US 4,785,939 AGranted

Stacking tray

AssigneeEldon Industries, Inc.

InventorsRobert R. Huerto, Cory A. Saulsberry

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Abstract

In a stacking tray combination of the kind containing a series of trays overlying one another in vertical spaced relationship and containing support means for holding said trays in that described position, the improvement is characterized by at least a portion of the support means comprising a hollow channel shaped member, which is connected to the side of a tray and which contains an open side portion; and by an insertable key means positioned within said channel shaped member, with said key means containing a key portion for linking said channel member within another portion of said support means; and with said key means further having a surface for closing the open side of said channel shaped member and together with that member simulating a thick solid post. In an additional aspect of the invention a cap is provided for covering the upper end of the channel member to add to the impression of solidness of form. And in still further aspect the key includes a flange that in turn defines a slot that is capable of receiving key portions of additional key means or the depending portion of the aforedescribed end cap.

In a stacking tray combination in which a plurality of trays, including an upper most tray and a bottom most tray, are located overlying one another in vertically spaced relationship for providing a plurality paper sheet storage bins and in which each of said trays contains a pair of side post means integrally connected therewith, one of said side post means located on one side of said tray and the other of said side post means being located on the other side of said tray, and in which said side post means of an overlying one of said plurality of trays extends vertically downwardly below the surface of said attached tray and is supported atop the corresponding side post means of an underlying one of said plurality of trays;

whereby the stacked side post means on each side of said trays simulate a single long support post;
and wherein said each side post means associated with the overlying ones of said trays comprises further:
a hollow channel shaped member having an open top end, and an open bottom end, two side wall portions and a back wall between said ends, said back wall being spaced from the side of the associated tray, said channel member further having an open side portion facing toward said associated tray, whereby the inside hollow of said channel shaped member is exposed to view along a portion of the length of said channel shaped member below the surface of said tray, the improvement therein comprising:
key means located within said side post means, said key means being separate from and insertable within said side post means from said upper end of said side post means, said key means having a protruding portion extending out the bottom end of said side post means with the protruding portion thereof extending into the underlying side post means of an underlying one of said plurality of trays for preventing lateral movement between said trays;
and said key means having a flat surface portion for closing said open side of said channel shaped member and cooperating therewith to simulate a solid post joining said overlying tray with said underlying tray.

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Abstract

Claims13