U.S. patent application number 12/430527 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-20 for metal pallet.
This patent application is currently assigned to Worthington Steelpac Systems. Invention is credited to Larry Nielsen.
Application Number | 20090205540 12/430527 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38110385 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090205540 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nielsen; Larry |
August 20, 2009 |
METAL PALLET
Abstract
A metal pallet includes a first deck subassembly, first and
second bumpers, and a plurality of risers. The first deck
subassembly includes a plurality of deck boards. The first bumper
connects to at least one of the deck boards along a first
peripheral edge of the first deck subassembly. The second bumper
connects to at least one of the deck boards along a second
peripheral edge of the first deck subassembly. The first peripheral
edge is oriented approximately normal to the second peripheral
edge. The plurality of risers connects to the first deck
subassembly for spacing the first deck subassembly above an
associated surface upon which the pallet rests. A second deck
subassembly can also be employed.
Inventors: |
Nielsen; Larry; (Lancaster,
PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Fay Sharpe LLP
1228 Euclid Avenue, 5th Floor, The Halle Building
Cleveland
OH
44115
US
|
Assignee: |
Worthington Steelpac
Systems
York
PA
|
Family ID: |
38110385 |
Appl. No.: |
12/430527 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11410365 |
Apr 24, 2006 |
|
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12430527 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
108/57.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2519/00412
20130101; B65D 2519/00562 20130101; B65D 19/0093 20130101; B65D
2519/00333 20130101; B65D 2519/00129 20130101; B65D 2519/00059
20130101; B65D 2519/00348 20130101; B65D 2519/00024 20130101; B65D
2519/00323 20130101; B65D 2519/00373 20130101; B65D 2519/00293
20130101; B65D 2519/00407 20130101; B65D 2519/00094 20130101; B65D
2203/10 20130101; B65D 2519/00273 20130101; B65D 2519/0086
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/57.12 |
International
Class: |
B65D 19/28 20060101
B65D019/28; B65D 19/38 20060101 B65D019/38 |
Claims
1. A metal pallet comprising: a first deck subassembly including a
plurality of deck boards defining a support surface upon which
associated items are placed; a first bumper connected to at least
one of the deck boards along a first peripheral edge of the first
deck subassembly, the first bumper including a section extending
above the support surface; a second bumper connected to at least
one of the deck boards along a second peripheral edge of the first
deck subassembly, the first peripheral edge being oriented
approximately normal to the second peripheral edge; and, a
plurality of risers connected to the first deck subassembly for
spacing the first deck subassembly above an associated surface upon
which the pallet rests.
2. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the section extends generally
normal to the support surface.
3. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the section comprises a rolled
section located at a top surface of the first bumper.
4. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the section extends generally
along a longitudinal axis of the first bumper.
5. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the first bumper includes a tab
received under a respective deck board of the plurality of deck
boards and the section is offset from the tab.
6. The pallet of claim 1, wherein the first bumper is oriented
generally perpendicular to the plurality of deck boards that define
the support surface.
7. The pallet of claim 1, further comprising a second deck
subassembly spaced from the first deck subassembly and connected to
the plurality of risers, a lower surface of each of the bumpers
being spaced from the second deck subassembly so that the forks of
a conventional fork lift can fit between the lower surface of each
of the bumpers and the second deck subassembly.
8. A metal pallet comprising: a first deck including a plurality of
corrugated members defining a loading surface; a second deck spaced
from the first deck along a first dimension; a riser connecting the
first deck to the second deck to form a polygonal structure; and a
bumper system connected to a peripheral edge of the polygonal
structure, the bumper system being positioned to allow for entry of
forks of an associated fork lift device between the first deck and
the second deck on all sides of the polygonal structure and to
allow for selective contact of the associated device with the
bumper system when the forks of the associated device are disposed
between the decks, the bumper system including a bumper having a
section extending above the loading surface.
9. The pallet of claim 8, wherein the bumper includes a plurality
of tabs, at least some of the tabs being configured to fit between
adjacent corrugations.
