Tray collar and tray-collar combinations

Claim 2

A collar for a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof, said collar comprising: pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding transverse second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four corners; a plurality of flanges extending downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall, each of said flanges being adapted to engage the upstanding wall of a said tray when said collar is placed on top of a said tray; and a locking means provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, said locking means being spaced apart from said flanges and adapted to secure said collar wall to said wall of a said tray in an interlocking manner independently of said flanges when said collar is placed on top of a said tray.

Claim 3

A collar according to claim 1 wherein: each of said flanges extends downwardly from the bottom of said collar wall along the outer periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend outside of and engage the upstanding wall of a said tray along the outer periphery of a corner of a said tray when said collar is placed on top of a said tray.

Claim 4

A collar according to claim 2 wherein: each of said locking means comprises a flexible lug connected to and extending downwardly from the bottom of said collar wall at a point intermediate a pair of said collar corners.

Claim 5

A collar according to claim 3 wherein: said flexible lug is generally T-shaped; the vertical leg of said T is connected to the bottom of said collar wall; and the crossbar of said T is spaced apart from and generally parallel to the bottom of said collar wall.

Claim 6

A collar according to claim 4 wherein: said flexible lugs are two in number, with one being disposed at about the center of one of said first wall sections of said collar wall, and the other being disposed at about the center of the other of said first wall sections of said collar wall; each of said firSt wall sections has two cutout areas disposed therein below its upper edge, one on either side of the flexible lug connected thereto; and each of said second wall sections has one cutout area disposed generally centrally therein below its upper edge.

Claim 7

A collar according to claim 1 wherein: each of said flanges extends downwardly from the bottom of said collar wall along the inner periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend inside of and engage the upstanding wall of a said tray along the inner periphery of a corner of a said tray when said collar is placed on top of a said tray.

Claim 8

A collar according to claim 6 wherein each of said locking means comprises a spring clip mounted in said collar wall and extending downwardly below the bottom of said collar wall at a point intermediate a pair of said collar corners.

Claim 9

A collar according to claim 7 wherein said spring clip comprises: an outer clip member disposed adjacent the outer surface of said collar wall and extending below the bottom of said collar wall; an inner clip member disposed adjacent the inner surface of said collar wall and extending below the bottom of said collar wall; and a pivot bar mounted in and extending through an opening in said collar wall and connected at its outer and inner ends, respectively, to said outer clip member and said inner clip member; said inner clip member having a greater length below its connection to said pivot bar than said outer clip member, and terminating at its lower end with an outwardly and upwardly extending hook.

Claim 10

A collar according to claim 8 wherein: said spring clips are four in number, with one each being disposed at about the center of each one of said first and said second wall sections of said collar wall; and each of said first wall sections and each of said second wall sections has two cutout areas disposed below its upper edges, one on either side of the spring clip mounted therein.

Claim 11

A container comprising in combination a pallet tray and a collar therefor, said combination comprising: a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof and a bottom connected to the lower edge portions of said wall to provide a generally rectangular open top tray structure; and a collar mounted on top of said tray wall, said collar comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular collar structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four corners; a plurality of flanges extending downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall to engage said upstanding wall of said tray; and a locking means, provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, spaced apart from said flanges, and securing said collar wall to said wall of said tray in an interlocking manner independently of said flanges.

Claim 12

A container comprising in combination a pallet tray and a collar therefor, said combination comprising: a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof and a bottom connected to the lower edge portions of said wall to provide a generally rectangular open top tray structure; and a collar mounted on top of said tray wall, said collar comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular collar structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four corners; a plurality of flanges extending downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall to engage said upstanding wall of said tray; and a locking means, provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, spaced apart from said flanges, and securing said collar wall to said wall of said tray in an interlocking manner independently of said flanges.

Claim 13

A container according to claim 10 wherein: said tray corners are shaped essentially like said collar corners; each of said flanges extends downwardly from the bottom of said collar wall along the outer periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend outside of and engage the upstanding wall of said tray along the outer periphery of a corner of said tray.

Claim 14

A container according to claim 11 wherein: each of said locking means comprises a flexible lug connected to and extending downwardly from the bottom of said collar wall, at a point intermediate a pair of said collar corners, to secure said collar wall to said tray wall.

Claim 15

A container according to claim 12 wherein: said flexible lug is generally T-shaped; the vertical leg of said T is connected to the bottom of said collar wall; the crossbar of said T is spaced apart from and generally parallel to the bottom of said collar wall; said tray wall is formed of a pair of first wall sections and a pair of upstanding opPosed second transverse wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof; each of said first wall sections and said second wall sections has an outwardly extending turned-down flange joined to the upper edge thereof; a notch having a width corresponding generally to the width of the vertical leg of said T is provided in said turned-down flange joined to said tray wall; and said leg of said T is disposed in said notch with the crossbar of said T under said turned-down flange so as to secure said collar wall to said tray wall.

