U.S. patent number RE32,344 [Application Number 06/656,142] was granted by the patent office on 1987-02-03 for shipping pallet and a package formed therefrom.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Bigelow-Sanford, Inc.. Invention is credited to Joseph H. Wind.
United States Patent |
RE32,344 |
Wind |
February 3, 1987 |
Shipping pallet and a package formed therefrom
Abstract
A shipping container is provided comprising a pallet as the
bottom thereof, an inverted identical pallet as the top thereof,
and a peripheral sleeve forming load-bearing side walls mating with
each pallet via a peripheral sleeve-receiving groove defined by a
peripheral rim. The unitary pallet is configured so that a bottom
pallet of one container will mate with the inverted top pallet of a
lower container, when containers are stacked, in such a way as to
prevent shifting between containers. Said pallets are also
self-nesting for transport or storage when unloaded. The containers
will stack even if vertically adjacent mutually inverse pallets are
rotated 180.degree. in a horizontal plane with respect to each
other. This ability to tolerate a 180.degree. rotation is provided
by depending members and platform members of the pallet feet,
oriented so that (i) a 180.degree. rotation of the pallet in the
plane of the pallet results in a depending member/platform member
pattern the same as the pattern prior to rotation and (ii) a
180.degree. rotation of the pallet about a center line lying in the
plane of the pallet results in a depending member/platform member
pattern which engages the unrotated depending member/platform
member pattern in mutually abutting relationship. The pallets also
have their feet so disposed to permit fourway fork lift entry. An
alternative embodiment is provided wherein said pallets are
nestable and stackable at 90.degree. intervals of relative
rotation. The questions raised in reexamination request No.
90/000,636, filed Sep. 24, 1984, have been considered and the
results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which
constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307
as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).
Inventors: |
Wind; Joseph H. (Taylors,
SC) |
Assignee: |
Bigelow-Sanford, Inc.
(Greenville, SC)
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Family
ID: |
26923045 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/656,142 |
Filed: |
September 28, 1984 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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229195 |
Jan 28, 1981 |
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Reissue of: |
295524 |
Aug 24, 1981 |
04413737 |
Nov 8, 1983 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/599;
108/53.1; 108/53.3; 206/511; 217/43A |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
19/0018 (20130101); B65D 19/06 (20130101); B65D
19/004 (20130101); B65D 2519/00592 (20130101); B65D
2519/00019 (20130101); B65D 2519/00034 (20130101); B65D
2519/00069 (20130101); B65D 2519/00268 (20130101); B65D
2519/00288 (20130101); B65D 2519/00318 (20130101); B65D
2519/00338 (20130101); B65D 2519/00348 (20130101); B65D
2519/00407 (20130101); B65D 2519/00412 (20130101); B65D
2519/00557 (20130101); B65D 2519/00915 (20130101); B65D
2519/0094 (20130101); B65D 2519/00975 (20130101); B65D
2571/00037 (20130101); B65D 2571/00055 (20130101); B65D
2571/00117 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
19/00 (20060101); B65D 19/02 (20060101); B65D
19/06 (20060101); B65D 71/02 (20060101); B65D
71/04 (20060101); B65D 019/00 (); B65D 019/38 ();
B65D 021/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/503,509,511,512,599,600 ;217/43A
;108/52.1,53.1,53.3,53.5,57.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2165676 |
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Jul 1973 |
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DE |
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2909541 |
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Sep 1980 |
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DE |
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Primary Examiner: Lowrance; George E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bell, Seltzer, Park &
Gibson
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of my abandoned United
States application Ser. No. 06/229,195, filed Jan. 28, 1981, and
entitled SHIPPING PALLET.
Claims
That which is claimed is:
1. A shipping pallet of .[.the type formed of a single sheet of
material and constructed.]. .Iadd.the forkliftable type and of
unitary plastic construction .Iaddend.for use with another
substantially identical pallet so as to serve as a bottom or top
wall of a shipping container for transporting and storing a load,
said shipping pallet having a generally planar base and a plurality
of foot means projecting from the base, said foot means including
corner foot means positioned in respective corner areas of the
pallet, central foot means positioned centrally of the pallet, and
intermediate foot means positioned between adjacent corner foot
means, and wherein each of the foot means comprises at least one
projecting member and a .Iadd.substantially flat .Iaddend.platform
member adjacent each projecting member, .Iadd.all of said
projecting members being of hollow construction open at the upper
end and tapered for nestability thereof when empty pallets are
stacked with each other, said projecting members also having a
height of a substantial portion of the overall height of the pallet
and being arranged so as to define forklift passages between the
projecting members of a substantially uniform overall height for
receiving the arms of a forklift, said projecting members having
flat bottom bearing surfaces for vertical load distribution and
flat tapered side wall bearing surfaces for self aligning
stackability, said flat tapered side walls having an overall height
at least several times greater than their thickness and
substantially the same as the forklift passages, .Iaddend.and said
projecting members and said platform members .[.being so
constructed and arranged relative to each other.]. .Iadd.of each
foot means being symmetrically disposed with respect to the
centerlines of the pallet such that said projecting members are in
mirror image relation to the platform members of the corresponding
foot means positioned on the opposite side of the centerlines, so
.Iaddend.that the pallet when in use in a predetermined position of
orientation, and at least another position of orientation
180.degree. out-of-phase therefrom, may be stacked in mating
relation to a substantially identical inverted pallet and with the
projecting members abutting the platform members of the inverted
pallet and .Iadd.the flat tapered side wall bearing surfaces
thereof .Iaddend.serving to provide a lateral anti-shift
interengagement between the adjacent pallets in a plurality of
directions .Iadd.and wherein said height and said hollow
construction and said symmetrical arrangement of said projecting
members are such that said projecting members may be nestably
engaged with projecting members of another substantially identical
unloaded pallet facing in the same direction and in a predetermined
position of orientation and at least another position of
orientation 180.degree. out-of-phase therefrom, whereby a
relatively large number of unloaded pallets may be nestably stacked
so as to occupy considerably less space when being stored or
shipped.Iaddend..
2. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 wherein the pallet has
substantially the same length as the width thereof, and wherein the
projecting members and the platform members are so arranged
relative to each other that the pallet when in use may be
reoriented at any other position of orientation of an integral
multiple of 90.degree. out-of-phase from its previous stacked
position relative to the other shipping containers.
3. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said
projecting members of all said foot means are arranged in such
spaced relationship as to provide a pair of spaced parallel
passages extending along opposite sides of a center line passing
through the shipping pallet and another pair of spaced parallel
passages extending transversely of the first-named passages, with
the passages of each pair being arranged to accommodate the arms of
a fork lift type transporting vehicle.
4. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a
peripherally positioned rim extends around said planar base and
projects outwardly therefrom in a direction opposite from said foot
means and wherein a sleeve receiving groove is provided alongside
and is surrounded by said rim.
5. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each of at
least some of said projecting members of at least some of said
corner foot means include a buttress support portion, and each of
at least some of said platform members also include a buttress
support portion to enhance the stability and strength of the
pallet.
6. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said central
foot means comprises at least a pair of projecting members
diagonally offset along the opposite sides of a center line passing
through the shipping pallet and also diagonally offset on opposite
sides of another center line extending transversely of and across
said first-named center line.
7. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said
intermediate foot means each comprises a plurality of projecting
members diagonally offset along opposite sides of a pallet center
line passing therebetween.
8. A shipping pallet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said central
foot means comprises two pairs of projecting members with each pair
being diagonally offset along opposite sides of a center line
passing through the shipping pallet and also being diagonally
offset on opposite sides of another center line extending
transversely of and across said first-named center line, and
wherein the intermediate foot means each comprises a pair of
projecting members diagonally offset along opposite sides of a
pallet center line passing therebetween.
9. A shipping container for containing and transporting a load
therein and so constructed as to be adapted to be stacked in mating
relation with other shipping container of substantially the same
construction, said shipping container comprising upper and lower
pallets of substantially identical construction .Iadd.and of the
forkliftable type.Iaddend., said upper and lower pallets being
inverted relative to each other so as to be adapted to be stacked
in mating relation to the pallets of adjacent containers, means
interconnecting the upper and lower pallets of the shipping
container for maintaining the integrity of the shipping container,
each of said pallets having a generally planar base and a plurality
of foot means projecting from the base, said foot means including
corner foot means positioned in respective corner areas of the
pallet, central foot means positioned centrally of the pallet, and
intermediate foot means positioned between adjacent corner foot
means, each of the foot means comprising at least one projecting
member and a .Iadd.substantially flat .Iaddend.platform member
adjacent each projecting member, .Iadd.all of said projecting
members being of hollow construction open at the upper end and
tapered for nestability thereof when empty pallets are stacked with
each other, said projecting members also having a height of a
substantial portion of the overall height of the pallet and being
arranged so as to define forklift passages between the projecting
members of a substantially uniform overall height for receiving the
arms of a forklift, said projecting members having flat bottom
bearing surfaces for vertical load distribution and flat tapered
side wall bearing surfaces for self aligning stackability, said
flat tapered side walls having an overall height at least several
times greater than their thickness and substantially the same as
the forklift passages, .Iaddend.the projecting members and the
platform members .[.of each pallet being so constructed and
arranged relative to each other.]. .Iadd.of each foot means being
symmetrically disposed with respect to the centerlines of the
pallet such that said projecting members are in mirror image
relation to the platform members of the corresponding foot means
positioned on the opposite side of the centerlines, so
.Iaddend.that the projecting members of each pallet are adapted to
abut the platform members of a pallet of an adjacent shipping
container .Iadd.and the flat tapered side wall bearing surfaces
thereof serving .Iaddend.for providing a lateral anti-shift
interengagement between adjacent shipping containers, and wherein
the projecting members and the platform members of each pallet are
.[.also.]. .Iadd.thus .Iaddend.so constructed and arranged that the
shipping container, when in the stack, is adapted to be reoriented
in at least another position of orientation 180.degree.
out-of-phase from its previous stacked position relative to other
shipping containers in the stack, with the pallets of the
reoriented shipping container still adapted to be in mating
relation to the adjacent pallets of adjacent shipping containers in
the stack and with the projecting members of each pallet of the
reoriented shipping container adapted to be abutting the platform
members of adjacent pallets .Iadd.and wherein said height and said
hollow construction and said symmetrical arrangement of said
projecting members are such that said projecting members may be
nestably engaged with projecting members of another substantially
identical unloaded pallet facing in the same direction and in a
predetermined position of orientation and at least another position
of orientation 180.degree. out-of-phase therefrom, whereby a
relatively large number of unloaded pallets may be nestably stacked
so as to occupy considerably less space when being stored or
shipped.Iaddend..
10. A shipping container according to claim 9 wherein a
peripherally positioned rim extends around each planar base and
projects outwardly therefrom in a direction opposite from the foot
means of the respective pallet, with a sleeve positioned between
said upper and lower pallets of the container, and wherein each
pallet is provided with a sleeve receiving groove therein extending
alongside and surrounded by said rim with opposite end portions of
said sleeve being positioned in the grooves in the upper and lower
pallets.
11. A stack of shipping containers containing articles therein,
each shipping container comprising upper and lower pallets of
substantially the same construction .Iadd.and of the forkliftable
type.Iaddend., said upper and lower pallets of each shipping
container being inverted relative to each other and being in mating
relation to the pallets of adjacent containers of the stack, means
interconnecting the upper and lower pallets of each shipping
container for maintaining the integrity of the shipping container,
each of said pallets having a generally planar base and a plurality
of foot means projecting from the base, said foot means including
corner foot means positioned in respective corner areas of the
pallet, central foot means positioned centrally of the pallet, and
intermediate foot means positioned between adjacent corner foot
means, each of the foot means comprising at least one projecting
member and a .Iadd.substantially flat .Iaddend.platform member
adjacent each projecting member, .Iadd.all of said projecting
members being of hollow construction open at the upper end and
tapered for nestability thereof when empty pallets are stacked with
each other, said projecting members also having a height of a
substantial portion of the overall height of the pallet and being
arranged so as to define forklift passages between the projecting
members of a substantially uniform overall height for receiving the
arms of a forklift, said projecting members having flat bottom
bearing surfaces for vertical load distribution and flat tapered
side wall bearing surfaces for self aligning stackability, said
flat tapered side walls having an overall height at least several
times greater than their thickness and substantially the same as
the forklift passages, .Iaddend.the projecting members and the
platform members .[.of each pallet being so constructed and
arranged.]. .Iadd.of each foot means being symmetrically disposed
with respect to the centerlines of the pallet such that said
projecting members are in mirror image relation to the platform
members of the corresponding foot means positioned on the opposite
side of the centerlines, so .Iaddend.that the projecting members of
each pallet abut the platform members of a pallet of an adjacent
shipping container .[.and provide.]. .Iadd.and the flat tapered
side wall bearing surfaces thereof serving for providing .Iaddend.a
lateral anti-shift interengagement between adjacent shipping
containers, and wherein the projecting members and the platform
members of each pallet are .[.also.]. .Iadd.thus .Iaddend.so
constructed and arranged that each shipping container of the stack
may be reoriented at at least another position of orientation
180.degree. out-of-phase from its previous stacked position
relative to the other shipping containers, with the pallets of the
reoriented shipping container still being in mating relation to the
adjacent pallets and with the projecting members of each pallet of
the reoriented shipping container abutting the platform members of
the adjacent pallets .Iadd.and wherein said height and said hollow
construction and said symmetrical arrangement of said projecting
members are such that said projecting members may be nestably
engaged with projecting members of another substantially identical
unloaded pallet facing in the same direction and in a predetermined
position of orientation and at least another position of
orientation 180.degree. out-of-phase therefrom, whereby a
relatively large number of unloaded pallets may be nestably stacked
so as to occupy considerably less space when being stored or
shipped.Iaddend..
