U.S. patent application number 13/635850 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-30 for pallet for bags.
The applicant listed for this patent is Andrew Berry, Ian Andrew Shaw, Colin Waddell. Invention is credited to Andrew Berry, Ian Andrew Shaw, Colin Waddell.
Application Number | 20130136573 13/635850 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45097408 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130136573 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Berry; Andrew ; et
al. |
May 30, 2013 |
PALLET FOR BAGS
Abstract
A pallet moulded from plastics material for supporting a
flexible intermediate bulk container. It has a generally planar
central panel portion, a pair of parallel inverted open channels
extending across the pallet to form a respective pair of open-ended
tunnels each tunnel having an upper wall and two side walls, and a
pair of edge panel portions generally co-planar with the central
panel. An array of raised elongate hump portions bulges upwards
from the upper walls of the tunnels, each hump portion extending
laterally across an upper wall. The two ends of the hump portions
abut respective buttresses which extend up the side walls.
Inventors: |
Berry; Andrew; (Port
Melbourne, AU) ; Shaw; Ian Andrew; (Croydon South,
AU) ; Waddell; Colin; (Hawthorn East, AU) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Berry; Andrew
Shaw; Ian Andrew
Waddell; Colin |
Port Melbourne
Croydon South
Hawthorn East |
|
AU
AU
AU |
|
|
Family ID: |
45097408 |
Appl. No.: |
13/635850 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
June 14, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU11/00720 |
371 Date: |
February 13, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/800 ;
108/53.3; 108/57.25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/0233 20130101;
B65D 19/38 20130101; B65D 2519/00412 20130101; B65D 19/004
20130101; B65D 2519/00069 20130101; B65D 2519/00318 20130101; B65D
2519/00333 20130101; B65D 2519/00338 20130101; B65D 2519/00363
20130101; B65D 2519/0094 20130101; B65D 2519/00288 20130101; B65D
19/0036 20130101; B65D 2519/00308 20130101; B65D 19/0038 20130101;
B65D 2519/00034 20130101; B65D 2519/00407 20130101; B65D 2519/00815
20130101; B65D 2519/00268 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
414/800 ;
108/57.25; 108/53.3 |
International
Class: |
B65D 19/00 20060101
B65D019/00; B65D 21/02 20060101 B65D021/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 11, 2010 |
AU |
2010902576 |
Claims
1. A pallet moulded from plastics material and adapted for
supporting and lifting a flexible intermediate bulk container, said
pallet comprising: a generally planar central panel portion; a pair
of parallel inverted open channels extending across the pallet and
rising upwards from the plane of the central panel portion to form
a respective pair of open-ended tunnels, each said tunnel having an
upper wall and two side walls and each tunnel extending fully
between two opposite ends of the pallet; and a pair of edge panel
portions generally co-planar with said central panel; each said
tunnel having: a first of said side walls adjoining a corresponding
inboard edge of said central panel, and the second of said side
walls adjoining an inboard edge of a corresponding said edge panel;
wherein: an array of raised elongate first hump portions bulges
upwards from each said upper wall of the tunnels, each said first
hump portion extending laterally across a respective said upper
wall; a first end of each said first hump portion abuts a first end
of a respective first buttress which extends up said first side
wall; and a second end of each said first hump portion abuts a
first end of a respective second buttress which extends up said
second side wall.
2. The pallet according to claim 1 wherein a first selection of
said buttresses rise above the height of their abutting said first
hump portions.
3. The pallet according to claim 2 wherein a second selection of
said first hump portion and associated said first buttress and said
second buttress are located at each end of each said tunnel, and
said first hump portions in said second selection rise to
substantially the same height as the buttresses in said second
selection.
4. The pallet according to claim 1 wherein an array of raised
elongate second hump portions is moulded into each said edge panel,
each said second hump portion extends from a said inboard edge of
said edge panel to an outer edge of said edge panel, and transverse
to the longitudinal direction of said tunnels, and each said second
buttress abuts an end of a respective said second hump portion.
