Patent ID: 7226061

Claim:
A disposable shipping cart for live plants and the like, comprising: (a) a frame including: (1) a horizontal rectangular base having four corners and a given longitudinal axis; (2) four vertical spaced corner posts having lower ends secured to and extending upwardly from the corners of said base; (3) first shelf support means arranged in vertically spaced relation at a first elevation above said platform, said shelf support means including: (a) a first pair of parallel longitudinal shelf supports extending between and having end portions fastened to said corner posts, respectively; and (b) a second pair of parallel transverse shelf supports extending between and having end portions fastened to said corner posts, respectively; (4) said base, said corner posts, and said shelf supports being formed from an inexpensive disposable non-metallic material; (b) caster means supporting said base for rolling transport; (c) a first open-topped shelf mounted on said first shelf support means, said first shelf being formed from a folded cardboard blank, including: (1) a rectangular horizontal bottom wall having side and end edges; (2) opposed pairs of side and end walls connected by fold lines with said bottom wall side and end edges, respectively; (3) said side walls having at each end a mounting wing portion so arranged that when said side walls are folded upwardly to the vertical position relative to said base wall and said shelf is mounted on said shelf support means, said mounting wing portion extends in contiguous engagement with the exterior surface of the adjacent corner post; and (d) fastener means securing said mounting wing portions to said vertical posts.