12. A stack of shipping containers according to claim 11 wherein
each of the upper and lower pallets of the containers are of
substantially the same length and width, and wherein the projecting
members and platform members of each pallet are so constructed and
arranged that each shipping container of the stack may be
reoriented at any other position of orientation of an integral
multiple of 90.degree. out-of-phase from its previous stacked
position relative to the other shipping containers, with the
pallets of the reoriented shipping container being in mating
relation to the adjacent pallets and with the projecting members of
each pallet of the reoriented shipping container abutting the
platform members of the adjacent pallets.
13. A stack of shipping containers according to claim 11 wherein
each of the upper and lower pallets has a greater length than width
and may be reoriented at only said position of reorientation
180.degree. out-of-phase from its previous stacked position
relative to the other shipping containers, with the pallets of the
reoriented shipping container being in mating relation to the
adjacent pallets and with the projecting members of each pallet of
the reoriented shipping container abutting the platform members of
the adjacent pallets.
14. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13 wherein said foot means on each of said pallets are so
constructed and arranged that the shipping containers may be
forklifted from any side of the pallets.
15. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13, wherein said projecting members of all said foot
means of each pallet are arranged in such spaced relationship as to
provide a pair of spaced parallel passages extending along opposite
sides of a center line passing through the respective pallet and
another pair of spaced parallel passages extending transversely of
the first-named passages, with the passages of each pair being
arranged to accommodate the arms of a fork lift type transporting
vehicle.
16. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13 wherein a peripherally positioned rim extends around
each planar base and projects outwardly therefrom in a direction
opposite from the foot means of the respective pallet and wherein a
sleeve receiving groove is provided alongside and is surrounded by
said rim.
17. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13 wherein each of at least some of said projecting
members of at least some of said corner foot means include a
buttress support portion, and each of at least some of said
platform members also include a buttress support portion to enhance
the stability and strength of each respective pallet.
18. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13 wherein each said central foot means comprises at
least a pair of projecting members diagonally offset along opposite
sides of a center line passing through the respective pallet and
also diagonally offset on opposite sides of another center line
extending transversely of and across said first-named center
line.
19. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13 wherein each intermediate foot means of each pallet
comprises a plurality of projecting members diagonally offset along
opposite sides of a respective pallet center line passing
therebetween.
20. A stack of shipping containers according to any one of claims
11, 12 or 13 wherein said central foot means of each pallet
comprises two pairs of projecting members with each pair being
diagonally offset along opposite sides of a center line passing
through the respective pallet and also being diagonally offset on
opposite sides of another center line of the same pallet, with said
other center line extending transversely of and across said
first-named center line, and wherein each intermediate foot means
of each pallet comprises a pair of projecting members diagonally
offset along opposite sides of a pallet center line passing
therebetween.
21. A shipping pallet of the .Iadd.forkliftable .Iaddend.type which
when unloaded may be nestably stacked with other like pallets, said
pallet being .[.formed of a single sheet of material and
constructed.]. .Iadd.of unitary plastic construction .Iaddend.for
use with another substantially identical pallet so as to serve as a
bottom or top wall of a shipping container for transporting and
storing a load, said shipping pallet having a generally planar base
and a plurality of foot means projecting from the base, said foot
means including corner foot means positioned in respective corner
areas of the pallet, central foot means positioned centrally of the
pallet, and intermediate foot means positioned between adjacent
corner foot means, and wherein each of the foot means comprises at
least one projecting member and .Iadd.a substantially flat
.Iaddend.platform member adjacent each projecting member, .Iadd.all
of said projecting members being of hollow construction open at the
upper end and tapered for nestability thereof when empty pallets
are stacked with each other, said projecting members also having a
height of a substantial portion of the overall height of the pallet
and being arranged so as to define forklift passages between the
projecting members of a substantially uniform overall height for
receiving the arms of a forklift, said projecting members having
flat bottom bearing surfaces for vertical load distribution and
flat tapered side wall bearing surfaces for self aligning
stackability, said flat tapered side walls having an overall height
at least several times greater than their thickness and
substantially the same as the forklift passages, .Iaddend.and said
projecting members and said platform members .[.being so
constructed and arranged relative to each other.]. .Iadd.of each
foot means being symmetrically disposed with respect to the
centerlines of the pallet such that said projecting members are in
mirror image relation to the platform members of the corresponding
foot means positioned on the opposite side of the centerlines, so
.Iaddend.that the pallet when in use in a predetermined position
.[.or.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.orientation, and at least another
position of orientation 180.degree. out-of-phase therefrom, may be
stacked in mating relation to a substantially identical inverted
pallet and with the projecting .[.member.]. .Iadd.members
.Iaddend.abutting the platform members of the inverted pallet
.[.and serving.]. .Iadd.and the flat tapered side wall bearing
surfaces thereof serving .Iaddend.to provide a lateral
.[.antishift.]. .Iadd.anti-shift .Iaddend.interengagement between
the adjacent pallets in a plurality of directions, .Iadd.and
.Iaddend.wherein the respective projecting members of each
diagonally opposed pair of said corner foot means have .[.side
engagement.]. .Iadd.said side wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces facing
in opposite directions from .[.the.]. each other for providing the
lateral .[.anit-shift.]. .Iadd.anti-shift .Iaddend.interengagement
between adjacent pallets when in stacked relationship, and further
wherein said .Iadd.height and said hollow construction and said
symmetrical arrangement of said .Iaddend.projecting members are
.[.hollow and constructed so as to be nestably engaged with.].
.Iadd.such that the .Iaddend.projecting members .[.of.]. .Iadd.may
be nestably engaged with .Iaddend.another substantially identical
unloaded pallet facing in the same direction and in any of said
positions of orientation, whereby a relatively large number of
unloaded pallets may be nestably stacked so as to occupy
considerably less space when being stored or shipped.
22. A nestable shipping pallet according to claim 21 wherein said
side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces of the
projecting members of one of said pairs of diagonally opposed
corner foot means extend at a substantially right angle with
respect to the side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing
.Iaddend.surfaces of the projecting members of the other pair of
diagonally opposed corner foot means, and wherein the side
.[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces of each
diagonally opposed pair of corner foot means extend substantially
parallel to each other.