10. The pallet of claim 8, wherein the bumper includes a leg and a
flange, the tabs extend generally perpendicularly from the leg and
the flange extends generally perpendicularly from the leg.
11. The pallet of claim 10, wherein the tabs are located adjacent
an upper edge of the leg and the flange is located adjacent a lower
edge of the flange.
12. The pallet of claim 11, wherein the section is rolled and
formed near the upper edge of the leg.
13. The pallet of claim 11, wherein the vertical leg transitions
into the section, which transitions into at least one of the
tabs.
14. A metal pallet comprising: an upper deck assembly including a
plurality of upper deck boards defining a loading surface and a
plurality of upper deck support boards attached to and located
below the upper deck boards, the upper deck support boards being
oriented generally perpendicular to the upper deck boards; a bumper
system connected with the upper deck assembly, the bumper system
including a first bumper having a section that protrudes upwardly
above the loading surface from a periphery of the upper deck
assembly; and a plurality of risers connected to the upper deck
assembly for spacing the upper deck assembly above an associated
surface upon which the pallet rests.
15. The pallet of claim 14, wherein the first bumper is welded to
the riser and further comprising a lower deck assembly spaced from
the upper deck subassembly and connected to the plurality of
risers, a lower surface of each of the bumpers being spaced from
the lower deck assembly so that the forks of a conventional fork
lift can fit between the lower surface of each of the bumpers and
the lower deck assembly.
16. The pallet of claim 14, wherein the first bumper includes a
plurality of tabs, a leg and a flange, the tabs extend generally
perpendicularly from the leg and the flange extends generally
perpendicularly from the leg.
17. The pallet of claim 16, wherein the tabs contact a lower
surface of at least one of the upper deck boards, and the flange
contacts a lower surface of at least one of the upper deck support
boards.
18. The pallet of claim 17, wherein the tabs are located adjacent
an upper edge of the leg and the flange is located adjacent a lower
edge of the leg.
19. The pallet of claim 17, wherein the section is rolled and
formed near the upper edge of the leg.
20. The pallet of claim 16, wherein the section extends generally
normal to the contact surface.
Description
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/410,365, filed Apr. 24, 2006, which is
incorporated herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Conventionally, pallets have been made from wood. Wood
pallets are heavy and subject to warpage, splintering and
splitting. Furthermore, wood pallets are not fireproof. To overcome
the disadvantages found in wood pallets, pallets have also been
made from plastic. Plastic pallets require a large amount of resin
to be made so that they are of sufficient strength to support
freight and goods. Furthermore, plastic pallets are also not
fireproof.
[0003] Metal pallets have been made to overcome the shortcomings of
wood and plastic pallets. Known metal pallets are manufactured as
welded metal sections, as metal pipe constructions or as deep-drawn
components in metal sections. Metal pallets that are manufactured
as welded metal sections are often damaged by pallet handling
equipment and/or by the movement of freight onto and off of the
metal pallet. Typically, known metal pallets that are manufactured
as welded metal sections do not absorb the impact energy that can
be delivered by pallet handling equipment, such as the forks of a
conventional forklift as the equipment contacts the pallet.
Additionally, the welded metal sections, upon which the freight
that is being transported by the pallet rests, are prone to damage
during the loading and unloading of freight onto and off of the
metal pallet.
[0004] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a metal pallet that
overcomes the disadvantages of both wood and plastic pallets.
Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a metal pallet that
overcomes the disadvantages of known metal pallets and provides
benefits not found in currently available metal pallets.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0005] According to an embodiment, a metal pallet includes a first
deck subassembly, first and second bumpers, and a plurality of
risers. The first deck subassembly includes a plurality of deck
boards. The first bumper connects to at least one of the deck
boards along a first peripheral edge of the first deck subassembly.
