Bolster for construction container

Abstract

A container adapted to be lifted by a forklift having a pair of prongs, including a receptacle having a floor, a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed sidewalls, wherein a front edge, a rear edge and side edges of the floor define a perimeter of the floor. A plurality of bolsters is attached to the floor such that each bolster is within the perimeter, each bolster including a lower panel and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly to the floor and forming a first entry window configured to slidably receive one of the prongs of the forklift. Each bolster is positioned such that its first entry window is accessible from one of the opposed side edges of the floor, and the prongs of the forklift are slidably receivable between a pair of the bolsters from one of the front edge and the rear edge of the floor.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container adapted to be lifted by a forklift having a pair of prongs, comprising:
 a receptacle having a floor, a rear wall extending upwardly from the floor, and a pair of opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the floor, wherein a bottom perimeter of the container encloses an underside surface of the floor and has a rear edge parallel the rear wall, a pair of side edges parallel to each other and the opposed sidewalls, and a front edge parallel to the rear edge, wherein each of the front and rear edges of the perimeter is longer than each of the side edges;   a plurality of bolsters attached to the underside surface of the floor and at respective corners defined by the front edge, side edges, and rear edge of the perimeter, each bolster comprising:   a lower panel spaced apart from the underside surface of the floor; and   first and second sidewalls, each extending from the lower panel to the floor and in a direction parallel to the front edge and the rear edge so that a first entry window is formed between the first and second sidewalls that is accessible from one of the side edges and is configured to slidably receive one of the prongs of the forklift under the floor within an area bounded by the perimeter,   wherein for a first pair of the bolsters that are attached to the underside surface at corners defined by the front edge, the bolsters of the first pair are non-unitarily formed with respect to each other,   wherein, for a second pair of the bolsters that are attached to the underside surface at corners defined by the rear edge, the bolsters of the second pair are non-unitarily formed with respect to each other,   wherein, for a third pair of bolsters that are attached to the underside surface at corners defined by a first said side edge, the bolsters of the third pair are separated from each other without other bolsters therebetween,   wherein, for a fourth pair of bolsters that are attached to the underside surface at corners defined by a second said side edge, the bolsters of the fourth pair are separated from each other without other bolsters therebetween,   wherein the first pair of bolsters shares a respective bolster with each of the third and fourth pairs of bolsters, and   wherein the second pair of bolsters shares a respective bolster with each of the third and fourth pairs of bolsters.