23. A shipping container for containing and transporting a load
therein and so constructed as to be adapted to be stacked in mating
relation with other shipping containers of substantially the same
construction .Iadd.and of the forkliftable type.Iaddend., said
shipping container comprising upper and lower pallets of
substantially identical construction and which when unloaded may be
nestably stacked with other like pallets, said upper and lower
pallets being inverted relative to each other so as to be adapted
to be stacked in mating relation to the pallets of adjacent
containers, means interconnecting the upper and lower pallets of
the shipping container for maintaining the integrity of the
shipping container, each of said pallets having a generally planar
base and a plurality of foot means projecting from the base, said
foot means including corner foot means positioned in respective
corner areas of the pallet, central foot means positioned centrally
of the pallet, and intermediate foot means positioned between
adjacent corner foot means, each of the foot means comprising at
least one projecting member and a .Iadd.substantially flat
.Iaddend.platform member adjacent each projecting member, .Iadd.all
of said projecting members being of hollow construction open at the
upper end and tapered for nestability thereof when empty pallets
are stacked with each other, said projecting members also having a
height of a substantial portion of the overall height of the pallet
and being arranged so as to define forklift passages between the
projecting members of a substantially uniform overall height for
receiving the arms of a forklift, said projecting members having
flat bottom bearing surfaces for vertical load distribution and
flat tapered side wall bearing surfaces for self aligning
stackability, said flat tapered side walls having an overall height
at least several times greater than their thickness and
substantially the same as the forklift passages, .Iaddend.the
projecting members and the platform members .[.of each pallet being
so constructed and arranged relative to each other.]. .Iadd.of each
foot means being symmetrically disposed with respect to the
centerlines of the pallet such that said projecting members are in
mirror image relation to the platform members of the corresponding
foot means positioned on the opposite side of the centerlines, so
.Iaddend.that the projecting members of each pallet are adapted to
abut the platform members of a pallet of an adjacent shipping
container .Iadd.and the flat tapered side wall bearing surfaces
thereof serving .Iaddend.for providing a lateral anti-shift
interengagement between adjacent shipping containers, and wherein
the projecting members and the platform members of each pallet are
.[.also.]. .Iadd.thus .Iaddend.so constructed and arranged that the
shipping container, when in the stack, is adapted to be reoriented
in at least another position of orientation 180.degree.
out-of-phase from its previous stacked position relative to other
shipping containers in the stack, with the pallets of the
reoriented shipping container still adapted to be in mating
relation to the adjacent pallets of adjacent shipping containers in
the stack and with the projecting members of each pallet of the
reoriented shipping container adapted to be abutting the platform
members of adjacent pallets, the respective projecting members of
each diagonally opposed pair of said corner foot means of each
pallet having .Iadd.said .Iaddend.side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall
bearing .Iaddend.surfaces facing in opposite directions from each
other for providing the lateral anti-shift interengagement between
adjacent pallets when in stacked relationship, and further wherein
said .Iadd.height and said hollow construction and said symmetrical
arrangement of said .Iaddend.projecting members of each pallet are
.[.hollow and constructed so as to be nestably engaged with.].
.Iadd.such that the .Iaddend.projecting members .[.of.]. .Iadd.may
be nestably engaged with .Iaddend.another substantially identical
unloaded pallet facing in the same direction and in any of said
positions of orientation, whereby a relatively large number of
unloaded pallets may be nestably stacked so as to occupy
considerably less space when being stored or shipped.
24. A shipping container according to claim 23 wherein said side
.[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces of the
projecting members of one of said pairs of diagonally opposed
corner foot means of each pallet extend at a substantially right
angle with respect to the side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing
.Iaddend.surfaces of the projecting members of the other pair of
diagonally opposed corner foot means of each pellet, and wherein
the side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces of
each diagonally opposed pair of corner foot means of each pallet
extend substantially parallel to each other.
25. A shipping container according to claim 23 wherein a periphery
positioned rim extends around each planar base and projects
outwardly therefrom in a direction opposite from the foot means of
the respective pallet, with a sleeve positioned between said upper
and lower pallets of the container, and wherein each pallet is
provided with a sleeve receiving groove therein extending alongside
and surrounded by said rim with opposite end portions of said
sleeve being positioned in the grooves in the upper and lower
pallets.
26. A stack of shipping containers containing articles therein,
each shipping container comprising upper and lower pallets of
substantially the same construction .Iadd.and of the forkliftable
type .Iaddend.and which when unloaded may be stacked with other
like pallets, said upper and lower pallets of each shipping
container being inverted relative to each other and being in mating
relation to the pellets of adjacent containers of the stack, means
interconnecting the upper and lower pallets of each shipping
container for maintaining the integrity of the shipping container,
each of said pallets having a generally planar base and a plurality
of foot means projecting from the base, said foot means including
corner foot means positioned in respective corner areas of the
pallet, central foot means positioned centrally of the pallet, and
intermediate foot means positioned between adjacent corner foot
means, each of the foot means comprising at least one projecting
member and a .Iadd.substantially flat .Iaddend.platform member
adjacent each projecting member, .Iadd.all of said projecting
members being of hollow construction open at the upper end and
tapered for nestability thereof when empty pallets are stacked with
each other, said projecting members also having a height of a
substantial portion of the overall height of the pallet and being
arranged so as to define forklift passages between the projecting
members of a substantially uniform overall height for receiving the
arms of a forklift, said projecting members having flat bottom
bearing surfaces for vertical load distribution and flat tapered
side wall bearing surfaces for self aligning stackability, said
flat tapered side walls having an overall height at least several
times greater than their thickness and substantially the same as
the forklift passages, .Iaddend.the projecting members and the
platform members .[.of each pallet being so constructed and
arranged.]. .Iadd.of each foot means being symmetrically disposed
with respect to the centerlines of the pallet such that said
projecting members are in mirror image relation to the platform
members of the corresponding foot means positioned on the opposite
side of the centerlines, so .Iaddend.that the projecting members of
each pallet abut the platform members of a pallet of an adjacent
shipping container .[.and provide.]. .Iadd.and the flat tapered
side wall bearing surfaces thereof serving for providing .Iaddend.a
lateral anti-shift interengagement between adjacent shipping
containers, and wherein the projecting members and the platform
members of each pallet are .[.also.]. .Iadd.thus .Iaddend.so
constructed and arranged that each shipping container of the stack
may be reoriented in at least another position of orientation
180.degree. out-of-phase from its previous stacked position
relative to the other shipping containers, with the pallets of the
reoriented shipping container still being in mating relation to the
adjacent pallets and with the projecting members of each pallet of
the reoriented shipping container abutting the platform members of
the adjacent pallets, the respective projecting members of each
diagonally opposed pair of said corner foot means of each
.[.pallets.]. .Iadd.pallet .Iaddend.having .Iadd.said .Iaddend.side
.[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces facing in
opposite directions from each other for providing the lateral
anti-shift interengagement between adjacent pallets when in stacked
relationship, and further wherein said .Iadd.height and said hollow
construction and said symmetrical arrangement of said
.Iaddend.projecting members of each pallet are .[.hollow and
constructed so as to be nestably engaged with.]. .Iadd.such that
the .Iaddend.projecting members .[.of.]. .Iadd.may be nestably
engaged with .Iaddend.another substantially identical unloaded
pallet facing in the same direction and in any of said positions of
orientation, whereby a relatively large number of unloaded pallets
may be nestably stacked so as to occupy considerably less space
when being stored or shipped.
27. A stack of shipping containers according to claim 26 wherein
said side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing .Iaddend.surfaces of
the projecting members of one of said pairs of diagonally opposed
corner foot means of each pallet extend at a substantially right
angle with respect to the side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall bearing
.Iaddend.surfaces of the projecting .[.members.]. .Iadd.members
.Iaddend.of the other pair of diagonally opposed corner foot means
of each pallet, and wherein the side .[.engagement.]. .Iadd.wall
bearing .Iaddend.surfaces of each diagonally opposed pair of corner
foot means of each pallet extend substantially parallel to each
other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved shipping pallet of unitary
construction, and to an improved packaging container comprising one
each such pallet as top and bottom thereof in combination with a
peripheral sleeve forming load-bearing walls and a plurality of
strapping bands, suitable for but not limited to the packaging,
storage and transport of yarn.
