CA2003658A1 - Pallet - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A pallet comprising; a pair of spaced apart flat exterior decks; an interior load distributing fork entry core portion located between said decks; structural foam adapted to completely fill the region between said core portion and said decks so as to hold said decks in spaced apart relation from said core portion and to resist relative movement between said deck and said core portion;
perimetric compression strip for locating, stressing and locking the perimetric edge formation of said deck and said core portion together.

Description

2C~36S8 FIELD OF INVENTION
,, " ,;", ", The present invention relates to a pallet, and particularly relates to a united symmetrical composite pallet or platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE INYENTI_N

10 Conventional pallets are primarily used in industry for storing of goods in plants or warehouses or for the transportation of gnods from one location to another.
However, most pallet designs are aged as they were designed for an era which strictly employed a manual pallet loading or pallet movement system either by hand trollies or lift truck. Such designs are not compatible as part oP a fully automated total materials handling system.

20 Furthermore, most present day pallets are of the stringer/deck board var1ety which are made from wood and secured by nails or screws which tend to rust and pop from the pallets. The wood itself is subject to breakage, moisture absorbtion and rot, rendering the wooden pallet useless particularly for carrying packaged goods which catch or tear on the popped fasteners or broken boards.
~ ~ Furthermore, such wooden pallets are undesirable for ::

20~3658 carrying of sanitary goods which become contaminated after coming into contact with the bacteria infested or rotten wood. Furthermore, the whole pallet tends to skew and change shape over a relatively limited use, thus causlng jamming problems in most automated equipment.

There has been little wooden pallet standardization of dimensions and construction methods to date, and thus most present day pallets used in automated systems become 10 entangled with stray pallets which give rise to jamming and other malfunctions. Elaborate sorting systems must be employed to prevent such occurrences. Many industries have divided their operations into two distinct segments in order to overcome such difficulties associated with conventional pallet handling. For example, highly automated warehousing may be used to store raw materials and finished goods on expensive and elaborate slave . ~ ., - ..
pallets which are kept confined or enslaved to the;~ ;-automated warehouse; while conventional wooden pallets are - -,,. ~
- 20 used to ship goods to and from the production plants and consumer.

This approach nec,essitate$ loffloading incoming materials~
from conventional wooden pallets to slave pallets for ; ~ ;
automated handling and storage within the warehouse ;
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~ 3 -; ., environment and then subsequently offloading the materials from the slave pallets to conventional wooden pallets for outgoing shipment away from the automated warehouse.

This is a very costly process since two sets of pallets must be maintained and because of the repeated loading and unloading which is required.

Some attempts have been made to overcome the problems -10 referred to above. ~ -~

For example, United States Patent No. 3,757,704 discloses a pallet comprising a plurality of materials including -~
thermal plastic material in order to overcome some of the diff~culties experienced from usage of stringer pallets.
However, such patent discloses relatively complicated structure rendering said pallets expensive to manufacture.

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20 Moreover, United States Patent No. 4,220,100 discloses a composite pallet comprising of a plurality of structural components designed to overcome some of the drawbacks relferred to earlie~r concerining stringer pallets.~ Alth!ough the structure disclosed in the United States Patent No.
., - .~ -;
4,220,100 provides an advance over that of the prior art, - ~`

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'. ~' '''~' 20~36S8 such structure presents a large number of components rendering the Pallet relatively complicated and expensive to produce.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pallet of relatively simple construction and therefore relatively inexpensive to construct.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a 10 pallet having adequate strength characteristics while minimizing the number of components and weight of the total pallet.

