enables the storekeeper to
locate his fingers more easily, and increases the surface of
contact between his fingers and the bottle racks to be lifted.
A further improvement added to the new bottle racks, concerns the
use of a perforated and cellulated bottom provided on the sides of
each cell, with openings and guiding internal ribs, and at their
lower part, with radial elements made of plastic material showing a
certain elasticity used as bottle support, the said radial elements
being integral with bowls provided with a central aperture enabling
the dripping of the empty bottles turned upside down the spouts of
which have been centered by the said bowls, joined one to the other
by longitudinal and transversal crossmembers connecting the
parallel sides of said bottle rack one to the other, and holding
the solid parts of the walls of said cells.
The borings of the above mentioned bowls, and the bottom
perforations are made in such a manner that the spouts of the
conventional bottles cannot pass through this bottom part, which
avoids the risks of chipping or severing the spouts particularly
when the bottle racks are removed on roller conveyors, and also the
corresponding scraping of said bottles.
Besides, the numerous slanting, horizontal and vertical
reinforcement ribs providing this bottle rack, together with the
openings on its walls, enlighten the bottle rack to a maximum
without impairing its mechanical strength.
The new bottle rack can also include at the upper part of its long
sides, between the two horizontal ribs provided above the
trapezoidal ports already mentioned, and very close to the lowest
rib, groups of lugs and recesses of an elliptical shape, which can
cooperate with recesses and lugs provided on superposed bottle
racks, the various vertical and slanting ribs joining the two
above-mentioned horizontal ribs being hollowed, in order to allow
the eventual passage of said lugs when a bottle rack is disengaged
in a vertical position, from two piles of adjoining bottle
racks.
These lugs and recesses allow the vertical alignment of the bottle
racks stored in an horizontal position.
A further new feature of the present invention consists in the fact
that the vertical walls of the said bottle rack are in fact
slightly slanting in order to form a pyramid with a rectangular
base tending to send the empty bottles towards the bottom of said
bottle racks, when the latter are stacked in an horizontal position
one above the other.
It is to be noted that due to this slight obliquity the bottles
which are stored in these bottle racks are more and more inclined
towards the bottom of the various bottle racks, as one progresses
higher in each pile of superposed bottle racks.
However, owing to the above mentioned lugs and recesses and to the
slight obliquity provided, the superposed bottle racks cannot
slide, one in respect to the other, and remain vertically aligned
in a horizontal position.
The features of the present invention will be better understood
when reading the under mentioned description of a type of
embodiment of bottle rack, in conformity with the invention; this
embodiment must be understood not in a limiting sense, but as
illustrative according to the attached drawing on which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the new bottle rack; FIG. 2 is a
partial section according to II--II of FIG. 5 showing the nesting
between two superposed bottle racks.
FIG. 3 is a top view showing the partitioned bottom of said bottle
rack;
FIG. 4 is a section view at the level of the lugs and recesses
provided for the storage in a horizontal position, according to
IV--IV of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a partial section according to V--V of FIG. 2, showing
also the said nesting;
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the bottle rack shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a section view according to VII--VII of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a partitioning cell pertaining to
the perforated bottom of the bottle rack corresponding to the cell
referenced by VIII of FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a bottle rack according to the
invention, showing the manner in which it may be lifted,
particularly when empty, and
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view comparable with FIG. 9, showing the
position of the storekeeper's fingers along two slanting slides of
two parallel trapezoidal windows or openings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a bottle rack 1 including at its lower part
eight perforations, four of which can be seen under reference 2 on
FIG. 1.
Four ports 3, intended for allowing the passage of an elevator
fork, used for handling a stack of superposed bottle racks, or the
passage of two arms provided for this purpose on a trolley,
provided near the upper part of the bottle rack.
Besides the four ports 3, the bottle rack includes, at its upper
part, four trapezoidal openings 4, with undulated edges without
sharp angles, the latter openings, as said above, facilitating the
handling, on the one hand, due to the increased contact surface
existing between the storekeeper's fingers and the bottle rack, and
on the other hand, due to the inclination of the slanting sides of
the said trapezoidal openings, as it will be particularly seen by
examining FIG. 10.
The bottle rack includes, slightly above its median part, an
horizontal reinforcement rib 5, also facilitating the disengagement
of the bottle racks placed side-by-side, when they are pressed one
against the other.
In effect, the corners 6 of the bottle rack are rounded, which
enables the easy location of the hands, on both sides of the bottle
rack, under said rib 5, even when it is pressed between two
adjoining bottle racks, in order to ensure its disengagement by
longitudinal sliding.
The rounded angles 6 of the bottle rack are provided with
reinforcement vertical ribs 7, 8 and 9, located on the longitudinal
sides as regards ribs 7, on the lateral sides as regards ribs 9,
and in the middle of the rounded part itself as regards ribs 8.
The various ribs 7 and 8 depressed approximately between two
horizontal ribs 10 and 11 provided at the upper part of the bottle
racks, in order to allow the passage of lugs 12, 13, 14 and 15, the
utility of which will be explained later on, during the
longitudinal displacement of a bottle rack between two stacks of
adjoining bottle racks.
Two recesses 15a and 14a are provided above the lugs 12 and 13,
while recesses 13a and 12a are provided under the lugs 14 and
15.
