Plastics material pallet

• US 4,013,021 A
• Filed: 01/20/1975
• Issued: 03/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Administratrix, By Christina Schoeller, Deceased, Alexander Schoeller, Rudolf Steinlein
• Original Assignee: Administratrix, By Christina Schoeller, Deceased, Alexander Schoeller, Rudolf Steinlein
• Inventors: Schoeller, deceased, Alexander, Steinlein, Rudolf, Schoeller, administratrix, by Christina
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/542,238
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 108/51-58, 248/346
• US Class Current: 108/57.25
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0069 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0073 and each contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00278 the load supporting surface and the base surface being identical
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00308 grid type, e.g. perforated plate
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00343 contact surface being substantially in the form of a panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00363 grid type, e.g. perforated plate
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00407 on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00412 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00432 Non-integral, e.g. inserts B65D2519/00462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00437 on the load supporting surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00442 on the base surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 : chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 : mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00572 : with separate auxiliary element, e.g. screws, nails, bayonets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 : Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A pallet which is formed by edge welding at least one rigid deck insert and four frame bearers to form a rigid frame and smoothly connecting eight supporting legs having supporting webs therewithin. The deck insert is molded as a single piece having a grid pattern. Each frame bearer is made by edge welding an upper boom, a lower boom and an intermediate web formed in a grid pattern matching the grid pattern of the deck insert, each individually molded. The smoothly curved outer surfaces of the eight legs and their supporting webs continue into and mate with corresponding surfaces and webs in both the deck insert and the frame bearers.

Claims

1. A pallet made of plastics materials and comprising:

A. a load-bearing rigid frame having two longer sides, two shorter sides, and four corners;

B. a rigid deck insert which is fitted into and attached to said rigid frame;

C. a central supporting leg which is attached to said rigid deck insert at the center thereof; and

D. eight supporting legs which are attached to the four corners of said rigid frame and to the four sides thereof, midway between two of said corners, each of said eight supporting legs comprising;

3. The pallet of claim 1 wherein said central supporting leg comprises:

A. a smoothly curved outer surface which is vertically disposed,

B. a central vertically disposed supporting rib which is disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface and is aligned with said two longer sides,

C. a plurality of vertically disposed supporting ribs which are disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface and to said central vertically disposed supporting rib and are aligned with said shorter sides, said central supporting leg being disposed at the center of said deck insert in rigidly interconnecting and supporting relationship.

4. The pallet of claim 1 wherein said eight supporting legs and said central supporting leg are additionally attached at the lower ends thereof to three skids which are disposed in parallel.

2. a smoothly curved outer surface which is vertically disposed,a horizontally disposed supporting rib which is disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface,a plurality of vertically disposed supporting ribs which are disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface and to said horizontally disposed supporting rib, andsaid smoothly curved outer surfaces and said vertically disposed supporting ribs attached to said rigid frame in a manner to provide a smooth connection therebetween,

four of said eight supporting legs being disposed at said four corners and having said vertically disposed supporting ribs aligned with said two shorter sides, two of said supporting legs being disposed midway of said longer sides and having said vertically disposed supporting ribs aligned with said two shorter sides, and two of said supporting legs being disposed midway of said shorter sides and having said vertically disposed supporting ribs aligned with said two longer sides.

5. The pallet of claim 2 wherein said eight supporting legs and said central supporting leg are attached to a lower rigid frame having four corners, two longer sides, and two shorter sides, similar to said load-bearing rigid frame, and wherein a rigid deck insert is fitted into and attached to said lower rigid frame and comprises vertical curved parts which complement and are attached to said smoothly curved outer surfaces of said eight supporting legs and said central supporting leg.

9. The double-deck pallet of claim 5 wherein each said rigid deck insert further comprises a plurality of perpendicularly intersecting vertical webs which complement, coincide with, and are attached to:

A. said central vertically disposed supporting rib of said central supporting leg, and

B. said plurality of vertically disposed supporting ribs of said eight supporting legs.

6. A double-deck pallet in which a top deck bears upon a lower deck by means of supporting legs which are spaced to provide a plurality of fork-lift engagement apertures therebetween, said top deck and said bottom deck each comprising:

A. a four-cornered and four-sided rigid frame which comprises;

1. two side frame bearers which are as long as the length of said pallet each comprising an upper boom, a lower boom, and an intermediate web, said intermediate web being rigidly attached along its sides to said upper boom and said lower boom along the side edges thereof to form one of said two side frame bearers as a hollow member open toward the center of said pallet and said intermediate web being a forklift guiding surface for said pallet along said apertures, and