5. A pallet moulded from plastics material and adapted for
supporting and lifting a flexible intermediate bulk container, said
pallet comprising: a generally planar central panel portion; a pair
of parallel inverted open channels extending across the pallet and
rising upwards from the plane of the central panel portion to form
a respective pair of tunnels, each said tunnel having an upper wall
and two side walls; and a pair of edge panel portions generally
co-planar with said central panel; each said tunnel having: a first
of said side walls adjoining a corresponding inboard edge of said
central panel, and the second of said side walls adjoining an
inboard edge of a corresponding said edge panel; wherein: an array
of raised elongate first hump portions bulges upwards from each
said upper wall of the tunnels, each said first hump portion
extending laterally across a respective said upper wall; an array
of raised elongate second hump portions bulges upwards from each
said edge panel, each said second hump portion extending
longitudinally from a said inboard edge of said edge panel to an
outer edge of said edge panel, and extending transverse to the
longitudinal direction of said tunnels; an array of raised elongate
third hump portions bulges upwards from said central panel, each
said third hump portion extending longitudinally from one said
inboard edge of the central panel to the other said inboard edge of
the central panel, and extending transverse to the longitudinal
direction of said tunnels; each end of each said third hump portion
is linked to its respective said tunnel by a first buttress which
extends up a said first side wall to where the first buttress links
to a corresponding said first hump portion; and an inboard end of
each said second reinforcing hump is linked to its respective said
tunnel by a second buttress which extends up a said second side
wall to where the second buttress links to a corresponding said
first hump portion.
6. A pallet moulded from plastics material and adapted for
supporting and lifting a flexible intermediate bulk container, said
pallet comprising: a generally planar central panel portion; a
first pair of parallel inverted open channels extending across the
pallet in a first direction and rising upwards from the plane of
said central panel portion to form a respective first pair of
tunnels, a second pair of parallel inverted open channels extending
across the pallet in a second direction at right angles to said
first direction and rising upwards from said plane of said central
panel portion to form a respective second pair of tunnels; and two
pairs of edge panel portions generally co-planar with said central
panel portion; each said tunnel having: an upper wall and two side
walls, a first of said side walls adjoining a corresponding inboard
edge of said central panel, and a second of said side walls
adjoining an inboard edge of a corresponding said edge panel;
wherein: a first array of raised elongate first reinforcing humps
bulges upwards from said central panel, each said first hump
extending longitudinally from one said inboard edge of the central
panel to the other said inboard edge of the central panel; a second
array of raised elongate second reinforcing humps bulges upwards
from each said edge panel, each said second reinforcing hump
extending longitudinally from a said inboard edge of said edge
panel to an outer edge of the edge panel; a third array of raised
elongate third reinforcing humps bulges upwards from each said
upper wall of the tunnels, each said third hump extending laterally
across a respective said upper wall; each end of each said first
reinforcing hump is linked to its respective said tunnel by a first
buttress which extends up a first said side wall to a corresponding
said third reinforcing hump; and an inboard end of each said second
reinforcing hump is linked to its respective said tunnel by a
second buttress which extends up a second said side wall to a
corresponding said third reinforcing hump.
7. The pallet according to claim 6 wherein said buttresses are
hollow and fully open along their length to the underside of the
pallet.
8. The pallet according to claim 7 wherein the nominal wall
thicknesses of the plastics material in the central panel portion,
the edge panel portions and the tunnels differ by no more than 50%
of their smallest nominal thickness.
9. The pallet according to claim 8 wherein all the nominal wall
thicknesses of the plastics material in the central panel, the edge
panels and the tunnels are substantially the same.
10. A pallet according to claim 7 which is stackable in a nested
stack of identical pallets wherein the addition of each said pallet
to the stack increases the height of the stack by no more than 30%
of the height of a freestanding individual said pallet.
11. The pallet according to claim 10 wherein the addition of each
said pallet to the stack increases the height of the stack by about
25% of the height of a freestanding individual said pallet.
12. The pallet according to claim 11 wherein a plurality of said
buttresses each incorporate a step comprising a substantially
horizontal platform, each step providing an engagement means which
extends to level with the lower surface of the adjacent portion of
the respective central panel or edge panel whereby, when like said
panels are stacked nested together, load from an upper said pallet
may be transmitted through the engagement means of said upper
pallet to the underlying platform of a said pallet nested
immediately below said upper pallet.
13. The pallet according to claim 12 wherein each said step is
hollow except for a rib which extends across the buttress and from
the underside of said platform to level with the lower surface of
the adjacent portion of the respective central panel or edge panel
whereby, when like said panels are nested together, load from an
upper said pallet may be transmitted through the web of the upper
pallet to the underlying platform of said pallet nested immediately
below said upper pallet.
