Patent Publication Number: US-3968881-A

Title: Multiple stacking letter tray

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the letter tray art, and more particularly to a new and useful multiple stacking letter tray construction. 
     It is well known to provide a stacked letter tray in which one or more individual letter trays are supported in vertically spaced relation, and various support brackets and attachments therefor have been proposed. Often the bracket used for supporting a double tier arrangement will differ from the bracket for a triple tier arrangement, requiring the production and inventorying of different bracket constructions and reducing the flexibility of the arrangement interchangeability of its components. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of this invention is to provide a multiple stacking letter tray utilizing the same tray support bracket regardless of the number of trays in the stack, which tray support bracket and associated attachments are simple and relatively inexpensive in construction and esthetically pleasing in appearance. 
     A multiple stacking letter tray of this invention is characterized in one aspect thereof by the provision of tray support members adapted for attachment at the upper and lower ends thereof to a pair of vertically spaced tray members each adapted for attachment both to the lower end of one support member and to the upper end of another support member, thereby enabling the stacking of two or more tray members with support members of the same construction. 
     The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing features of this invention will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein like references numerals denote like parts throughout the various views. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a multiple stacking tray construction of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is an end elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is an opposite end elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the tray support members; and 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken about on line 7--7 of FIG. 4, on an enlarged scale. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment depicted in the accompanying drawings, there is shown a multiple stacking letter tray consisting of three individual tray members, each generally designated 1, supported in vertically spaced relation by support members each generally designated 2. 
     Tray members 1 are identical, each having a bottom wall 3, upstanding opposite side walls 4, and an upstanding end wall 5 at one end thereof, the opposite end being open to facilitate the placement of letters or other material in the tray and the removal of such material therefrom. On the underside of bottom wall 3 are pairs of footpads 6 and 7, the pads 6 being spaced apart lengthwise of the tray a distance slightly greater than the pads 7, and also being inwardly offset therefrom, there being pairs of footpads 6 and 7 adjacent each of the opposite sides of the tray in inwardly spaced relation thereto. 
     Tray support members 2 also are identical, each comprising a unitary, one-piece member formed, for example of a steel rod and shaped to provide a pair of normally generally upright leg portions 8 joined at their upper ends by a generally U-shaped bridging portion consisting of inwardly extending side portions 9, extending inwardly from the upper ends of legs 8 and leading to a bight portion 10. At their lower ends, portions 8 terminate in inturned attaching foot portions 11. Leg portions 8 diverge downwardly in their normal position of use, as clearly shown in FIG. 1, lying in a common plane which is normally vertical, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The U-shaped bridging portion 9, 10 and the attaching foot portions 11 lie in generally parallel planes extending at substantially a right angle to the plane of legs 8, the foot portions 11 extending from the plane of legs 8 slightly further than the upper end portion 9, 10. 
     Being of one piece, unitary construction the tray support members 2 are easy to handle and to assemble to the individual tray members. As seen from the plan views of FIGS. 2 and 5, the side portions 9 at the upper end of each support bracket have snap-fit engagement with the footpads 7 on one side of the upper tray member, while the attaching feet 11 have snap-fit engagement with the pads 6 on the same side of the tray immediately below, the downward divergence of leg portions 8 causing the attaching feet 11 to be spaced apart sufficiently to pass by the outer pair of footpads 7 into engagement with the inner pair of pads 6. As seen in FIG. 7, each footpad 6 and 7 is formed of a pair of spring fingers 12 projecting from the underside of the tray 1 and defining between them a generally cylindrical, rod receiving recess 13 opening through an inlet defined by walls diverging from a restricted throat, the legs 12 being forced apart by the camming action of the rod portions 9 or 11 engaging the opposite sides of the inlet 14 and snapping past the throat into recess 13, for secure but releasable engagement therein. 
     Tray members 1 can be formed of any suitable material, for example a suitable plastic material and can have footpads 6 and 7 either molded thereon or bonded thereto. In use, a pair of trays are assembled with the feet 11 of a pair of supports 2 engaging the pads 6 of the bottom tray on each side thereof, and with the attaching portions 9 at the upper end of the supports engaging the pads 7 on opposite sides of the tray immediately above. In a triple tray arrangement, as illustrated, the intermediate tray engages the upper end portions 9 of the lower pair of supports 2, and also the attaching portions 11 of the upper pair of supports, and it is a particular feature of this invention that the individual trays are vertically stacked in an esthetically pleasing manner, using tray supports which are identical and interchangeable and of an extremely simple and inexpensive construction. The same tray supports are used regardless of the number of trays to be stacked, and the tray members preferably also are identical, although they can vary as long as they have footpads 6, 7 or the like.