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US 12,384,595 B2Granted
Re-usable crate system
OwnerWilliam Dee Martininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A re-usable crate system has a frame removably coupled to a pallet and extending above the pallet to form a crate to receive cargo over the pallet and at least partially between the frame. The frame has corner brackets at each corner of the pallet. Each corner bracket comprises a bottom plate proximate a bottom of the pallet, a top plate proximate a top of the pallet, and a pair of contiguous side walls extending between the top and bottom plates. The pair of side walls adjoin one another and forms a box with a pair of contiguous side openings opposite the pair of contiguous side walls. Each corner bracket has a pocket to receive a respective corner of the pallet.
Claims20
A re-usable crate system, comprising:
- a pallet having a wood construction with a pair of lateral outer sides, an array of upper slats carried by and fastened to tops of the pair of lateral outer sides and extending between the pair of lateral outer sides, and an array of lower slats fastened to bottoms of the pair of lateral outer sides, the pallet having a width, a length and a height, the width and the length being greater than the height, the pallet having an interior volume defined by the pair of lateral outer sides, the array of upper slats and the array of lower slats that is substantially void, the pallet having lateral openings configured to receive a fork of a fork lift;
- a frame removably coupled to the pallet and extending above the pallet to form a crate configured to receive cargo over the pallet and at least partially between the frame;
- the frame comprising:
- corner brackets at each corner of the pallet, each corner bracket comprising a bottom plate proximate a bottom of the pallet, a top plate spaced-apart from the bottom plate and proximate a top of the pallet, and a pair of contiguous side walls extending between the top and bottom plates, the pair of side walls adjoining one another and being oriented at a right angle with respect to one another, each corner bracket forming a box with a pair of contiguous side openings opposite the pair of contiguous side walls, each corner bracket having a pocket to receive a respective corner of the pallet;
- each corner bracket further comprises:
- an aperture in the top plate;
- a pin carried by the corner bracket and insertable through the aperture and engaging an upper slat of the pallet to secure the corner bracket to a respective corner of the pallet, the pin having an enlarged head abutting to the top plate;
- and
- a ring carried by the corner bracket.
6 more elements
A re-usable crate system, comprising:
- a pallet having a wood construction with a pair of lateral outer sides, an array of upper slats carried by and fastened to tops of the pair of lateral outer sides and extending between the pair of lateral outer sides, and an array of lower slats fastened to bottoms of the pair of lateral outer sides, the pallet having a width, a length and a height, the width and the length being greater than a height, the pallet having an interior volume defined by the pair of lateral outer sides, the array of upper slats and the array of lower slats that is substantially void, the pallet having lateral openings configured to receive a fork of a fork lift;
- a frame removably coupled to the pallet and extending above the pallet to form a crate configured to receive cargo over the pallet and at least partially between the frame;
- the frame comprising:
- corner brackets at each corner of the pallet, each corner bracket comprising a bottom plate proximate a bottom of the pallet, a top plate spaced-apart from the bottom plate and proximate a top of the pallet, and a pair of contiguous side walls extending between the top and bottom plates, the pair of side walls adjoining one another and being oriented at a right angle with respect to one another, each corner bracket forming a box with a pair of contiguous side openings opposite the pair of contiguous side walls, each corner bracket having a pocket to receive a respective corner of the pallet, each top plate having an aperture;
- rings carried by the corner brackets;
- pins carried by the corner brackets and insertable through the apertures and engaging an upper slat to secure the corner brackets to respective corners of the pallet;
- a pair of posts carried by a pair of proximate corner brackets, each post extending upward from a respective corner bracket;
- a top rail carried by and extending between the pair of posts, the ends of the top rail having eyelets;
- at least one cable or strap extending diagonally on opposite sides of the pallet from the eyelets of the top rail to the rings of the proximal and opposite corner brackets;
- and
- the frame having:
- an expanded use configuration with the corner brackets mounted to the corners of the pallet and configured to receive cargo therein, and
- a collapsed configuration with the corner brackets removed from the corners of the pallet.
10 more elements
A re-usable crate system, comprising:
- a pallet having a wood construction with a pair of lateral outer sides, an array of upper slats carried by and fastened to tops of the pair of lateral outer sides and extending between the pair of lateral outer sides, and an array of lower slats fastened to bottoms of the pair of lateral outer sides, the pallet having a width, a length and a height, the width and the length being greater than a height, the pallet having an interior volume defined by the pair of lateral outer sides, the array of upper slats and the array of lower slats that is substantially void, the pallet having lateral openings configured to receive a fork of a fork lift;
- a frame removably coupled to the pallet and extending above the pallet to form a crate configured to receive cargo over the pallet and at least partially between the frame;
- the frame comprising:
- corner brackets at each corner of the pallet, each corner bracket comprising a bottom plate proximate a bottom of the pallet, a top plate spaced-apart from the bottom plate and proximate a top of the pallet, and a pair of contiguous side walls extending between the top and bottom plates, the pair of side walls adjoining one another and being oriented at a right angle with respect to one another, each corner bracket forming a box with a pair of contiguous side openings opposite the pair of contiguous side walls, each corner bracket having a pocket to receive a respective corner of the pallet, each top plate having a threaded aperture;
- each corner bracket having a plate receiver in the pocket and extending from one of the walls and defining a gap between the plate receiver and the other wall, the gap sized to receive an end of one of the lateral outer sides of the pallet, the plate receiver configured to resist movement between the bracket and the pallet in at least one direction;
- rings carried by the corner brackets, each ring secured to a respective corner bracket, each ring having a head,
- a pair of posts carried by a pair of proximate corner brackets, each post extending upward from a respective corner bracket;
- a top rail carried by and extending between the pair of posts, the top rail having fingers that insert into open top ends of the pair of posts, the top rail having a pair of telescoping sections, the ends of the top rail having eyelets;
- at least one cable or strap extending diagonally on opposite sides of the pallet from the eyelets of the top rail to the rings of the proximal and opposite corner brackets;
- and
- the frame having:
- an expanded use configuration with the corner brackets mounted to the corners of the pallet and configured to receive cargo therein, and
- a collapsed configuration with the corner brackets removed from the corners of the pallet.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.