14. The pallet according to claim 7 wherein: a corner panel is
provided in each corner of the pallet, said corner panels being
generally co-planar with the central panel, a raised elongate
fourth reinforcing humps bulges upwards at the outer edge of each
said edge panel, a raised curved fifth reinforcing humps bulges
upwards along the outer edge of each corner panel, and said
elongate reinforcing humps and buttresses are connected to such
that each end of each said reinforcing hump is linked to its
respective said tunnel by a buttress which extends up the side wall
to a corresponding reinforcing hump and provides a continuous
reinforcing hump around the pallet's perimeter.
15. The pallet according to claim 14 wherein each said second
buttresses is connected to said continuous reinforcing hump by a
respective hump in said second array.
16. The method of transporting a flexible intermediate bulk
container at least substantially filled with bulk material, said
method comprising placing the container on a pallet according to
claim 7, engaging the tines of a forklift apparatus with said
tunnels and lifting the pallet by raising the forklift tines.
17. The pallet according to claim 1 wherein said buttresses are
hollow and fully open along their length to the underside of the
pallet.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention concerns the construction and use of pallets,
and is particularly, though not exclusively, directed to pallets
suitable for use to support and transport flexible intermediate
bulk containers (FIBCs).
[0002] FIBCs are sack-like storage and transport containers
commonly used for bulk dry materials. Typically they are sized to
fit on and occupy most of a standard 1.1 m.times.1.1 m
shipping/storage pallet and hold about one cubic metre of material.
When FIBCs are stacked directly one on top of another it is
difficult to slip forklift tines under the upper FIBC. For this
reason a pallet is often placed between stacked FIBCs. However
conventional pallets are expensive and there is a need for a
cheaper form of pallet that can serve the purpose. Many different
configurations of plastic pallets have been proposed but it has
proven difficult to achieve at the same time the joint goals of
light weight and low cost while also providing sufficient strength
to prevent adverse collapse or distortion of the pallet in use. The
present invention is intended to provide a pallet which has an
improved balance of performance in the desired characteristics.
[0003] Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a pallet
moulded from plastics material and adapted for supporting and
lifting a flexible intermediate bulk container, said pallet
comprising: [0004] a generally planar central panel portion; [0005]
a pair of parallel inverted open channels extending across the
pallet and rising upwards from the plane of the central panel
portion to form a respective pair of open-ended tunnels, each said
tunnel having an upper wall and two side walls and each tunnel
extending fully between two opposite ends of the pallet; and a pair
of edge panel portions generally co-planar with said central panel;
each said tunnel having: [0006] a first of said side walls
adjoining a corresponding inboard edge of said central panel, and
[0007] the second of said side walls adjoining an inboard edge of a
corresponding said edge panel; wherein: [0008] an array of raised
elongate first hump portions bulges upwards from each said upper
wall of the tunnels, each said first hump portion extending
laterally across a respective said upper wall; [0009] a first end
of each said first hump portion abuts a first end of a respective
first buttress which extends up said first side wall; and [0010] a
second end of each said first hump portion abuts a first end of a
respective second buttress which extends up said second side
wall.
[0011] Preferably a first selection of said buttresses rise above
the height of their abutting said first hump portions. Preferably a
second selection of said first hump portion and associated said
first buttress and said second buttress are located at each end of
each said tunnel, and said humps in said second selection rise to
substantially the same height as the buttresses in said second
selection.
[0012] Preferably: [0013] an array of raised elongate second hump
portions is moulded into each said edge panel, [0014] each said
second hump portion extends from a said inboard edge of said edge
panel to an outer edge of said edge panel, and transverse to the
longitudinal direction of said tunnels, and [0015] each said second
buttress abuts the second end of said first hump portion.
[0016] In another aspect the invention provides a pallet moulded
from plastics material and adapted for supporting and lifting a
flexible intermediate bulk container, said pallet comprising:
[0017] a generally planar central panel portion; [0018] a pair of
parallel inverted open channels extending across the pallet and
rising upwards from the plane of the central panel portion to form
a respective pair of tunnels, each said tunnel having an upper wall
and two side walls; and [0019] a pair of edge panel portions
generally co-planar with said central panel; each said tunnel
having: [0020] a first of said side walls adjoining a corresponding
inboard edge of said central panel, and [0021] the second of said
side walls adjoining an inboard edge of a corresponding said edge
panel; wherein: [0022] an array of raised elongate first hump
portions bulges upwards from each said upper wall of the tunnels,
each said first hump portion extending laterally across a
respective said upper wall; [0023] an array of raised elongate
second hump portions bulges upwards from each said edge panel, each
said second hump portion extending longitudinally from a said
inboard edge of said edge panel to an outer edge of said edge
panel, and extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of
said tunnels; [0024] an array of raised elongate third hump
portions bulges upwards from said central panel, each said third
hump portion extending longitudinally from one said inboard edge of
the central panel to the other said inboard edge of the central
panel, and extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of
said tunnels; [0025] each end of each said third hump portion is
linked to its respective said tunnel by a first buttress which
extends up a said first side wall to where the first buttress links
to a corresponding said first hump portion; and [0026] an inboard
end of each said second reinforcing hump is linked to its
respective said tunnel by a second buttress which extends up a said
second side wall to where the second buttress links to a
corresponding said first hump portion.
