Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title: "Three-Level Baler"
This invention relates generally to containers
and refers more particularly to a container adapted to
nest or stack with another container of identical con-
struction at three different levels.
Summar~ of the Invention
The container of this invention is open at the
top and has side walls extending upwardly from opposite
sides of the bottom wall which are constructed such that
the container may receive an upper container of identical
construction in nested relation at a low level. Stacking
means associated with the container are provided ~o support
the upper container of identical construction in stacked
relation selectively at a high level and at an intermediate
level between the high and low levels. The stacking~means
comprises a pair of bales, and means mounting the bales
on the container for movement from a first position adapted
to support the upper container at the high level, to a second
position adapted to support the upper container at the inter-
mediate level, and to a third position adapted to clear
the upper container for nesting at the low level. The
mounting means comprises means providing elongated slots
near each end of each side wall, pins on the ends of the
bales engaging the slots, means for supporting the bales
in one of said positions when the pins are engaged in one
end of the slots, means for supporting the bales in another
of said positions when the pins are engaged in the said
one end of the slots, and means for supporting the bales
in still another of said positions when the pins are
engaged in the opposite ends of the slots.
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Other features of the invention will become
more apparent as the following description proceeds,
especially when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is an end view of a container embody-
ing our invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the container shown
in ~ig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts broken
away.
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken
on the line 4--4 in Fig. 3, showing in dot-dash lines a
second container in a low level nesting relationship.
¦ Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken
15 on the line 5--5 in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view
showing two containers in stacked relation at the high
level.
Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 in which the two
-containers are shown in stacked relationship at the
intermediate level.
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken
on the line 8--8 in Fig. 6.
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Referring now more particularly to the
drawings, the container 10 is rectangular and has a pair
of stacking bales 12. The entire container, with the
exception of the bales, is of one piece, integral con-
struction formed of any suitable material, preferablyplastic, such for example as molded polyethylene or
polypropylene. The bales may be of any suitable mat~
erial, such for example as steel. The containers of
this invention may be used for any purpose but are in
this instance designed primarily as bakery containers
for bread, cakes, rolls, and the like. All of the
containers shown in the several views are identical
in construction.
The container 10 has a rectangular horizontal
bottom wall 14, side walls 16 and end walls 18. The
side walls 16 extend upwardly in diverging relation to
each other from opposite side edges of the bottom wall,
and the end walls 18 extend upwardly in diverging re-
lation to each other from opposite end edges of the bot-
tom wall and are joined to the side walls at the cor-
ners of the container. The side and end walls diverge
in order to facilitate nesting, and preferably they di-
verage at the same angle, as shown.
Each bale 12 is in the form of an elongated rod
of uniform circular cross-section through its length,
the main mid-portion 20 of which is about equal in length
to the length of a side wall. At the ends of the mid-
portion 20, the rod has end portions 22 turned at sub-
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stantially a right angle to the mid-portion and termina-
ting in pivot pins 24 which are turned outwardly so as
to extend on a common axis parallel to the mid-portion
20 of the rod.
The upper portion of each side wall through-
out its length is thickened laterally outwardly, the
thickened portion being indicated at 26. This thickened
~ por~ion is recessed where indicated at 28 to provide a
¦ cellular appearance in elevation as shown in Fig. 2 for
¦ 10 the purpose of reducing weight but retaining the added
¦ strength provided by thickening. The thickened upper
¦ side wall portion 26 is cut down from the top edge where
¦ indicated at 30 between the ends of the side wall. The
top edge of the thickened side wall portion at each end
of the cut down mid-portion 30 is formed with an elong-
ated upwardly opening groove 32 extending from the cut
down portion 30 to the end of the side wall at the
corner of the container. The side walls 16 are also pro-
vided with hand holes 34 for convenience in lifting the
container.
Each end wall is cut down from the top edge
of the container so that the top margin is generally
in the configuration shown in Fig. 1. being at the
level of the top edge of the side walls near the corners
and from there extending downwardly more or less in the
form of a U. This configuration makes the contents
accessible when several containers are stacked together.
The upper portions of each end wall near the corners are
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thickened where indicated at 38, forming a right angle
continuation of the thickened portions 26 of the side
walls. The thickened portions 38 of the end walls, like
the side walls, are recessed where indicated at 40 to
orm the cellular appearance shown in Fig. 1 for the
purpose of reducing weight but retaining the added
strength due to the thickened construction. The thick-
ening of the end wall extends from the corner portions
38 downwardly in the shape of a U as shown in Fig. 1
and as indicated at 42.
