Side load spacer

The side load spacer adapted to be removably suspended from the top of a load laterally spaced from the vertical side wall of a container comprising:

• an expandable-contractible cellular structure having a top and a pair of generally planar sides, said structure being formed of a stack of rectangular strips of sheet material, the strips of sheet material being secured to adjacent strips at spaced and staggered positions such that the strips define said structure having a plurality of cells when expanded,
• a suspension member laminated to the top strip of said stack of rectangular strips of sheet material, said suspension member being generally planar and substantially rigid and including a first side portion extending beyond one of said sides of said cellular structure and a second side portion extending beyond the other of said sides of said cellular structure, said second side portion including a center section and a flap at each end of said center section, the surface of said suspension member being scored along a line located generally at the said other side of said cellular structure to permit bending of said center section of said second side portion upwardly to a position generally perpendicular to the top surface of said suspension member, and
• a wire extending along the length of said second side portion including the length of each said flap, each said flap being bendable with respect to said center section of said second side portion to a position overlying the top surface of said suspension member with an edge thereof contacting said top surface, said wire being bendable on bending of said flaps to maintain said flaps in their bent positions,
• whereby said load spacer is suspendable by said first side portion from the top of said load with said second side portion lying against the vertical side wall of said container without physical attachment of said load spacer either to said load or to said side wall of said container.