Double deck plastic pallet

• US 5,351,629 A
• Filed: 03/16/1993
• Issued: 10/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trienda Holdings, L.L.C. (Kruger Family Industries, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Teienda Corporation
• Inventors: Wolfe, Michael J., Price, William, Breezer, Harlon W., Wilken, Kenneth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US08/031,958
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 108/56.1, 108/56.3, 108/57.1, 108/52.1, 108/901, 312/264, 403/339, 403/374, 403/375
• US Class Current: 108/56.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0012 forming a continuous plane contact surface
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00104 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00129 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00373 whereby at least one spacer is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00417 on the non-integral separating spacer
• 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 2519/00572 with separate auxiliary element, e.g. screws, nails, bayonets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A plastic pallet has a twin sheet thermoformed upper deck reinforced with a tubular metal substrate. Injection molded plastic octagonal posts have support member walls which are positioned beneath reinforced portions of the top deck. The posts also have a sleeve with a central bolt hole which is parallel to the support member walls. A twin sheet thermoformed lower deck is spaced from the upper deck by the posts and receives the posts in recessed pockets. Plastic bolts are inserted through the top deck, each post, and the bottom deck and are held in place by plastic T-nuts. The pallet is sealed against entry of liquid into the interior space of the pallet and may be stored on a flat surface or elevated on a rack.

Claims

1. A plastic post through which a bolt passes for vertically spacing horizontal decks of a double deck pallet;

the post comprising;

a) a support member having vertically extending outer walls with portions adapted to engage against and support a reinforced portion of a pallet horizontal top deck, the support member having at least one vertically extending reinforcing web connected to the support member walls to stiffen the support member;

b) a sleeve integrally formed with the support member and having wall portions spaced inwardly from the outer walls, said walls portions defining a bolt hole spaced from the support member wall, wherein a bolt may be inserted through the pallet horizontal top deck and through the post bolt hole; and

c) a protruding portion extending upwardly to a level above the support member and being spaced from a center of the post such that the protruding portion orients the post by engaging with a depression located in the pallet top deck, wherein the support member walls are joined to inner walls to form a polygonal post, and a stiffening column with vertical walls extends vertically adjacent to the sleeve, the stiffening column forming the protruding portion.

2. A plastic post through which a bolt passes for vertically spacing horizontal decks of a double deck pallet;

comprising;

a) a support member having vertically extending outer walls with portions adapted to engage against and support a reinforced portion of a pallet horizontal top deck, the support member having at least one vertically extending reinforcing web connected to the support member walls to stiffen the support member;

b) a sleeve integrally formed with the support member and having wall portions spaced inwardly from the outer walls, said wall portions defining a bolt hole spaced from the support member wall, wherein a bolt may be inserted through the pallet horizontal top deck and through the post bolt hole; and

c) a protruding portion extending upwardly to a level above the support member and being spaced from a center of the post such that the protruding portion orients the post by engaging within a depression located in the pallet top deck,

d) an upper thermoplastic sheet;

e) a lower thermoplastic sheet fused to the upper thermoplastic sheet at a plurality of pinch points;

f) a depression formed in the lower thermoplastic sheet;

g) portions of a pinch point within the depression which define a bolt hole; and

h) portions of the lower thermoplastic sheet spaced below the bolt hole pinch point which define a shoulder which is engaged against the post protruding portion.

3. A plastic post through which a bolt passes for vertically spacing horizontal decks of a double deck pallet;

comprising;

a) a support member having vertically extending walls with portions adapted to engage against and support a reinforced portion of a pallet horizontal top deck the support member having at least one vertically extending reinforcing web connected to the support member walls to stiffen the support member;

b) a sleeve integrally formed with the support member and having wall portions spaced inwardly from the outer walls, said wall portions defining a bolt hole spaced from the support member wall, wherein a bolt may be inserted through the pallet horizontal top deck and through the post bolt hole; and

c) a protruding portion extending upwardly to a level above the support member and being spaced from a center of the post such that the protruding portion orients the post by engaging within a depression located in the pallet top deck,

d) a planar depression formed in at least one support member wall, the depression extending vertically; and

e) an adhesive label affixed within the depression, the label having machine-readable markings thereon.

4. A plastic post through which a bolt passes for supporting a top deck of a pallet spaced from a pallet bottom deck, the post comprising:

a) a support member which has walls which extend vertically, wherein portions of the walls engage against and support the pallet top deck, the support member having at least one vertically extending reinforcing web connected between the support member walls to stiffen the support member;

b) a sleeve integrally formed with the support member, wherein portions of the sleeve defined a bolt hole extending vertically within the support member, such that a bolt may be inserted through a pallet top deck through the bolt hole and through a pallet bottom deck to connect the pallet top deck and pallet bottom deck to the support member in spaced relation;

`c) a protruding plastic portion which extends upwardly, the protruding portion being spaced from a center of the post such that the protruding portion orients the post by engaging within a depression located in the pallet top deck.

5. A plastic post through which a bolt passes for vertically spaced horizontal decks of a double deck pallet;

the post comprising;

a) a support member having a vertically extending outer wall with portions adapted to engage against and support a reinforced portion of a pallet horizontal top deck, the support member having at least one vertically extending reinforcing web connected to spaced portions of the support member outer wall to stiffen the support member;

b) a sleeve integrally formed with the support member and having wall portions defining a bolt hole, wherein the bolt hole has a center which defines a vertical central axis and wherein the bolt hole central axis is spaced inwardly from the support member outer wall, and wherein a bolt may e inserted through the pallet horizontal top deck and through the post bolt hole; and

c) a protruding portion of the sleeve wall portions extending upwardly to a level above the support member and being not a symmetric with respect to the central axis of the support member such that the protruding portion orients the support member by engaging with a depression located in the pallet top deck.

6. The post of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of horizontal planar surfaces which extend from the sleeve to form a barrier across the post such that material may not travel through the post except through the sleeve.

7. The post of claim 6 wherein the post has a base which engages against a pallet bottom deck, the post further comprising recessed portions which fit over and engage against portions of said pallet bottom deck.