AU3691199A - Pallets - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 9 9* COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT 3 r r Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Konnth org ClarkS Kenneth George Clark

AHEARNS

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys GPO Box 1149 Brisbane Queensland 4001 "PALLETS" Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -2- THIS invention relates to pallets, and it has particular reference to novel pallets designed to overcome the many difficulties presently experienced with conventional wooden pallets as currently in use.

Although many attempts have been made to provide better pallets, the relevant industry continues to retain the use of the long-established wooden pallets in the mistaken belief that they meet the basic needs for simplicity, durability and cheapness when in fact such is not the case. It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel form of pallet which will be lighter than current pallets, will show increased longevity, while being easier to clean for hygiene purposes, easier to stack, requiring of less storage space and achieving economies in return cartage in nested relationship. More 15 particularly, the invention aims to provide such a novel form of pallet which lends itself to being made of plastics material and which will have surprising advantages over current wooden pallets as will be apparent and/or explained herein relative to my preferred embodiments. Other objects will also become clearer 20 hereinafter.

.'.With the foregoing and other objects in view,' the invention resides broadly, according to one aspect, in a pallet having a *rigid rectangular plate-like load-supporting platform, the upper surface of said platform being flat and disposed horizontally in use, while the lower surface beneath the platform is parallel to the upper surface at forklift arm-contact zones defined between depending foot members which are all rigid with the platform and extend downwards therefrom for equal distances, and wherein each foot member has a hollow body of tubular or box-like form with its opening or chamber tapering decreasingly down from a top mouth in the upper surface of the platform; the contact zones comprise a first pair of zones at equal distances from one opposite pair of parallel edges of the rectangular platform and a second pair of zones at equal distances from the other opposite pair of parallel edges of the platform, each zone extending from edge to edge across the platform, and the parts are so made and arranged that two identica pallets may be nested together or stacked with the foot member openings or chambers of one pallet registering with and accommodating the foot member bodies of the other pallet.

Such a pallet could be fabricated from sheet metal with metal strengthening bars, but it is preferred that the platform and foot members be moulded integrally from a suitably rigid plastics material so that the pallet is a unitary structure.

Suitable high density materials could include polyethylene or polypropylene, but other materials are currently available or will no doubt be developed in the years ahead. Preferably, in a preferred embodiment, the platform is square with four equal sides and the foot members are so symmetrically disposed as to permit one side of the pallet to nest in register with any selected one of the four sides of a nesting pallet. Notably, in S the preferred embodiment, the zones are arranged to permit the Soo...

15 square platform to have its underside engaged by forklift arms entering from any selected one of the four sides.

Preferably, in one embodiment, the foot members are so S• located that each arm-contact zone is defined between at least two and preferably between at least three spaced apart but aligned foot members at each side of the zone. Suitably, there may be three foot members adjacent each side of the platform, one being an elongated middle foot member parallel to the adjacent edge of the platform, in conjunction with two non-elongated foot members at equal distances on either side of the middle foot member. In a practical embodiment, all foot members may be of about the same transverse width in the direction away from the adjacent edge of the platform, while the distance each foot member may extend away from the platform may suitably be about equal to the transverse width of each mouth opening in the upper surface of the platform. As shown in the illustrative embodiment, the distance between adjacent foot members is at least twice the width of each non-elongated foot member so that the platform retains adequate strength between the mouths of the chambers.

By way of example, each side of the platform could be 1200 mm in length while its thickness could be between 25 mm and mm. Each foot member could be in the order of 100 mm wide and long except that the "elongated" foot members could be 300 mm in the direction along the platform. It will be seen that a suitable embodiment has a total of twelve foot members acting as supporting or displacement points to distribute the weight of the product on the plastic pallet evenly when stacked one on top of another, the twelve foot members also including four arranged in a square at the centre of the pallet.

It is also preferred that each end of each forklift armcontact zone at each of the four respective sides has a bevelled edge to facilitate forklift arm entry for separating pallets nested into one another. It is also preferred that each side of the platform has a recessed central keyhole or the equivalent thereof to enable an operator to use a hook and chain or the like and unload tautliners from one side with ease. Additionally, each foot member body is preferably provided with one or more drainage apertures furthermost from the mouth of the opening or chamber in the foot member. While the foot members could be of tapered 15 cylindrical form, it is preferred that each be of hollow box-like form having its opening mouth shaped to square or rectangular form.