The second bumper connects to at least one of the deck boards along
a second peripheral edge of the first deck subassembly. The first
peripheral edge is oriented approximately normal to the second
peripheral edge. The plurality of risers connects to the first deck
subassembly for spacing the first deck subassembly above an
associated surface upon which the pallet rests.
[0006] According to another embodiment, a metal pallet includes a
first deck subassembly, a second deck subassembly, and a riser
connecting the first deck subassembly to the second deck
subassembly. The second deck subassembly includes a first member
that includes a tongue and a second member which includes a slot
that receives the tongue. The first member is disposed at an
orientation other than parallel to the second member. The first
deck subassembly is spaced from the second deck subassembly a
distance sufficient to define an opening which allows forks of an
associated conventional forklift to fit between the first deck
subassembly and the second deck subassembly.
[0007] According to another embodiment, a metal pallet includes a
first deck, a second deck spaced from the first deck along a first
dimension, a riser connecting the first deck to the second deck to
form a polygonal structure, and a bumper system connected to a
peripheral edge of the polygonal structure. The bumper system is
positioned to allow for entry of forks of an associated forklift
device between the first deck and the second deck on all sides of
the polygonal structure and to allow for selective contact of the
associated device with the bumper system when the forks of the
associated device are disposed between the decks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is top perspective view of a metal pallet according
to one embodiment of the disclosure;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an upper deck
subassembly of the metal pallet of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the upper deck subassembly of
FIG. 2 with bumpers exploded away from the upper deck
subassembly;
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of a first side
of the metal pallet of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 5 is an exploded bottom perspective view of a lower
deck subassembly of the metal pallet of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of a upper deck
support board of the lower deck subassembly of FIG. 5;
[0014] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing a lower
surface, i.e. a surface that typically rests against the ground, of
the upper deck support board depicted in FIG. 6;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a lower surface of a width
board of the lower deck subassembly depicted in FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 9 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a riser for
the metal pallet depicted in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 10 is an assembled top plan view of the lower deck
subassembly depicted in FIG. 5;
[0018] FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of an alternative
embodiment of a portion of a bumper system of a metal pallet
according to the present disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 12 is an end view of a bumper attached to a deck board
of a metal pallet according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 13 is a further alternative embodiment of a bumper and
a deck board for a metal pallet according to the present
disclosure; and,
[0021] FIG. 14 is an end view of an alternative bumper assembly
having a resilient material mounted to the bumper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] With reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a metal pallet 10
includes a first deck subassembly 12 that is connected to a second
deck subassembly 14. One manner in which the two subassemblies can
be connected will be described in more detail below. For ease of
understanding the figures, the first deck subassembly 12 may also
be referred to as the upper deck subassembly and the second deck
subassembly 14 may be referred to as the lower deck subassembly.
These directional terms are used for the convenience of the reader
and are not meant to be limiting to the orientation of components
with respect to one another. Moreover, throughout the description
the orientation of components may be referred to using the term
"width" being the shorter of the two rectangular dimensions and the
term "length" being the longer of two rectangular dimensions. This
should not be taken to mean that "width" parts could not be
oriented in the longer rectangular dimension, or that "length"
parts could not be oriented in the shorter rectangular dimension,
or, for that matter that the pallet cannot be laid out with equal
length and width dimensions. In other words, the pallet could be
square if desired.
[0023] The metal pallet 10 is designed to be handled by pallet
handling equipment, such as a conventional forklift truck or manual
or powered floor pallet jacks. In the depicted embodiment, the
upper deck subassembly 12 is spaced from the lower deck subassembly
14 to accommodate forks of the conventional pallet handling
equipment. In an embodiment that does not include the lower deck
subassembly, the upper deck subassembly can be spaced from a
support surface, e.g. ground surface, upon which the pallet rests,
and be spaced from that surface a distance great enough to allow
for the entry of forks. In the depicted embodiment, the pallet 10
has a generally rectangular configuration and could be square. It
is designed to allow 4-way access for the pallet handling
equipment. It should be recognized, however, that the pallet 10 can
take other polygonal configurations, such as hexagonal, etc.