At the present time wooden pallets are widely used to form
packaging containers for transporting "cheeses", "bobbins" or
"cones" of yarn from a yarn manufacturing or storage facility to a
yarn utilization plant, such containers typically also including
open wooden sides and an open top, all held together by bailing
wire. Such wooden pallets and containers are undesirably heavy but
of varying weight, do not completely enclose the yarn to provide
desired protection against weather, pilferage, vandalism, soiling
and other damage, are susceptible to breakage and other
deterioration such as splintering, and have a limited useful life.
Further, when such containers are stacked for storage or transport,
for example--three or four high, they frequently shift dangerously
one with respect to the other, since neither pallet nor container
provides adequate means for preventing such relative movement. When
such containers are returned empty for re-use, they take up as much
space as when loaded, unless they are disassembled. Disassembly is
costly, time consuming, and potentially hazardous to employees.
Reassembly via bailing wire and so forth is equally time consuming,
costly, and potentially hazardous.
In order to overcome these deficiencies of wooden pallets and the
containers formed therewith, packaging schemes employing unitary
plastic pallets have been devised. In some of these plastic pallet
arrangements, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,524,415 to Heiman,
3,526,195 to Maryonovich, and 4,000,704 to Griffin, the package is
sandwiched between a top and bottom held together by conventional
banding, but without load-bearing side walls, and wherein the yarn
"cones" or the like as such bear and transmit the load imposed by
stacked containers from one container to the next. Other references
of interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,187,691; 3,346,137 and
3,696,761.
The pallet configuration shown in the Heiman patent is self-nesting
for unloaded transport or storage as shown in FIG. 2 thereof,
self-interlocks with a particularly formed plastic shipping lid as
shown in FIG. 1 thereof to prevent shifting while stacked, and
accommodates four-way fork lift entry. However, the Heiman pallet
has six feet disposed along two opposite edges thereof, with no
intermediate support, and therefor has poor load-bearing
characteristics. Further, the upper shipping lid cover of the
Heiman package necessarily has a different configuration than the
supporting pallet at the bottom of the package, and the ridges
formed therein for engaging the pallet feet to resist shifting are
shallow and subject to disengagement when misaligned or set
slightly ajar. As aforesaid, the package formed using such pallet
and lid has no load-bearing side wall members, but rather depends
on the packaged payload to bear and transmit the weight of stacked
containers.
Maryonovich discloses an improvement over the Heiman arrangement,
in that a pallet identical to that forming the package bottom may,
when inverted, serve to form the package top, with the payload
being sandwiched therebetween, and secured by strapping bands. Here
again, no provision is made for load-bearing wall members, and the
payload itself is relied upon to bear and transmit the weight of
stacked containers. Unloaded pallets are nestable for storage or
transport in a single orientation only. Adjacent each of the nine
pallet feet, which are spaced for four-way fork lift entry, is a
socket formed by and within a minimal network of reinforcing ribs.
The sockets of an inverted pallet, acting as a top, mate with and
receive therewithin the feet of a pallet acting as a bottom of the
next higher package in the stack. Such stackability is, however,
available in a single orientation only, and indicia would be
required for ready location of proper orientation. The nine
foot/socket combinations as such transmit the entire vertical load
from pallet to pallet, and each mating pair will tend to jam and
distort. Moreover, the socket bottoms will tend to be weak, and the
dislocations within the minimal reinforcing rib network represented
by the sockets will weaken the entire pallet and promote excess
flexure under load.
Griffin discloses an alternative to the Maryonovich arrangement,
wherein an identical pallet structure can as well be employed both
as the supporting pallet and as the top lid, with the payload
sandwiched therebetween and secured by banding straps. There being
no provision for load-bearing side wall members, the payload itself
is relied upon to bear and transmit the weight of stacked packages.
The unloaded pallet is also self-nesting for transport or storage
as shown in FIG. 9 thereof, and also self-interlocking with a
suitably oriented mutually inverted pallet to facilitate stacking
while tending to prevent relative shifting. Griffin employs a
pallet structure having nine feet, with each foot having a bottom
featuring alternating male and female "undulations" or reinforcing
ribs. Such undulations are oriented in a "herringbone" pattern so
that (as best shown in FIG. 1 thereof) inversion of the pallet in a
certain single orientation generates a similarly directed but
phase-shifted "herringbone" pattern which interlocks with that of
the upside right pallet and wherein the respective female
undulations fit together with counterpart male undulations, and
vice versa. The Griffin pallet, however, cannot in its principal
embodiment accommodate four-way fork lift entry, and in its
alternative embodiment would be unable to accommodate such large
loads as is asserted therein. It is likewise both nestable and
stackable only in a single orientation, thus necessitating the
employment of indicia for proper orientation location. The Griffin
pallet is stronger than that of Maryonovich, and is thus an
improvement thereover. However, Griffin's "herringbone" undulations
are shallow, and tend to disengage under misalignment, thus
permitting shifting. Said misalignment would be frequently
encountered because of the complexity of the "herringbone" pattern,
which complexity requires great precision and skill from the fork
lift operator attempting to stack packages. Further, such
"undulations" as such form the entire vertical support means, and
will have some tendency to jam together or otherwise distort under
load.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an
improved unitary shipping pallet which can accommodate four-way
fork lift entry, is self-nesting without the need to refer to
orientation indicia on the pallets, and which provides increased
strength.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
unitary shipping pallet with a plurality of foot means so disposed
as to mate with an identical inverted pallet in stacked
relationship, without resort to orientation indicia, wherein
certain portions of said foot means provide vertical-load-bearing
support, when engaged with corresponding portions of the foot means
of the inverted pallet, and other portions thereof engage in shift
prevention relationship with corresponding foot means of said
inverted pallet.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
nestable, stackable shipping pallet wherein the foot means thereof,
when mating with the foot means of an inverted pallet in stacked
relationship, are so configured as to prevent or minimize foot
distortion under load, and to prevent or minimize foot means to
foot means jamming due to pallet flexure when under load.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
shipping container wherein one said improved pallet serves as the
bottom thereof, and an inverted identical pallet serves as top
thereof, and wherein vertical-load-bearing walls on each side
thereof are provided in the form of a peripheral sleeve, said
sleeve mating with a peripheral groove formed in each said pallet
by a peripheral rim thereof, said container being secured by
strapping bands.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved shipping container as aforesaid wherein several such
containers may be stacked one on top of the other with ease and
without requiring significant precision and skill from a fork lift
operator, but wherein there is considerably improved stability
within a stack of such containers provided by the aforesaid
shift-resisting interengagement of the foot means of the
respectively adjacent pairs of inverted top pallets and upside
right bottom pallets.
