US2599727A

US2599727A - Stacking and nesting container

Info

Publication number: US2599727A
Application number: US233374A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick W Schmidt
Original assignee: TRUSTEES TUMWATER SQUARE
Current assignee: TRUSTEES TUMWATER SQUARE
Priority date: 1951-06-25
Filing date: 1951-06-25
Publication date: 1952-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 1969-06-10

Description

June 10, 1952 H T 2,599,727

STACKING AND NESTING CONTAINER Filed June 25, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORL Frederick W. dc/zmz'dz A z z orne y June 10, 1952 F. w. SCHMIDT v STACKING AND NESTfNG CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1951 INVENTOR. Frederic/1 W, Schmio/Z A t torrzey F. W. SCHMIDT STACKING AND NESTING CONTAINER June 10, 1952 5 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed June 25, 1951 Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE srlioxmc AND CONTAINER Frederick W. Schmidt, Olympia, Wash assignor to Trustees Tumwater Square, Olympia, Wash,

a trusteeship Application June 2-5, 1951, Serial No. 233,374

15 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to unitary, open top containers, and, while not necessarily limited thereto, the containers of the invention are particularly useful in connection with the handling of fresh fruit and vegetables.

In certain instances, such as in the fresh fruit and vegetable industries, open top containers commonly referred to as lug boxes are used for handling and transporting the produce from the field to the packing plant,cannery, or storage warehouse. While rectangular wooden boxes are generally used, these have many disadvantages such as short life, unsanitariness, high maintenance cost, incapability of being nested when empty for storage or transportation, and awkwardness of carrying or handling.

It is a general object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved open top container which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which is durable, easy to clean and keep sanitary, which i capable of being nested, thereby reducing the space required for storage or transportation when empty or which, when filled, may be stacked one'upo-n another without injury to contents.-

It has been proposed heretofore to form lug boxes of metal so designed with tapering side walls whereby they may be nested onewithin am other when empty or be stacked, when filled, by placing one crosswiseupon another. Such metal containers as have been-proposedheretofore have been relatively costly to manufacture and have had a multiplicity of sharp corners and crevasses making it difficult, if not-impossiblato keep them clean. For facilitating handling, such'containers as have been provided heretofore have been formed with out out hand holes leaving sharp, raw, metal edges, the use of which is furthermore interfered with by the produce contained within the box. Where theboxisused for produce of relatively small size, the handopenings more or less limit the depth to which the box may be filled; In other instances, handle units have been hingedly or otherwise fastened to the outer end wall of the container, but such handle not only sharply increase the cost ofthe container but generally interfere withthe nesting of" the boxes when empty and aresubject to damage or breakage.

It is a further object-of the present invention,- therefore,.to provide an open top container of the class described which is so shaped as to provide a hand engageable ledge completely around'the top thereof, which iscomfortable to grasp, does not interfere with the completefillinglof the container, does not entail any additional expense of manufacture, and which facilitates rather than interferes with the nesting of the empty containers.

In metal lug boxes as have been proposed heretofore, various means have been provided for facilitating the stacking of the boxes when filled with produce. Such means have sometimes taken the form of folding bracket elements secured to the upper edge of the container, but such elements have the disadvantages of high cost, awkwardness of operation, and interference with nesting. In other instances, it ha been proposed to form grooves or shoulders in the bottom wall of the container which will engage over the upper edge of a lower container. Theprovision of such means in the bottom wall of the container forms crevasses or sharp corners Within the interior of the container within which small pieces of produce may accumulate and rot creating an unsanitary condition difiicult, if not impossible, to correct. Then, too, the irregularities thus formed in the lower surface of the container interfere with the passage of filled containers o'ver conveyor rollers commonly used in packing plants.

It is'a still further object of the present invention', therefore, to provide a lug box of the type described having a substantially fiat bottom wall with no crevasses or sharpcorners within the interior of the container yet so designed that superposed boxes are securely interlocked and no shifting in relation to one another can take place when a plurality of similar boxes are stacked one upon another.

