U.S. patent number 3,675,596 [Application Number 05/048,710] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-11 for load-carrying pallet.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Cegedur GP. Invention is credited to Francois Colas.
United States Patent |
3,675,596 |
Colas |
July 11, 1972 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
LOAD-CARRYING PALLET
Abstract
A pallet for supporting materials comprising a pair of end
sections of similar construction formed of a vertically disposed
end plate, a pair of flanges extending inwardly substantially
perpendicularly from the upper end portion of the end plate in
vertically spaced apart parallel relation and a slideway in the
form of a tubular section on the lower end portion of each of the
end plates, a panel dimensioned for its ends to be received between
the respective flanged pairs of the end plates and a base plate
extending across the pallet with the ends of the base plate
received in engagement within the slideways and means for securing
the elements in their assembled relationship to form the
pallet.
Inventors: |
Colas; Francois (Bourg La
Reine, FR) |
Assignee: |
Cegedur GP (Paris,
FR)
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Family
ID: |
21956026 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/048,710 |
Filed: |
May 11, 1970 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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779740 |
Nov 29, 1968 |
362869 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
108/51.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
19/0012 (20130101); B65D 2519/00318 (20130101); B65D
2519/00094 (20130101); B65D 2519/00029 (20130101); B65D
2519/00293 (20130101); B65D 2519/00572 (20130101); B65D
2519/00378 (20130101); B65D 2519/00333 (20130101); B65D
2519/00373 (20130101); B65D 2519/00059 (20130101); B65D
2519/00034 (20130101); B65D 2519/00323 (20130101); B65D
2519/00562 (20130101); B65D 2519/00024 (20130101); B65D
2519/00288 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
19/00 (20060101); B65d 019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/51,52,57,58
;206/6A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1,376,960 |
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Sep 1964 |
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FR |
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912,317 |
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May 1954 |
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DT |
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576,584 |
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May 1958 |
|
IT |
|
Primary Examiner: Griffin; Donald A.
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No.
779,740, filed Nov. 29, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 362869, and
entitled "Load-Carrying Pallet".
Claims
I claim:
1. A pallet comprising a pair of end sections of similar
construction comprising a vertically disposed end plate, a pair of
flanges extending inwardly substantially perpendicularly from the
upper end portion of the end plate in vertically spaced apart
substantially parallel relation and a slideway in the form of a
tubular section on the lower end portion of the end plate, a panel
portion dimensioned to have a height corresponding to the spaced
relationship between the flanges of each pair with the ends of the
panels received between the flanges of each end section on opposite
ends of the panel, a base plate extending between the lower end of
the end plates with an enlarged portion on the ends of the base
plate in engagement with the slide-ways, aligned openings through
the end plates in the area between the flanges, a tie rod
dimensioned to span the end plates with end portions projecting
through the openings, abutments on the through-extending portions
of the tie rods and means for effecting movement of the abutments
in the direction toward and away from each other to increase or
decrease respectively the pressure on the end plates, and in which
the edge of the panel between the flanges of an end plate outermost
of the panel is tapered inwardly from a point below the opening to
the upper edge to provide a pivot point about which the end plate
rocks in response to increased compression by the tie rod onto the
end plates to place the panel under compression and the base plate
in tension and which includes an intermediate plate between the end
plates with the upper face of the intermediate plate in engagement
with the underside of the panel and having a pedestal on the lower
end which rests on the base plate.
2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the intermediate plate
comprises a single plate having a pedestal at its lower end which
rests on the base plate and having a pair of vertically spaces
flanges extending perpendicularly in one direction from the upper
end portion and another pair of spaced flanges extending
perpendicularly in the opposite direction from the upper end
portion of the intermediate plate and in which the panel section is
subdivided into two panels with the adjacent inner ends engaged
between the adjacent flanged sections in the intermediate
plate.
3. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the panels are in the
form of trapezoidal members having their base portion of larger
dimension lowermost whereby the lower edge of the ends of the panel
engage the end plates to define pivotal points.
4. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the lower surface of the
upper flanges taper toward the outer free end.
5. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the tubular sections on
the lower ends of each of the end plates are rectangular in
cross-section and in which the enlarged portions on the ends of the
base plate are of similar shape for engagement within the tubular
sections in telescoping arrangement.
6. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the enlarged end
portions on the base plate are integral with the base plate and
formed by folding the edge portions of the base plate.
7. A pallet assembly which includes two pallets, as claimed in
claim 1, arranged in end to end relationship to double the surface
area of the pallet, and means interconnecting the adjacent end
sections into a composite assembly.
8. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the end plates include
passages extending therethrough in the area immediately below the
lower flange for passage of the forks of a lift truck into position
to engage the underside of the panel.
9. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for securing
the elements in their assembled relation comprises aligned openings
through the end plates in the area between the flanges, a tie rod
dimensioned to span the end plates with threaded end portions
projecting through the openings, and nut members threadably
engaging the through-extending threaded end portions of the tie
rods.
10. A pallet as claimed in claim 9 in which the aligned openings
are spaced a shorter distance from the upper flange than from the
lower flange.
11. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the end plates are
tightened onto the panel to stress the panel into a prestressed
arch.
12. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 which includes brackets
extending outwardly from the upper end of the end plates for
receiving sling means for lifting the pallet.
Description
This application relates to a pallet for use in the handling of
materials.
The common form of pallet is formulated of planks of wood which are
nailed together to form an elevated load-carrying platform in which
the elevation relative to the ground enables the forks of a lift
truck to pass through the openings into the area beneath the
platform for raising the pallet.
This type of pallet is heavy in that a wooden pallet of 1.20
.times. 0.80 meters will weigh about 50 kg. Inevitably, some
looseness occurs at the joints as the boards or planks tend to rot
and/or warp. Finally, such wooden pallets involve a definite fire
hazard.
Pallets have also been fabricated of steel or of aluminum alloy
with the same construction used to manufacture wooden pallets.
Although such pallets are lighter and stronger, they are
nevertheless heavy and expensive.
It is an object of this invention to produce a pallet which has the
advantages of being light in weight, inexpensive and easy to
handle.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will
hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of
limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in the
accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective elevational view of a pallet embodying the
features of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line A--A of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view in greater detail of a
portion of the upper corner of the pallet shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the end of the thin base plate;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view through a pallet equipped with sling
means;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view through a modification in a pallet of
large surface area having an intermediate support section; and
FIG. 7 is a sectional elevational view of a modification of the
pallet illustrated in FIG. 2.
More specifically, the material-handling pallet of this invention
comprises two end sections 1 and 2, a thin base or bottom plate 3
and paneling 4 held together in the assembled relationship by a tie
rod 5.
End sections 1 and 2 are identical and arranged at opposite ends of
the pallet in facing relation. End section 1 comprises a vertically
disposed plate 10 of rectangular shape dimensioned to have a width
corresponding to the width of the pallet and a height corresponding
to the height of the top panel 4 from the base sheet 3. The end
plate 10 is formed with a tubular section 11 at its lower end with
a slot 11.sup.a through the inner wall 11.sup.b communicating with
the interior of the tubular section. The tubular section may be of
rectangular or other polygonal shape and dimensioned to extend
through the length of the end plate 10. The end plate 10 is formed
with a pair of horizontally disposed lower and upper flanges 12 and
13 extending inwardly from the upper portion of the plate in
vertically spaced apart relation corresponding to the height of the
panel 4. The end section 2 is formed of the same elements including
plate 20, tubular section 21 and flanges 22 and 23.
The base plate 3 is a flat plate dimensioned to correspond to the
length and width of the pallet with enlarged tubular members 31 and
32 on the ends of the base plate shaped to correspond to the
tubular sections 11 and 21 on the end plates 10 and 20 but of
lesser cross-section for receipt of the tubular members 31 and 32
within the tubular sections 11 and 21 when in the assembled
relationship, with the adjacent portions of the base plate
extending through the slot openings 11.sup.a .
The paneling 4 can be made up of sections or planks which are
separate one from the other or of a panel formed of sheet metal,
wood, or plastics, with or without corrugations. The paneling 4 is
dimensioned to have a length corresponding to the length of the
pallet and a height corresponding to the distance between the upper
and lower flanges 12-13, 22-23 with the ends 41 and 42 preferably,
though not essentially, tapered to define a trapezoidal member with
the base of larger dimension at the bottom. The paneling can be
formed with or without stiffening ribs.
The various components described can be formed of the same material
or of different materials whereby the combinations possible become
numerous. Suitable structural materials of which the elements are
formed include metals and their alloys, plastics (with or without
reinforcement), wood or wooden laminates, and the like. The end
sections 10 and 20 can be formed of plastic extrusions, plastic
moldings or the like processes capable of producing endless lengths
of such shaped products.
In assembly, the tubular end sections 31 and 32 of the base plate 3
are introduced into the receiving tubular sections 11 and 21 at the
lower ends of the end plates 10 and 20. Thereafter the ends of the
panel 4 are positioned with the end 41 between the flanges 12 and
13 and the end 42 between the flanges 22 and 23. The components can
be secured in this arrangement by suitable fastening means, such as
by welding, bonding, screwing, riveting and the like, but it is
preferred to effect the assembled relationship by the use of one or
more tie rods 5. The tie rods 5 are dimensioned to have a length
greater than the distance between the end sections for passage
through aligned openings 14.sup.b and 24 in the end plates within
the area between the flanges but preferably nearer the upper
flanges. The ends of the tie rod extending through the aligned
openings are threaded for threaded engagement by nut members 51 and
52 which can be tightened onto the through-extending portions of
the tie rods to tighten the end plates onto the panel 4 to effect
the assembled relation.
When use is made of a panel 4 of trapezoidal shape, the end
sections will first engage the panel at its lower edges to define
pivot points 411 and 421 whereby further tightening of the nut
members 51 and 52 will tend to rock the end sections for rotation
about their respective pivot points with corresponding tensioning
of the base plate 3.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the end plates are provided with openings
15 of rectangular shape immediately below the flange 12 to enable
the forks of the lift truck to be displaced therethrough in
position to engage the underside of the plank 4 for lifting the
pallet.