The broadest aspect of the invention comprises; a pair of spaced apart flat experior decks; an interior load distributing fork entry core portion located between said decks; structural foam material adapted to completely fill the region between said core portion and said decks so as to hold said decks in spaced apart relationship from said ...-.. .
20 core portions and to resist relative movement between sald -~
decks and said core portions; and a perimetric compression strip for locating, stressing and locking the perimetric - i~:
edge forma.tion of said~d.ecks and said core together. :`

It is another aspect of this invention to provide a pallet .:~
comprising; a pair of spaced apart flat exterior decks each presenting an inwardly projecting edge formation; a :
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~0~)36S8 pair of core sections located between said decks, each said core section presenting inwardly projecting support members adapted to bear against the support members of said other core section so as to define fork entries therebetween, each said core sect~on further including an outwardly projecting lip formation adapted to bear against one of said decks respectively within the confines of said edge formation of said decks so as to define a space between each of said decks and said core sections lO respectively; structural foam mater1al completely filling the space betwen the said deck and said core sections so as to transmit pressure along the entire surface between said decks and said core sections respectively and to . - - -, .
resist relative movement between said deck and said core sections respecively; a perimetric compression strip for locating, stressing and locking the perimetric edge -formation of said decks and said core sections together. ~-,.-. . .~.., - The pallet is constructed from highly durable and ;~
20 generally lightweight or high strength to weight ~ ~-materials. Examples of such materials include metallic materials, plastic materials, structural foams, a combination of metal,licland;plastic materials, composite~
materials or any other combination of suitable highly ~-durable and high strength materials.
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, ' - 20~36~;8 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
, ;,:, These and other advantages and features of the present -invention will be described in greater detail in association with the following drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view looking down on a preferred ;;
arrangement of a fully assembled unitized composite pallet according to the present invention.
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Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the preferred arrangement of the pallet shown in Figure l. `
, .; ..~ :,:,' lO Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferred arrangement ` -~
of the perimetric compression strip removed from the ~- -pallet of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective v~ew of a single fork entry core section.
;,~ ,' ':.' Figure 5 shows various aspects of the formation of the perimetric compression strip corners and also the -~
formation of the inward facing locking tabs at the fork entry openings.

Figure 6 shows a partial sectional view through a typical .
20;~pa11et as shown in the preferred embodiment. - -~

Figure 7 shows a partial sectional view through a typical -;~
.. . ..
pallet as shown in a preferred embodiment which incorporates a flush edge detail. ;

2003658 :~

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Like parts have been given like numbers throughout the , figures.

Figure 1 generally illustrates the assembled pallet 2.
: ~: ' ., Figure 2 more fully particularizes the components of the pallet 2 which comprises a pair of spaced apart flat 10 exterior decks 4, interior load distributing fork entry '~
core portion 6 which is located between the decks 4, ,~
structural foam 8 and-perimetric compression strip 10. -; . ' ~''''" ~''"''`'''`'`'~' More particularly each pair of spaced apart flat exterior .~,~,;'' decks 4 presents an inwardly projecting perimetric edge formation 12 which is adapted to embrace the sides of the .
interior load distributing fork entry core portion 6 when :. ~
the pallet 2 is in the assembled configuration as '~
lllustrated in Figure 1.
The interior load distributing fork entry core portion 6 .
is comprised of a pair of core sections 14 located between -~
the dec,ks., 4. ~Ç,ach core~:section. 14 prqsents inward,ly~
projecting support members 16 which are adapted to bear ':.
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~ against~the support member 16 of each of the other core ; ~ section 14 so as to define fork entries 18 therebetween.
Each of the core sections 14 further include an outwardly ,. ~! .
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~, , ', .' ` ' ~. ':'' projecting lip formation 20 adapted to bear against one of the decks 4 respectively within the confines of the edge formations 12 of each deck 4 respectively so as to define a space 22 as best illustrated in F~gure 6. The lip 20 on each core section 14 is adapted to locate, embrace, and contain structural foam 8.

The structural foam 8 fills the entire space 22 between - :;
each core section 14 and each deck 4 respectively, More . .-10 particularly the structural foam 8 is sandwiched between : :
the decks 4 and core sections 14. The structural foam 8 ~ ;.
is utilized for a number of reasons. Firstly, the structural foam 8 is used for purposes of transmitting or distributing the pressure created by loads placed on decks 4 ~not shown) so as to transmit such pressure along the entire surface between the decks 4 and core sections 14.
Furthermore, structural foam 8 is adapted to hold the decks 4 in spaced apart relationship with core sections 14 which increases the moment of inertia of the composite 20 pallet 2 thereby stiffening or rigidifying the pallet 2 : .
and min1mizing the deflection characteristics of the ~:
pallet 2. Moreover, the utilization of structural foam 8 ~ :
rqduces the weight of t~hel pallet while still maintaining the strength characteristics of the pallet 2. Finally th~s structural foam material 8 resists the relative :.
movement between the decks 4 and core sections 14. .