SUMMARY
As herein described there is provided a shipping pallet of the type
formed of a single sheet of material and so constructed as to be
used with another substantially identical pallet to serve as a
bottom or top wall of a shipping container for transporting and
storing a load, wherein the shipping pallet has a generally planar
base and a plurality of foot means projecting from the base, the
foot means including corner foot means positioned in respective
corner areas of the pallet, central foot means positioned centrally
of the pallet, and intermediate foot means positioned between
adjacent corner foot means, and wherein each of the foot means
comprises at least one projecting member and a platform member
adjacent each projecting member. The projecting members and the
platform members are so arranged relative to each other that the
pallet when in use in a predetermined position of orientation, and
at least another position of orientation 180.degree. out-of-phase
therefrom, may be stacked in mating relation to a substantially
identical inverted pallet and with the projecting members abutting
the platform members of the inverted pallet and serving to provide
a lateral anti-shift interengagement between the adjacent pallets
in a plurality of directions.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric assembly view of a shipping
container incorporating identical pallets as top and bottom, and a
peripheral sleeve providing load-bearing side walls in accordance
with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an isometric assembly view of said container;
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a stack of three of said containers
wherein the foot means of adjacent pallets engage each other so as
to prevent lateral shifting between containers;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing adjacent pallets spaced apart
from each other in anti-shift interengagement orientation;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the interior surface of said pallet;
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of said pallet, the opposite side
elevation view being the same;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the exterior surface of the pallet;
FIG. 8 is an end elevation view of the pallet, the opposite end
elevation view being the same;
FIG. 9 is a sectional elevation view of the pallet, taken along the
cutting plane 9--9 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is a sectional elevation view of the pallet, taken along
the cutting plane 10--10 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 11 is a sectional elevation view of the pallet, taken along
the cutting plane 11--11 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 12 is a sectional elevation view of the pallet, taken along
the cutting plane 12--12 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 13 is a partial sectional elevation view demonstrating the
nesting capability of adjacent pallets for storage purposes;
FIG. 14a is a perspective view of the exterior surface of a square
pallet in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the
invention; and
FIG. 14b is a plan view of the exterior surface of the pallet shown
in FIG. 14a.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIG. 1, a shipping container 10 for yarn or another
load to be stored or transported, comprises a bottom pallet 11, a
floor panel 12 preferably formed of double-wall corrugated
cardboard, a peripheral sleeve 13 forming vertical-load-bearing
side walls and preferably formed of triple-wall corrugated
cardboard, an access or inspection panel 14 in one side wall of
said sleeve, and an inverted top pallet 11 which is substantially
identical to the bottom pallet 11. The floor panel 12 and sleeve 13
may be of thicker or thinner material depending on the load to be
borne, and the walls of sleeve 13 are preferably articulably hinged
together by any suitable means.
The pallet 11 is unitary and is formed from a single sheet of
formable or deformable material of suitable thickness selected
according to the size of the load to be contained, a moldable or
vacuum-formable thermoplastic material such as polyethylene being
preferred. Such pallet is preferably rectangular, but may also be
square, or even octagonal or otherwise shaped depending on the
nature of the material to be contained. In order to receive and
retain the sleeve 13, the pallet 11 is provided with a generally
planar base 15 having an outwardly extending peripheral exterior
rim 16, which projects upwardly when the pallet 11 is serving as
the bottom of a container, and which projects downwardly when the
pallet 11 is serving as the top of a container. A peripheral
sleeve-receiving groove 17 (see FIG. 5) is provided between the rim
16 and the portion of the base 15 surrounded thereby.
When assembled (FIG. 2), the package 10 is held together by a
plurality of strapping bands 18, preferably four, with one on each
side of each center line, which bands are located and retained in
position against lateral movement by banding grooves 19 (best seen
in FIG. 4).
When in stacked condition (FIG. 3), the weight of upper containers
is transmitted from pallet to adjacent inverted pallet to sleeve,
and likewise from sleeve to pallet to inverted pallet, the side
walls formed by the sleeve thus being vertical-load-bearing
members, and the payload within the container thus bearing no
significant portion of the vertical load. Cooperation between
sleeve 13 and pallet 11, via rim 16 and groove 17, serves to
provide outwardly directed forces about the periphery of the pallet
thus providing dimensional stability to same and resisting undue
pallet flexure when loaded, and further serves at the same time to
define said sleeve periphery at both the top and bottom thereof and
provide inwardly directed peripheral forces resisting outward
bowing of the side walls of said sleeve in planes perpendicular to
the pallets when under load.
The strapping bands 18 serve to aid and insure said sleeve/rim
cooperation. Further, when tightened to secure the pallets and
sleeve of the assembled container together (FIG. 2), the bands 18
also cooperate with the walls of sleeve 13, in that inwardly
directed force is provided by the bands to the side walls of sleeve
13 to resist buckling thereof in a plane parallel to the pallets,
and outwardly directed force is provided by the side walls to bands
18, aiding them to remain taut and the container 10 to remain
secured.
As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the pallet 11 has nine supporting
foot means 20 through 28, namely, corner foot means 20-23
positioned in respective corner areas of the pallet, intermediate
foot means 24-27 positioned between adjacent corner foot means, and
central foot means 28 positioned centrally of the pallet. The foot
means 20-28 provide a total of 16 projecting members depending from
the pallet 11 when it is serving as a bottom of a container and
adapted to act as vertical supporting legs. Of these, there is
similarity of structure between foot means 20 and 21, each of which
has a single projecting member, foot means 22 and 23, each of which
also has a single projecting member, and intermediate foot means
24-27, each of which has two projecting members. Central foot means
28 has four projecting members in staggered array, and a particular
semi-symmetrical disposition about either center line or either
diagonal as shown.
Each of the foot means 20 through 28 comprises, as aforesaid, one
or more projecting members extending away from the planar base 15
and terminating more or less in a common plane, and an adjacent
corresponding number of platform members. For example, referring to
FIG. 7, the intermediate foot means 27 there shown has two
projecting members 27a and 27b and two platform members 27d and
27e, as do the similar foot means 24 through 26. The projecting
members of the latter intermediate foot means 24-26 are
respectively designated at 24a, 24b; 25a, 25b; and 26a, 26b in FIG.
7, and the platform members of the intermediate foot means 24-26
are respectively designated at 24d, 24e; 25d, 25e; and 26d, 26e in
FIG. 7. The corner foot means 22 has a projecting member 22a and a
platform member 22b, as do the similar foot means 20, 21 and 23.
The projecting members of the corner foot means 20, 21, 23 are
respectively designated at 20a, 21a, 23a, and the respective
platform members are designated at 20b, 21b, 23b. The central foot
means 28 has four projecting members, 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d, with
platform members 28e, 28f, 28g, 28h disposed therebetween.
