Abstract: A collapsible container has end and side wall panels, and a gate that are assembled onto a pallet base and supported by flanges extending up from a planer base. Either the side or the end walls each have a hinge structure between panels of the walls. The hinge structure permits inward folding of the hinged panels so that they can lay flat, one upon the other, in a folded or collapsed position with the non-hinged panels also laying flat. The end and side walls can be removed from their respective bases and multiple ones of the folded wall configurations can fit within an assembled container. As a result, substantially the entire volume of the assembled container can be filled with the folded wall configurations of other containers for return shipment. This enables a highly efficient return shipment ratio of the containers.

Abstract: An attached lid container has lids that are hinged to the top edges of the side walls of the container. When the lids are closed, the free edges of the lids engage one another to form a joint that interlocks the lids together. The lids are attached to the container at the hinge joints after the molding of the container and lids, while the molded parts are still in the mold press. Specifically, the lids are molded next to the container and then moved laterally to be aligned with the hinge line of the container after the mold cavity is withdrawn. Then, the ejectors push the lids out toward the container. The force of the outward movement causes the hinge parts of the lids and container to snap together. Subsequently a robot arm removes the container from the mold press with the hinged lids assembled on the container.

Abstract: A container having a bottom and two pairs of opposed walls connected together to form a container body having an open top covered by a pair of hinged lids. The upper edges of one pair of opposed walls have a plurality of pin segments formed thereon along a hinge line and an edge of each of the lids has a plurality of generally U-shaped knuckles formed thereon along the hinge line with each knuckle having opposed sidewalls forming a slot having an opening at one end and a bearing portion at an opposite end which opens upwardly with respect to a top surface of the lid. The opposed sidewalls of the slot of each knuckle have ribs protruding inwardly to retain a corresponding pin segment of the container body. When the lids are connected to the container body and rotated to a closed position, the slots of each knuckle face upwardly in a direction away from the top surface of the lid.

Abstract: A pressure relief valve for a container having a liner therein for holding food products includes a hollow body incorporated into a lid of the container and extends inwardly therefrom. A cutter member is mounted in an opening at an outer end of the body and has a knife extending inwardly through the valve body. A piston is slidably connected to the body and has an opening therein for receiving the knife and a compression spring is mounted around the knife and positioned between a top of the cutter and a bottom of the piston to bias the piston inwardly away from the wall. Pressure buildup in the liner causes the liner to expand and push the piston outwardly towards the lid to expose the knife which then punctures the liner and relieves the pressure therein and allows a product to be discharged from the container through the valve.

Abstract: A pallet for use with forklifts and pallet jacks has entry ways for the tines or blades of the forklift or pallet jack that are aligned with open areas in the top deck of the pallet. This enables removal of a part of the load on the pallet aligned with the open area in the top deck by inserting a tine(s) or blade(s) into one or a pair of the entry ways, raising the tine(s) or blade(s) to pass through the open area in the top deck and engage the part of the load of the pallet. Then, the part of the load can be separately removed from the pallet without disturbing the remainder of the load supported on the pallet. The top deck of the pallet is divided into quadrants, and a load can be assembled on the pallet that is different in one or more of the quadrants.

Abstract: A trash container with a lid is emptied by a mechanical lifting device. A latch bar is provided that is engaged by the lift when the container is inverted. The latch bar is mounted in openings on both sides of a wide recess on the front wall of the container. The outer ends of the latch bar extend through the openings into the inside of the container and are accommodated with a clearance portion of a lower stacked container when the containers are stacked together for shipment. The lid is initially assembled in an open position with the lid hanging down vertically. After closing the lid for the first time by rotation of the lid through 270°, a hinge stop prevents the lid from being rotated back to the original position. The hinge stop supports the lid in an open position that is rotated about 110° from the closed position.

Abstract: A container constructed of parts that are injection molded using a synthetic resin molding technique includes a base, side walls and end walls. The side and end walls are movable between a first position in which the side and end walls are collapsed in the interior of the base and a second position in which the side and end walls are erect for being engaged at the corners by over center latches that are also molded of a synthetic resin material. The latches fit within recessed areas of the side or end walls such that when the latches are in a locked or unlocked position, the latches are contained entirely within a recessed area, which is recessed with respect to the exterior surface of the walls. Thus, when the latches are in the latched or unlatched position, the latches do not project outwardly beyond the exterior surface of the walls.

Abstract: A stackable nestable container has access openings in at least one of the side and end walls. The access openings are covered by a dispensable panel that can be removed for enabling access to the contents of the container. The container is therefore suitable for use in shipping goods as well as displaying the goods at a retail outlet. Upon return of empty containers, the panels do not need to be replaced and the containers can be stacked in a nested stack, separately from the lids. Then, when the containers are to be used again, new or replacement panels are fit into the access openings. The panels are of a lightweight, inexpensive material and are therefore expendable, and can even be discarded by the user when a need arises to remove or replace the panels. Also, the panels have a wide flat area on which advertising or other indicia can be printed, which is typically displayed on the sides of containers.