[0024] The upper deck subassembly 12 includes a plurality of deck
boards, which in the depicted embodiment will be referred to as
upper deck support boards that run generally parallel to a greater
dimension of the upper deck subassembly and upper deck boards that
run generally parallel to a smaller dimension of the upper deck
subassembly. In the depicted embodiment, the boards are made from
formed metal sheets; however, the boards can be made in other
manners and be made from other known materials, such as composites,
etc.
[0025] With reference to FIG. 2, the upper deck subassembly 12
includes outside upper deck boards 30 that are disposed at opposite
ends of upper deck support boards 32. A plurality of inside or
intermediate upper deck boards 34 are also attached to the upper
deck support boards 32 and are interposed between the outside upper
deck boards 30.
[0026] The outside upper deck boards 30 each include a box formed
outer lateral edge 36 disposed along an outer lateral edge of the
first deck subassembly 12. The boxed lateral edge 36 strengthens
the outside upper deck board 30 and stiffens the edge of the pallet
10. Each outside upper deck board 30 also includes a corrugation 38
that stiffens and divides the deck board so that it includes first
contact surface 42 and a second contact surface 44 disposed on
opposite sides of the corrugation 38. While the corrugation 38 is
shown as being centrally positioned, it should be appreciated that
the corrugation can readily be disposed at other locations on the
upper deck board 30. Thus, the first and second contact surfaces
can be of different widths. Moreover, while the corrugation is
shown in this embodiment as being rectangular, it could take other
forms as well. Also more than one corrugation could be provided if
desired. The contact surfaces 42 and 44 can reside in the same
plane (see FIG. 4). A connection flange 46 extends outwardly from
an inner lateral edge of each outside upper deck board 30 opposite
the boxed end 36. The connection flange 46 and the lower surface of
the corrugation 38 contact the upper deck support boards 32 so that
the outside upper deck boards 30 can connect to the upper deck
support boards 32 via a resistance weld, or another known manner of
connection. The number of welds can vary, depending on application
requirements.
[0027] Each inside upper deck board 34 includes a corrugation 52
that divides each inside upper deck board into a first contact
surface 54 on a first side of the corrugation 52 and a second
contact surface 56 on an opposite side of the corrugation. While
the corrugation is shown as being centrally located in this
embodiment, it does not have to be so positioned. Thus, the first
and second contact surfaces can be of different widths. Moreover,
the corrugation can take other configurations, for example rounded
or curved. The contact surfaces 54 and 56 of the inside upper deck
boards 34 reside in the same plane as the contact surfaces 42 and
44 of the outside upper deck boards 30 to define a flat surface
upon which freight can be loaded. Each inside upper deck board 34
also includes connection flanges 58 at opposite lateral edges for
facilitating attachment of the intermediate width deck boards 34 to
the length deck boards 32. With reference again to FIG. 1, in the
depicted embodiment, the width boards 30 and 34 are grouped
together in pairs such that a space, which can also be referred to
as a slot, is disposed between adjacent pairs of width boards. Such
a design provides an adequate contact area on the upper deck 12
needed to support multiple smaller items similar to conventional
wood pallets that the metal pallet 10 is designed to replace. The
slots between adjacent pairs of width boards are small enough so
that smaller packages do not fall through the openings in the upper
deck assembly. On the other hand, the width board spacing is
designed to provide adequate strength and durability to the pallet
10 without utilizing too much material.
[0028] In the depicted embodiment, the upper deck upper deck
support boards 32 are all in the same configuration. But, different
configurations could be used if desired. With continued reference
to FIG. 2, each upper deck support board 32 includes first and
second lateral boxed ends 64 and a corrugation 66. The corrugation
66 stiffens and divides the upper deck support boards into two
contact surfaces 68 and 72, respectively. Even though the
corrugation is shown to be centrally located in the upper deck
support board, it can be located elsewhere such that the two
contact surfaces can be of different widths. The corrugation can
take other configurations than that which is shown. In the depicted
embodiment, the contact surfaces 68 and 72 of the upper deck
support boards 32 reside all in the same plane and this plane is
parallel to a plane in which the contact surfaces 42 and 44 of the
outside upper deck boards 30 and the contact surfaces 54 and 56 of
the inside upper deck boards 34 reside.