[0027] In a further aspect the invention provides a pallet moulded
from plastics material and adapted for supporting and lifting a
flexible intermediate bulk container, said pallet comprising:
[0028] a generally planar central panel portion; [0029] a first
pair of parallel inverted open channels extending across the pallet
in a first direction and rising upwards from the plane of said
central panel portion to form a respective first pair of tunnels,
[0030] a second pair of parallel inverted open channels extending
across the pallet in a second direction at right angles to said
first direction and rising upwards from said plane of said central
panel portion to form a respective second pair of tunnels; and
[0031] two pairs of edge panel portions generally co-planar with
said central panel portion; each said tunnel having: [0032] an
upper wall and two side walls, [0033] a first of said side walls
adjoining a corresponding inboard edge of said central panel, and
[0034] a second of said side walls adjoining an inboard edge of a
corresponding said edge panel; wherein: [0035] a first array of
raised elongate first reinforcing humps bulges upwards from said
central panel, each said first hump extending longitudinally from
one said inboard edge of the central panel to the other said
inboard edge of the central panel, and extending transverse to the
longitudinal direction of said tunnels; [0036] a second array of
raised elongate second reinforcing humps bulges upwards from each
said edge panel, each said second reinforcing hump extending
longitudinally from a said inboard edge of said edge panel to an
outer edge of the edge panel, and extending transverse to the
longitudinal direction of said tunnels; [0037] a third array of
raised elongate third reinforcing humps bulges upwards from each
said upper wall of the tunnels, each said third hump extending
laterally across a respective said upper wall; [0038] each end of
each said first reinforcing hump is linked to its respective said
tunnel by a first buttress which extends up a first said side wall
to a corresponding said third reinforcing hump; and [0039] an
inboard end of each said second reinforcing hump is linked to its
respective said tunnel by a second buttress which extends up a
second said side wall to a corresponding said third reinforcing
hump.
[0040] Preferably said buttresses are hollow and fully open along
their length to the underside of the pallet.
[0041] Preferably the nominal wall thicknesses of the plastics
material in the central panel portion, the edge panel portions and
the tunnels differ by no more than 50% of their smallest nominal
thickness. More preferably all the nominal wall thicknesses of the
plastics material in the central panel, the edge panels and the
tunnels are substantially the same.
[0042] Preferably the pallet is stackable in a nested stack of
identical pallets wherein the addition of each said pallet to the
stack increases the height of the stack by no more than 30% of the
height of a freestanding individual said pallet. More preferably
the addition of each said pallet to the stack increases the height
of the stack by only about 25% of the height of a freestanding
individual said pallet.
[0043] Preferably a plurality of said buttresses each incorporate a
step comprising a substantially horizontal platform, each step
providing an engagement means which extends to level with the lower
surface of the adjacent portion of the respective central panel or
edge panel whereby, when like said panels are stacked nested
together, load from an upper said pallet may be transmitted through
the engagement means of said upper pallet to the underlying
platform of a said pallet nested immediately below said upper
pallet. More preferably each said step is hollow except for a rib
which extends across the buttress and from the underside of said
platform to level with the lower surface of the adjacent portion of
the respective central panel or edge panel whereby, when like said
panels are nested together, load from an upper said pallet may be
transmitted through the web of the upper pallet to the underlying
platform of said pallet nested immediately below said upper
pallet.
[0044] A fourth array of raised elongate fourth reinforcing humps
may bulge upwards from the outer edge of each said edge panel, a
fifth array of raised curved fifth reinforcing humps bulge upwards
from the upper wall of each corner panel, and said elongate
reinforcing humps with buttresses be connected to provide each end
of each said reinforcing hump is linked to its respective said
tunnel by a buttress which extends up the side wall to a
corresponding reinforcing hump and provides a continuous
reinforcing hump around the perimeter of the pallet. Preferably
said first buttresses are connected to the perimeter ring by means
of the first hump portions on the panels.
