U.S. patent number 3,628,469 [Application Number 05/103,542] was granted by the patent office on 1971-12-21 for reinforced pallet.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Weyerhaeuser Company. Invention is credited to Nicholas R. Neitzke.
United States Patent |
3,628,469 |
Neitzke |
December 21, 1971 |
REINFORCED PALLET
Abstract
A reinforced pallet, formed of a pair of rectangular tubular
members spaced by a channel-shaped member. A rigid foamed resin
material capable of holding weight is placed in pockets within the
tubular members.
Inventors: |
Neitzke; Nicholas R. (Lakewood,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Weyerhaeuser Company (Tacoma,
WA)
|
Family
ID: |
22295744 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/103,542 |
Filed: |
January 4, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/51.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
19/38 (20130101); B65D 19/0095 (20130101); B65D
2519/00054 (20130101); B65D 2519/00273 (20130101); B65D
2519/00293 (20130101); B65D 2519/00432 (20130101); B65D
2519/00333 (20130101); B65D 2519/00323 (20130101); B65D
2519/00019 (20130101); B65D 2519/00557 (20130101); B65D
2519/00562 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
19/00 (20060101); B65D 19/38 (20060101); B65d
019/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/51-58 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gay; Bobby R.
Assistant Examiner: Finch; Glenn O.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pallet comprising
a pair of rectangular tubular members,
each of said tubular members having top and bottom faces, and outer
and inner side faces extending therebetween,
said inner side faces facing each other and being parallel,
a central aperture in said inner side faces,
a channel-shaped member having upwardly extending sidewalls
inserted into said tubular members through said central
apertures,
said upper face having a pocket formed therein, said pocket being
in alignment with said channel member and having sidewalls
extending downwardly into said channel member,
a weight-supporting member in said pocket.
2. The pallet of claim 1 in which
said channel-shaped member has a pair of upper flanges extending
inwardly from said sidewalls, said upper channels being braced
against a pair of opposing side walls of said pocket.
3. The pallet of claim 1 in which
said tubular members have pairs of aligned apertures in said outer
and inner side faces on each side of said central aperture.
4. The pallet of claim 3 in which
flaps extend inwardly from the side edges of said apertures in said
outer side faces.
5. The pallet of claim 3 in which
said upper wall has a pair of pockets aligned with said first
pocket and placed outwardly of said aligned apertures,
said pockets having downwardly extending sidewalls, and
a weight-supporting member is in each of said pockets.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A collapsible industrial platform.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sullivan U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,403 which issued Apr. 30, 1968
discloses a pallet having a number of blocks of foamed polystyrene
molding material sandwiched between two sheets of corrugated
material. The blocks are spaced to allow passage of the prongs of a
forklift truck for lifting and transferring a loaded pallet. The
blocks are adhered to the upper and lower layers of corrugated
material.
Anderson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,376 which issued Nov. 9, 1965
discloses a collapsible pallet formed of channel-shaped members and
transverse members.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A collapsible pallet formed of two tubular members spaced by a
channel-shaped member. The tubular members have pockets which house
rigid foamed styrene blocks. Two of the blocks are in the
channel-shaped member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the blank of a tubular member.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the tubular member. Portions of the
member have been cut away to show details of construction.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the blank of the channel-shaped
member.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the channel-shaped member.
FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the rigid block.
FIG. 6 is a partially exploded isometric view of the pallet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The blank 10 of the tubular member 11 is shown in FIG. 1. The blank
is divided by score lines 12, 13, 14 and 15 into a first bottom
panel 16, and outer side panel 17, a top panel 18, and inner side
panel 19 and a second bottom panel 20. The blank 10 is formed into
the member 11 by being folded around the score lines. The bottom
panel 20 is then glued to the bottom panel 16 along glue line 21.
The member may be collapsed for shipment and formed as shown in
FIG. 2 at its point of use.
Two of the tubular members 11 are spaced by the channel 30 shown in
FIG. 4. The channel is formed from a blank 31 which is scored
longitudinally along lines 32, 33, 34 and 35 and bent around the
score lines to form a bottom wall 36, sidewalls 37 and 38, and
upper flanges 39 and 40.
The pallet 80 is formed by inserting channel member 30 through the
central aperture 50 in inner side panel 19 of the tubular member
and to the central section 51 of outer side panel 17. The sidewalls
37 and 38 of the channel 30 are sized to the inner depth of the
tubular member.
A central pocket 60 in the upper wall 18 is aligned with the
channel 30. The pocket 60 is formed by a pair of transverse flaps
61 and 62 hinged to the upper wall along score lines 63 and 64,
respectively, and a pair of longitudinal flaps 65 and 66 hinged to
the upper panel by score lines 67 and 68, respectively. The flaps
are separated from each other by diagonal score lines 69, and bent
inwardly to form sidewalls of the pocket.
The distance between the score lines 63 and 64 is substantially
equal to the distance between the outer edges of the upper flanges
39 and 40 of the channel-shaped member 30, allowing the pocket to
fit snugly within the channel-shaped member. The block of rigid
foam plastic material 70 shown in FIG. 5 fits snugly within the
pocket.
Passageways for the prongs of a forklift are provided by the
aligned side apertures 80 and 81 in the inner and outer side panels
19 and 17, respectively. The outer apertures 81 are formed by pairs
of flaps 82 and 83. These flaps are defined in the outer panel 17
by a slit 84 coextensive with score line 12, a slit 85 coextensive
with score line 13, and a slit 86 which separates the flaps 82 and
83. The flaps are bent inwardly around their respective score lines
87 and 88 to form the aperture 81.
Additional load-bearing capacity is provided by two additional
blocks of rigid foam plastic member 70 placed in the side pockets
90 of each of the tubular members. These pockets are aligned with
central pocket 60 and placed outwardly of the channel formed by
apertures 80 and 81. The construction of the pocket 90 is identical
to the construction of the pocket 60. Transverse flaps 91 and 92
are hinged to the upper wall 18 by score lines 93 and 94 and
longitudinal flaps 95 and 96 are hinged by score lines 97 and 98.
The four flaps are separated from each other by diagonal slits 99
and are bent inwardly to form sidewalls of the pocket.
Corrugated material is preferred in the construction of members 11
and 30. Preferably, the flutes in the material extend transversely
to the longitudinal score lines so that the flutes will be vertical
in the side panels 17 and 19 of the tubular member and 37 and 38 of
the channel. The preferred material of the rigid foam plastic
member 70 is foamed polystyrene; however, other foamed plastic
materials having structural strength may also be used.
* * * * *