Plastic pallet with deck assembly
First Claim
1. A plastic pallet comprising a pair of substantially identical decks interconnected by a plurality of connectors with aperture means at at least each corner of said decks receiving said connectors, each said deck including a one-piece molded, generally rectangular structure having spaced, generally parallel surfaces surrounded by peripheral reinforcing means, said peripheral reinforcing means including a plurality of substantially identical hollow rectangular segments defined by opposed end walls and opposed side walls with a connecting wall joining one edge of each of said end and side walls, said connecting wall being inclined with respect to said deck surfaces, having a slope from one said end wall to said other end wall and having drainage means therein, and reinforcing gussets integral with said connecting wall and respective ones of said opposed side walls.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plastic pallet (10) includes two identical decks (12, 120) that are interconnected by identical connectors (14). Each connector includes a central core (20) and a surrounding sleeve (44) interconnected by spokes (46). The core has flexible tangs (28) that extend beyond opposite ends of the sleeve and lock onto the deck. Each deck includes a plurality of respective segments (130) consisting of a pair of open shells (132, 134) and the periphery of each deck is reinforced by respective segments (182) that are internally reinforced by gussets (192, 194).
127 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A plastic pallet comprising a pair of substantially identical decks interconnected by a plurality of connectors with aperture means at at least each corner of said decks receiving said connectors, each said deck including a one-piece molded, generally rectangular structure having spaced, generally parallel surfaces surrounded by peripheral reinforcing means, said peripheral reinforcing means including a plurality of substantially identical hollow rectangular segments defined by opposed end walls and opposed side walls with a connecting wall joining one edge of each of said end and side walls, said connecting wall being inclined with respect to said deck surfaces, having a slope from one said end wall to said other end wall and having drainage means therein, and reinforcing gussets integral with said connecting wall and respective ones of said opposed side walls.
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5. A plastic pallet comprising a pair of substantially identical decks interconnected by a plurality of connectors with aperture means at at least each corner of said decks receiving said connectors, each said deck including a one-piece molded, generally rectangular structure having spaced, generally parallel surfaces surrounded by peripheral reinforcing means, said peripheral reinforcing means including a plurality of substantially identical hollow rectangular segments, defined by opposed ends walls and opposed side walls with a connecting wall joining one edge of each of said end and side walls, and reinforcing gussets integral with said connecting wall and respective ones of said opposed side walls, and each said deck including a plurality of substantially identical hollow segments, each said hollow segment including a pair of hollow shells respectively open adjacent respective parallel surfaces and having three spaced walls integral with a pair of said walls, a first pair of spaced walls and said side walls having an end wall adjacent a first of said surfaces and a second pair of spaced walls and said side walls having an end wall adjacent a second of said surfaces, said aperture means including a generally U-shaped annular segment defining an abutment surrounding an opening which receives said connector and connecting means connecting said annular segment along one of said surfaces.
- 6. A load-bearing pallet comprising a pair of substantially identical decks having a plurality of spaced openings therein which are positioned to be vertically aligned and connector members received into said openings for interconnecting said decks, each said connector member including a substantially circular hollow central core having a plurality of flexible tangs extending from opposite ends thereof and received into said openings of respective decks to releasably interconnected said decks and an inwardly-directed force-absorbing flange intermediate opposite ends of said core.
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14. A load-bearing pallet comprising a pair of substantially identical decks having a plurality of spaced openings therein which are positioned to be vertically aligned and connector members received into said openings for interconnecting said decks, each said connector member including a substantially circular hollow central core having a plurality of flexible tangs extending from opposite ends thereof and received into said openings of respectively decks to releasably interconnect said deck, each said connector member further including a plurality of integral spokes extending from said central core between said flexible tangs with a sleeve integral with the free ends of said spokes, said spokes and sleeve defining planes that engage adjacent surfaces of respective decks, said sleeve including tapered portions between adjacent pairs of spokes and in which alternating tapered portions are reversely tapered.
Specification