Material handling basket

Abstract

A material handling basket is provided comprising a base having two opposing pairs of substantially vertical outer walls. First and second sheet-metal dividers respectively extend between a first and second pair of the opposed vertical outer walls, and have a tab at each opposing end extending toward one of the walls of the first and second pairs of walls. Each of the walls of the first pair of walls has openings for accepting one of the tabs for positioning the first dividers relative to the respective wall; and each of the walls of the second pair of walls has openings for accepting one of the tabs for positioning the second dividers relative to the respective wall. Each of the tabs is rigidly joined to the respective opening to retain the first and second dividers between the first and second pairs of outer walls.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A basket comprising:
 a sheet-metal base having two opposing pairs of substantially vertical outer walls, each of the outer walls having a substantially horizontal bottom portion extending from a bottom of the wall towards its opposite wall, each of the walls joined to an adjacent wall to form a corner with the adjacent wall; and   a first sheet-metal divider extending between a first pair of the opposed vertical outer walls;   wherein the first divider has a tab at each opposing end extending toward one of the walls of the first pair of walls, and each of the walls of the first pair of walls has an opening for accepting one of the tabs for positioning the first divider relative to the respective wall; and   wherein each of the tabs is rigidly joined to the respective opening to retain the first divider between the first pair of outer walls.   
     
     
         2 . The basket of  claim 1 , comprising a second sheet-metal divider extending between a second pair of the opposed vertical outer walls;
 wherein the second divider has a tab at each opposing end extending toward one of the walls of the second pair of walls, and each of the walls of the second pair of walls has an opening for accepting one of the tabs for positioning the second divider relative to the respective wall;   wherein each of the tabs is rigidly joined to the respective opening to retain the second divider between the second pair of outer walls; and   wherein at least one of the first and second dividers has a slot for engaging the other one of the first and second dividers when the first and second dividers are positioned relative to the first and second pairs of outer walls.   
     
     
         3 . The basket of  claim 2 , comprising a plurality of the first dividers and a plurality of the second dividers, the pluralities of first and second dividers each having slots for engaging each other such that the pluralities of first and second dividers can be positioned relative to each other to form a grid having a plurality of intersections;
 wherein each wall of the first pair of outer walls has openings for accepting the tabs of respective ones of the plurality of first dividers, and each wall of the second pair of outer walls has openings for accepting the tabs of respective ones of the plurality of second dividers, and each of the first and second dividers are respectively retained between the first and second pairs of outer walls.   
     
     
         4 . The basket of  claim 1 , wherein each of the corners of the base comprises:
 a corner tab extending from one of the vertical outer walls and contacting an adjacent outer wall; and   a weld joint or a rivet for rigidly attaching the corner tab to the adjacent outer wall.   
     
     
         5 . The basket of  claim 3 , wherein each of the intersections of the grid comprises a first extended portion of one of the first dividers and a second extended portion of one of the second dividers, the first and second extended portions together forming a prong which extends upwardly from a bottom of the basket;
 wherein the prong has a plurality of outer surfaces for engaging one or more inner surfaces of a workpiece to be supported in the basket by the prong, the prong outer surfaces cooperating with each other and with the one or more inner surfaces of the workpiece to hold the workpiece in a predetermined position in the basket such that the workpiece is substantially stationary relative to the basket.   
     
     
         6 . The basket of  claim 1 , wherein each of the vertical outer walls comprises a plurality of window openings. 
     
     
         7 . The basket of  claim 6 , wherein one or more of the plurality of openings in each of the outer walls comprises a finger hole for allowing a user to insert a finger to lift the basket. 
     
     
         8 . The basket of  claim 1 , wherein each outer wall of one of the opposing pairs of vertical outer walls comprises a hoist arm for engaging an overhead lifting device for lifting the basket. 
     
     
         9 . The basket of  claim 1 , wherein each wall of one of the pairs of vertical outer walls comprises a vertically-extending stacking tab at a top of the wall, and a stacking slot at a bottom of the wall, for engaging a corresponding stacking slot or stacking tab, respectively, of a second basket, for stacking the basket and the second basket. 
     
     
         10 . The basket of  claim 3 , wherein the base further comprises a bottom member extending between the horizontal bottom portions; and
 wherein the first dividers and the second dividers each have a bottom tab extending towards the bottom member, and the bottom member has slots for engaging the bottom tabs of the first and second dividers.   
     
     
         11 . The basket of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom member has openings, the basket further comprising a mesh member attached to the bottom member and extending over the openings. 
     
