Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plastic molded shutter assembly that can be customized in size. A shutter of a standard length, or series of shutters of standard lengths are manufactured. A plurality of cuts are made in the shutter, removing a predetermined amount of material from the shutter. The end cap is replaced and fixedly secured to the remaining shutter, resulting in a single shutter of a desired length.

Abstract: A decorative shutter assembly including a plurality of main slats arranged in side-by-side relation, end pieces positioned at each end of the main slats and each including laterally spaced tongues spaced and sized to fit in their respective open ends of the main slats at a respective end of the main slats, and cross slat structures positioned in overlying relationship to seams formed between inboard ends of the end pieces and the respective ends of the main slats. The cross slat structures are removably secured to the end pieces and to the main slats so that, following delivery of the shutter assembly to a building site, the cross slat structures may be removed, the end pieces and main slats may be secured to a building surface utilizing fastener members, and the cross slats may be repositioned over the fastener members to conceal the fastener members.

Abstract: An open top bakery tray that is stackable and nestable on trays of like design. The tray has a generally rectangular configuration including a bottom wall, end walls and sidewalls. One of the walls is cut away to define a merchandising window to facilitate the removal of materials from the tray and the viewing and inspection of such materials and the tray further includes a gate moveable between an open position in which the window is unobstructed to allow free access to the tray and a closed position in which the gate extends across the window to preclude the inadvertent displacement of merchandise from the tray.

Abstract: A dolly for transport of a rectangular member, such as a basket. The dolly is formed from corner members made of plastic material and having essentially hollow interiors to maintain a lightweight assembly. The corner members are interconnected by standard tubular members. The corner members are made of an upper and lower half element each having a channel therein so that when connected form a pathway for receiving the tubular members. The upper half element has an exposed surface for receiving a corner portion of the rectangular member to minimize shifting and other movement of the rectangular member.

Abstract: A tray for providing at least three levels of stacking between vertically adjacent trays includes a tray having four walls, a bottom, and an adjustment member. The adjustment member can be a pin. The tray includes multiple grooves, multiple extensions, multiple recesses, and multiple projections for engagement with another vertically adjacent stacked tray. The adjustment member in combination with the multiple grooves, multiple extensions, multiple recesses, and multiple projections define a first stacking level, a second stacking level, and a third stacking level, which is intermediate to the first stacking level and the second stacking level. An additional stacking level is defined when vertically adjacent stacked trays are rotated 90° with respect to each other.

Abstract: A tray having prestress sections including a domed shaped bottom and a merchandising window. The window includes a surface parallel to the dome shaped bottom. When the tray is subjected to a load, the dome and the surface of the merchandising window become substantially planar. The front of the tray also includes vertically extending corners that are angled inwardly toward one another from an outer top end to an inner lower end when the tray is empty. When the tray is loaded, the corners deflect toward a vertically extending parallel relationship with respect to one another. The corners adjacent the rear of the tray are fixed relative to one another.

Abstract: A multi-purpose tray including a front, a back, a first side, a second side, and a bottom. The tray can include beams extending from the front of the tray and slots defined in the back of the tray. When two trays are stacked in opposite directions with respect to one another, the beams are received by the slots. The tray also includes a domed bottom. The domed bottom has a convex profile with respect to the interior of the tray and can include transverse ribs or longitudinal ribs. The tray also includes drain apertures positioned along the front and back of the tray. The drain apertures can enhance cleaning of the tray by communicating fluid from channels defined by the front and back. The tray also includes a stop for projection for limiting sliding movement of a top tray relative to a bottom tray when two trays are stacked in a similar orientation with respect to one another. The tray also includes handles in the first and second side and a gripping portion on one of the first and second handles.

Abstract: A multi-component shutter assembly for the production of decorative shutters having a nearly infinite variety of different combinations of louvered sections and raised panel sections with a greatly reduced tooling cost. The shutter system includes a base shutter having a perimeter frame and transverse louvers along its length, and a set of elements which are attachable to the base shutter. The elements are manufactured in a wide variety of different sizes, styles, and colors, and any one or more of the elements can be attached to the base shutter at any desired location along its length to produce a shutter assembly of the desired appearance. The elements can be fastened to the front of the base shutter to cover the louvers at that location, or some or all of the louvers of the base shutter can be cut away and removed to form an aperture and the element fastened to the base shutter to cover the aperture.

Abstract: A stackable bakery tray which can be stacked upon an identical bakery tray to provide three levels of storage for bake goods. An identical upper tray can slide on rails of a lower tray when the upper tray and lower tray are each oriented in the same direction and when one tray is orientated 180° from the other tray. Two of the side walls are mirror images of each other and include extending feet and complementary level portions and openings so that extending feet of an upper tray matingly fit within either appropriate level portions or openings of lower tray. End extending feet can pivot within their appropriate level portions or openings to blendly stack and unstack the upper tray to and from the lower tray.