Again, open top containers of the class described such as have been proposed heretofore have required the provision of stiffening elements in the upper edge thereof usually in the form" of a heavy iron wire, rod or bar inclosed within a rolled or folded hem. Such stiffening means adds appreciably to the cost of manufacture and to theweig'ht of the finished product.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an open top container or lug box of the type described having a newand. improved arrangement for stiffening the upper ends of the side and end walls, the stiffeningarrange ment further serving to define hand engageable ledges'or handles and also forming a means for facilitating the stacking of the boxes one upon another when filled.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, thclug box of the present invention is adapted to be formed by extrusion from a metal sheet and thus formed in a single piece. The box is of generally rectangular configuration having greater length than width and having a bottom wall and outwardly flaring side and end walls. The upper edges of the side and end walls are bent outwardly around the entire circumference of the box forming a horizontal ledge. The outer edge of the ledge is bent upwardly to form an upstanding flange, the uppermost edge portion of which is hemmed over on the outer side. The horizontal ledge extending around the top of the container defines a hand engageable portion or handle by means of which the container may conveniently and comfortably be handled when filled. In one embodiment the central portion of the ledge at the top of each of the opposite side walls is somewhat wider than the remainder of the horizontal ledge so that the width between the flanges on the opposite sides of the box corresponds substantially to the over-ah length of the bottom of the container whereby a plurality of similar containers may be stacked crosswise one upon another. The combined ledge and hemmed flange form a stiffening section around the top of the container, having great rigidity and strength permitting the container to withstand rough handling and also enablin the lowermost of a plurality of filled, stacked containers adequately to withstand the superposed burden. All of the internal corners of the container are rounded whereby it may readily be kept clean and sanitary, while the bottom wall is furthermore flat to facilitate smooth travel of the container over roller conveyors.

For a consideration of what is believed novel and inventive, the attention is directed to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing while the features of novelty are more specifically set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a View in perspective illustrating a container constructed in accordance with one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken along line i l of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an end view illustrating a plurality of containers in the nested condition; Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a side elevation illustrating a plurality of containers in a stacked condition; Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section view taken along the line 88 of Fig. '7; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating a further modification of the invention; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view illustrating a still further modification of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a view in perspective of a modified form of a container constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of a stack of containers such as illustrated in Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken along line A-A of Fig. 12; and Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary detail taken along line BB of Fig. 13.

Referring now to the drawings, a lug box of the present invention is of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width as illustrated more clearly in the plan view of Fig. 2. The box has a bottom wall I I and outwardly flaring opposite side walls l2 and outwardly flaring opposite end walls I3. The lower corners between the bottom H and the walls 12 and I3 are preferably rounded as are the corners between the side walls I2 and end walls 13.

The lug box is preferably formed by stamping or extrusion from sheet metal, such as aluminum, and whereby the entire container may expeditiously be formed substantially completely in a single operation.

An outwardly extending horizontal ledge is formed around the upper end of the container, the ledge at the upper end of the opposite side walls 12 and opposite end walls 13 being indicated at l5 and I6, respectively. The ledge portions 15 and I6 merge with each other around the rounded corners at'the juncture of the upright walls. While the ledge portions l5 and 16 may be of the same width around the top of the container, it is preferred, for reasons to be pointed out more fully hereafter, to make the ledge portions l6 somewhat narrower than the ledge portions 15.

