Four-way sheet metal pallet

• US 5,367,960 A
• Filed: 11/02/1993
• Issued: 11/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bernd Schleicher, Gudrun Schleicher, Sigrid Schleicher, Stefan Schleicher
• Original Assignee: Bernd Schleicher, Gudrun Schleicher, Sigrid Schleicher, Stefan Schleicher
• Inventors: Schleicher, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US08/146,760
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 108/51.1, 108/56.1, 108/56.3
• US Class Current: 108/57.32
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/0095 and each contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00024 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00059 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00094 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00298 skeleton type
• 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 2519/00378 whereby at least one spacer is made of two or more pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00557 without separate auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted

Abstract

A four-way sheet metal pallet is disclosed. The pallet consists of rails of undulated cross-section which form at their outer edges closed conical hollow bodies, and of rail-supporting hollow bodies having recesses into which the rails can be fitted in form-locked and centering manner.

Claims

1. A four-way sheet metal pallet, comprising:

a plurality of undulated rails, said rails having a cross sectional shape whose terminal lateral portions enclose conically shaped regions;

a plurality of supporting hollow bodies for supporting said rails, said hollow bodies comprising oppositely disposed side walls having upper and lower edges each of said hollow bodies being of equal cross-sectional shape and providing generally block-shaped supports for the rails, wherein the hollow bodies have recesses on two upper opposite edges of the side walls and at a right angle thereto on two lower opposite edges of the side walls, wherein the recesses correspond in shape to the cross-sections of the rails so that the rails can be fitted into the supporting hollow bodies in a form-locked and centering manner.

2. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the conical hollow bodies of the rails are triangular in cross-section.

3. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the supporting hollow bodies are constructed of a plurality of elements.

4. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein the supporting hollow bodies have formed thereon tabs or similarly angled portions of sheet metal that are at least partially orthogonal to the side walls for connection to the rails.

5. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 1, wherein pressure joints are provided for the connections within the rails and within the supporting hollow bodies and for the connections between rails to the supporting hollow bodies.

6. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 1 further comprising protective sheets that are configured to overlie the rails in between the bottom bodies which support the rails.

7. A pallet, comprising:

a plurality of rails having a cross sectional shape that is open at its center and closed at its lateral portions, wherein the closed lateral portions have the shape of a polygon in cross section;

a plurality of supporting hollow bodies for supporting said rails, said hollow bodies being formed of a series of identical sections having side walls, that have upper and lower edges recesses located along said upper and lower edges of orthogonally disposed portions of the hollow bodies, and tab portions, that are at least partially orthogonal to the side walls wherein the recesses of the hollow bodies are configured to interlock with the lateral portions of the rails and the tabs define recesses along which the open portions of the rails interlock.

8. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 7, wherein the closed lateral portions of the rails are triangular in cross section.

9. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 7, wherein the rails are made of metal.

10. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 7, wherein the hollow bodies are made of metal.

11. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 7, wherein the rails and hollow bodies are dimensioned so that they can be interlocked with one another.

12. A four-way sheet metal pallet according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of protective sheets that are configured to overlie the rails in between the hollow bodies which support the rails.