[0029] In the depicted embodiment, the pallet 10 includes a bumper
system around the perimeter of the upper deck assembly 12. The
bumper system works in conjunction with risers (which connect the
upper deck assembly 12 to the lower deck subassembly 14 and will be
described in more detail below) upper deck support boards and outer
and inner upper deck boards to improve impact resistance and absorb
pallet handling equipment impact energy, by transferring the impact
energy to other components in the pallet. The bumper system can
also increase resistance to static load deflection, so that the
pallet 10 can maintain substantially planar contact surfaces, i.e.
loading surfaces, throughout its life and accommodate greater loads
safely. With reference to FIG. 3, the bumper system of the depicted
embodiment includes two length bumpers 80 that attach to opposite
lengthwise sides of the upper deck assembly 12 and two width
bumpers 82 that attach to opposite widthwise sides of the upper
deck assembly 12. In the depicted embodiment, the length bumpers 80
are disposed perpendicular to the width bumpers 82.
[0030] Where the upper deck assembly 12 or the pallet 10 takes an
alternative polygonal configuration, the bumpers can take
alternative configurations and be disposed at angles other than
perpendicular to one another. In the depicted embodiment, once the
bumpers 80 and 82 are attached to the upper deck assembly 12,
substantially the entire perimeter of the upper deck assembly 12 is
surrounded by the bumper system. Such a configuration allows the
bumper system to absorb impact energy from a pallet handling device
from any side of the pallet 10 and to transfer that energy into
other components of the pallet.
[0031] In the depicted embodiment, the length bumpers 80 include a
plurality of tabs 84 that are configured to be received in the
space defined between a lateral edge and the central corrugation 38
or 52 of a respective upper deck width board (either end board 30
or intermediate board 34). As more clearly seen in FIG. 1, the tabs
84 (depicted in phantom) contact a lower surface of a respective
width board. The tabs are resistance welded to the bottom faces of
the upper deck boards. If desired, attachment can be made in other
known manners. Each tab 84 extends generally perpendicular from a
vertical leg 86 (as per the orientation in FIG. 3) of the length
bumper 80. Accordingly, each tab resides in a plane that is
generally parallel to the contact surfaces 42, 44, 54, and 56 and
thus the lower surfaces of the respective boards 30 and 34 to which
the tabs attach. A lower flange 88 also extends perpendicularly
from the vertical leg 86 of the length bumper 80. The lower flange
88 attaches to a lower surface of one of the boxed ends 64 of a
respective upper deck support board 32 of the upper deck assembly
12. Openings 90 in the lower flange 88 can receive material
deposited from a MIG welding operation, or the like, to attach the
lower flange to a lower surface of the boxed end 64.
[0032] The attachment of the width bumper 82 will now be described
in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 12. The width bumper
82 includes a rectangular channel 92 that is dimensioned to receive
the box-shaped end 36 of an outside upper deck board 30 of the
upper deck subassembly 12. An integral flange 94 extends outwardly
from the portion of the width bumper 82 that defines the channel
92. The flange 94 resides in a plane that is parallel to a lower
surface of the outside upper deck board 30 to allow for connection
via a resistance weld between the width bumper 82 and the outside
upper deck board 30. If desired, the width bumpers 82 can also
include a plurality of openings 96 (only visible in FIG. 3). The
openings 96 can be provided so that a MIG weld can be used to
attach the width bumpers 82 to the upper deck assembly 12 and to
the risers (described below). In this embodiment, the width bumper
82 is made of a heavier gauge of metal than is the gauge of metal
from which the outside upper deck board 30 is made. As a result,
the pallet is stiffened and becomes more resistant to impact by
handling equipment.