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' ', . `''-. :~ '' 2C~)3658 g Core sections 14 are malntained in spaced apart : -relationship from one another by means of the support members 16 so as to define fork entries or channels 18. -~

Each core section 14 is generally comprised fro~ a flat surface which presents embossed areas that define the support members 16.
~`'`''''''''''',' Each support member 16 includes inwardly projecting 10 sidewall formations 24 terminating in a flat bottom formation 26. The bottom formations 26 of the support members 16 of each core section 14 are adapted to bear against the bottom formation 26 of support members 16 of the other core section 14 so as to maintain the flat surfaces 14 of the core sections in generally parallel relationship as well as define fork entries or channels 18 therebetween. Lightening holes or apertures 28 may be punched in the bottom formations 26 to reduce the weight ~ of the: overall constructed pallet 2 as well as aid in the 20 even distribution of the structural foam material 8. More particularly the bottom formation 26 of support member 16 located along the neutral axis N of the pallet 2 may be removed so as to;, light~en the pal~let 2 and atd in bhe location of the core sections 14 during assumbly.

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- - ~ :.-:-~0036~;8 , - 10 -The perimetric compression strip 10 which integrates the pallet 2 is wrapped around the entire perimeter of the pallet 2, and locates, stresses and locks the various structural components in place.

The perimetric compression str1p 10 generally presents a U-shaped cross section or channel shape with inwardly extending tab portions 30 which form openings of the fork entries 18. The development of these features are best - 10 described in Figure 5 which shall be more fully particularized herein.

Figure 2 also discloses rounded corners 32, 34, and 36 of decks 4, core sections 14, and perimetric compression strip 10, respectively. Such rounded corners provide increased resistence to corner crushing as described in the corner drop test procedure of ANSI/ASME MH 1.4M 1985.
The protective decks 4 illustrated in Figure 2 provide both faces of the pallet 2 with multiple working surfaces 20 as well as multiple support surfaces. Therefore, when the pallet 2 is supporting a load (not shown), such load is ,~..,, - , distributed over the total surface area on both the top ~-and bottom decks 4lO~ bhe pallet 2.
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The pair of core sections 14 are adapted to contact one another as described above so as to form the fork entry -, , -core portion 6. Each core section 14 is identical to the ;`, ~ ~' ,';
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.',' ~'.' ~: ~ ~ - - '.'`,'", ' 2C~)3658 other core section 14. Furthermore, these two core sections 14 are protected against damage by the exter1Or decks 4. The core portion 6 presents two symmetrically disposed channels or fork entries 18 extending completely through both core sections 14. A second pair of symmetrical channels or fork entr~es 18 are d~sposed at 90 decrees to the first two symmetrical channels or fork entries 18 which also run completely through both of the core sections 14.
As best illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 4 the channels or fork entries 18 are provided by the embossed areas which define the support members 16. The embossed areas define the support members 16 which contact one another to provide the channels or fork entries 18 through the interior core portion 6. When the pallet 2 is fully assembled as shown in Figure 1, the channels or fork entries 18 presented by the core portion 6 are fully . enclosed within the pallet 2. This enclosed design 20 ensures that all loads are symmetrically placed on the ,~ . . ..
pick-up forks of a lift truck (not shown) handling the ~,: ''i ' pallet 2. Since the fork entries are adapted to receive ,~
the substantial,,portio,n ;of the fork (not shown) any .~ "'~.'.
forward or sideways tilting of the pallet 2 is restricted thereby providing a significant safety feature.
Furthermore, the flat surface area of the core sections 14 are adapted to contact the fork surface (not shown) to ,-effectively distribute the load over the entire pallet in contrast to the point loading experience with conventional stringer/deck board pallets.

