A tray which may be set up in the field and locked into position without the use of glue or staples. A pair of end panels are provided on each end of the tray. One of these end panels extends from the bottom panel of the tray and the other extends from the upper panel of the tray. One is an exterior end panel and the other is an interior end panel. The exterior end panel has a pair of locking flaps which fold around the interior end panel and are held in place by a locking panel. The locking panel is hinged to the upper wall of the tray and folds down against the locking flaps holding the locking flaps against the interior end panel and locking the various members of the end wall into place. The locking panel is held in place by locking tabs in the panel which extend into apertures in the base panel of the tray.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
A tray construction having an interlocking end construction which holds the 
end walls in place. 
2. Description of Other Patents 
Crane, U.S. Pat. No. 2,744,675 granted May 8, 1956, Davis, et al, U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,036,753 granted May 29, 1962, Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,615 
granted Jan. 22, 1963, and Crane, U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,472 granted July 13, 
1965 are exemplary of patents disclosing tray structures. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tray which may be set 
up in the field and locked into position without the use of glue or 
staples. A pair of end walls are provided on each end of the tray. One of 
these end walls extends from the base panel of the tray and the other 
extends from the upper panel of the tray. One is an exterior end wall and 
the other is an interior end wall. The exterior end wall has a pair of 
locking flaps which fold around the interior end wall and are held in 
place by a locking partition. The locking partition is hinged to the upper 
panel of the tray and folds down against the locking flaps holding the 
locking flaps against the interior end wall and locking the various 
members of the end wall into place. The locking partition is held in place 
by locking tabs on the partition which extend into apertures in the base 
panel of the tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows a blank 10 which is divided by a longitudinal score line 11 
into a base section 12 and an upper section 13. The blank material is 
normally double faced corrugated and the score line 11 runs in the 
direction of the corrugations. 
The base section 12 is divided by a pair of first transverse score lines 14 
into two interior end walls 15 and a base panel 16. The interior end walls 
15 are hinged to the ends of the base panel 16 along the transverse score 
lines 14. There are a number of apertures in the base panel 16. Located 
along each of the score lines 14 are a pair of exterior locking apertures 
17 and a central stacking aperture 18. The locking apertures 17 along one 
score line 14 are aligned with the locking apertures 17 along the other 
score lines and the stacking apertures 18 are aligned longitudinally of 
the container also. Located centrally of the base panel 16 are another 
pair of locking apertures 19. These are also aligned with the locking 
apertures 17. A number of air holes 20 are also located in the base panel 
16. 
Upper section 13 is divided by a pair of second transverse perforated score 
lines 21 and aligned cuts 22 extending outwardly from each end of the 
score lines 21 into a pair of upper end sections 23 and an upper central 
section 24. The end sections 23 are hinged to the central section 24 along 
the second transverse score lines 21. 
Each of the end sections 23 is divided by a pair of longitudinal double 
perforated score lines 25 into an exterior end wall 26 and a pair of 
locking flaps 27 hinged to the side edges of the exterior end wall 26 
along the score lines 25. The pair of score lines 25 in one end section 23 
is aligned with the pair of score lines 25 in the other end section. The 
two score lines in each pair are spaced from each other the width of the 
material forming the interior end panel to allow the locking flaps to be 
wrapped around the interior end walls. The outer edges 28 of the locking 
flaps 27 are curved to allow them to be inserted into the tray when the 
exterior end walls 26 are bent downwardly from the plane of the top of the 
tray. 
The upper central section 24 is divided by a pair of substantially parallel 
aligned score lines 29 and apertures 30 into a pair of side walls 31 and 
an upper tray section 32. 
The upper tray section 32 is divided by outer score lines 33 and their 
exterior cut lines 34, partition cuts 35 and their aligned central 
apertures 36 and exterior apertures 37, and interior score lines 38 and 
their exterior cut lines 39 into outer upper panels 40, locking partitions 
41, central partitions 42 and central upper panel 43. The locking 
partitions 41 are hinged to the outer upper panels 40 along score lines 33 
and the central partitions 42 are hinged to the central upper panel 43 
along score lines 38. Cuts 34 form ledges 44 in the upper corners of the 
tray and cuts 39 form ledges 45 centrally of the tray. Stacking tabs 46 
are formed in the upper edge of locking partitions 41 by the U-shaped cuts 
47 which extend through the outer upper panels 40. Locking tabs 48 and 49 
are formed on the lower edges of the locking partitions 41 and central 
partitions 42, respectively, by the cut lines 35 and the adjoining 
apertures 36 and 37. 
Air vents 50 are formed in the lower edges of side walls 31. 
A glue flap 51 is hinged to the lower edge of free side wall 31 along score 
line 52. 
A lay flat blank for the tray may be formed by bending the container around 
certain of the longitudinal score lines such as the longitudinal score 
line 29 and its adjacent score lines 25 and adhering glue flap 51 to the 
interior face of base panel 16. 
In forming the tray, the tray is set upright as shown in FIG. 2 with the 
side walls 31 perpendicular to the base panel 16 and the upper tray 
section 32 parallel to the base panel 16. The interior end walls 15 are 
bent upwardly until they are upright. The locking flaps 27 are bent 
inwardly around score lines 25a until they are perpendicular to the 
exterior end walls 26. The exterior end wall 26 is then bent downwardly 
around score line 21 and the locking flaps 27 inserted into the container 
between the side walls 31 and the sides of the interior end wall 15. The 
side edges of the interior and exterior end panels are spaced from the 
interior faces of the side edges a distance that allows the locking flaps 
to be inserted into the container. This would usually be the width of the 
locking flap material or slightly greater than the width of the locking 
flap material. When the exterior end wall 26 overlies the interior end 
wall 15, the locking flaps 27 are bent inwardly around score lines 25b 
until they are in contact with the inner face of wall 15. The locking 
partitions 41 are then bent downwardly around score lines 33 and the 
locking tabs 48 are inserted into the apertures 17 in the base panel 16. 
This locks the locking flaps 27 between the interior end wall 15 and the 
locking partition 41 holding both the interior end wall 15 and the 
exterior end wall 26 in place and locking the container in its upright 
position. 
The tray is then formed by rotating the central partitions 42 downwardly 
around score lines 38, and inserting the locking tabs 49 into the locking 
apertures 19 in the base panel 16. 
When the locking partitions 41 are locked into place, the stacking tabs 46 
extend above the upper panel 40 of the tray. These stacking tabs will 
extend through the apertures 18 in the base panel of the next tray above 
when the trays are stacked. There is a relief section 53 in the lower edge 
of the locking partitions 41 formed by the central aperture 36. This will 
accommodate the stacking tab 46 of the tray below. 
In the construction shown, the interior end wall 15 is hinged to the base 
panel 16 and the exterior end wall 26 and its locking flaps 27 are hinged 
to the outer upper panel 40. The interior and exterior end walls 15 and 26 
may be reversed. The interior end wall 15 may be hinged from the outer 
upper panel 40 of the tray and the exterior end wall 26 and its associated 
locking flaps 27 may be hinged from the base panel 16 of the tray. The 
interior end walls are hingedly connected to the ends of either the base 
or upper panels, and the exterior end wall is connected to the other of 
the base or upper panels. The locking flaps are hingedly connected to the 
side edges of the exterior end walls. This is shown in FIG. 6.