Pallet construction
OwnerThomas N. Depewinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pallet construction incorporating protective members fabricated of metal, plastic, or other impact resistant material for engaging end portions of the pallet to shield against damage. The protective members comprehend cap portions for embracing stringer end portions, blocks, or other deck supporting components, with said caps being secured to the embraced portions beneath the deckboards. Flanges may be provided upon caps at the end of said protective members for direct securement to the upper surface of the deckboards as well as, optionally, to the under surface of the underlying portion of the pallet. With pallets of block type construction, side protective members may be included to cooperate with the end protective members for reinforcement throughout the entire periphery of the pallet.
Claims25
A pallet comprising spaced-apart stringers, a plurality of deckboards secured to upper and lower edges of said stringers in axial transverse relation thereto to define upper and lower decks, at least one end deckboard of each deck being spaced inwardly from the adjacent ends of the stringers to form end spacings, a protective device provided at said at least one end of said pallet comprising a plurality of stringer end caps for engagingly receiving the projecting end of the related stringer and being of general U-shape in cross-section, said end caps each having a pair of arms for disposition against the proximate side face portions of the related stringer and an interconnecting web for abutment on the inner face thereof against the confronting end face of such stringer, said arms being of such dimension lengthwise of the pallet as to project a substantial distance between the adjacent deckboards of the upper and lower decks, means for securing said arms to the proximate stringer in the zones thereof between said upper and lower decks, upper and lower rigid elongated members in axial parallel relation to said deckboards, the upper and lower elongated members each being of flat-sided tubular configuration and fixedly secured upon the upper edges of said stringer end caps for fitted reception within the end spacings for snug abutment of said elongated members against the proximate end face of the adjacent deckboard and against the adjacent edge of the stringers, said elongated members being of such transverse dimension as to be flush with the webs of the engaged stringers.
A pallet comprising spaced-apart stringers, a plurality of deckboards secured to upper and lower edges of said stringers in axial transverse relation thereto to define upper and lower decks, at least one end deckboard of each deck being spaced inwardly from the adjacent ends of the stringers to form end spacings, a protective device provided at said at least one end of said pallet comprising a plurality of stringer end caps for engagingly receiving the projecting end of the related stringer and being of general U-shape in cross-section, said end caps each having a pair of arms for disposition against the proximate side face portions of the related stringer and an interconnecting web for abutment on the inner face thereof against the confronting end face of such stringer, said arms being of an extent to project between the adjacent deckboards of the upper and lower decks, means for securing said arms to the proximate stringer in the zones thereof between said upper and lower decks, upper and lower rigid elongated members in axial parallel relation to said deckboards and being fixedly secured upon the upper edges of said stringer end caps for fitted reception within the end spacings for snug abutment against the proximate end face of the adjacent deckboard and the adjacent edge of the stringers, said elongated members being of such transverse dimenion as to be flush with the webs of the engaged stringers, the inner transverse extent of the web of at least one end cap being of greater transverse extent than that of the related stringer, and the arms of such end cap having such webs being of sufficient bendability about the line of jointure to the related web for facile direction toward the associated stringer side face to assure reliable embracing of the accepted portion of such stringer.
For use with a pallet having spaced-apart stringers, a plurality of deckboards secured to upper and lower edges of said stringers in axial transverse relation thereto to define upper and lower decks, at least one end deckboard of each deck being spaced inwardly from the adjacent end of the stringers to form end spacings, the improvement comprising a protective device for disposition upon said at least one end of said pallet comprising a plurality of stringer end caps of generally U-shape cross-section having a pair of arms for extension between the upper and lower decks of the pallet and an interconnecting web, upper and lower rigid elongated members each of flat-sided tubular configuration and extending axially parallel to the lengthwise axis of said end caps and being fixed to the proximate upper and lower edges thereof for integration of the protective members, said elongated members lying within said end spacings in snug abutment against a proximate end face of a respective adjacent deckboard and against the adjacent edge of the stringers, said arms being of greater length than the transverse extent of said elongated members.
For use with a pallet having spaced-apart stringers, a plurality of deckboards secured to upper and lower edges of said stringers in axial transverse relation thereto to define upper and lower decks, at least one end deckboard of each deck being spaced inwardly from the adjacent end of the stringers to form end spacings, the improvement comprising a protective device for disposition upon said at least one end of said pallet comprising a plurality of stringer end caps of generally U-shape cross-section having a pair of arms for extension between the upper and lower decks of the pallet and an interconnecting web, upper and lower rigid elongated members extending axially parallel to the lengthwise axis of said end caps and being fixed to the proximate upper and lower edges thereof for integration of the protective members, said arms being of greater length than the transverse extent of said elongated members the webs interconnecting the arms of the end caps being of greater transverse extent than the pallet stringers, the related arms being of sufficient bendability about the line of jointure to the related web for flexure to compensate for the relative oversize character of such associated web.
A pallet comprising a plurality of deckboards defining a loading deck having first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite sides, elevating means provided beneath and secured to said deckboards for maintaining same in upwardly spaced relation to a support surface, said elevating means projecting beyond said first and second pallet opposite ends, said elevating means comprising a plurality of central blocks located intermediate adjacent outer blocks, a protective member provided at each of said first and second ends of said pallet shieldingly accepting said projecting portion of said elevating means, said protective member having portions extending beneath said deck and means securing said last mentioned portions of said protective member to said elevating means beneath said deck, said protective member having cap-forming portions for shieldingly accepting the adjacent blocks, each cap having parallel side walls and an interconnecting web, there being upper and lower elongated members of flat-sided tubular configuration provided on said protective member for abutment against said elevating means in the portions thereof projecting beyond said first and second pallet opposite ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.