[0033] With reference to FIG. 5, the lower deck subassembly 14 also
includes a plurality of deck boards. More particularly, the lower
deck subassembly 14 includes lower deck tab boards 110 that connect
to lower deck slot boards 112. In the depicted embodiment, the
lower tab boards 110 each have the same configuration. With
reference to FIG. 6, the lower deck tab boards 110 are symmetrical
with respect to two perpendicular axes and include polygonal rolled
edges 114 and a corrugation 118. The corrugation 118 stiffens and
divides the lower deck support board 110 so as to define contact
surfaces 122 and 124 that typically rest on a surface upon which
the pallet 10 will rest, for example the floor of a warehouse, the
bed of a truck or the contact surface of another pallet disposed
beneath the subject pallet. The corrugation 118 is shown as
centrally located, but this is not required. The lower contact
surfaces 122,124 reside in the same plane. They are also generally
parallel to the upper contact surfaces that were described with
reference to the upper deck subassembly 12.
[0034] The lower deck tab boards 110 of the lower deck subassembly
14 also include a plurality of tongues 126 that extend from
widthwise ends of the lower deck tab board to facilitate loose
interconnection of the components of the lower deck subassembly 14.
In the depicted embodiment, two tongues 126 extend from each end of
the lower deck tab board 110, one on each side of the corrugation
118. Each tongue 126 includes a raised lip 128. The raised lip 128
resides in a plane that is generally parallel to the contact
surface 122.
[0035] With reference to FIG. 5, the lower deck slot boards 112
each have a similar configuration. With reference to FIG. 8,
similar to the lower deck tab boards 110, the lower deck slot
boards 112 each include polygonal rolled ends 152 and a corrugation
156. The corrugation 156 stiffens and divides the lower deck width
board 112 in a manner to provide a first lower contact surface 158
on a first side of the corrugation 156 and a second lower contact
surface 162 on an opposite side of the corrugation 156. Again, the
corrugation 156 need not be centrally located. The lower contact
surfaces 158,162 of the lower deck slot board 112 reside generally
in the same plane as the lower contact surfaces 122,124 of the
lower deck tab board 110 being separated by only one material
thickness. The lower deck slot board 112 also includes a plurality
of slots 164 that are configured to receive the tongues 126 of the
lower deck tab boards 110. The raised lip 128 extends through the
slot 164 in the lower deck slot board. This serves two main
purposes. The first is a loose fixturing/indexing of the pieces.
The second purpose is to keep the end of the raised lip in place
where it cannot be easily snagged on the floor when the pallet is
pushed across or slides across a floor without being lifted.
[0036] With reference to FIG. 10, the lower deck subassembly 14 can
be loosely assembled by inserting the tongues 126 (only lip 128 of
tongue being visible in FIG. 10) into the slots 164 so that the
lips protrude outwardly from the polygonal rolled end 152 allowing
for space for a resistance weld or other means of connection
between the lips and the upper surface of the lower deck slot board
112. When assembled, the lower deck slot boards 112 are situated
perpendicular to the lower deck tab boards 110 and one slot board
is attached at each end of the lower deck tab board.
[0037] Use of both slot and tab boards for the lower deck
subassembly 14 provides an increase in strength (as compared to
having lower deck boards that only run in one direction) and
reduced deflection across the width of the pallet during static
loading. When stacking loaded pallets 10 on top of each other, the
lower deck boards in the depicted embodiment also reduce pressure
exerted on the load below by increasing surface contact area.
Further, having lower deck boards that attach to one another at
right angles increases the stability of the pallet 10 during
handling when forks are inserted through a short side and when
loaded pallets placed on top of each other are offset from each
other.