The outermost edge of the ledge portions l5 and I6 is bent upwardly and flared slightly inwardly of the container to form an upright flange I8 extending continuously and entirely around the top of the container and spaced outwardly from the wall of the container next adjacent thereto by the width of the ledge portions therebetween. The upper edge of the flange i8 is hemmed over outwardly upon itself as indicated at l9 whereby a rounded, smooth, upper edge is formed at the top of the flange. The central portion of the horizontal ledges l5 formed at the top of each of the opposite side walls [2 is of a greater width than the remainder of the ledge as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, The width of the central portions of the ledges i5 is such that the distance between the upright flanges I8 at the outer edges of the ledge portions 15 corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of the bottom wall of the container whereby the bottom of a similarly constructed container may be inserted between the opposite flange portions 18 and positioned upon the ledge portions [5. The bottom of such a superposed container is shown by dotted lines 22 in Fig. 2. The length of the relatively wide central ledge portion [5 corresponds substantially to the over-all outside width of the bottom of the container. The widened portion of the ledge I5 is furthermore symmetrically centered on each of the opposite sides of the container and the opposite ends thereof are angularly tapered toward the corner adjacent thereto as indicated at 23. The portions of the upright flange H3 at the inwardly tapered ends 23 act as stops for preventing shifting of the upper container longitudinally of the lower container while the intermediate flange portions H! at the outer edge of the widened ledge portions I5 act as stops preventing shifting of the upper container transversely of the lower one supporting the same.

In the stacked condition of a plurality of similar containers as shown in Fig. '7, each container is positioned transversely with respect to the next lower one. As described above, the bottom of each container seats upon the horizontal ledge portions l5 of the next lower container while shifting movement both laterally and longitudinally of the lower container is restricted by the

upstanding flange portions

18 and 23. Since the flanges l8 abut the upper container along the en? tire length of its end walls, the superposed container is prevented from rotating to a position wherein the ledges l5 no longer support the superposed container; instead the superposed container is held in a position wherein it is supported on ledges l 5 and the position can only be changed by elevating the superposed container so that the bottom wall is clear of flanges l8. Spaces as indicated in 25 exist at each of the opposite ends of each of the stacked containers whereby circulation of air is permitted for the produce contained therein.

As illustrated in Figs. and 6, the containers of the present invention may be compactly nested one within another by assembly of the respective containers in cooperative longitudinal alignment. With particular reference to Fig. 6, it will be observed that each of the containers is supported by engagement of the upper edge of the flange I8 against the lower surface of the horizontal ledge portion of the upper container-intermediate its inner and outer edges. Due to substantially square engagement of the edge of the flange l8 with the bottom of the ledge around the entire circumference of the containers, the entry of dust or other foreign matter between the adjacent nested containers is substantially precluded. Due to the height of the flanges I8, the containers are precluded from bottoming within each other so that a clearance exists not only between adjacent bottoms of nested containers but also between adjacent walls. Sticking together of the nested containers is thus precluded and ready separation is furthermore facilitated due to the existence of well pronounced ribs between each adjacent pair of the nested con tainers defined by the corners between the upright flanges and the horizontal ledges which protrude beyond the upper edge of the lower container as indicated at 26 in Fig. 6. This is accomplished by the relatively slight inward flare of the upstanding flange l8. It will be obvious that, if the flanges It were perpendicular, the ribs 26 would be less pronounced rendering more diincult the separation of the nested containers. Then, too, if a heavy pressure were exerted upon the nested containers, an upper one might be driven down past the flange l8 of the next lower one and which could then be separated only by tools.

For facilitating manual handling of the filled containers, the relatively wide. horizontal ledge portions l5 at the top of the opposite side walls l2 provide comfortable, relatively wide, gripping surfaces. While the horizontal ledge portions l6 are somewhat narrower at the top of the opposite end walls l3, they are still wide enough to provide a reasonably good gripping handle for the container at such points also. In fact, since the ledge extends entirely around the top of the container, it may be picked up by grasping the same at any pair of oppositely disposed points including the corners.

