Patent ID: 7588404

Claim:
A method of handling a non-hand held container using a container handling apparatus, the method comprising: releasably engaging a box-shaped container with a container interlocking member of the container handling apparatus, the container having a horizontal top wall, a horizontal bottom wall and vertical side walls extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, the walls enclosing the interior of the container, the container having device engagement structure configured to mate with the container interlocking member and comprising a recess extending inward from an exterior edge of the bottom wall and an interior U-shaped receiving portion with an entrance end that is located inwardly of the exterior edge, the U-shaped receiving portion extends generally horizontally outward from the entrance end to a closed end located toward the exterior edge and includes top and bottom surface portions extending from the closed end to the entrance end, by (i) moving the container interlocking member in a inward horizontal direction into the recess, (ii) after step (i), raising the container interlocking member upward to locate the interlocking member at the entrance end of the U-shaped receiving portion, and (iii) after step (ii), moving the container interlocking member in a outward horizontal direction, opposite the inward horizontal direction, to place the container interlocking member within the U-shaped receiving portion of the container; lifting the container using the container handling apparatus, the container interlocking member providing a pivot axis about which the container pivots relative to the interlocking member; and locating the container on a support member of the container handling apparatus by pulling the container in a direction toward the container handling apparatus using the interlocking member.