Patents by Inventor Robert V. Gruber

Robert V. Gruber 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: 6644218
    Abstract: A pod for absorbing shock placed on a load includes a rigid body, a rigid face, and a spring assembly. The face is positioned above the body for attachment to the underside of a load placed on the face. The spring assembly connects the body to the face. The spring assembly absorbs shock placed on the load during momentum changes felt by the load during transit or while being placed on a support surface. The pod may also be incorporated into a pallet assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventor: Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20030155275
    Abstract: A collapsible container includes a base member having a pair of first base edges, and a pair of second base edges having a recessed base area formed therein. A pair of first opposed walls pivotably attached to the first base edges and orientable between an upright an upright orientation and an inwardly folded orientation. A pair of second opposed walls pivotably attached to the second base edges and orientable between an upright orientation and an overlapping folded orientation. Each of the second opposed walls generally corresponding in height and having a projection member arranged to be received within the recessed area of the second base edges when in the overlapping folded orientation, and each side wall has a recessed wall area arranged to receive the projection member of the second opposed wall folded thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Robert V. Gruber
  • Patent number: 6607199
    Abstract: A dolly and a tray and dolly assembly are provided. The dolly has a floor with upper and lower surfaces and with one or more features such that when the tray floor is received on the dolly floor, the feature interlocks the tray with the dolly. One feature is a plurality of protruding members extending upwardly from the dolly floor upper surface into openings in the tray floor to interlock the tray with the dolly. Another features is the presence of dolly side wall locking portions configured to abut and mate with corresponding tray side wall bottom locking portions on the tray to interlock the dolly with the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventor: Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20030132228
    Abstract: A collapsible container has a base having a lower hinge portion which includes a first lower hinge portion and a second lower hinge portion. The container also includes a plurality of upstanding side walls attached to the base having an upper hinge portion extending downwardly. The upper hinge portion includes a first elongate upper hinge portion and a second elongate upper hinge portion. The first lower hinge portion includes a first opening for receiving the first elongate upper hinge portion therein and also includes a flange for securing the first upper hinge portion thereunder. The second lower hinge portion includes a second opening correspondingly sized to receive the second elongate upper hinge member therein for limiting lateral movement between the side walls and the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20030070957
    Abstract: A nestable crate for bottles includes a floor portion having a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface and a plurality of bottle support areas. A wall structure is connected to the floor portion and forms a containment area therewith. The wall structure has a peripherally extending upper band portion with an interior surface and an exterior surface, and also has a single-walled lower wall construction comprising adjacent column members which extend between the upper band the and floor portion. The wall structure includes sidewalls and end walls, and adjacent column members have curved facing surfaces extending inwardly into the containment area. The inner surface of the upper band portion, one of the plurality of bottle support areas, and the facing surfaces define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets extending around the periphery of the wall structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Applicant: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20030047121
    Abstract: A pod for absorbing shock placed on a load includes a rigid body, a rigid face, and a spring assembly. The face is positioned above the body for attachment to the underside of a load placed on the face. The spring assembly connects the body to the face. The spring assembly absorbs shock placed on the load during momentum changes felt by the load during transit or while being placed on a support surface. The pod may also be incorporated into a pallet assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Robert V. Gruber
  • Publication number: 20030019403
    Abstract: A foldable device for facilitating the stacking of adjacent pairs of pallets loaded with container arrays includes a pair of pivotally-interconnected sections. Each section includes a generally flat bottom surface adapted to rest on a respective top layer of exposed container tops, and a top surface that include surface features whose uppermost portions cooperate to define a first reference plane. Each section includes a plurality of complementary hinge components defining a pivot axis that lies in a second reference plane located between the section's bottom surface and first reference plane, and further includes detents by which to maintain the bottom surfaces of each section pair in a substantially coplanar relationship when the hinged sections are spread open. Preferably, the surface features of each section pair are complementary such that, the assembly is folded about the resulting shared pivot axis, the bottom surfaces become generally parallel-spaced to facilitate device storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Applicant: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventors: Robert V. Gruber, Trenton M. Overholt
  • Publication number: 20020153682
    Abstract: A dolly and a tray and dolly assembly are provided. The dolly has a floor with upper and lower surfaces and with one or more features such that when the tray floor is received on the dolly floor, the feature interlocks the tray with the dolly. One feature is a plurality of protruding members extending upwardly from the dolly floor upper surface into openings in the tray floor to interlock the tray with the dolly. Another features is the presence of dolly side wall locking portions configured to abut and mate with corresponding tray side wall bottom locking portions on the tray to interlock the dolly with the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Robert V. Gruber
  • Patent number: D462522
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
    Inventors: William P. Apps, Robert V. Gruber