Mobile container-receiving tray, and combination, for traversing walled pathways, and pathway component master board

Abstract

A tray and container, for traversing walled pathways includes a first device (a container for holding goods) nested within a second device (a container-receiving tray). The tray has a frame with bottom, sidewalls and open top, and at least four ground wheels, and at least four bumper wheels located on the sidewalls. There is also a pathway component master board for creating a plurality of pathway components of different shapes from it. The master board has a predetermined outer shape, an under support of honeycomb walls and a plurality of pathway component walls intersecting the honeycombs. The pathway component walls have shapes of diverse pathway components, including at least two diverse arcuate pathway turntable components.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container-receiving tray and container, for traversing walled pathways, which compromises:
 a first device nested within a second device,   A. said first device being a container for holding goods; and,   B. said second device being a container-receiving tray, with the following structure:
 a) a tray frame having a bottom and sidewalls and an open top, said tray frame having a predetermined maximum width, predetermined maximum length, and a predetermined maximum height, wherein said predetermined maximum height is less than said predetermined maximum width, and said tray frame having an imaginary midline that defines a center, wherein there is a forward section in front of said midline and an aft section behind said midline; 
 b) at least four ground wheels connected to said tray frame adjacent said tray frame bottom for movement along any surface below said bottom of said tray frame, at least two of said at least four ground wheels being in said forward section and at least two of said four ground wheels being in said aft section; 
 c) at least four bumper wheels connected to said tray frame for movement along any surface aside said sidewalls, at least two of said at least four bumper wheels being in said forward section and at least two of said four bumper wheels being in said aft section. 
   
     
     
         2 . The container-receiving tray and container of  claim 1  wherein said container is selected from the group consisting of an open carrying container, a box, a storage container with an attached lid, a storage container with an unattached lid, and a sack. 
     
     
         3 . The container-receiving tray and container of  claim 1  wherein said ground wheels are caster wheels that rotate on both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The container-receiving tray and container of  claim 1  wherein said bumper wheels are wheels having a non-vertical axis of rotation within the range of minus 45 degrees to plus 45 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         5 . The container-receiving tray and container of  claim 4  wherein said bumper wheels are wheels having a non-vertical axis of rotation within the range of minus 20 degrees to plus 20 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         6 . The container-receiving tray and container of  claim 1  wherein said tray has four ground wheels and four bumper wheels. 
     
     
         7 . The container-receiving tray and container of  claim 1  wherein said tray frame has a male and a female connector located on opposite sides of said imaginary midline. 
     
     
         8 . A container-receiving tray for traversing walled pathways, which compromises:
 a) a tray frame having a bottom and sidewalls and an open top, said tray frame having a predetermined maximum width, predetermined maximum length, and a predetermined maximum height, wherein said predetermined maximum height is less than said predetermined maximum width, said tray frame having an imaginary midline that defines a center, wherein there is a forward section in front of said midline and an aft section behind said midline;   b) at least four ground wheels connected to said tray frame adjacent said tray frame bottom for movement along any surface below said bottom of said tray frame, at least two of said at least four ground wheels being in said forward section and at least two of said four ground wheels being in said aft section;   c) at least four bumper wheels connected to said tray frame for movement along any surface aside said sidewalls, at least two of said at least four bumper wheels being in said forward section and at least two of said four bumper wheels being in said aft section, wherein there is an imaginary peripheral straight line connecting two of said bumper wheels, with said two of said bumper wheels being positioned so that said imaginary peripheral straight line crosses said imaginary midline and is outside the top view footprint of said tray frame.   
     
     
         9 . The container-receiving tray of  claim 8  wherein said sidewalls are tapered outwardly towards their tops to permit nest-stacking of a plurality of said container-receiving trays. 
     
     
         10 . The container-receiving tray of  claim 8  wherein said ground wheels are caster wheels that rotate on both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The container-receiving tray of  claim 8  wherein said bumper wheels are wheels having a non-vertical axis of rotation within the range of minus 45 degrees to plus 45 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         14 . The container-receiving tray of  claim 11  wherein said bumper wheels are wheels having a non-vertical axis of rotation within the range of minus 20 degrees to plus 20 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         15 . The container-receiving tray of  claim 8  wherein said tray has four ground wheels and four bumper wheels. 
     
     
         16 . The container-receiving tray of  claim 11  wherein said tray frame has a male and a female connector located on opposite sides of said imaginary midline. 
     
     
         17 . A pathway component master board for creating a plurality of pathway components of different shapes therefrom, which comprises:
 a master board having a top, a bottom and sidewalls, and having a predetermined outer shape, having an under support of honeycomb walls and having a plurality of pathway component walls intersecting said honeycomb walls, said pathway component walls having predetermined shapes of a plurality of pathway components, including at least two diverse arcuate pathway turntable components.   
     
     
         18 . The pathway component master board of  claim 17  wherein said master board is made of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, plastic, metal, composite, and carbon fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The pathway component master board of  claim 17  wherein said plurality of pathway component walls includes at least three arcs of fixed radius of curvature for creating three distinct pathway turntable segments. 
     
     
         20 . The pathway component master board of  claim 19  wherein said plurality of pathway component walls includes at least two straight line of pathway component walls for creating pathway turntable segments.