[0038] With reference back to FIG. 1, a plurality of risers is
provided to attach the upper deck subassembly 12 to the lower deck
subassembly 14. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the risers are
appropriately spaced from one another to define fork lift
receptacles 170 on all four sides of the pallet 10. In the depicted
embodiment, each of the risers is formed from a one-piece stamped
piece of metal to allow each riser to be produced in an economical
manner. Regarding the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, five different
configurations of risers are provided to attach the first deck
subassembly 12 to the second deck subassembly 14. First corner
risers 172 are disposed on opposite diagonal corners of the pallet
10 and second corner risers 174 (only one visible in FIG. 1) are
disposed on the other corners of the pallet 10. In this embodiment,
the first corner riser 172 is a mirror image of the second corner
riser 174. A third type of riser, which is referred to as a tall
side riser 176, is centrally located along the longer lateral edges
of the pallet 10.
[0039] A second type of side riser, which is referred to as a short
side riser 178, is disposed on the widthwise edge of the metal
pallet 10. The side risers 176 and 178 are spaced from the
respective corner risers 172 and 174 an adequate distance to define
forklift receptacles 170. Finally, a fifth type of center riser
(not visible) is centrally located in the pallet 10. The center
riser attaches to the upper deck support board 32 and to the lower
deck support board 110. As seen in FIG. 1, the corner and side
risers 172,174, 176, and 178 attach to an outer surface the bumpers
80 and 82. Accordingly, when a pallet handling device contacts,
i.e. hits the pallet, energy that is transferred to the bumpers 80
and 82 can be transferred into the risers 172, 174, 176, and 178
which are typically made of a heavier gauge material as compared to
the deck boards.
[0040] With reference to FIG. 9, the second corner riser 174 will
be described in more detail. It should be appreciated that the
remaining risers will have similar configurations in that they will
include surfaces to allow the riser to connect to and support the
respective deck boards and bumpers. The corner risers 174 (and each
riser) include openings 182 to facilitate a MIG welding operation
between the riser and the component to which it attaches be it one
of the bumpers or one of the deck boards of the metal pallet. The
risers can also include a plurality of ledges 184 and notches 186
that are appropriately dimensioned to allow the ledge 184 to
contact an appropriate surface of a respective deck board so that
the riser can be resistance welded to the respective deck board. It
should be appreciated that the ledges 184 can also support loads.
In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 9, the risers can also include
rolled edges 188 for added strength and to provide a smooth rounded
edge.
[0041] The bumper system can take alternative configurations from
those that are shown in FIG. 1. For example, with reference to FIG.
11, an alternative embodiment of a length bumper will be described
where like numerals having a primed (') suffix will correspond to
components or portions thereof that are the same or similar to the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 3. In FIG. 11, the bumper 280 includes
a plurality of tabs 284 (only one shown) that are received
underneath a respective upper deck board 30' (additional deck
boards, such as boards 34 shown in FIG. 2 are not visible in FIG.
11). The length bumper 280 depicted in FIG. 11 also includes a
section or portion 298 that extends from a peripheral edge of the
upper deck assembly 12. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 11, the
section 298 extends in a direction above and generally normal to a
contact surface 42' (this can be similar to contact surfaces 42,
44, 54 and 56 depicted in FIG. 2). The section 298, which can be a
rolled section at the top of the profile of the bumper 280, covers
the outside edges of the deck boards 30'. The rolled section 298
can cover and or protect the exposed edges of the pallet 10' to
lessen the likelihood of packages and other items catching the
exposed edges and perhaps ripping one of the width boards 30' off
of the upper deck support boards 32'. Such occurrences can happen
during the loading and unloading of packages from the pallet 10'.
The length bumper is made of a heavier gauge of metal than the
metal of the deck boards 30' and upper deck support boards 32'.
This heavier gauge material, combined with the section 298, serve
to strengthen the bumper 280.