Claim 16

A container according to claim 13 wherein: said flexible lugs are two in number, with one being disposed at about the center of one of said first wall sections of said collar wall, and the other being disposed at about the center of the other of said first wall sections of said collar wall; each of said first wall sections has two cutout areas disposed therein below its upper edge, one on either side of the flexible lug connected thereto; and each of said second wall sections has one cutout area disposed generally centrally therein below its upper edge.

Claim 17

A container according to claim 10 wherein: said tray corners are shaped essentially like said collar corners; each of said flanges extends downwardly from the bottom of said collar wall along the inner periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend inside of and engage the upstanding wall of said tray along the inner periphery of a corner of said tray.

Claim 18

A container according to claim 10 wherein: each of said locking means comprises a spring clip mounted in said collar wall and extending downwardly below the bottom of said collar wall at a point intermediate a pair of said collar corners to secure said collar wall to said tray wall.

Claim 19

A container according to claim 16 wherein said spring clip comprises: an outer clip member disposed adjacent the outer surface of said collar wall and extending below the bottom of said collar wall; an inner clip member disposed adjacent the inner surface of said collar wall and extending below the bottom of said collar wall and through an opening in the bottom of said tray; and a pivot bar mounted in and extending through an opening in said collar wall and connected at its outer and inner ends, respectively, to said outer clip member and said inner clip member; said inner clip member having a greater length below its connection to said pivot bar than said outer clip member, and terminating at its lower end with an outwardly and upwardly extending hook which engages the bottom of said tray wall so as to secure said collar wall to said tray wall.

Claim 20

A container according to claim 17 wherein: a notch, having a width corresponding generally to the width of said inner clip member, is provided in the bottom of said tray wall; and said hook is disposed in said notch.

Claim 21

A container according to claim 17 wherein: said spring clips are four in number, with one each being disposed at about the center of each one of said first and said second wall sections of said collar wall; and each of said first wall sections and each of said second wall sections has two cutout areas disposed below its upper edge, one on either side of the spring clip mounted therein.

Claim 22

A container according to claim 10 wherein: said tray wall is formed of a pair of upstanding opposed first wall sections sloping inwardly toward each other from top to bottom, and a pair of upstanding opposed second transverse wall sections sloping inwardly toward each other from top to bottom and connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof; each of said first wall sections and said second wall sections has an outwardly extending turned-down flange joined to the upper edge thereof; a recess is formed in the top of said collar wall along the outer edge thereof; and said container comprises in further combination a second tray like said first mentioned tray placed on top of said collar wall with the bottom edges of said tuRned-down flanges which are joined to said second tray wall sections engaging said recess in the top of said collar wall.

Claim 23

A container according to claim 20 wherein: the upper inner surface of said collar wall slopes inwardly at essentially the same angle as the outer surface of the wall of said second tray, and said outer surface of said second tray wall engages said upper inner surface of said collar wall when said second tray is placed on said collar.

Claim 24

A collar for a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof, said collar comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding transverse second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four arcuate-shaped corners; a plurality of flanges, each extendinG downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall along the outer periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend outside of and engage the upstanding wall of a said tray along the outer periphery of a corner of a said tray when said collar is placed on top of a said tray; and a locking means provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, said locking means being adapted to secure said collar wall to said wall of a tray in an interlocking manner when said collar is placed on top of a said tray.

Claim 25

A collar for a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof, said collar comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding transverse second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four arcuate-shaped corners; a plurality of flanges, each extendinG downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall along the outer periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend outside of and engage the upstanding wall of a said tray along the outer periphery of a corner of a said tray when said collar is placed on top of a said tray; and a locking means provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, said locking means being adapted to secure said collar wall to said wall of a tray in an interlocking manner when said collar is placed on top of a said tray.

Claim 26

A container comprising in combination a pallet tray and a collar therefor, said combination comprising: a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof and a bottom connected to the lower edge portions of said wall to provide a generally rectangular open top tray structure; and a collar mounted on top of said tray wall, said collar comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular collar structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four arcuate-shaped corners; a plurality of flanges, each extending downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall along the outer periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend outside of and engage the upstanding wall of said tray along the outer periphery of a corner of said tray, the corners of said tray being shaped essentially like said collar corners; and a locking means, provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, securing said collar wall to said wall of said tray in an interlocking manner.

Claim 27

A container comprising in combination a pallet tray and a collar therefor, said combination comprising: a pallet tray having an upstanding wall extending around the periphery thereof and a bottom connected to the lower edge portions of said wall to provide a generally rectangular open top tray structure; and a collar mounted on top of said tray wall, said collar comprising: a pair of opposed upstanding first wall sections; a pair of opposed upstanding second wall sections connected to said first wall sections along the upstanding edges thereof to form a collar wall defining a generally rectangular collar structure having an open top, an open bottom, and four arcuate-shaped corners; a plurality of flanges, each extending downwardly from and below the bottom of said collar wall along the outer periphery of one of said collar corners so as to extend outside of and engage the upstanding wall of said tray along the outer periphery of a corner of said tray, the corners of said tray being shaped essentially like said collar corners; and a locking means, provided on each wall section of at least one pair of said opposed wall sections of said collar wall, securing said collar wall to said wall of said tray in an interlocking manner.