It will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art that the combination of the horizontal ledge and the upright hemmed flange l8 extending continuously around the top of the container form a stiffening section which is mechanically strong and resistant to deformation by forces applied in any direction to the top of the container. This is particularly true since the horizontal ledge and upright flange extend around the rounded corners with substantially the same horizontal and vertical dimensions as along the top of the opposite end walls l3. Attention is also directed to the fact that the bottom wall of the present container is flat throughout its entire extent so that it may readily travel along roller conveyors as are in common usage in canneries and other packing plants. Furthermore, no sharp corners. or. crevasses exist, within the interior of the container within which particles of produce might accumulate and rot. The containers may readily be cleansed after each usage and thoroughly sterilized for the elimination of any bacteria or spore which, if allowed to remain, might result in contamination and spoilage of contents upon subsequent usage.

As previously described, the side and bottom walls of the container are smooth and imperforate. It will be obvious that, if desired for any reason, either the upright walls or bottom, or both, may be corrugated for imparting additional rigidity as shown in Fig. 9. Such corrugations 30 may be formed simultaneously with the extrusion of the container. Also either the side walls or the bottom walls, or both, may be provided with perforations 3! in the event that it is desirable to spray the produce with water for cooling or washing or to permit of greater air circulation through the contents.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 11-14, a series of corrugations 40 are shown formed in ledge [5 with complementary corrugations 4! shown formed on the bottom of the container adjacent end walls l3. As illustrated in Figs. 12-14, the corrugations 40 and 4! form an interlocking joint between the containers when the containers are stacked and prevent a superposed container from shifting in position along ledge l5 of the next lower container upon which it rests. It is apparent that in this form of the invention flange l8 need not be tapered inwardly at 23 as illustrated in Fig. 2 to restrain shifting of a superposed container longitudinally of the lower container, but may be formed in a straight length from corner to corner of the container as may be observed in Fig. 11. Obviously cooperative engaging means other than the illustrated corrugations 40 and ll may be formed at the respective surface to prevent longitudinal shifting of superposed containers.

A further advantage resulting from the formation of the containers of the present invention by extrusion lies in the fact that used containers which have become dented or otherwise deformed may be readily reconditioned and reformed simply by passing them again through the formmg machine. When thus reshaped, the containers are restored at a minimum of expense to a condition substantially as good as new.

It will be apparent that the lug boxes of the present invention are particularly well adapted for application of lids in such instances where it may be desirable to protect the contents from dust or against contamination by other foreign matter as during storage. Referring to Fig. 10, a lid 35 is shown with the outer edge portion resting upon the ledge portion It. The lid 35 is preferably of a relatively flexible nature and may be made of any suitable material such as cardboard or sheet metal. The lid is entirely flat with rounded corners so as to fit cooperatively upon the ledge portions I5 and it around the top of the container. The lid may be slightly longer than the length between the upper edge portions of the upstanding flanges is at the opposite ends of the box. Because of the inward taper of the flanges l8, the lid may be inserted in position by placing one end thereof on the ledge 16 at one end of the box and then by pressure forcing the opposite end of the lid past the overhanging edge portion of the flange l8. Oneor more finger openings 35 may be provided in the lid 35 for. facilitating the removal there.-

of and which can readily be accomplished by springing the lid slightly upwardy in the center. The lid 35 will not interfere with the stacking of the boxes in the manner shown in Fig. 8; but, of course, it must be removed to permit nesting of the boxes as shown in Figs. and 6. a

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial Number 780,962 filed October 20, 1947, now abandoned.

I claim:

1. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, the corners between said side and end walls being rounded, a horizontal ledge formed on the upper ends of all of said walls extending outwardly therefrom continuously around the top of said container, an upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge and extending continuously around the top of said container, said flange being spaced from the adjacent container wall by the width of the ledge extending therebetween, the width of said ledge at the upper end of said side walls being wider than at the upper end of said end walls whereby the spacing between said flange on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all length of said bottom wall.

2. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end Walls flaring outwardly therefrom, the corners between said side and end walls being rounded, a horizontal ledge formed on the upper ends of all of said walls extending outwardly therefrom continuously around the top of said container, an upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge and extending continuously around the top of said container, said flange being spaced from the adjacent container wall by the width of the ledge extending therebetween, the width of said ledge at the upper end of said side walls being wider than at the upper end of said end walls whereby the spacing 1 between said flange on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all length of said bottom wall, said flange being inclined slightly inwardly from said outer edge of said horizontal ledge whereby the upper edge of said flange will engage with the lower surface of the horizontal ledge of a similar container nested therewithin.

3. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, the corners between said side and end walls being rounded, a horizontal ledge formed on the upper ends of all of said walls including said rounded corner portions and extending outwardly therefrom continuously around the upper portion of said container, a flange extending upwardly from the outer edge of said ledge continuously around the top of said container, said flange being inclined slightly inwardly from said outer edge of said horizontal ledge of said container, a portion of said ledge at the upper end of each of said opposite side walls having a greater width than the remainder of said ledge whereby the distance between the flanges on said portions is substantially equal to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, the length of said ledge portions corresponding substantially to the overall outside width of said bottom wall, said ledge portions being centrally symmetrical with re spect to said side walls.

4. An open top container of generally rectan gular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom Wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, with corners between said side and end Walls being rounded, a horizontal ledge formed on the upper ends of all of said walls including said rounded corner portions extending continuously around the upper portion of said container, a hemmed flange inclined slightly inward with respect to the horizontal ledge and extending upwardly from the outer edge of said ledge continuously around the top of said container, the central portion of said ledge on each of said opposite side walls being of greater width than the remainder of said ledge, the length of said ledge portions corresponding substantially to the over-all outside width of said bottom wall, the distance between said flange at the outer edge of said ledge portions across the top of the container corresponding substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall.

5. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, the corners between said side and end walls being rounded, a horizontal ledge formed on the upper ends of all of said walls extending outwardly therefrom continuously around the top of said container, an upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge and extending continuously around the top of said container, said flange being spaced from the adjacent container wall by the width of the ledge extending therebetween, the width of said ledge at the upper end of said side walls being wider than at the upper end of said end walls whereby the spacing between said flange on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all length of said bottom wall, engaging means on said ledge and complementary engaging means on the bottom wall of said container adapted to cooperate with said ledge engaging means when the containers are placed in a stacked position, whereby the superposed container will be restrained from shifting in any horizontal direction in relation to the lower container.

6. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, the corners between said side and end walls being rounded, a horizontal ledge formed on the upper ends of all of said walls extending outwardly therefrom continuously around the top of said container, an upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge and extending continuously around the top of said container, said flange being spaced from the adjacent container wall by the width of the ledge extending therebetween, the width of said ledge at the upper end of said side walls being wider than at the upper end of said end walls whereby the spacing between said flange on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all length of said bottom wall, corrugations over at least a portion of said ledges and complementary corrugations on the bottom wall of said container adapted to cooperate with the corrugations on said ledge when the containers are placed in a stacked position, whereby the superposed container will be restrained from shifting in any horizontal direction in relation to the lower container.

7. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, said container being adapted when empty to be nested with a plurality of other similar containers placed cooperatively within one another, or to be stacked one upon another in a crosswise relation of each adjacent pair of superposed containers, upwardly extending stop means integral with the upper ends of said opposite side walls of said container, said stop means comprising flange-like members having a substantial dimension in the longitudinal direction of the container and being spaced outwardly from said side walls by such a distance that the distance between the stop means across the top of said container corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, the stop means on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel in the longitudinal direction of the container and adapted to engage the lower portion of the end walls of a superposed container stacked thereon, whereby the superposed container is restrained from transverse and rotational movement in respect to the lower container.

8. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, said container being adapted when empty to be nested with a plurality of other similar containers placed cooperatively within one another, or to be stacked one upon another in a crosswise relation of each adjacent pair of superposed containers, upwardly extending stop means integral with the upper ends of said opposite side walls of said container, said stop means comprising flange-like members having a substantial dimension in the longitudinal direction of the container and being spaced out- A wardly from said side walls by such a distance that the distance between the stop means across the top of said container corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, the stop means on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel in the longitudinal direction and adapted to engage the lower portion of the end walls of a superposed container stacked thereon, whereby the superposed container is restrained from transverse and rotational movement in respect to the next lower container, and engaging means integral with said stop means for restraining movement of the superposed container longitudinally of the lower container.

9. An open top container as described in claim 8 wherein said engaging means comprise symmetrically disposed means adapted to engage with the opposite lower corner portions of a similar superposed container, whereby the superposed container will be held in a substantially centered relation with respect to the lower container.

107 An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, said container being adapted when empty to be nested with a plurality of other similar containers placed cooperatively within one another, or to be stacked one upon another in a crosswise relation of each adjacent pair of superposed containers, upwardly extending stop means integral with the upper ends of said opposite side walls of said container, said stop means comprising flange-like members having a substantial dimension in the longitudinal direction of the container and being spaced outwardly from said side walls by such a distance that the distance between the stop means across the top of said container corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, the stop means on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel in the longitudinal direction over a length substantially equal to the width of said bottom wall, and said stop means being curved inwardly at the ends of said straight portion, whereby a superposed container will be held in a predetermined position in respect to the lower container.

11. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, upwardly extending stop means integral with the upper ends of said walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, said stop means comprising flange-like members having a substantial dimension in the longitudinal direction of the container, the distance between the stop means on the said opposite side walls corresponding substantially to the over-all length of said bottom wall, said stop means on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel in the longitudinal direction over a length substantially equal to the width of said bottom wall, said parallel length being substantially centered with respect to the corresponding side walls, the opposite end portions of said stop means being curved inwardly and adapted to engage the opposite lower corner portions of a superposed container, whereby said superposed container will be restricted from movement in any horizontal direction with respect to the lower container.

12. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than. width and having a bottom Wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, a continuous outwardly extending ledge on the upper ends of said walls, a continuous upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge, the flanges on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction, the width of said ledge on the opposite side walls over at least a length corresponding to the width of the bottom wall being such that the distance between the flanges on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, whereby a superposed container is restrained from transverse and rotational movement in respect to the lower container.

13. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, a continuous outwardly extending ledge on the upper ends of said walls, a continuous upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge, the flanges on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction, the width of said ledges on the opposite side walls over a length correspending to the width of the bottom Wall being such that the distance between the flanges on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, the opposite end portions of said ledge on said side walls tapering inwardly, whereby said flanges will engage the corner of a superposed container placed in a stacked position, and the superposed container restrained thereby from shifting in any horizontal direction with respect to the lower container.

14. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greater length than width and having a bottom Wall with side and end walls flaring outwardly therefrom, a continuous outwardly extending ledge on the upper ends of said walls, a continuous upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge, the flanges on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction, the width of said ledge on the opposite side walls over at least a length corresponding to the width of the bottom wall being such that the distance between the flanges on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially to the over-all outside length of said bottom wall, engaging means on said ledge, and complementary engaging means on the bottom wall of said container adapted to cooperate with said ledge engaging means when the containers are placed in a stacked position, whereby the superposed container will be restrained from shifting in any horizontal direction in relation to the lower container.

12 15. An open top container of generally rectangular shape and of greaterlength than width and having a bottom wall with side and end walls flaring'outwardly therefrom, a continuous out-- wardly extending ledge on the upper ends of said walls, a continuous upwardly extending flange formed on the outer edge of said ledge, the flanges on the opposite side walls being substantially straight and parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction, the width of said ledge on the opposite side walls over at least a length corresponding to the width of the bottom wall being such that .the distance between the flanges on the opposite side walls corresponds substantially FREDERICK W. SCHMIDT.

No references cited.