Abstract: A nestable and stackable container is provided with the bottom, end walls and side walls fixedly secured to each other to form a unitary structure. The container further comprises a plurality of alternately inwardly and outwardly offset portions on the side walls extending upwardly from the bottom, the inwardly offset portions each having a generally horizontal shoulder defining its upper edge. A stacking shelf is mounted on each side wall for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the side wall at a location below and outwardly of the wall from the shoulder. The stacking shelf is pivotal about the axis, between a stacking position wherein the shelf overlies and projects inwardly of the shoulder, and a nesting position wherein the shelf is inclined upwardly and outwardly of the shoulder. A stacking rail is formed at the bottom of each opposed side wall, with the rail being receivable in a recess formed in the stacking shelf when the shelf is in its stacking position.

Abstract: An open-front, two-level stacking container which may incorporate a tray removable through the open front of a stacked container is provided with a web and slot interlocking arrangement for positively interlocking two stacked containers against front-rear movement relative to each other. Transverse webs in recesses in the stacking feet of one container are received in locking slots in the support shelves of the underlying container and so arranged that the upper container may be slid rearwardly of the lower container to a positively interlocked upper or lower stacked relationship.

Abstract: A stackable tray for holding a plurality of pie pans includes four like interconnected side walls and a horizontal platform joined to the side walls approximately midway of the height of the sidewalls. The platform is provided with circular openings each dimensioned to suspend a pie pan within the opening by the engagement of the peripheral flange at the top of the pan with the platform around the periphery of the opening. Centrally located hand hold openings are formed in each side wall and upper and lower stiffening webs extend across the upper and lower surfaces of the platform between the openings.

Abstract: A closure device with a press release lever is disclosed. The closure device includes an elongated member having a longitudinal axis, a retaining housing at one end, a flexible middle section, and a free end portion at another end. The retaining housing has a first wall connected to the middle section, a second wall opposing the first wall, third and fourth walls opposing each other and formed integrally with the first and second walls. A lever is connected to the first wall for releasably retaining the flexible middle section. The lever includes a middle-section-engaging surface, a press-to-release-actuating end, and is biased against movement in one direction. A passage is formed in the retaining housing for receiving the free end portion and the flexible middle section. Various shapes of the flexible middle section are disclosed for releasably retaining the flexible middle section in an engaged position within the retaining housing in cooperation with the middle-section-engaging surface of the lever.

Abstract: Casters are detachably mounted upon the underside of the molded plastic frame of a dolly by the use of a single bolt. The caster is provided with a flat, horizontally disposed mounting plate which underlies and bears against a horizontal surface on the bottom of the frame enclosed within a peripheral sidewall integral with and projecting downwardly from the frame. The mounting plate can be vertically moved into face-to-face engagement with the horizontal surface on the frame when in a first angular orientation and then rotated about a vertical axis to a second angular orientation in which webs on the sidewall spaced below the horizontal surface underlie portions of the plate to retain it against vertical separation from the frame. A single bolt detachably retains the plate against rotation from this last position.

Abstract: A container for storing reels upon which magnetic tape is wound. The container comprises a body and a cover which are integrally connected by means of a hinge which permits pivotal movement of the cover with respect to the body such that the cover may snap lockingly engage and enclose the mouth of the container to seal the contents of the storage container therein.

Abstract: A tote box assembly or the like is made up of molded plastic components wherein complementary interlocking members at each end of each sidewall rigidly interlock the sidewalls in assembled relationship with each other. Coupling legs integrally formed along the bottom edge of each sidewall are detachably snap locked into openings formed along each side of the pallet platform.

Abstract: A two-level stacking container is formed with a square bottom, a pair of first like sidewalls projecting upwardly from two opposed sides of the bottom and a pair of like second sidewalls projecting upwardly from the two remaining sides of the bottom. The first and second sidewalls are formed with a stacking web having top and bottom edges each having vertically spaced alternating upper and lower edge sections so arranged that when two containers are stacked first walls on first walls and second walls on second walls, the containers are in a high level stacked relationship; and when stacked first walls on second walls and second walls on first walls, the containers are in a low stacked relationship.

Abstract: A multi-purpose tray including a front, a back, a first side, a second side, and a bottom. The tray can include beams extending from the front of the tray and slots defined in the back of the tray. When two trays are stacked in opposite directions with respect to one another, the beams are received by the slots. The tray also includes a domed bottom. The domed bottom has a convex profile with respect to the interior of the tray and can include transverse ribs or longitudinal ribs. The tray also includes drain apertures positioned along the front and back of the tray. The drain apertures can enhance cleaning of the tray by communicating fluid from channels defined by the front and back. The tray also includes a stop for projection for limiting sliding movement of a top tray relative to a bottom tray when two trays are stacked in a similar orientation with respect to one another. The tray also includes handles in the first and second side and a gripping portion on one of the first and second handles.