As referred to earlier, Figure 2 best shows that the structural foam materlal 8 is adapted to ensure the distribution of the applied load ~not shown) over the entire pallet surface. The separation between the decks 4 and the fork entry core sections 14 afforded by the 10 structural foam material 8 results in a higher moment of "
inertia for the composite structure. This structure resists deflection around the fork entry openings giving rise to a very lightweight but strong structure. ;

Once the decks 4, structural foam 8, and core sections 14 --~
have been assembled as illustrated in Figure 6, a ., . ,. ~ .
perimetric compression strip 10 is utilized to locate,~ :
stress and lock the various components in place.

20 The perimetric compression strip 10 includés an outwardly facing edge portion 38, and inwardly extending leg , portions 39 which are adapted to integrate the structural components in a manner iillustrated in Figure 6. ~-':~ :,~,',;.

The perimetric compression strip 10 is initially prepared from a flat, extended strip of material (not shown). The~-strip of aterial ~s then p1erced, slit and upset to form xo~36sa the fork entry openings 40 which are adapted to, alignwith the fork entries or channels 18 of core portion 6.
The fork entry openings ~0 each present inwardly facing tab portions 30.

The flat material of the formed fork entry open1ngs 40 is then stretch formed into a generally U-shaped cross section or channel cross section with an outwardly facing edge portion 38 and inwardly extending leg portions 39.
10 Furthermore, the perimetric compression strip 10 includes rounded corners 36.

The outwardly facing edge portion 38 of compression strip lO is adapted to embrace the edge formation 12 of decks 4, which in turn embrace the lip formation 20 of core sections 14. The inwardly extending leg portions 39 are adapted to embrace and secure the outer edges of decks 4.
The total effect of the perimetric compression strip lO is to locate, lock and stress the components into a singular - 20 unitized structural pallet 2.

Contact between all mating surfaces may be enhanced through the~use of, adhesjiYies.

A punch mechanism (not shown) is then forced into the fork entry 40 in order to force the inwardly facing tab portions 30 into a contact with the fork entry core ~
'.

2C~3658 portion 6. A bend beyond 90 degrees assures that the contact is sustained through the life of the pallet.
Figure 1 illustrates the utilization of counter sunk holes 50 in the perimetric compression strip 10 to provide for a temporary assembly by means of mechanical fasteners such as screws or the like to permit time for the bonding adhesives to cure. Furthermore, two symmetrical compression strips 10 are utilized.

When the inwardly facing tabs 30 are bent beyond 90 10 degrees, the tab portions 30 and the inwardly extending leg portions 39 of per;metric compression strip 10 clamp to the decks 4 and fork entry core portion 6 to prevent vertical and lateral shifting of the components.

Furthermore, it can be seem from Figure 6 that the channel shaped perimetric compression strips 10 and the inwardly facing tab portions 30 are also formed so as to eliminate any sharp edges exposed at the outside of pallet 2 where it is handled.
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In one preferred embodiment the leg portions 39 are raised 20 slightly with respectlto ;~the~decks 4, and because the perimetric compression strip 10 surrounds the outer edge; ;~
of the pallet 2, the perimetric compression strip 10 ~- additionally functions as a bumper and scuff bar : ,:

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2Q~3~;58 , avoiding much of the wear and tear that would normally be placed on the working deck 4 surface. It is also possible to provide a perfectly flush deck by recessing the perimetric compression strip into the deck as shown in Figure 7 Item 27.

The combined assembly of the perimetric compression strip 10, decks 4, and fork entry core portions 6, combine to strenghten the pallet 2 from side impacts from lift trucks (not shown) which might be misdirected from the fork 10 entries 18.
: . , The perimetric compression strip 10 is essentially a solid -;
surface around the perimeter of the pallet 2 and therefore functions as an attachment location for identification plates, bar codings or the likes. Furthermore, the ;~
inwardly facing tab portions 30 surrounding the fork entries 18 provide both a guide and a protector to the interior core portion 6 so that sharp ends or tips of the fork of a lift truck will be properly guided into position ;~ `
without causing any damage to the pallet. Both of these 20 features are highly advantaged over the prior art.