     
         12 . The basket of  claim 3 , wherein each of the tabs of each of the first and second dividers is joined to the respective opening of each of the outer walls by a weld, to respectively retain the first and second dividers between the first and second pairs of outer walls. 
     
     
         13 . The basket of  claim 5 , further comprising a lid removably attachable to a top of each of the vertical outer walls, the lid comprising:
 a sheet-metal lid base having two opposing pairs of substantially vertical outer lid walls corresponding to the two opposing pairs of outer walls of the basket base, each of the lid walls joined to an adjacent lid wall to form a corner with the adjacent lid wall; and   a lid bottom, extending between the outer lid walls, for constraining movement of each of the workpieces supported by each of the prongs when the lid is attached to the top of the outer walls of the basket.   
     
     
         14 . The basket of  claim 13 , wherein each wall of one of the pairs of vertical outer walls of the basket comprises a vertically-extending stacking tab at the top of the wall, and the lid base has a lid slot at a bottom of each wall of a corresponding one of the pairs of vertical outer lid walls for engaging the corresponding stacking tab, for attaching the lid to the basket. 
     
     
         15 . The basket of  claim 14 , wherein each wall of one of the pairs of vertical outer walls of the basket further comprises a stacking slot at a bottom of the wall, for engaging a corresponding stacking tab of an additional one of the baskets, for stacking the basket and the additional basket;
 wherein the outer lid walls have a height such that when the lid is attached to the basket, and the basket and one or more of the additional baskets are stacked, a total height of the stacked baskets and the lid is substantially equal to a predetermined total height.   
     
     
         16 . The basket of  claim 13 , wherein the lid comprises first and second sheet-metal lid dividers respectively extending between first and second pairs of the opposed vertical outer lid walls;
 wherein each of the first and second lid dividers has a tab at each opposing end extending toward one of the lid walls of the first and second pairs of outer lid walls, and each of the lid walls of the first and second pairs of outer lid walls has an opening for accepting one of the tabs for positioning the first and second dividers relative to the respective lid walls;   wherein each of the tabs is rigidly joined to the respective opening in one of the lid walls to retain the first and second dividers between the first and second pairs of outer walls; and   wherein at least one of the first and second lid dividers has a slot for engaging the other one of the first and second lid dividers when the first and second lid dividers are positioned relative to the first and second pairs of outer lid walls.   
     
     
         17 . The basket of  claim 10 , further comprising a sheet-metal lid attachable to a top of each of the vertical outer walls by at least one of a latch and a hinge;
 wherein the lid is for engaging the grid for constraining movement of workpieces held by the grid.   
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a basket, the method comprising:
 providing a sheet-metal base having two opposing pairs of substantially vertical outer walls, each of the outer walls having a substantially horizontal bottom portion extending from a bottom of the wall towards its opposite wall, each of the walls joined to an adjacent wall to form a corner with the adjacent wall;   providing a plurality of first sheet-metal dividers for extension between a first pair of the opposed vertical outer walls, each of the first dividers having a tab at each opposing end;   providing a plurality of second sheet-metal dividers for extension between a second pair of the opposed vertical outer walls, each of the second dividers having a tab at each opposing end;   wherein the pluralities of first and second dividers each have slots for engaging each other, and each wall of the first pair of outer walls has openings for accepting the tabs of respective ones of the plurality of first dividers, and each wall of the second pair of outer walls has openings for accepting the tabs of respective ones of the plurality of second dividers;   the method further comprising:   engaging the slots of the pluralities of first and second dividers with each other to form a grid having a plurality of intersections;   engaging each tab of the pluralities of first and second dividers with a corresponding opening in one of the walls of the first and second pairs of outer walls to position the first dividers and second dividers relative to the first and second pairs of outer walls; and   rigidly joining each of the tabs to the corresponding opening to retain the first and second dividers between the first and second pairs of outer walls.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein providing the sheet-metal base comprises forming the horizontal bottom portion of each of the outer walls integrally with one of the outer walls. 
     
     
         20 . A basket comprising a prong having a cruciform cross-section, the prong extending upwardly from a bottom of the basket;
 wherein the prong has a plurality of outer surfaces for engaging one or more inner surfaces of a workpiece to be supported in the basket by the prong, the prong outer surfaces cooperating with each other and with the one or more inner surfaces of the workpiece to hold the workpiece in a predetermined position in the basket such that the workpiece is substantially stationary relative to the basket.