Oe~e The invention according to another aspect resides broadly in a pallet having a rigid rectangular plate-like load-supporting platform, the upper surface of said platform being flat and disposed horizontally in use, while the lower surface beneath the platform is parallel to the upper surface at forklift arm-contact zones defined between depending foot members which are all rigid Swith the platform and extend downwards therefrom for equal distances, and wherein each foot member has a hollow body of tubular or box-like form with its opening or chamber tapering decreasingly down from a top mouth in the upper surface of the platform; the contact zones comprise a first pair of zones at equal distances from one opposite pair of parallel edges of the rectangular platform and a second pair of zones at equal distances from the other opposite pair of parallel edges of the platform, each zone extending from edge to edge across the platform; the parts are so made and arranged that two identical pallets may be nested together or stacked with the foot member openings or chambers of one pallet registering with and accommodating the foot member bodies of the other pallet, and the pallet has four side edges of equal length, there being

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four corner foot members each at a respective corner of the pallet and square in plan view, four identical elongate rectangular foot members each disposed midway between a respective pair of corner foot members, and four middle foot members which are each square in plan view and are disposed in spaced relationship to one another in the form of a square at the centre of the pallet, each side of the square defined by the middle members being equal to the length of an elongate rectangular foot member, all foot members being arranged in symmetrical relationship about the midpoint of the square pallet.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter apparent.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- 15 Fig. 1 shows in perspective view and operative disposition one form of plastics pallet according to the invention, given by way of illustrative example only; S•Fig. 2 is a perspective plan view of the pallet of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the rear or underside of the pallet of Figs. 1 and 2, the pallet being moved from operative disposition for clarity in *illustration; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a pallet similar to that of Figs. 1 to 4 but having drainage apertures in the foot "members and peripheral apertures to assist the support of a load such as a bin; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the pallet shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view showing a foot member at one corner of the pallet.

The drawings will be self-explanatory when considered in the light of the preceding descriptions, the dimensions being as aforestated or as otherwise preferred. The pallet 10 has a rigid rectangular (square in this case for maximum benefits) plate-like load-supporting platform 11 very suitable for supporting a load such as cartons or bins on its flat upper surface 12. The lower surface 13 beneath the platform 11 is parallel to the upper surface 12 at four zones 14 where the surface 13 will be -6contacted by forklift arms of conventional types. These zones 14 are defined between depending foot members 15 which are twelve in number in this instance, there being four corner members 16, four elongate intermediate members 17 midway along the edges, and four middle members 18 arranged in a square at the centre of the pallet. All foot members 15 extend for the same distance for a balanced structure and each has a hollow body 24 of tapered boxlike form to provide an opening or chamber 19 having a mouth in the upper surface 12 of the platform 11. It will be seen that there are two pairs of zones 14, one pair being parallel to one set of parallel edges 21 of the platform while the other pair are parallel to the other set of parallel edges 22 of the platform.

It will apparent that the combination of the four equal sides of the platform and the symmetrical disposition of the foot members S 15 will enable one side of the pallet to be nested in register with any selected one of the four sides of a nesting pallet, while the *.*zones are arranged to permit the square platform to have its underside engaged by forklift arms entering from any selected one of the four sides.

S 20 While the broad concepts as aforestated are shown in the illustrative embodiment, many additional features can be incorporated, such as the bevelled edges 23 at the ends of the zones to facilitate forklift arm entry. As mentioned, each side of the platform may have a central keyhole attachment means (not 25 shown) and each foot body member is suitably provided with a drainage aperture. The illustrated pallet will prove advantageous in that no current pallet can be approached from any of four sides, while its nesting abilities will lead to three times as many pallets being carried in one load for return cartage purposes, as compared with present wooden pallets. My new pallet will meet quality assurance standards and can be cleaned easily as well as having no holding ledges on which unwanted matter may be unintentionally gathered. Reference to Figs. 5 to 7 will show details of design which will ensure precision in nesting ability, while each foot member 15 may have a plurality of drainage apertures 25. Each side edge of the pallet 10 may have a number of apertures 26 to accommodate stabilising pins for improved supporting of bins, for example, or to be engaged by hooks for manual positioning as required.

-7- While various methods of manufacture could be employed, it is currently considered that injection moulding would be most suitable. It is also to be understood that the embodiment given by way of illustrative example can be the subject of many further modifications of constructional detail and design as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art, without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention, the general nature of which has been set forth herein.

