Patents by Inventor Gerald R. Koefelda

Gerald R. Koefelda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5842572
    Abstract: A stackable case for retaining and transporting bottles including outer side walls forming an outer shell having a longitudinal axis and a horizontal axis, a case bottom disposed substantially within the outer shell, and a plurality of supports for supporting the outer surfaces of the bottles. The side walls include a lower wall portion and a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting pylons, where four corner pylons define the four corners of the case. A plurality of spaced upwardly projecting columns generally disposed within the outer shell define, in combination with the case bottom, the side walls and the end walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets. The columns and the pylons extend above the lower wall portions and below a top surface of the retained bottles. The end walls each include an integrally molded handle structure suspended between an upper portion of adjacent corner pylons to thereby define a generally open end wall area below the handle structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Rehrig-Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: 5769230
    Abstract: A stackable and nestable full-depth case for bottles having a floor structure for supporting a plurality of bottles thereon, a plurality of vertical columns extending upwards from the floor structure, a rim connecting the plurality of columns, and a bifurcated cover hingedly connected to an upper edge of the rim and positionable in open and closed positions over the bottles. The bifurcated cover includes a ceiling and a plurality of separating projections depending from an under surface of the ceiling. The separating projections engage the bottles when the cover is in the closed position thereover such that the bottles are retained in an upright position. Each separating projection is generally semi-cylindrical in shape and surrounds at least a portion of the top of each bottle. In a preferred embodiment, each separating projection includes an inner semi-cylindrical wall, an outer semi-cylindrical wall, and a sloping, semi-circular collar element connected therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Rehrig-Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: 5704482
    Abstract: A low depth, nestable display crate for bottles is integrally molded from plastic and comprises two basic components--a floor and a wall structure extending up from the floor and extending around the periphery of the floor. The floor has bottle support areas. The wall structure comprises a lower wall portion adjacent the floor and a plurality of integrally formed pylons arranged along the sidewalls of the wall structure. The endwalls of the wall structure comprise extended handles which may be grasped in either a palm-up or palm-down orientation and allow for minimum crate dimensions. The handles are configured so as to provide sufficient clearance for a user's hands to grasp the handles. The extended configuration also provides for easy lifting as the handle bars are located well above the center of gravity of the crate for easy lifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: 5660279
    Abstract: A stackable case for retaining and transporting bottles including outer side walls forming an outer shell having a longitudinal axis and a horizontal axis, a case bottom disposed substantially within the outer shell, and a plurality of supports for supporting the outer surfaces of the bottles and which, in combination with the outer shell and the case bottom, define a plurality of bottle retaining pockets. A first receiving structure extends above the height of a top surface of one of the side walls and has a first longitudinal recess and a first transverse recess for cross-stacking with an upper identical case by receiving a side wall of the upper identical case when the lower cross-stacking case is empty. A second receiving structure having a second longitudinal recess along the longitudinal axis of the case and a second transverse recess along an axis parallel to the transverse axis of the case is also provided in a preferred embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: 5651461
    Abstract: A stackable case for retaining and transporting bottles including outer side walls forming an outer shell having a longitudinal axis and a horizontal axis, a case bottom disposed substantially within the outer shell, and a plurality of supports for supporting the outer surfaces of the bottles. The side walls include a lower wall portion and a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting pylons, where four corner pylons define the four corners of the case. A plurality of spaced upwardly projecting columns generally disposed within the outer shell define, in combination with the case bottom, the side walls and the end walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets. The columns and the pylons extend above the lower wall portions and below a top surface of the retained bottles. The end walls each include an integrally molded handle structure suspended between an upper portion of adjacent corner pylons to thereby define a generally open end wall area below the handle structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig-Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: 5465843
    Abstract: A low depth, nestable display crate for bottles, preferably of single serve capacity, is integrally molded from plastic and comprises two basic components--a floor and a wall structure extending up from the floor and extending around the periphery of the floor. The floor preferably has an open lattice design and includes container support areas. The bottom surface of the floor is configured for accommodating the tops of bottles in a similar crate underneath. The wall structure comprises a lower wall portion adjacent the floor and a plurality of integrally formed pylons arranged around the periphery of the crate. The lower wall portion is of double-walled construction with the hollow pylons integrally formed the double-walled lower portion. The pylons are angled toward the interior of the crate and tapered to be smaller in cross section at the top and larger near the lower wall portion so as to allow pylons of empty crates to nest within one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventor: Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: 5405042
    Abstract: A full-depth bottle case and at least one divider which is releasably snapped into the floor of the case and together therewith defines a plurality (e.g., nine) of bottle receiving pockets. The pattern of pockets thereby defined and thus the case are asymmetrical about both longitudinal and lateral axes thereof. To ensure that the case is properly aligned with respect to conveyors and other case handling equipment indicator arrows are provided on the outside case walls. The divider cannot be unsnapped from the case floor simply using fingers, to deter unauthorized removal. Rather, with the case inverted, tool is actuated downward at each of the divider snap locks to unlock them so that the divider can be removed and, if desired, replaced with a different divider to accommodate different sized bottles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignees: Rehrig-Pacific Company, Inc., Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda, Larry E. Shermer
  • Patent number: D350437
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignees: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda, Larry E. Shermer
  • Patent number: D350438
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignees: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda, Larry E. Shermer
  • Patent number: D356500
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignees: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda, Larry E. Shermer
  • Patent number: D356950
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignees: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda, Larry E. Shermer
  • Patent number: D361431
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D378249
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig-Pacific, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D379121
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D379717
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig-Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D380613
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D380901
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Rehrig-Pacific Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D395954
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Co., Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D399060
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda
  • Patent number: D399061
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company,Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Gerald R. Koefelda