GB2211715A - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

A seed tray moulded as an integral body, for example in expanded polystyrene, has a plurality of parallel longitudinal inverted channels formed across the underside of its base. Accordingly the tray and contents can be lifted from a flat surface, for transportation, by means of a fork-like tool 32 which has parallel prongs 34 so spaced as to allow them to be inserted in the respective spaces defined between the flat surface and the channels before lifting the tray and contents by raising the fork 32. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Title: "Container" THIS INVENTION relates to trays and the like containers or container parts and is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to seed trays.

There is an increasing tendency for amateur gardeners to purchase partially grown plants from commercial suppliers rather than raising such plants themselves from seeds and consequently there has been an increasing use by such commercial suppliers of inexpensive plastics seed trays which are passed on to the customer with the plants they contain. Furthermore, in commercial horticulture, there is a trend towards less labour intensive procedures utilising mechanical handling, and this is conveniently implemented using standardised containers. Consequently, there is a demand both on the part of retailers of growing plants to the public and on the part of commercial horticulturists, for an improved seed tray facilitating mechanical handling.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a tray or the like container or container part fabricated as an integral body including a base in the underside of which is formed a plurality of parallel longitudinal inverted channels extending to at least one edge of said base, whereby the body can be lifted from a position of rest on a flat surface, for example, and transported, by means of a fork-like tool providing parallel longitudinally extending prongs spaced apart by a distace corresponding to the spacing between said channels, by inserting the prongs of said tool longitudin ally into said channels, from said edge, above said surface and subsequently lifting said fork, and with it said body, for transportation.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a seed tray embodying the invention, FIGURE 2 is a view in section along the line II-II in Figure 1, FIGURE 3 is a view in cross section along the line 111-111 in Figure 1, FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5 illustrate handling tools for use with trays of the type shown in Figures 1 to 3, and FIGURE 6 illustrates transportation of a tray of the type of Figures 1 to 6 by means of a simple conveyor.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a seed tray is formed as a unitary moulding in expanded polystyrene and comprises a base, opposing end walls 12 and opposing side walls 14. The interior of the tray is subdivided by intermediate walls 16 parallel with the walls 14 into three compartments 17. Each intermediate wall 16 is formed with a narrow slot 18 extending longitudinally through the middle of the wall, stopping just short of the end walls 12 at its ends and of such a depth as to extend the full depth of the respective wall 16 and almost penetrate the base. These slots 18, known per se, allow the tray to be broken apart along planes corresponding with the planes of the slots 18 to afford three separate subcontainers each comprising one of the three compartments 17.

As shown in Figure 3, the base of the tray conforms, on its underside, substantially to a plane surface except in the regions of concave channels 20 formed across the underside of the tray from the edge defined by one wall 12 to the opposite edge defined by the other wall 12, the channels 20 extending longitudinally parallel with the walls 14 and 16, and each said channel being located centrally relative to a respective one of the compartments 17 noted. As shown in Figure 3, a corresponding ridge is formed in the upper surface of each compartment to preserve the thickness of the base. The base has, in each compartment, respective drainage holes 24, in conventional fashion.

Referring to Figure 5, a container such as shown in Figures 1 to 3 and indicated generally at 30 is shown resting on a flat surface such as a table top. The tray can be lifted readily and safely, even when filled with soil and growing plants, by means of a lifting fork, indicated generally at 32 which is provided with parallel prongs 34 spaced apart and dimensioned so as to allow the fork and thus the prongs 34, to be advanced freely in the longitudinal direction into the respective recesses defined between the channels 20 and the table top, whereupon the fork 32 and with it the tray 30 and contents may simply be lifted. The tray can likewise be set down on a flat surface by the reverse procedure.

The fork shown in Figure 5 has a handle 40 extending parallel with the prongs 34 and slidable longitudinally in a bracket fixed to the rear end of the fork. This arrangement allows the fork to be used either with the handle extending rearwardly from the fork in the opposite direction from the prong 34 or extending forwardly from the bracket over the central prong 34. The latter arrangement allows for more comfortable carrying of a heavy tray supported by the fork by allowing the user's hand to be placed more nearly directly above the centre of gravity of the tray and eliminating any twisting force applied to the users hand.

In a variant shown in Figure 4, the handle 42 is pivotable, at one end, about a vertical axis with respect to a bracket fixed to the rear end of the fork, again permitting the handle to be placed either in the rearwardly projecting or in the forwardly projecting position.

It will be appreciated that the tray 30 may equally readily be lifted from and replaced on a stack of such containers, or the upper part of such a stack lifted from the lower part thereof, either using a hand fork of the type illustrated in Figure 4 or Figure 5 or a similarly configured mechanical handling device.

Figure 6 illustrates how a container 30, forming part of a series of such containers (the remainder of which is not shown) placed wall 12 to wall 12, may be transported by means of a simple push" conveyor, of which the conveying run comprises two stationary rails 50 the upper edges of which locate in the two outermost channels 20 of each container 30.

Whilst the seed tray, in the preferred embodiment, has been described as being made of expanded polystyrene, it could of course, be made of any other suitable material. In particular, the seed tray may be made of compressed and felted or bonded natural fibre, for example peat fibre, straw or the like, which material has the advantage of being bio-degradable, thus presenting minimal problems as regards disposal.

Claims (6)

1. A tray or the like container or container part fabricated as an integral body including a base in the underside of which is formed a plurality of parallel longitudinal inverted channels extending to at least one edge of said base, whereby the body can be lifted from a position of rest on a flat surface, for example, and transported, by means of a fork-like tool providing parallel longitudinally extending prongs spaced apart by a distace corresponding to the spacing between said channels, by inserting the prongs of said tool longitudinally into said channels, from said edge, above said surface and subsequently lifting said fork, and with it said body, for transportation.

2. A tray or the like according to claim 1 wherein each of said inverted channels extends fully across said base, from one edge thereof to the opposite edge.

3. A tray or the like according to claim 1 formed by moulding in synthetic plastics.

4. A tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of handling a tray, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.