# US 4,391,202 A · Paperboard load-supporting pallet > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,391,202 A - Document ID: US4391202A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/231,930 - Filed: 1981-02-06 - Granted: 1983-07-05 - Earliest claimed: 1981-02-06 - Inventors: Leewood C. Carter; Robin P. Neary - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391202A ## CPC - B65D 19/0028: {and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape} - B65D 2519/00019: Paper - B65D 2519/00054: Paper - B65D 2519/00293: made of more than one piece - B65D 2519/00323: made of more than one piece - B65D 2519/00338: contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape - B65D 2519/00562: chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed - B65D 2519/00572: with separate auxiliary element, e.g. screws, nails, bayonets - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract There is provided an improved paperboard-load supporting pallet which includes a deck formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard material and also includes a plurality of runners attached to the bottom surface of the deck. Each of the runners includes spaced, parallel corrugations and is also formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard material. A novel method is also provided for forming the pallet of the present invention. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A paperboard load-supporting pallet, comprising: a flat deck formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard; a plurality of runners extending in a longitudinal direction and attached to the bottom surface of said deck; each of said runners being formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard and each of said runners including a plurality of spaced, parallel corrugation sections; each of said corrugation sections including a flat section A attached to said deck, two leg sections B each connected to opposite ends of said flat section, and radius of curvature sections C each having a transverse axis; and said paperboard runners having a main grain direction in which a majority of the paperboard fibers extend in said longitudinal direction and perpendicular to said transverse axes to provide substantially improved structural rigidity to said runners. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein at least two separate runners are attached to the bottom surface of said deck. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein three separate runners are attached to the bottom surface of said deck. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein the length of said flat section A is equal to between one-third and two-thirds of the length of a leg section B. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein the radius of a radius of curvature section C is equal to between one-eighth and one-fourth of the length of a leg section B. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said runners are attached to said deck by glue. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said runners are attached to said deck by rivets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said paperboard layers of said runners are adhered together by glue. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said paperboard layers of said deck are adhered together by glue. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said deck is surrounded by a rail member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said leg sections B and said radius of curvature sections C cooperate to form a curved contact area over which the weight of a load on the pallet is distributed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said paperboard fibers extend in said longitudinal direction of the runner at a ratio of substantially three to one. ### Claim 13 A runner for a paperboard load-supporting pallet, wherein said pallet includes a deck formed of a plurality of paperboard layers, and wherein one or more of said runners are to be attached to spaced-apart locations on the bottom surface of said deck, comprising: said runner being formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard and including a plurality of spaced, parallel corrugation sections; each of said corrugation sections including a flat section A for attachment to the bottom surface of said deck, two leg sections B each connected to opposite ends of said flat section, and radius of curvature sections C each having a transverse axis; and said paperboard runner having a main grain direction in which a majority of the paperboard fibers extend perpendicular to said transverse axes to provide substantially improved structural rigidity to said runner. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein the length of said flat section A is equal to between one-third and two-thirds of the length of a leg section B. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein the radius of a radius of curvature section C is equal to between one-eighth and one-fourth of the length of said leg section B. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein the paperboard layers of said runner are adhered together by glue. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein said runner is formed of at least five layers of paperboard material adhered together by glue. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein said paperboard fibers extend in the grain direction of the runner at a ratio of substantially three to one. ### Claim 19 A method of making a paperboard load-supporting pallet, comprising the steps of: forming a deck from a plurality of layers of paperboard; forming runners from a plurality of layers of paperboard wherein each of said runners have a plurality of spaced, parallel corrugation sections; said corrugation sections having a flat section A for attachment to said deck, two leg sections B each connected to opposite ends of said flat section, and radius of curvature sections C each having a transverse axis; forming said paperboard runners such that their main grain direction includes a majority of paperboard fibers which extends perpendicular to said transverse axes to provide substantially improved structural rigidity to said runners; and attaching a plurality of said runners to the bottom surface of said deck to form said pallet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes forming the length of said flat section A so that it is equal to between one-third and two-thirds of the length of said leg section B. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes forming the radius of curvature sections C such that they are equal to between one-eighth and one-fourth of the length of said leg section B. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of attaching is performed by gluing said runners and deck to each other. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of attaching includes riveting said deck and runners to each other. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said deck includes adhering said paperboard layers together by glue. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes adhering said paperboard layers together by glue. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, further including the step of surrounding the upper surface of said deck with a rail member. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, further including scoring the bottom surface of said deck to form a rail member for surrounding said deck. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes having the paperboard fibers extend in the main grain direction of the runner at a ratio of substantially three to one.