As best itlustrated in Figure 2 each of the components namely decks 4, core sections 14, structural foam material 8, and perimetric compression strips 10, are identical to their counterparts. Furthermore, the pallet 2 illustrated in Figure 2 represents a square shape, making such components symmetrical. This symmetry permits a high ~:' ''~

2003~;5~

degree of freedom of operation within an automated system by virtue of the ability to use either side of the pallet as a load bearing surface, and to provide for an 8-way entry for forks into the pallet 2, and the ability to stack into automatic pallet dispensers without sorting or orientating by hand. Furthermore such symmetry simplifies manufacturing of the pallets 2, minimizes the number of machines required for manufacturing the pallets 2, and minimizes the number of different components required to 10 assemble the pallets 2, and thereby decreases the cost of same.
,''' '~,,' '~'~'' Almost any pallet conveyor system can be utilized in association with the pallet 2 described herein to transport the pallets 2 of this invention. The same conveyor design can be maintained even if the pallet ~ , travel direction is changed by 90 degrees. Furthermore, because of the symmetry, the pick-up and transfer ;;-~
mechanism used by the present pallet have the same configuration, and height specifications, regardless of 20 which edge of the pallet is presented, thereby reducing the complexity of the machine and conveyor design and -ultimately reducing the cost of the machinery for handling the pallet. -;~ ~ `

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. ~, ' Z~3658 The spaced construction of the proposed pallet 2 and particularly the spaced decks 4 permit the installation of threaded metallic lnserts which allow for the attachment or mounting of such devices as collapsable wire cages, holding fixtures and the like to the pallet in an accurate and rigid manner. These devices can be readily unbolted from the pallet thereby leaving the flat working surfaces of decks,4 for further use.

10 The pallet 2 as disclosed herein is readily transported on a singular conveyor system in a straight line path or in a secondary path at 90 degrees to the former. Such ability promotes the use of pallet 2 in flexible manufacturing systems. The accurate dimensional characteristics of the perimetric compression strip 10 and the fork entry openings 40 permit accurate location of the pallet 2 and a rigid lock-up or restraint of the pallet by insertion of locate or clamp devices into the multiple fork entry - openings. The ability to affix various holding devices or 20 fixtures to the pallet further enhances the applications to flexible manufacturing systems.

The metal,lic surface of ;one embodiment of the current, '~
invention permits the pallets to be transported in a straight line path or in a secondary path of 90 degrees to the former by means of linear induction motors which promote accurate placement, controlled acceleration and , : ~, ':~ ~. ;,' .~: ~ ,,"''' 2e~)3658 deceleration in a programmable path which path can be reprogrammed and will be resulting in a system of extreme flexibility.

It is possible to provide a series of holes through the decks and core portion 6 to permit surface drainage of the decks 4 in the event that pallets 2 are stacked outdoors.

As shown in Figure 4, the fork entries 1~ run between the embossed areas defin;ng the support members 16. The embossed areas may be formed by a number of different ways 10 well known to tho$e skilled in the art including deep drawing, vacuum forming, or injection molding. According to these methods the embossed areas or recesses appear in the core sections opposite to the raised areas shown in the drawings.
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The selection of materials used in the pallets 2 and its integrated construction may be controlled so as to provide tightly held dimensional and weight tolerances thereby minimizing jamming in automatic machinery. The lack of nails which normally pop as well as the nonuse of 20 stringers and deck boards which are subject to breakage further reduce the possi~bility of jamming and damage caused to machines and products normally encountered with conventional types of pallets.

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2C0~6S8 The pallet of this invention is designed so that it can be identified and addressed by automatic means such as stamped numbers, bar codes, licence plates, photo reflective tapes and the like. Such identity can easily be detected by photoelectric sensors or optical scanners and the like. The location of a pallet can be sensed by limit switches or such other devices such as capacitant switches or magnetic proximity switches which are normally not used on conventional pallets because of their lack of 10 symmetry, geometry, open construction, as well as variations in materials and sizes of components. The pallet of this invention can be adapted to permanently identify the owner, date of manufacture, so as to minimize loss and ensure proper cost control.

