Keg pallet

• US 5,769,003 A
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Formall, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Formall, Inc.
• Inventors: Yarnell, Leonard Bryan, Rose, Henry H., Major, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/707,608
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 108/55.3, 108/53.5, 108/901, 108/53.1, 108/51.1, 108/902, 108/53.3
• US Class Current: 108/55.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/004 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00268 made of one piece
• 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 2519/0094 nestable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet

Abstract

A twin sheet, thermoformed beer keg pallet has a load platform reinforced by parallel ribs formed inwardly from the bottom sheet. Rib ridges are thermally fused to the platform top sheet. Stiffener pockets in the shape of truncated pyramids are formed from the top sheet between the rib ridges. Pocket bottoms are fused to the bottom sheet. Pocket sidewalls are thermally fused to adjacent rib side walls. The platform ribs have a progressively greater depth between the platform top sheet and bottom sheet along the rib length from the pallet center plane outwardly in opposite directions. When loaded and lifted by a fork truck, the platform flexes about an axis in the center plane to tilt the tops of the kegs on the pallet inwardly to the center.

Claims

1. A twin sheet pallet formed from a pair of thermoplastic material sheets comprising:

top and bottom platforms having a general separation space between planes respective to said platforms;

a center plane aligned substantially normal to the top platform plane;

a plurality of platform foot columns projecting from said bottom platform along said center plane and along first and second lateral planes on opposite sides of said center plane and substantially parallel therewith;

a plurality of parallel ribs formed from said bottom platform to extend longitudinally between said center plane and said lateral planes, said ribs having alternating top ridges and bottom ridges connected longitudinally by sidewalls formed inwardly from said bottom platform toward said top platform, the longitudinal extension of said ridges aligned substantially perpendicular to said center plane, said top ridges being thermally fused with said top platform, a separation space between said top ridges and bottom ridges increasing progressively from said center plane toward said lateral planes; and

,

a plurality of pockets formed inwardly from said top platform toward said bottom platform, said pockets having respective pocket bottoms and side walls, and pocket bottoms being thermally fused with said bottom platform and pocket side walls being thermally fused with adjacent rib sidewalls.

2. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 1 having a plurality of fences projecting from said top platform in substantially oppositely directed alignment with said foot columns.

3. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 2 wherein said fences include support surfaces displaced from said top platform for supporting the foot columns of a vertically contiguous pallet.

4. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 1 having space between foot columns supported by a substantially planar surface for penetration by lifting tines from four directions around a perimeter of said pallet.

5. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 3 having space between said foot columns engaged with support surfaces on fences respective to a vertically contiguous pallet below said foot columns for penetration by lifting tines from at least two directions around a perimeter of said pallet.

6. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 5 wherein said foot columns and fences have outward facing perimeter surfaces whereby said outward facing surfaces combine vertically as a continuous barrier to lifting tine penetration of space between said foot columns from at least two directions around said pallet perimeter.

7. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 1 wherein said ribs are aligned with substantially parallel ridges and uniform spacing on opposite sides of said platform center plane.

8. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 1 wherein pockets are formed between each of said ridges but alternating with respect to opposite sides of said center plane.

9. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 1 having a plurality of at least partial cylindrical protrusions projecting from a base corresponding with said top platform plane to an end face plane.

10. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 9 wherein said cylindrical protrusions have fluted perimeters.

11. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 9 wherein said cylindrical protrusions have sloped riser faces between said base and said end face.

12. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 1 wherein portions of said top platform are formed to fit within the foot columns of said bottom platform with a substantially continuously fused surface perimeter between contiguous portions of said top and bottom platforms.

13. A twin sheet pallet formed from a pair of thermoplastic material sheets comprising:

top and bottom platform sheets having a general separation space between planes respective to said platforms;

a center reference plane aligned substantially normal to the top platform plane between and substantially parallel with a pair of lateral reference planes;

a plurality of parallel ribs formed from said bottom platform sheet to extend longitudinally between said center reference plane and said lateral reference planes, said ribs having alternating top ridges and bottom ridges connected longitudinally by side walls formed from said bottom platform sheet toward said top platform sheet, said top ridges being thermally fused with said top platform sheet, a separation space between said top ridges and bottom ridges increasing progressively from said center reference plane toward said lateral reference planes

a plurality of support columns formed from said bottom platform sheet to project away from said top platform plane; and

;

a plurality of substantially cylindrical protrusions projecting from said top platform plane in a direction opposite from said support columns to an end face plane, said protrusions being arranged to engage a recessed portion of a pallet carried article for restraint of said article from lateral displacement along said top platform plane.

14. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 13 wherein said cylindrical protrusions have fluted perimeters.

15. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 14 wherein said cylindrical protrusions have sloped riser faces along said perimeters between said top platform plane and said end face plane.

16. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 15 wherein pockets are formed from material respective to said top platform sheet into each of said support columns.

17. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 16 wherein each of said support columns includes a footing web for engaging a pallet support surface, a perimeter around said footing web being connected to said top and bottom platform sheets by a substantially continuous shank wall.

18. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 17 wherein material respective to said top platform sheet within said support column pockets is integrally fused with contiguous bottom platform sheet material.

19. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 18 wherein beads of top platform sheet material are molded within said pockets along said footing web.

20. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 18 wherein beads of top platform sheet material are molded within said pockets along said shank wall.

21. A twin sheet pallet thermoformed from a pair of thermoplastic material sheets comprising:

a pallet platform top sheet and a generally parallel, specially separated pallet platform bottom sheet;

pallet legs drawn from portions of platform bottom sheet material, said legs having a footing area for engaging a pallet support surface and shank walls enclosing an internal leg volume between said footing area and said platform bottom sheet;

pallet leg pockets drawn from portions of pallet platform top sheet material into said internal leg volume said portions of top sheet material in said pockets being thermally joined with a substantially continuous fusion along adjacent footing area and shank wall portions of said bottom sheet material; and

,

a substantially continuous bead of top sheet material projecting into said internal leg volume along a line traversing said shank wall and said footing area for maintaining a separation space between internal leg volume surfaces respective to shank wall and external surfaces of a corresponding nested pallet leg.

22. A twin sheet pallet as described by claim 21 wherein additional beads of top sheet material only traverse said shank walls between said footing area and said platform top sheet.