[0045] In a further aspect the invention provides a method of
transporting a flexible intermediate bulk container at least
substantially filled with bulk material, said method comprising
placing the container on a pallet according to any one of the
preceding claims, engaging the tines of a forklift apparatus with
said tunnels and lifting the pallet by raising the forklift
tines.
DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION AND THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENT
[0046] In order that the invention may be more fully understood
there will now be described, by way of example only, preferred
embodiments and other elements of the invention with reference to
the accompanying drawings where:
[0047] FIG. 1 is an isometric view looking down upon a pallet
according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0048] FIG. 2 is a plan view looking down on the pallet shown in
FIG. 1;
[0049] FIG. 3 is an end view of the pallet shown in FIG. 1;
[0050] FIG. 4 is a side view of the pallet shown in FIG. 1;
[0051] FIG. 5 is another isometric view of portion of the pallet
shown in FIG. 1;
[0052] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a stack of ten pallets, each
pallet being as shown in FIG. 1;
[0053] FIG. 7 is an end view of the stack shown in FIG. 6;
[0054] FIG. 8 is a cutaway detail view of portion of the stack
shown in FIG. 6;
[0055] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a pallet according to a
second embodiment of the invention;
[0056] FIG. 10 is an enlarged isometric view of portion of the
pallet shown in FIG. 9;
[0057] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a stack of ten pallets,
each pallet being as shown in FIG. 9;
[0058] FIG. 12 is an end view of the stack shown in FIG. 11;
and
[0059] FIG. 13 is a detail cutaway view of portion of the stack
shown in FIG. 11.
[0060] The pallet 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is injection moulded
from a suitable engineering plastics material (such as HDPE) and
has a generally thin wall construction. The pallet 10 has a
generally planar central panel 12, a pair of parallel inverted
channels 14 and 16 extending across the pallet 10, and a pair of
edge panels 18 on the opposite side of each channel to where the
central panel 12 is.
[0061] Each channel 14 and 16 forms an open-bottomed tunnel 15 and
17 respectively which rises from the plane A-A (indicated on FIGS.
3 and 4) shared by the central panel 12 and the edge panels 18.
Each tunnel extends from one end 20 of the pallet to the other end
22. Each tunnel 15 and 17 has two side walls, these being an
inboard side wall 24 and an outboard side wall 26, and an upper
wall 28 which extends between the tops 25 and 27 respectively of
the inboard and outboard side walls.
[0062] The tunnels 15 and 17 are sized both in width and depth to
accommodate the tines of a forklift truck. The tunnels act as
pockets for the tines. The pallet 10 is approximately 1.1 m square
and the tunnels are spaced 640 mm centre to centre. On its
underside, each tunnel is approximately 200 mm wide and 55 mm
deep.
[0063] The inboard side wall 24 of each tunnel rises from a
respective inboard edge 30 of the central panel 12. The other two
edges 32 of the central panel form portion of respective ends 20
and 22 of the pallet. The outboard side wall 26 of each tunnel
rises from an inboard edge 34 of a respective edge panel 18.
Opposite said inboard edge 34, the outboard edge 36 of the edge
panel 18 forms a full side edge 38 of the pallet 10.
[0064] To assist rigidity of the pallet, six elongate composite
humps 37 extend across the pallet transverse to the longitudinal
direction of the tunnels 15 and 17. Each composite hump 37 extends
across the central panel 12, the edge panels 18, the side walls 24
and 26 and the upper walls 28 of the tunnels. Each hump is formed
as an elongate bulge protruding from the surrounding surfaces of
the pallet.
[0065] An array 39 of six raised elongate central hump portions 40
is moulded into the central panel 12. Each central hump portion 40
forms a central portion of a respective composite hump 37. The term
"composite hump" refers to a hump which comprises a linked series
of hump portions which abut each other end to end.
[0066] The central hump portions 40 in the array 39 are parallel to
each other and have the form of a raised ridge having a generally
flat upper face 42 and near-vertical side walls 44. Each central
hump portion 40 extends laterally across the central panel 12 from
one inboard edge 30 of the central panel to the other inboard edge
30 of the central panel.