The close weight tolerances of the pallet 2 described herein also permit it to be used on weighing systems for automatic inventory cor.trol without requiring offloading of incoming materials, counting and possible repalletizing to slave pallets before dispatching unit loads to an 20 automated warehouse rack location. This eliminates , :: ,.-:..
another step in the flow of material handling when ~ -compared to conventi~onal p!al,lqts as well as eliminating i ~
the need for specialized captive pallets confined ~ -; exclusively to the warehouse.

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~ "~' 2Q~)3658 ~ - 20 -,, The materials used in the manufacture of the pallet have a high strength to weight ratio and are used to the best advantage in the stress skin construction of the present pallet in contrast to contemporary wooden, plastic or metallic pallets. The resulting lightweight pallet contributes to low unit cost of manufacture per pallet, while achieving maximum stacking and racking strengths in excess of that now experienced with conventional pallets.
Therefore, the pallet exhibits high fatigue strength and 10 life under cyclical load resulting in a durable pallet.
However, in the event of severe damage, the pallet can be recycled and have significant scrap value.
, ." , In another embodiment of the invention a low cost pallet with reduced degrees of freedom can be achieved through the use of one fork entry core portion 6 and with the elimination of the decks 4 and perimetric compression strips 10. In other words the fork entry core portion would comprise of one piece and the interior areas of the ; fork entry core portion 6 would in such arrangement be 20 filled with structural foam. A skin can be made to form on the surface of the structural foam 8 by inducing a differential temperature in the foam fill 8 when it contacts the mold (not shown) so as to present a skin of structural foam having a greater density than the remainder of said structural foam. The resulting skin in turn serves as a deck surface 4. A more durable deck surface 4 could be achieved by bonding an impregnated paper skin, plastic skin or metallic skin to the structural foam fill, during the foam injection process.

' , Such a pallet would be of significant low cost so as to beconsidered as a disposable or one-time use pallet.

In yet another embodiment of the invention the decks 4 may be comprised of a skin of structural foam mater;al having a greater density than the remainder of the structural foam. Such increased density could be achieved by inducing a differential temperature in the foam fill 8 when it contacts the mould (not shown).
One embodiment of the pallet 2 employs metallic materials 10 for the decks 4 and core section 14 and fire retardant foam fill 8 which results in a non-combustible pallet 2 ;~
which permits significant reduction in insurance rates for ~ -some automated warehouses where stored goods are not combustible. Such a pallet does not gain or lose weight over its lifetime and is essentially unaffected by environmenal conditions or age. The pallet 2 is easily sterilized by use of steam or immersion cleaning and, therefore, can be widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The weight of the components 20 can be varied depending on the dynamic and static load requirements of the user thus yielding the lowest pallet cost for a specific application. ~ -." .

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- 2 2 Z0~)3658 The pallet of the present invention has been designed to reduce the cost of handling throughout the material handling chain, beginning with the storage and transport of raw materials to the delivery of finished goods to the consumer. The basic design of the present pallet permits standardization and simplified machine design which results in a high degree of reliable automated operation :.
which in turn results in reduced line manning and supervision. - ;

10 In one particular embodiment the structural foam material 8 have the following characteristics: -~

Young's Modulus E=160,000psi ;
Poisson's 2atio v=0.45 Intensity 0.0000103341bf sec 2/in to the fourth Furthermore, decks 4 and core sections 14 can be :
manufactured from steel or other materials such as plastic or the like. -~ '"' ~.'"' Furthermore, in another embodiment of the invention an 20 adhesive hiavin~g a!shear !an'd tensile strength of between ;~
800 and 1600psi was used to bond the structural foam .. .. ..
~ material 8 to decks 4 and core sections 14.

2C~365~3 Although the various preferred embodiments of the inventions have been described herein in some detail, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the sp1rit of invention or the scope of appended claims.

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Claims (21)

1. A pallet comprising:

(a) a pair of spaced apart flat exterior decks;

(b) an interior load distributing fork entry core portion located between said decks;

(c) structural foam means adapted to completely fill the region between the said core portion and said decks so as to hold the said decks in spaced apart relationship from said core portion and to resist relative movement between said decks and said core portion;

(d) perimetric compression strip means for locating, stressing and locking the perimetric edge formation of said decks and said core portion together.