The upper edges of the thickened portions 38
are formed with upwardly opening grooves 44 which form
right angle continuations of the grooves 32 in the side
walls. The bottoms of the grooves 44 near the corners
of the container are designated 46 and form continuations
of the bottoms of grooves 32 on the same level as the
latter. The groove bottoms 46 extend away from the
corners horizontally, then downwardly at a substantial
angle as shown at 48 and then continue horizontally in
a shelf like portion 50. The inner wall 52 of each
groove 44 is defined by a portion of the end wall proper
of the container. The outer wall is decignated at 54.
The inner wall 52 of each gxoove 44 has an
upper edge near the corner designated 56 which extends
away from the corner at a downward slope, then down-
ward at 58 at a substantial angle to the level of the
shelf like portion 50 where it ends. The upper edge 56
has a notch or recess 60 near its inner end.
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The outer wall 54 has an elongated slot 62
which extends upwardly and inwardly at an angle to the
vertical which in this instance is about 24. This
orientation of the slot, while preferred, may vary
and in some instances may even be turned in the opposite
direction from the vertical. The width of the slot is
equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the
bale so that the bale ends or pins 24 may be pivotally
and slidably received therein, as shown.
The container has feet defined by flanges 68
and 70 at each corner extending downward from the plane
of the underside of the bottom along the side and end
walls. Each flange 70 along the end walls has a notch
or recess 72 in the bottom edge which is directly below
the notch or recess 60 in the upper edge 56 of wall 52
when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 5-7. Each flange 70 also
has a notch or recess 74 in the bottom edge which is
directly below the point designated 76 where the edge
58 of wall 52 ends and merges with the shelf like portion
50 when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 5-7.
The horizontal top edges 80 of the side and
end walls provide nesting seats to be engaged by the
horizontal lowsr edge portions 79 of the thickened
portions 26 and 38 of an upper container to support the
same in nested relationship at a relatively low level.
There are vertical reinforcing ribs 81 and 82 on the
inner surfaces of end walls 18 extending adjacent to
and beneath notches 60.
Each bale 12 is assembled with the container
by having one pivot end 24 engaged in the slot 62 ad-
jacent one end of a side wall and the other pivot end
~ngaged in the slot 62 adjacent the other end of the same
side wall. When the bales 12 have their pivot ends 24
in the upper ends of the slots 62, they may be swung
outwardly to an out of the way position shown in Figs.
3,4 and 5 in which the mid-portion 20 thereof rests in
the grooves 32 in the upper edge of the side wall. A
second position is shown in Fig. 6 in which the pivot
ends 24 o the bale are disposed at the lower ends of
the slots 62 and the mid-portion 20 is engaged in the
~ecesses 60. A third position is shown in Fig. 7 in
which the pivot ends 24 are engaged in the lower ends of
the slots and the mid-portion 20 is supported upon the
shelf-llke portions 50.
Two containers may be nested with one another
as shown in Fig. 4 by moving the pivot ends of both
bales to the upper ends of their slots and swinging
the bale outward so that the mid-portion 20 rests
in the grooves 32. The upper container may than be
lowered into the lower container, which is permitted by
the flaring or diverging of the side and end walls, until
it comes to rest with the lower edges 79 of its thickened
wall portions engaged and seated upon the upper ed~es 80
of the lower container. This is the nested or relatively
low level position o the containers.
In order to support a container at the relatively
high level of Fig. 6, each bale has its pivot ends disposed
in the lower ends of slots 62 and the mid-portion 20 engayed
in recesses 60. An upper container may then be lowered until
the notches 72 in the bottom flanges 70 come to rest upon the
mid-portion 20 of each bale. This is the high level stacking
position.
Two containers may be stacked at an intermediate level
between the high and low levels, in the condition shown in
Fig. 7, in which case the pivot ends 24 of each bale are
disposed in the lower slot ends and the bale mid-portion 20
rests on the shelf-like portions 50 at points 76. An upper
container is then lowered until the recesses 74 rest upon the
mid-portion 20 of the bales.
The upper container will nest or stack with a lower
container as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7 whether oriented the
same as the lower container or turned end for end.
The bottom edges of the cut down portions 30 of the
side walls 16 are substantially below the mid-portion 20 of
the bales 12 when the bales are in the position of Figs. 1-5,
to provide a space 90 (see Fig. 2) permitting automated
equipment, or an operator's hands, to reach under the mid-
portion 20 of the bales and move the bales to either of the
two stacking positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or to move
the bales back to the position of Figs. 1-5 to receive an
upper nested container.
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The walls 16 are referrcd to as "side" wa].ls and the
walls 18 as "end" walls in the specification and claims merely
as a convenient means of distinguishing one set of opposed
walls from the other and without implying that one set is
necessarily longer or shorter than the other. The side walls
16 may be longer than the end walls 18, or shorter than or
equal in length to the end walls 18.
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