[0067] Six raised elongate edge panel hump portions 48 are moulded
into each edge panel 18 and are longitudinally aligned with the
central hump portions 40 on the central panel. Each edge panel hump
portion 48 extends across its respective edge panel 18 from its
inboard edge 34 to its outboard edge 36.
[0068] The hump portions 40 and 48 on the central panel 12 and edge
panels 18 respectively extend transverse to the longitudinal
direction of the tunnels 15. The hump portions 40 and 48 are formed
as thin walled inverted channels open for their full length to the
underside 46 of the pallet. The hump portions 40 and 48 are
approximately 40 mm wide and rise 10 mm above their respective
surrounding panels.
[0069] The tunnel-top hump portions 50, positioned on the upper
wall 28 of the tunnels, are aligned vertically (but offset
horizontally) with corresponding central hump portions 40 on the
central panel, and corresponding edge panel hump portions 48 on the
edge panels. The tunnel-top hump portions 50 are narrower (about
half the width) compared with the central hump portions 40 on the
central panel and the edge panel hump portions 48 on the edge
panels. Each tunnel-top hump portion 50 is linked to aligned
corresponding hump portions on the central panel and edge panels by
means of buttresses 52 which extend up the side walls 24 and 26 of
the tunnels. The buttresses 52 are thin-walled and have open
bottoms 54.
[0070] Each composite hump 37 comprises one central hump portion 40
in the central panel, two edge panel hump portions 48 on the edge
panels, two tunnel-top hump portions 50 on the upper walls and four
buttresses 52. The hump portions are linked or joined end to end in
the relevant order. Each hump portion is connected directly to its
adjoining hump portion or portions in a manner that smoothly
continues or blends the walls of the hump portions. The hump
portions can be considered to abut end to end although the exact
position of that abutment may be unclear due to the smooth blending
of the walls of the various features concerned.
[0071] The central panel 12, edge panels 18 and upper walls 28 of
tunnels are thus each divided into five flat horizontal surfaces
separated by inboard humps 47. Edge humps 49 extend along
respective edges at each end 20 and 22 of the pallet.
[0072] The edge buttresses 52a and tunnel-top hump portions 50a of
the edge humps 49 differ from the inboard buttresses 52b and
tunnel-top hump portions 50b of the inboard humps 47. For the
inboard humps 47, the top 55 of each inboard buttress 52b extends
in an arch up to above the height of the upper face 51b of the
associated inboard tunnel-top hump portion 50b. This provides
additional strength to resist flattening of the tunnels when the
pallet is loaded. For the edge humps 49 the upper face 51a of the
edge tunnel-top hump portions 50a is raised higher than for inboard
tunnel-top hump portions 50b to provide increased resistance to
flattening of the tunnels at the ends 22 when under load. Although
the edge buttresses 52a of the edge humps 49 extend to the same
height as the buttresses 50b on the inboard humps 47, the edge hump
portions 50a also extend to the height of the edge buttresses 52a,
so there is no arching over at the top of the edge buttresses
52a.
[0073] The open bottoms 53 and 54 on the tunnels 15 and 17 and
buttresses 52 permit the pallets 10 to nest into each other when
stacked as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. Nested pallets are prevented from
jamming together by the configuration of eight of the buttresses
52. The eight buttresses in that selection are referred to herein
as support buttresses 56. The support buttresses 56 are located
next to the edge buttresses 52a and their configuration is
different to the other buttresses. While the lower portion 58 of
the upper faces 60 of most of the buttresses are curved to blend
smoothly into the upper faces 42 and 45 of the hump portions 40 and
48 respectively, the lower portion 62 of the support buttresses 56
incorporate a step 64 having a horizontal platform portion 66 which
ends at an end wall portion 68 which drops to the associated hump
portion 40 or 48.
[0074] The step 64 is a relatively thin walled moulded hollow
portion formed integrally with the remainder of the pallet. Within
the hollow (ie on the underside of) each step 64 is a rib 70 having
the form of a vertically aligned planar web extending down from the
under-surface of the step 64, and extending from side wall 57 to
side wall 57 of the support buttress 56 and approximately centrally
to the step 64. The bottom edge 71 of the rib 70 is aligned with
the lower surface 72 or 73 of the adjacent portion of respective
panel 18 or 12. As can be seen particularly in the cutaway portion
of FIG. 8, when such pallets are stacked upon each other, the
bottom edge 71 of each rib 70 bears against the upper surface 65 of
a step 64 on the underlying pallet, so successively underlying ribs
70 form a structural column wherein a load is transferred to the
corresponding rib 70 below. This means that when pallets 10 are
stacked in a nested configuration on each other on a floor and a
load is placed on the upper pallet, the weight of that load is
transmitted at least in part through to the floor by way of the
column of vertically aligned ribs 70.