[0042] An alternative configuration for a width bumper will be
described in more detail with reference to FIG. 13. Many of the
components are very similar to components described with reference
to FIGS. 1, 2 and 12. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 13, a
width bumper 382 attaches to an outside upper deck board 330 that,
instead of including a boxed end (as shown in FIG. 3), includes a
downwardly extending flange 340. The width bumper 382 includes a
connection flange 404 that attaches to an undersurface of the deck
board 330 in a similar manner as the width bumper 82 disclosed in
FIG. 3. The width bumper 382, however, does not receive a boxed end
section. Instead, the width bumper includes a boxed end section
400. The additional bends in the bumper profile of the width bumper
382 can increase the strength of the width bumper as compared to
the width bumper 82 (FIG. 3) not having as many bends. The box-end
section 400 includes an upper ledge 402 that resides in a plane
that is generally coplanar to a pair of contact surfaces 342 and
344 of the upper deck boards. The upper ledge 402 terminates at a
flange 406 so that a space is provided between the vertical flange
340 and the bumper flange 406. Accordingly, the bumper 382 can
accommodate some lateral deformation before contacting the upper
deck board 330.
[0043] With respect to FIG. 14, another embodiment of the
disclosure is there illustrated. The embodiment is quite similar to
the embodiment of FIG. 13. Thus like components are identified by
like numerals with a primed (') suffix, and new components are
identified by new numerals. In this embodiment, a resilient member
420, for example a rubber cushion or similar resilient component,
can attach to the width bumper 382'. The resilient member 420
includes an outer portion 424, a top portion 426 and an inner
portion 428. The inner portion 428 of the resilient, or elastic,
member 420 can be sandwiched between the flange 406' of the upper
ledge 402' and the vertical leg 340' of the end deck board 330'.
This holds the resilient member in place. The resilient member 420
can help dissipate energy from contact with the forks of the
handling equipment. An upper surface 430 of the resilient member
420 can reside in the same plane as contact surfaces 342' and 344'
of the width boards 330'.
[0044] To accomplish this, the upper ledge 402' resides in a plane
that is vertically beneath and generally parallel to a pair of
contact surfaces 342' and 344' of the outside upper deck board
330'. This allows a space for a top surface of the top portion 426
of the resilient member 420 to reside in generally the same plane
as contact surfaces 342' and 344' of the outside upper deck board
330'. Different bumper configurations using different profiles
and/or thicknesses of material can be substituted without changing
the deck board profile. It is apparent in FIG. 14, the gauge of
material from which the bumpers (for example bumper 382') are made
can be thicker than the gauge of material used for the deck
boards.
[0045] It is often desirable to wirelessly identify, track and/or
provide information about the location of pallets or the products
held on them. One method of tracking and providing information
about items is to attach a wireless communication device such as a
radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder or other
identification device to the item. Multiple RFID devices, one
attached to each of the items on a pallet, would then be located on
a single pallet. However, communication collisions may occur if a
pallet contains more than one item with an RFID tag and the
communication devices communicate at the same frequency. Therefore,
a better alternative is to provide a single RFID tag for the pallet
itself. While pallets often include more than one item, the items
may be a plurality of the same type of item having the same
information characteristics, such as date of manufacture, lot
number or other information that may be communicated via a single
RFID.
[0046] Therefore, an RFID tag provided on the pallet may be
adequate to communicate information about all the items held on the
pallet. Alternatively, the RFID can communicate information about
the pallet itself. As is well known, such RFID devices require the
use of an antenna. In one embodiment of the present invention,
either the entire metal pallet disclosed herein or some portion
thereof, such as one of the boards, can be used as the antenna of
an RFID device (not shown). This is advantageous in order to
eliminate the need for employing a separate pole antenna or slot
antenna with the RFID tag. The RFID can be placed in a suitable
desired location on the pallet to prevent damage thereto. The RFID
tag can be secured to the pallet by suitable known means, such as a
clip or adhesive. Moreover, the RFID tag can be grounded to a
ground plane on the pallet.
[0047] Several embodiments of a metal pallet have been described
herein. Modifications and alterations will occur to those of
average skill in the art upon reading and understanding of the
foregoing detailed description. However, the invention is not
limited to only the embodiments described above. Instead, the
invention is defined by the appended claims and the equivalents
thereof.
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