2. A pallet as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each said decks comprises a skin of structural foam means having greater density than the remainder of said structural foam means.

3. A pallet as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said structural foam means is joined to said decks and said core portion by adhesive means.

4. A pallet as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said adhesive means comprises an adhesive having a shear and tensile strength of between 800 and 1,600psi.

5. A pallet as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said decks are symmetrically configured.

6. A pallet as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said perimetric compression strip means includes an outwardly facing edge portion and inwardly extending leg portions adapted to overlap said exterior decks, said strip means provided with a plurality of fork entry openings spaced along the length of said compression strip means and surrounded interioraly by inwardly extending tab portions, said tab portions adapted to engage said core portions, said leg portions adapted to engage said decks so as to locate, stress, and lock said decks and said core portion together, and where said tab portions provide a guide and protector to said interior core portion.

7. A pallet as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said core portion comprise a pair of core sections.

8. A pallet as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said core sections are identically symmetrically configured.

9. A pallet comprising:

(a) a pair of spaced apart flat exterior decks each presenting an inwardly projecting perimetric edge formation;

(b) a pair of core sections located between said decks, each said core section presenting inwardly projecting support members adapted to bear against the support members of said other core section so as to define fork entries therebetween, each said core section further including an outwardly projecting lip formation adapted to bear against one of said decks respectively within the confines of said edge formation of said decks so as to define a space between each of said decks and said core sections respectively;

(c) structural foam means completely filling said space between said deck and said core sections so as to transmit pressure along the entire surface between said decks and said core sections respectively and to resist relative movement between said decks and said core sections respectively, (d) perimetric compression strip means for locating, stressing and locking said perimetric edge formations of said decks and said core sections together.

10. A pallet as claimed in Claim 9 wherein said structural foam means is joined to said decks and said core section by adhesive means.

11. A pallet as claimed in Claim 10 wherein each said core section comprises a flat surface presenting embossed areas defining such support members.

12. A pallet as claimed in Claim 11 wherein each said such supports member includes inwardly projecting, sidewall formations extending from said flat surface and terminating in a flat bottom formation, and wherein said bottom wall formations of said support member of one core section are adapted to bear against the bottom formations of said support members of said other core section.

13. A pallet as claimed in Claim 12 wherein said bottom wall formation of said support members are joined together by adhesive means.

14. A pallet as claimed in Claim 13 wherein said bottom wall formations include aperture means.

15. A pallet as claimed in Claim 14 wherein said perimetric compression strip includes four fork receiving channels, two of which extend in one direction completely through said core sections, and the other two of which are at ninety degrees to said direction completely through said fork entry section; and wherein said perimetric compression strip is provided with eight fork entries with tab portions fitted into said fork entries.

16. A pallet as claimed in Claim 15 wherein said perimetric compression strip means includes an outwardly facing edge portion and inwardly extending leg portions overlying said exterior decks, and provided with a plurality of spaced fork entry holes surrounded interiorily by inwardly extending tab portions, said tab portions adapted to engage said core sections, and said leg portions adapted to engage said decks so as to locate, stress and lock said deck and said core sections together, and where said tab portions provide a guide and protector to said interior core sections.

17. A pallet as claimed in Claim 16 wherein each of said decks, and core sections are identical and have a square shape with said fork entries being located along the perimeter of said pallet such that said pallet is totally symmetrical.

18. A pallet as claimed in Claim 17 wherein said decks, and core sections, are selected from the group of materials comprising metallic material and plastic material.

19. A pallet as claimed in Claim 18 wherein material is removed along the neutral axis of said pallet to lighten the pallet and to aid in the location of said core sections during assembly.

20. A pallet as claimed in Claim 19 wherein said decks, core sections, structural foam, and perimetric compression strip, present rounded corners.

21. A pallet as claimed in Claim 20 wherein said inwardly extending leg portions are flush with said exterior decks respectively.