Pallet having densified edge and method of making same
AssigneeBoard of Control of Michigan Technological University
InventorsRobert A. Caughey, Bruce A. Haataja, Tauno B. Kilpela, James F. Hamilton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A molded unitarily formed pallet is provided, the pallet including wood particles bonded together by a cured binder in compressed relation. Also provided is a method for making such pallets. The pallet includes a deck having an upper supporting surface, a lower surface, a plurality of integral leg sections extending downwardly from the deck, and a densified integral peripheral portion surrounding the deck to provide increased strength at the periphery of the pallet. The pallet may also include narrow elongated wooden strips bonded to the densified peripheral edge to further increase the strength of the pallet.
Claims20
A molded unitarily formed pallet comprising wood particles bonded together by a cured binder in compressed relation and forming:
- a deck having an upper supporting surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral edge, said peripheral edge being more highly compressed and having a density greater than the remainder of the said deck, and having greater strength and impact resistance than the remainder of said deck, and a plurality of integral leg sections extending downwardly from said deck for supporting said deck.
A molded unitarily formed pallet comprising elongated thin wood flakes bonded together by a cured binder in compressed relation and forming a deck having an upper supporting surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral edge more highly compressed and having a density greater than the remainder of said deck, and having greater strength and impact resistance than the remainder of said deck, said peripheral edge having a thickness less than the remainder of said deck and said peripheral edge forming a ledge surrounding said deck, and a plurality of integral leg sections extending downwardly from said deck for supporting said deck.
A molded unitarily formed pallet comprising wood particles bonded together by a cured binder in compressed relation and forming:
- a deck having an upper supporting surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral edge more highly compressed and having a density greater than the remainder of said deck to give said peripheral edge greater strength and impact resistance than the remainder of said deck a plurality of integral leg sections extending downwardly from said deck for supporting said deck, and a plurality of elongated narrow reinforcing strips surrounding said deck, each of said strips being bonded to said densified peripheral edge.
A molded unitarily formed pallet comprising wood flakes bonded together in stacked interleaved compressed relationship by a cured binder and forming:
- a deck having an upper supporting surface, a lower surface, and a peripheral edge more highly compressed and having a density greater than the remainder of said deck whereby said peripheral edge has greater strength and impact resistance than the remainder of said deck, said densified peripheral edge having a thickness less than the remainder of said deck whereby a recess is formed surrounding said deck;
- a plurality of integral leg sections extending downwardly from said deck for supporting said deck, and said deck including a plurality of recesses in said planar upper surface aligned with said leg sections and adapted to house leg sections of a second pallet stacked thereon;
- and
- a plurality of elongated narrow reinforcing strips surrounding said deck, said strips being located in said recess and bonded to said densified peripheral edge.
A method for making a unitarily constructed pallet including a deck having an upper supporting surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of integral leg sections extending downwardly from the deck, and the deck having a densified peripheral edge having greater strength and impact resistance than the remainder of said deck, the method including the steps of:
- providing a mold apparatus having a female mold member and a male mold member, said female mold member and said male mold member engageable to form a mold cavity including a planar cavity portion and a peripheral portion surrounding said planar cavity portion, said peripheral portion being thinner than said planar portion;
- placing a mat comprised of wood flakes and a binder material between said female and male mold members,
- forcing said female mold member and said male mold member together to shape said pallet and thereby compress said peripheral edge more than said planar body portion whereby said pallet has a densified peripheral edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.