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Claims (17)

1. A pallet having a rigid rectangular plate-like load- supporting platform, the upper surface of said platform being flat and disposed horizontally in use, while the lower surface beneath the platform is parallel to the upper surface at forklift arm-contact zones defined between depending foot members which are all rigid with the platform and extend downwards therefrom for equal distances, and wherein each foot member has a hollow body of tubular or box-like form with its opening or chamber tapering decreasingly down from a top mouth in the upper surface of the platform; the contact zones comprise a first pair of zones at equal distances from one opposite pair of parallel edges of the S rectangular platform and a second pair of zones at equal S 15 distances from the other opposite pair of parallel edges of the platform, each zone extending from edge to edge across the platform, and the parts are so made and arranged that two identical pallets may be nested together or stacked with the foot member 20 openings or chambers of one pallet registering with and accommodating the foot member bodies of the other pallet.

2. A pallet according to Claim 1, wherein the platform is square with four equal sides and the foot members are so symmetrically disposed as to permit one side of the pallet to nest in register with any selected one of the four sides of a nesting pallet.

3. A pallet according to Claim 2, wherein the zones are arranged to permit the square platform to have its underside engaged by forklift arms entering from any selected one of the four sides.

4. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the platform and foot members are moulded integrally from a suitably rigid plastics material so that the pallet is a unitary structure.

5. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the foot members are so located that each arm-contact zone is defined between at least two and preferably between at least three spaced apart but aligned foot members at each side of the zone. -9-

6. A pallet according to Claim 5, wherein the foot members are three in number adjacent each side of the platform.

7. A pallet according to Claim 6, wherein the three foot members at each side of the platform comprise an elongated middle foot member parallel to the adjacent edge and two non-elongated foot members at equal distances on either side of the middle foot member.

8. A pallet according to Claim 7, wherein all foot members are of approximately the same transverse width in the direction away from the adjacent edge of the platform.

9. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each foot member extends ways from the platform for a distance substantially equal to the transverse width of each mouth opening in the upper surface of the platform. S 15

10. A pallet according toe any one of the preceding claims, wherein the foot members include four such foot members arranged *in a square at the centre of the pallet.

11. A pallet according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein each end of each forklift arm-contact zone at each of the 20 four respective sides has a bevelled edge to facilitate forklift .arm entry for separating pallets nested into one another.

12. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each side of the platform has a recessed central keyhole or the equivalent thereof to enable an operator to use a hook and chain or the like and unload tautliners from one side with ease. S*

13. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each foot member body is provided with a drainage aperture furthermost from the mouth of the opening or chamber in the foot member.

14. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the foot members has its opening mouth shaped to square or rectangular form.

A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between adjacent foot members is at least twice the width of each non-elongated foot member so that the platform retains adequate strength between the mouths of the chambers.

16. A pallet having a rigid rectangular plate-like load- supporting platform, the upper surface of said platform being flat and disposed horizontally in use, while the lower surface beneath the platform is parallel to the upper surface at forklift arm-contact zones defined between depending foot members which are all rigid with the platform and extend downwards therefrom for equal distances, and wherein each foot member has a hollow body of tubular or box-like form with its opening or chamber tapering decreasingly down from a top mouth in the upper surface of the platform; the contact zones comprise a first pair of zones at equal distances from one opposite pair of parallel edges of the rectangular platform and a second pair of zones at equal distances from the other opposite pair of parallel edges of the platform, each zone extending from edge to edge across the platform; S 15 the parts are so made and arranged that two identical pallets may be nested together or stacked with the foot member openings or chambers of one pallet registering with and S accommodating the foot member bodies of the other pallet, and the pallet has four side edges of equal length, there being four corner foot members each at a respective corner of the pallet and square in plan view, four identical elongate rectangular foot members each disposed midway between a respective pair of corner foot members, and four middle foot members which are each square in plan view and are disposed in 25 spaced relationship to one another in the form of a square at the CCC. "r centre of the pallet, each side of the square defined by the middle members being equal to the length of an elongate rectangular foot member, all foot members being arranged in symmetrical relationship about the midpoint of the square pallet.

17. A pallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 30th day of June, 1999 C GEORGE Q4,A41*Z SEC By his Patent Attorneys AHEARNS T AHEARNS