On the backwall of the bottle rack shown on FIG. 1, there are also
lugs 12, 13, 14 and 15, similar to those of the front wall, and
recesses 12a, 13a, 14a, and 15a provided for cooperating with the
lugs 12, 13, 14 and 15 of an adjoining bottle rack.
It is easy to understand that the arrangement adopted for the above
mentioned lugs and recesses, enables one to choose at will, the
backwall and the front wall of each bottle rack when stacking same,
the arrangement of the lugs in relation to the recesses not
depending upon this choice.
Besides, the ribs 8 show at their median part 8a a reduced
thickness compared to the thickness of the ribs 7 and 9 and to the
upper and lower parts of the rib 8.
Furthermore, at the level of this part 8a, these ribs end in a
rounded thickened edge facilitating the location of the
storekeeper's fingers.
This arrangement allows one, on the one hand, to grip the part 8a
of the rib 8 at the level of the said thickened edge, and on the
other hand to insert the hand above the said horizontal rib 5,
between the said thickened edge and the external part of said
horizontal rib angle, in order to lift one bottle rack in relation
to a lower bottle rack.
The sliding of an upper bottle rack in relation to a lower bottle
rack is facilitated by the shape of the lugs 16 provided at the
level of the angles 6, at the upper part of said bottle racks.
These lugs 16, which can be seen on a larger scale on FIG. 2 and 5,
are provided for cooperating with the elongated recesses 16a made
in the base of the bottle rack and which open in 17 at the
periphery of the base 18 of the bottle rack 1.
The manner in which the lugs 16 and the recesses 16a cooperate is
easily understood by examining FIGS. 2 and 5.
The lugs 16, in the shape of the frustums of a pyramid, include in
the longitudinal direction, two slopes of different inclination,
i.e. a slope showing a slight inclination 19 and a substantially
vertical slope 20.
For disengaging a bottle rack, one lifts its base above the upper
plane 21 of the bottle rack lugs on which it is nested, on the side
towards the storekeeper, and let it slide on these planes, the lugs
16 at the other end of said bottle rack sliding without any
difficulty into the corresponding recesses 16a.
Besides, one can see on FIG. 1 and 3, at the level of the bottle
rack bottom, elements 22 in the shape of a star, on which the
bottles bottoms are expected to rest, or, as it will be seen
further on, regarding FIG. 7, the spouts on the empty bottles which
are to be drained.
Finally, one can see inside the bottle rack, at its lower part,
walls 23 in the shape of a Y, the vertical median part of the said
walls being provided with reinforcement ribs 24, which can
particularly be seen on FIG. 8.
In the angles of the cells formed by the said walls, are provided
gussets 25 ensuring the rigidity of the said walls; these gussets
can be seen on FIGS. 3 and 8.
On FIG. 1, one can also note that all the elements 22 are integral
with the sidewalls on the bottle rack 1, thanks to a checkered
arrangement of the crossmembers 26 which can also be seen on FIGS.
3 and 8.
By referring now to FIGS. 3 and 7, the shape of the star elements
22 is described. These star shaped elements include a bowl 22a
comprising a central recess 22b, showing an opening 22c bored in
its center, allowing the dripping of an empty bottle turned upside
down 27.
In the normal position of the full bottles, the bottom of these
bottles rests on four flanges 22d widened at their free end, these
flanges having a certain flexibility, granting to the element 22
the nature of a star-shaped suspension spring.
It is to be noted that the gussets 25 do not exist on the periphery
of the bottle rack 1 and that, on the contrary, the walls 23 are
not perforated on the side of the lateral walls of the bottle rack,
with which they are integral on their whole length, the distance
and the location of the ribs 24 being then a little different.
It will also be noted that the checkered arrangement shown by the
crossmembers 26 stops in the angles and is replaced by slanting
crossmembers 28 making this checkered arrangement integral with the
angles walls of the bottle rack.
One finds again on FIG. 6 the ports 3 allowing the passage of a
lifting fork which can be seen in 3a, and also one of the openings
4 and the lower perforations 2, as well as the reinforcement ribs 7
and 8 and the various horizontal ribs.
FIG. 8 illustrates four walls 23 in the shape of a Y provided, on
their two faces, with reinforcement ribs 24.
The cells angles, existing on both sides of the central bars of the
said Y-shaped walls, are perforated at their lower part, as seen on
reference 29, FIG. 8, on which are also seen the gussets 25
ensuring the rigidity of the various walls, as a whole.
As said above, the perforations 29 are suppressed near the walls of
the bottle rack, and the solid central bar 23a of the walls then
runs on its whole height, up to the sidewalls of said bottle
rack.
For the sake of simplification, neither the undulations
facilitating the gripping of the bottle racks, nor the trapezoidal
openings on the small sides of the bottle rack, have been
illustrated on FIG. 9 and 10.
According to FIG. 10, one can see that the part of the bottle rack
on the side towards the storekeeper is lifted first, in order to
release the lugs from the corresponding recesses in the lower
bottle rack, and that afterwards, one let it slide before
collecting it for delivery for example to a user or for storing it
in another place.
It is well understood that various alternations can be brought to
the above described embodiment, as well as improvements or
additions, or replacement of certain elements by equivalent
elements, without changing the general economy of the
invention.
* * * * *