By way of modification, the lower face 131 and 231 of the upper
flange 13 and 23 can be formed with a slight taper, as effected by
a decrease in cross-section towards the free end, for camming
engagement with the panel portion displaced therebetween responsive
to the tightening of the nut members 51 and 52.
The reinforcing tubular end sections 31 and 32 on the ends of the
base plate can be formed in various ways. They can be fabricated
during rolling of the sheet by the use of a roll mill having
cylinders provided with corresponding grooves. Instead, they may be
joined to the ends of the base plate by welding or they may be
formed integrally with the base plate by suitable metal folding or
shaping operations with the interior filled, as with a plastic
material which can be foamed or cast in situ.
A platform plate 43 can be laid on the upper surface of the panel 4
and secured at its ends between the panel and the upper flanges 13
and 23. The platform plate, when used, can be a smooth continuous
flat panel dimensioned to correspond to the length and width of the
pallet and the platform can be grooved, corrugated and the like for
strengthening purposes.
As illustrated in the modification shown in FIG. 5, the pallet can
be formed with a device to enable the platform to be carried by a
sling. For this purpose, the end plates 1 and 2 are formed with
outwardly extending tubular sections 14 at their upper ends with a
slot 14.sup.a through the upper wall to enable a gripping member 61
of corresponding shape, on the end of a sling 6, to be displaced
into the tubular section positively to engage the pallet. The sling
6 may constitute wire rope and the like connected to suitable
pulleys or other actuating means.
The lower base plate 3 can be a single plate or panel of metal,
wooden laminate or of plastic material, or it can be formed of
connected parallel sections. The tie rod 5 can be a single rod, as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, or it can be formed of two or more
lengths of rod 53 and 54, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, with the rod
sections connected at their adjacent threaded ends by means of an
internally threaded sleeve 55. In such event, the portions of the
rods extending through the openings 14.sup.b in the end plates 1
and 2 can be formed with enlarged heads 56 and 57 whereby the
desired tightening action is achieved by turning the sleeve 55.
If the surface area of the pallet is large in relation to its
compressive strength, the center of the panel 4 can be strengthened
against sagging by means of an intermediate section having its
upper face fixed to the panel 4 while the lower end rests on the
base plate 3. This section is advantageously formed with an I
cross-section and is joined to the panel by cementing, bolting,
riveting or by other known joinder means. It is also possible to
obtain a pallet having a large surface area by arranging several
single panels in side by side relationship. FIG. 6 illustrates one
example of a double pallet. This pallet comprises two end sections
1 and 2 of the type previously described, an intermediate section
7, two panels 43 and 44, of the same construction as previously
described, and one or more base plates 3 of substantially the same
construction as previously described. At its lower end the
intermediate section 7 is formed with a flange or pedestal 71
arranged to rest on an intermediate surface of the base plate 3. At
its upper end the intermediate section is formed with two
vertically spaced left hand flanges 731 and 721 adapted to receive
the right hand end of panel 43 and two vertically spaced right hand
flanges 732 and 722 adapted to receive the left hand end portion of
panel 44. Assembly and tightening are carried out by conventional
means, but preferably with the aid of a tie rod which may be either
of the construction described with reference to element 5 in FIG. 2
or as shown in FIG. 6.
For assembly purposes, the enlarged tubular end sections 31 and 32
of the base plate 3 are engaged in their respective slideways 11
and 23 of the end sections 1 and 2. Thereafter, the intermediate
section 7 is positioned with its flange 71 resting on the base
plate 3. Finally the ends of the panel 43 are positioned with the
left hand end between flanges 12 and 13 of section 1 and the right
hand end between the flanges 721 and 731 of section 7. The same
arrangements are made with the panel 44 in which the left hand end
is positioned between flanges 722 and 732 of section 7 while the
right hand end is positioned between the flanges 22 and 23 of
section 2. All that remains is to position and tighten the tie rods
53, 54 until the whole assembly is interlocked.
The intermediate section 7 is formed to employ the action of web
against web confined by the two flanged sections, with the two
slideways such as 11 being replaced by a flange 71 which rests on
the base plate. It is also possible to provide the intermediate
section with two slideways, one to the right and the other to the
left, for use with two base plates corresponding in construction to
the base plate 3. In this way, it is possible similarly to obtain a
pallet formed by the arrangement of two pallets of the type shown
in FIG. 2 in side by side relationship, the intermediate sections
merely being combined into a single intermediate symmetrical
section. It is obvious that pallets of large surface area may be
obtained by similar arrangement of more than two single
pallets.
It is possible, by the use of a strengthened base plate 3,
substantially to reduce both the weight and cost of the pallet.
These components may be assembled by the tie rods to enable
disassembly to be effected in a rapid and easy manner so that a
damaged or worn component can be immediately replaced.
It will be apparent that pallets of the type described can be used
with increased effective load without increase in weight.
In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the panel 4 is in the form of
a prestressed arch which is obtained by placing the assembly and
interlocking means 5 under high tension, either by tightening the
nut members 51 and 52 in FIGS. 1 to 3, or by tightening the
threaded sleeve 55 in the modification shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of
construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the
spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following
claims.
* * * * *