From the foregoing description of the corner foot means 20-23, and
with particular reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 7, it can be
appreciated that the projecting foot members of each diagonally
opposed pair of corner foot means 20, 21 and 22, 23, respectively,
are not only similarly shaped, but they also provide respective
diagonally opposed pairs of side engagement surfaces 20e, 21e and
22e, 23e. It is to be noted that the side engagement surfaces of
each diagonally opposed pair face opposite directions from each
other, thereby providing the lateral anti-shift interengagement
between adjacent pallets 11 when in stacked relationship. It should
also be noted that the projecting members 20a, 21a, 22a, 23a of the
corner foot means, as well as all the other projecting members of
all the other foot means 24-28, are hollow and constructed so as to
be nestably engaged with projecting members of another
substantially identical unloaded pallet facing in the same
direction and correspondingly oriented with respect to each other,
as indicated earlier herein. Thus, a relatively large number of
unloaded pallets 11 may be nestably stacked so as to occupy less
space when being stored or shipped.
To further aid in the anti-shift interengagement between adjacent
pellets when in stacked relationship, it is to be noted that the
side engagement surfaces of the projecting members of one of the
diagonally opposed pairs of corner foot means, e.g., the corner
foot means 20, 21, extend at a substantially right angle with
respect to those side engagement surfaces of the projecting members
of the other pair of diagonally opposed corner foot means 22, 23.
Additionally, it is preferred that the side engagement surfaces
20e, 21e, 22e, 23e of each respective pair of diagonally opposed
corner foot means extend substantially parallel to each other.
The projecting member 22a of the corner foot means 22 is further
provided with vertical-load-bearing support buttresses 22c and 22d
and the projecting member 23a of the corner foot means 23 is
similarly provided with vertical-load-bearing support buttresses
23c and 23d. The projecting member 27a of the intermediate foot
means 27 is provided with a vertical-load-bearing support buttress
27c, and projecting members 24a, 25a and 26a of the intermediate
foot means 24, 25 and 26 are likewise provided with
vertical-load-bearing buttresses 24c, 25c and 26c.
In corresponding fashion, the platform members of certain foot
means are also provided with vertical-load-bearing support
buttresses. Thus, platform member 21b of corner foot means 21 is
provided with buttresses 21c and 21d, as is platform member 20a of
corner foot means 20 provided with buttresses 20c and 20d.
Similarly, platform member 27d of intermediate foot means 27 is
provided with buttress 27f, and platform members 24d, 25d and 26d
of intermediate foot means 24, 25 and 26 are provided with
buttresses 24f, 25f, and 26f.
When containers are stacked as in FIG. 3, so that the bottom pallet
of an upper container is adjacent to and in interengaged abutting
relation with the inverted top pallet of a lower container, the
buttresses 22c and 22d of the projecting member 22a of corner foot
means 22 and the buttresses 23c and 23d of the projecting member
23a of corner foot means 23 abut and are in
vertical-load-supporting relation with either the corresponding
buttresses 21c and 21d of platform member 21b of corner foot means
21 or the buttresses 20c and 20d of the platform member 20b of
corner foot means 20, respectively, depending on inverted pallet
orientation. Similarly, buttress 27c of projecting member 27b of
intermediate foot means 27 abuts and is in vertical-load-supporting
relation with either buttress 27f of platform member 27d of
intermediate foot means 27 of the adjacent pallet, or of similar
buttress 24f, depending upon orientation, and the same is so as to
the buttresses 24c, 25c and 26c of projecting members 24b, 25b, and
26b, which abut the appropriate buttresses 24f, 25f and 26f of
platform members 24d, 25d, and 26d.
These respective pairs of abutting projecting member buttresses and
platform member buttresses serve as the principal
vertical-load-bearing means of the containers when in stacked
relation, and transmit said vertical loads from pallet to inverted
pallet to sleeve, as aforesaid. As can be seen from the drawings,
such buttresses at one and the same time serve as well to both
stiffen their respective projecting members and to provide vertical
support beneath said sleeve-receiving groove. The remainder of the
more or less horizontally planar portions of the respectively
corresponding pairs of projecting members and platform members
assume an auxiliary vertical support function to an extent
dependent upon the degree of pallet flexure under load.
That is, the inverted pallet acting as container top will naturally
sag a little to an extent permitted by cooperation between the rim
and sleeve, as augmented by the banding forces, all as aforesaid.
Such sag, when added to included tolerances and clearances designed
in for ready mold-release, creates a small vertical space between
respectively mating corresponding projecting members and platform
members of a pair of adjacent interengaged pallets. Such space will
be taken up only as the bottom pallet of the next higher container
flexes under load to an extent permitted by rim/sleeve/band
cooperation. Only then, and to that extent, do such auxiliary
surfaces assume a vertical support role.
In order to provide improved anti-shift engagement of adjacent
mutually inverted pallets, the engagement surfaces of the
respective projecting members of the foot means which abut each
other in shift-resisting engagement, such as the surface 22e (FIGS.
4 and 7) of the projecting member 22a of corner foot means 22 and
one of the two surfaces with which it will mate projecting on
orientation, such as surface 21e of depending member 21a of corner
foot means 21, are each somewhat tapered. Such taper or bevel,
which also aids in mold release, will when taken together with
designed-in tolerances, result in a small clearance between the
mating surfaces. Such clearance aids ease of stackability, tends to
prevent jamming or distortion of such depending or projecting
members when the containers are loaded and in stacked condition,
and minimizes the probability of misalignment during stacking
without requiring great skill and precision from the fork lift
operator.
Thus, an important feature of this invention lies in the provision
of separate portions of the foot means principally directed to the
vertical support function--i.e., the respectively abutting pairs of
buttresses--whereas still other separate portions of the foot means
are assigned the anti-shift engagement function--i.e., the abutting
surfaces described above. In this way, stackability is enhanced and
stability is increased while foot jamming and distortion is
eliminated or minimized. When the salutary effects of such
different portions being assigned different functions are added to
the effect of the aforementioned clearances, the net result is that
the fork lift operator need have only minimal precision and skill
during stacking operations, since misalignment probabilities are
minimized, yet the depth of the anti-shift interengagement provides
for great stability.
To permit the desired interengagement of the adjacent pallets while
providing the desired vertical support function in medial areas of
stacked containers, it will be best observed in FIG. 7 that the
projecting members 28a-28e of central foot means 28 are arranged to
present pairs of projecting members wherein the two projecting
members constituting each such pair are diagonally offset along
opposite sides of a center line (see center lines 30 and 31 in FIG.
4) passing through the shipping pallet and also diagonally offset
on opposite sides of another center line extending transversely of
and across the first-named center line. It can also be appreciated
that each of the intermediate foot means 24-27 constitutes a pair
of projecting members, e.g., 24a and 24b, which are offset relative
to each other along opposite sides of a respective pallet center
line passing therebetween.
Additional rigidity for the pallet base is provided by a network of
molded-in stiffener ribs indicated generally by the number 29
(FIGS. 4 and 7), which ribs interconnect said foot means one to
another, and are disposed parallel to one or another pallet sides
in a generally conventional manner.
The container 10, and the pallet 11 as such, can accommodate
four-way fork lift entry via channels or passages between the
several rows of foot means 20 to 28, said channels being adjacent
to and/or inclusive of the regions through which the bands 18
extend, the bands 18 themselves being disposed in the banding
grooves 19 so that they are not disturbed by the lifting forks,
which engage the adjacent portions of the reinforcing ribs 29.