[0075] The horizontal portions 74 and 75 of the central panel 12
and edge panels 18 respectively and the upper walls 28 of the
tunnels are each formed as an open square lattice. The holes 78 in
the central panel 12 and upper walls 28 of the tunnels are 42.5 mm
square and the holes 78 in the edge panels 18 are 42.5.times.47.5
mm. The lattice configuration provides a lighter pallet because it
requires less material without an unacceptable reduction in
strength. The strap portions of the central panel 12 and edge
panels 18 are 2.5 mm thick, while the side walls 24 and 26 of each
tunnel, and the strap portions 80 on the upper walls 28, all have a
3.5 mm thickness (ie 40% thicker material) for additional strength.
A pallet 10 as described above weighs approximately 3.3 kg. It is
preferable for the wall thickness of the portions of the pallet to
not differ by more than 50% of their smallest nominal
thickness.
[0076] Each pallet 10 is approximately 80 mm high measured from the
lower surfaces 72 and 73 to the upper faces 51. When nested in a
stack 69 of ten pallets as shown in FIG. 7, the stack 69 is
approximately 260 mm high overall. Each pallet added to the stack
increases the height of the stack by only 20 mm, which increase is
25% of the height of a freestanding individual pallet 10. This
particularly compact form of stacking is an advantage pallet 10
over prior art pallets of equivalent load carrying capacity.
[0077] It will be appreciated that the pallets 10 can be nested as
described only if there is no base or lower wall in the tunnels 15
and 17. If a channel forming a tunnel had some form of reinforcing
strap or wall spanning even part of it (i.e. the channel was not
open) the nesting could not be achieved without also incorporating
major weakening discontinuities in the upper and side walls of the
tunnels.
[0078] Any prior art pallet which may have had forklift tine
accepting tunnels of this type, ie tunnels without a base, would
have a tendency for the tunnels to flatten when an FIBC, typically
weighing up to 1 tonne, is placed on it. However in the case of the
embodiment described above the raised hump portions 40, 48 and 50
and the buttresses 52 provide sufficient strength and resistance to
bending that the tunnels can remain open for forklift access with
loads on the pallets of up to 2 tonne. Thus FIBCs supported by
pallets 10 may be stacked two-high and still allow for a forklift
to lift both at once. If additional carrying capacity is required,
two pallets may be nested together in order to provide increased
stiffness.
[0079] The raised hump portions 40, 48 and 50 and the arched tops
55 of the buttresses provide protrusions which assist to prevent
slipping of an FIBC on the pallet 10.
[0080] The pallet 110 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and stacked in FIGS.
11 to 13, has many features in common with pallet 10 although some
of the features are modified.
[0081] The pallet 110 has two pairs of tunnels 115 of the general
type as tunnels 15 described above. Each pair of tunnels 115 is
aligned at right angles to the other pair. A forklift is thus able
to lift the pallet 110 from any one of four directions. In contrast
the pallet 10 described earlier can be lifted only from either of
its two ends.
[0082] The tunnels 115 separate the remaining surface of the pallet
into nine main regions which are generally planar apart from humps
bulging upwards therefrom. The nine regions are a central panel
112, four edge panels 118 and four corner panels 119. The central
panel 112 is bounded by all four tunnels 115. The edge panels 118
are bounded by three tunnels and a respective edge 121 of the
pallet 110. The corner panels are bounded by two tunnels and two
edges 121 of the pallet.
[0083] The pallet 110 has linked hump portions bulging upwards from
the top surface of the pallet. Those hump portions are linked to
form four elongate inboard composite humps 137 and one composite
edge hump 149.
[0084] Each inboard composite hump 137 extends from one edge 121 of
the pallet to an adjacent edge 121. Each inboard composite hump 137
extends over two tunnels 115, over the central panel 112 and across
two edge panels 118. Each inboard composite hump 137 bends through
a 90.degree. curve at its centre 182 on the central panel 112.
[0085] The edge hump 149 extends around the full perimeter of the
pallet, passing over each end of each tunnel, along the outboard
edge 136 of each edge panel 118 and along both outboard edges 135
of each corner panel 119.
