Blow molded container and supplemental handle therefor

A stackable plastic container comprising:

• a blow molded container body of generally rectanguloid configuration having elongated top and bottom walls, a pair of major side walls and a pair of minor side walls;
• wherein said top wall is provided with a threaded neck-like opening, in the vicinity of one of said pair of minor side walls and centrally positioned relative to said major side walls, a pair of upwardly projecting top wall portions of the blow molded container body that are symmetrically disposed relative to a center line extending across the container between said major side walls, a first of said top wall portions substantially spanning between said pair of major side walls at a position adjacent said neck-like opening, a second or said top wall portions substantially spanning between said pair of major side walls in the vicinity of the other of said minor side walls and at the same height as the first portion, and a single bar-type handle extending, as a unitary part of said container situated centrally between said pair of major side walls, from said first top wall portion to said second top wall portion, and a central portion extending across said top wall, between said projecting top wall portions, at a position below said handle so as to form a hand opening;
• wherein said bottom wall is substantially planar except for the provision of a plurality of downwardly projecting, unitary supporting and stacking nubs, said nubs being situated at positions corresponding to said projecting top wall portion;
• and
• wherein said to wall portions have nub receiving stacking recesses positioned on opposite sides of said handle for enabling stacking of a like container on said container by engagement of the supporting and stacking nubs of the like container in said stacking recesses;
• further comprising a rigid supplemental handle means sized and shaped for insertion through said hand opening and for detechable engagement with said single, bar-type handle of the container top wall, said supplemental handle means having a pair of bar-type handle portions laterally spaced from each other and connected by crosspieces, notch means in the crosspieces for receiving said bar-type handle of the container top wall, and securing means for retaining the bar-type handle of the container within the notch means, whereby the container is convertible from a single handle container to a triple handle container.