As aforesaid, the pallet 11 may be rectangular, and may also if
desired have a square rectangular configuration as shown in the
drawings at FIGS. 14a and 14b. Other regular geometrical shapes may
also be utilized, such as for example, octagonal shapes or the
like.
The projecting member/platform member pattern of the foot means 20
to 28 exhibits odd symmetry, with the projecting members of each
foot means being symmetrically disposed with respect to the
platform members of a corresponding foot means in mirror image
relation thereto about a first central plane normal to the plane of
the base 15, and about a second central plane also normal to the
plane of base 15 but normal to the first central plane.
For example, the projecting member 22a of the foot means 22 is the
mirror image of the platform member 21b of the foot means 21, with
respect to a central or "mirror" plane 30 (FIG. 4); with said
projecting member 22a being the mirror image of the platform member
20b of the foot means 20 with respect to the central "mirror" plane
31, the planes 30 and 31 being mutually orthogonal.
Similarly, each projecting member of each of the other foot means
exhibits mirror image symmetry with respect to the respective
platform member of a corresponding foot means (regarding each of
the foot means 24 through 28 as comprising two foot means for this
purpose) about the planes 30 and 31.
This mirror image symmetry insures that inversion of the pallet 11
by inversion of rotation around either of the center lines in the
base plane 15 corresponding to the intersection of the planes 30
and 31 therewith, results in a projecting member/platform member
pattern of the foot means 20 to 28 which enters into
shift-resisting engagement with the unrotated or uninverted
projecting member/platform member pattern, so that as best shown in
FIG. 4, an uninverted pallet 11 may mate in shift-resisting
engagement with an inverted pallet 11 in the angular orientation
shown in FIG. 4, as well as in an angular orientation differing by
180.degree. therefrom, i.e., with only one of the pallets 11 shown
in FIG. 4 being rotated through an angle of 180.degree. relative to
the base 15. Thus, when regular rectangular pallets 11 are employed
as top and bottom of containers 10, proper stacking with anti-shift
engagement is accomplishable with the higher container of a stacked
pair oriented in either of two directions, 180.degree. apart from
each other, so long as one of the long edges of the upper bottom
pallet is aligned with one of the long edges of the lower inverted
top pallet.
Also, as is evident from the drawings, the projecting
member/platform member pattern on the foot means 20 to 28 is such
that rotation of the pallet 11 through an angle of 180.degree. in
the plane of the base 15, results in said pattern being unchanged,
due to said mirror image symmetry. This feature permits the pallets
to be nested with each other, i.e., stacked atop each other with
all pallets facing the same direction, with a 180.degree. rotation
of adjacent pallets having no effect on nesting.
Thus, when rectangular pallets are utilized, a fork lift operator
may stack containers 10 merely by generally aligning the long or
short sides of adjacent pallets with each other; and the pallets
may be similarly nested for storage purposes or for transport for
re-use, when unloaded.
FIGS. 14a and 14b illustrate an alternative pallet structure in
which increased corner support is provided by rotating the foot
means 20 and 21 so that one side of the depending member of each of
said foot means lies along the outer rim 16, said mirror image
symmetry being naturally retained, and as well, said
vertical-load-bearing buttresses being similarly provided.
In the case where the pallet 11' is square, adjacent mutually
inverted pallets 11' will enter into anti-shift engagement in any
angular orientation in which the rims 16' are aligned, i.e., in
angular orientations differing by any multiple of 90.degree. in the
plane of the base 15'. Such 90.degree. stackability is permitted,
as well, as a result of the aforesaid rotation of foot means 20 and
21.
When square pallets are utilized, a fork lift operator may stack
palletized containers 10 merely by placing them atop of each other
so that the pallet rims 16 are parallel to each other; and the
pallets can be nested for storage or transport purposes by visually
aligning corresponding foot means, it never being necessary to
rotate any pallet more than 90.degree. to produce either stacking
or nesting alignment.
Other than the square configuration of pallet 11' and the
arrangement of the corner foot means 20.degree., 21' of FIGS. 14a
and 14b, the pallets 11, 11' may be of similar construction.
Therefore, those parts of pallet 11' corresponding to like or
similar parts of pallet 11 will bear the same reference characters,
where applicable, with the prime notation added to avoid repetitive
description.
Pallets have been constructed having dimensions of
44.times.48.times.5 inches high, utilizing vacuum formed
polyethylene sheet with an initial sheet thickness on the order of
0.220 inch, and as well from both lighter and heavier sheet stock.
These pallets weigh approximately 22 pounds.
Utilizing a triple-wall corrugated cardboard sleeve 13, containers
10 were assembled with internal loads of 650 pounds per container.
Such containers were repeatedly stacked four high (container height
about 44 inches), without any noticeably significant bowing or
buckling of said sleeves, and without undue flexure of said
pallets. Said 650 pounds has been determined to represent a much
higher net payload per cubic unit of warehouse volume, as well as
per square unit of warehouse floor space, than was realizable under
previous systems such as the bailing wire and wood slat crates. Of
course, ordinary cardboard cartons can achieve similar warehousing
densities, but are typically not reusable and do not provide the
anti-shift stability desired for safety of product and
personnel.
When the palletized containers are delivered to the job site, they
may, if desired, be oriented so that either pallet is on the
bottom, so that, when the bands 18 are cut, unloading may proceed
on either a first-in/first-out basis or a last-in/first-out basis.
When the component parts thereof are then disassembled, the pallets
11 are stacked in nesting relationship as illustrated in FIG. 13,
the floor panels 12 are stacked, and the sleeves 13 are folded flat
and stacked, said sleeves being suitably hinged at the corners, and
thus readily collapsible in a direction perpendicular to their
walls. Thus, these major parts of palletized container assembly may
be returned to the point of origin for repetitive use, at a very
high component per cubic unit shipping space density, thus
substantially reducing packaging and shipping costs.
A further advantage is found in the fact that the weight of the
packaging components of such container--i.e., two pallets, one
sleeve, four bands, and two floor panels 12--is substantially
constant from container to container, as compared, for example, to
the wooden crates which vary widely in weight. Since tare weight is
thus constant, only the loaded container 10 need be weighed to
determine net payload weight, whereas previously the unloaded and
loaded weights had to be taken separately and recorded.
Moreover, because of the aforesaid ease of stacking, minimal
orientation requirements, and four-way fork lift entry, it has been
determined that a truck load of loaded containers may be either
loaded or unloaded using fewer and less-skilled fork lift
operators, as compared to previous container systems. Accordingly,
packaging and shipping costs are still further reduced, and the
damage to trailer walls caused by wooden boxes is also avoided.
If desired, the peripheral rim 16 of the pallet 11 may be still
further reinforced by additional outwardly extending buttresses 32
as shown in FIG. 4, with at least two buttresses being provided on
each side wall of said rim.
In the drawings and specification, there have been set forth
preferred embodiments of the invention, and although specific terms
are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only
and not for purposes of limitation.
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