2. two end frame bearers having a length equal to the width of said pallet minus twice the width of said upper boom, said intermediate web being rigidly attached along its sides to said upper boom and said lower boom along the side edges thereof to form one of said two end frame bearers as a hollow member open toward the center of said pallet and said intermediate web being a fork-lift guiding surface for said pallet along said apertures,

said two side frame bearers and said two end frame bearers being perpendicularly and rigidly interconnected in endwise relationship to form said four-cornered and four-sided rigid frame;

B. a rigid deck insert, comprising upper and lower flat patterned surfaces which are horizontally disposed, said rigid deck insert fitting closely within and rigidly attached to said four-cornered and four-sided rigid frame to form one of said decks;

C. eight of said supporting legs, each comprising;

1. a smoothly curved outer surface which is vertically disposed,

2. a horizontally disposed supporting rib which is disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface,

3. a plurality of vertically disposed supporting ribs which are disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface and to said horizontally disposed supporting rib, and

10. The double-deck pallet of claim 6 wherein each said rigid deck insert further comprises vertical curved parts which are connected to said perpendicularly intersecting vertical webs and complement, coincide with, and are attached to said smoothly curved outer surface of said central supporting leg.

7. said smoothly curved outer surface and said vertically disposed supporting ribs attached to said inner flat patterned surfaces, to said lower booms, and to said intermediate webs of said four frame bearers forming each said frame of said top and bottom decks, in a manner to provide a smooth connection therebetween,

four of said supporting legs being corner legs of which each is disposed at a corner of said top deck and said bottom deck in interconnecting and supporting relationship and in which said vertically disposed supporting ribs are aligned with said end frame bearers, two of said legs being side-bearer legs, of which each is disposed midway of one of said side frame bearers and in which said vertically disposed supporting ribs are aligned with said end frame bearers, and two of said legs being end-bearer legs of which each is disposed midway of one of said end frame bearers and in which said vertically disposed supporting ribs are aligned with said side frame bearers;

and

D. one of said supporting legs which is disposed as a central supporting leg having;

1. a smoothly curved outer surface which is vertically disposed,

11. The double-deck pallet of claim 7 wherein each said rigid deck insert further comprises vertical curved parts which are connected to said perpendicularly intersecting vertical webs of each said rigid deck insert and complement, coincide with, and are attached to said smoothly curved outer surface of each of said eight supporting legs.

8. a central vertically disposed supporting rib which is disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface and is aligned with said side frame bearers, anda plurality of vertically disposed supporting ribs which are disposed within and rigidly attached to said smoothly curved outer surface and to said central vertically disposed supporting rib and are aligned with said end frame bearers, said central supporting leg being disposed at the center of said deck inserts in rigidly interconnecting and supporting relationship.

12. A pallet made of plastic materials and comprising:

A. a load-bearing rigid frame having four sides and four corners, said load-bearing rigid frame being constructed from a pair of individually molded side frame bearers and a pair of individually molded end frame bearers, each said side frame bearer and each said end frame bearer comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed cavities that extend inwardly from a smoothly curved outer frame surface and are open inwardly only;

B. a rigid deck insert which is fitted into and attached to said rigid frame, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed cavities that are arranged in a grid pattern and are open at both top and bottom ends, said vertically disposed cavities mating along side edges thereof with end edges of said horizontally disposed cavities of said pair of side frame bearers and said pair of end frame bearers;

C. a central supporting leg which is attached to said rigid deck insert at the center thereof, comprising a smoothly curved outer leg surface which is vertically disposed and a plurality of vertically disposed cavities that;

1. are arranged within said outer leg surface in said grid pattern,

2. are open at both top and bottom ends, and

3. are spaced to provide mating along end edges thereof with end edges of said vertically disposed cavities of said rigid deck insert; and

D. eight supporting legs, four of which are attached to said four corners of said rigid frame and four of which are attached to said four sides thereof, each of said eight supporting legs comprising;

1. a smoothly curved outer surface which is vertically disposed, and

2. a plurality of vertically disposed cavities that;

a. are arranged within said smoothly curved outer surface in said grid pattern,

b. are open at both top and bottom ends thereof, and

c. are spaced to provide mating along end edges thereof with end edges of said vertically disposed cavities of said rigid deck insert and with side edges of said horizontally disposed cavities of said side frame bearers and said end frame bearers, each said mating being in a manner to provide a smooth connection therebetween.