[0086] Where each inboard hump 137 passes over a tunnel 115, one
inboard buttress 152b links each tunnel-top hump portion 150b to a
respective central hump portion 140 and another inboard buttress
152b links each tunnel-top hump portion 150b to the respective
central hump portion 140.
[0087] The edge buttresses 152a and tunnel-top hump portions 150a
of the composite edge hump 149 differ from the inboard buttresses
152b and tunnel-top hump portions 150b of the central hump portions
140. For the central hump portions 140, the top 155 of each inboard
buttress 152b extends in an arch up to above the height of the
upper face 151b of the associated inboard tunnel-top hump portion
150b. For the composite edge humps 149 the upper face 151a of the
edge tunnel-top hump portions 150a is raised higher than for
inboard tunnel-top hump portions 150b to provide increased
resistance to flattening of the tunnels at the edges 121 when under
load.
[0088] A curved bend portion 184 of the hump 137 provides the
90.degree. curve at the centre 182 of the inboard composite hump
137.
[0089] The open bottoms 153 and 154 on the tunnels 115 and
buttresses 152 permit the pallets 110 to nest into each other when
stacked as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. Nested pallets are prevented
from jamming together by the configuration of eight of the
buttresses 152. The eight buttresses in that selection are referred
to herein as support buttresses 156.
[0090] While the lower portion of the upper faces of most of the
buttresses are curved to blend smoothly into the upper faces of the
abutting hump portions, the lower portion of the support buttresses
156 incorporate a step 164 having a horizontal platform portion 166
which ends at an end wall portion 168 which drops to the associated
hump portion. The step 164 has the same configuration and general
function as step 64 described above.
[0091] The step 164 is a relatively thin walled moulded hollow
portion formed integrally with the remainder of the pallet. Within
the hollow (ie on the underside of) each step 164 is a rib 170
having the form of a vertically aligned planar web extending down
from the undersurface of the step 164, and extending from side wall
to side wall of the support buttress 156 and approximately
centrally to the step 164. The bottom edge 171 of the rib 170 is
aligned with the lower surface of the adjacent portion of
respective panels. As can be seen particularly in the cutaway
portion of FIG. 13, when such pallets are stacked upon each other,
the bottom edge 171 of each rib 170 bears against the upper surface
of a step 164 on the underlying pallet, so successively underlying
ribs 170 form a structural column wherein a load is transferred to
the corresponding rib 170 below. This means that when pallets 110
are stacked in a nested configuration on each other on a floor and
a load is placed on the upper pallet, the weight of that load is
transmitted at least in part through to the floor by way of the
column of vertically aligned ribs 170.
[0092] All the support buttresses 156 are buttresses which rise
against the walls of one of the pairs of tunnels. The other pair of
tunnels is not directly associated with any support buttresses.
Four of the support buttresses 156a have their step positioned on a
respective corner panel, whereas the other four support buttresses
156b have their step positioned on the central panel 112.
[0093] The horizontal portions of the central panel 112, edge
panels 118 and corner panels 119 respectively and the upper walls
of the tunnels are each formed as an open square lattice in the
manner described above for pallet 10 in FIG. 1. A pallet 110 as
described weighs approximately 3.3 kg when the wall thickness for
all parts is nominally 2.5 mm. The wall thickness is preferably in
the range 2.0 to 3.0 mm.
[0094] In a further embodiment (not illustrated) which is a
modification of pallet 110, each composite hump 137 continues
straight across the central panel 112 instead of turning through
the 90.degree. curve.
[0095] Whilst the above description includes the preferred
embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many
variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be
introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts
previously described without departing from the essential features
or the spirit or ambit of the invention.
[0096] It will be also understood that where the word "comprise",
and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", are used in
this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use
is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features
but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature
or features.
[0097] It will be also understood that where the term "inboard
edge" is used in this specification, it is intended to refer to an
edge of a feature which does not run along an outside edge (that
is, on the perimeter) of the pallet. Similarly where the term
"inboard end" is used in this specification, it is intended to
refer to an end of a feature which is not at an outside edge (that
is, not on the perimeter) of the pallet.
[0098] It will be also understood that where the term "open" is
used in this specification in relation to the "inverted open
channel shape" of the tunnels adapted to accept the forklift tines,
that term is intended to mean that no portion of the pallet extends
across the longitudinal opening defined by that channel.
[0099] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not,
and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of
suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general
knowledge.
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