Stacking wire for produce trays

Abstract

A stacking wire for produce trays is made from a length of wire, preferably a uniform round high tensile strength steel wire of at least 14 gauge, bent into an elongated open U with both sides thereof diverging downwardly to open ends at which they are bent outwardly to form further outwardly diverging legs which terminate in hook-shaped feet, with the hook openings facing outwardly and with the ends of such hooks bending upwardly. A stacking wire of the type described, when installed in a produce tray by being inserted through a slotted bottom portion and then through a top opening in such tray, will be compressed by such tray slots so that the sides thereof are essentially parallel, and the hook shaped feet of the wire will be held in place pressing against end walls of the bottom slot of the produce tray and with the ends of the wire digging into the tray bottom to help to maintain the wire in position even when additional tray(s) are stacked on the supporting tray and the stacking wire. The legs diverging from the wire sides are inclined at least 20.degree. from continuations of such sides, and preferably 24.degree. or more, the legs include extensions connecting to the feet, which extensions are substantially parallel to the sides, the hook portions of the feet include upper ledge sections long enough and parallel enough to the tray bottom to prevent accidental release of the stacking wire from the produce tray bottom slots during stacking operations, and the sides of the stacking wire are sprung apart before installation, whereby the closed end portions of the hooks press against the bottom slot end walls even when such walls are farther apart than upper slot end walls.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.