Abstract: A two-part container has a base and a ring. Latches along the lower part of the ring secure the ring to the base and the container is assembled in an upright position in which a flowable material is charged into the container. To dispense the material, a center outlet is provided in the base and the interior walls of the base are slanted toward the outlet. A cutoff device slides across the opening to control the flow of material through the outlet, and the cutoff device can be blocked into place. Once the container is emptied, the ring can be removed and inverted in its orientation and placed over top of the base for assembling the ring and base in a collapsed position in which the container can be returned to the distributor or distribution center. The container is stackable in both the upright and collapsed positions, and the lid sits over the top of the ring when it is assembled in the upright position and over the bottom of the ring when it is assembled in the collapsed position.

Abstract: An extension ring has four panels for extending a height dimension of a box having lids hinged to the rim of the box. The lids of the box are removed, and two of the extension ring panels are secured to the rim of the box through engagement with the hinge elements of the box. The other two panels are assembled to the panels secured to the rim of the box to form the extension ring by forming pinned joints at the four corners of the extension ring. Once the extension ring is assembled and connected to the box, the lids are hinged to the top of the extension ring so that they function in the same way as when they were hinged to the box.

Abstract: A unitary molded plastic bakery tray, with the end walls higher than the side walls to provide a 90 degree cross-nesting, and the end walls having interengaging feet and rails to provide for 180 degree oriented high stacking and like oriented low stacking. The bottom is either a flat planar surface with chamfered bottom edges or is raised so that the tray is provided with corner structure having chamfered bottom edges. Blind stacking structure is provided by an additional outer rail on each end wall and additional outer feet on each end wall for engaging the outer rail. Alternatively, blind stacking is provided by structure along each end wall having large feet and cooperating large recesses coplanar with inner small feet and cooperating inner recesses such that the large feet can span and smoothly slide over the small recesses during blind stacking.

Abstract: A unitary molded plastic bakery tray, with the end walls higher than the side walls to provide for a 90 degree cross-nesting, and the end walls having interengaging feet and rails to provide for 180 degree oriented high stacking and like oriented low stacking. The bottom is either a flat planar surface with chamfered bottom edges or is raised so that the tray is provided with corner structure having chamfered bottom edges. Blind stacking structure is provided by an additional outer rail on each end wall and additional outer feed on each end wall for engaging the outer rail. Alternatively, blind stacking is provided by structure along each end wall having large feet and cooperating large recesses coplanar with inner small feet and cooperating inner recesses such that the large feet can span and smoothly slide over the small recesses during blind stacking.

Abstract: A snap together picking container consists of two synthetic resin molded side members that are mirror images of each other, a folded blank of front, bottom and rear walls connected by living hinges and a sheet plastic top slid into mating grooves of the side members to abut against the rear wall. With or without the top, like containers may be stacked upon each other, with side shifting prevented by abutment flanges on the top of one container nesting between the side members of the upper container. Picking is provided through an opening due to a shortened top and a front wall shorter than the rear wall. Hook type snap assembly is provided between the walls and the side members having channels. Multiple width containers may be constructed by using inserts in the mold producing folding blank, which folded blank is shaped so as to be produced by a two part rigid plate mold without undercuts.

Abstract: A document tray is provided with a plurality of interior partitions having a wedging connection with hollow buttresses of the container wall. The transparent lid is provided with hooks at its rear end for engaging within correspondingly shaped apertures of the rear end wall of the container, and hooks at its front end for engaging within corresponding shaped apertures within the container front end wall. Security ties tightly lock the lid and container together at the rear end wall. The hooks at the front end wall are provided with notch sensitive areas that provide weakened portions such that the hooks will break off prior to any successful tampering with the front hook aperture connection.

Abstract: A tote box system employs two sets of nesting boxes that are identical except for side wall height that provides different volumes and except for bottom configuration that prevents bottom damage when a tall container is nested within a short container. The bottom configuration is such that there are flat engaging horizontal surfaces supporting the tall box on the short box without substantial engagement between reinforcing channels or like slanted vertical portions of the bottom that would otherwise have a strong wedging action if they fully engaged, particularly with a large stack of nested boxes.

Abstract: In a plastic molded tote box having one lid or opposed lids that will shingle with other lids in the open position when the box and like boxes are nested, the maximum horizontal dimension for the shingled lids, as measured outwardly from the adjacent box side wall (lid flare), is reduced by tapering the lid rib structure toward the hinge, and/or by tapering the outboard lid skirt toward the hinge, and/or by flaring one or more lid flanges, particularly the inboard flange. The latter two structural features permit increased nesting of the lid side skirts or channels, which in the closed position of the lid overlie the box side walls.