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US 4,732,528 AGranted
Returnable skid and method and assembly using same
AssigneeCold Metal Products Corp.
InventorBruce R. Good
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A returnable skid for coiled products employs separator posts that are storable within other components. The same assembly that mounts the posts during use also cooperates with the corresponding assembly of a like skid to interengage them in stacked condition. Both of these features facilitate transport of the empty skids. The construction provided minimizes the amount of extraneous packaging materials that are required to maintain the coils of product in place on the skid and to properly protect them, and the coils can be disposed either standing upright or lying flat on the skid.
Claims17
A returnable skid for coils of products, comprising:
- a frame-like, generally rectangular base with a substantially flat bottom surface;
- a pair of upstanding side supports extending transversely along the opposite lateral margins of said base;
- a pair of generally rectilinear end supports extending laterally across said side supports adjacent the opposite ends of said base and thereabove to define, in cooperation with said side supports, an upwardly opening recess for receiving edge portions of coils of products seated on said skid and disposed with their axes parallel to the plane of said bottom surface, each of said end supports being substantially hollow to define an elongated cavity within the interior thereof, and being open at least at one end to permit access thereto;
- a pair of generally rectilinear separator posts dimensioned and configured to fit individually within said cavities of said end supports, and to permit insertion through said one ends thereof;
- means for disengageably mounting one of said posts in an upstanding attitude adjacent each of said opposite ends of said base and between said side supports;
- and
- means for disengageably securing said posts within said cavities, whereby said posts may be supported by said mounting means to extend between two coils so seated on said skid, and may be stored within said cavities when not in use.
4 more elements
A returnable skid for coils of products, comprising:
- a frame-like, generally rectangular base with a substantially flat bottom surface;
- a pair of upstanding side supports extending transversely along the opposite lateral margins of said base;
- a pair of generally rectilinear end supports extending laterally across said side supports adjacent the opposite ends of said base and thereabove to define, in cooperation with said side supports, an upwardly opening recess for receiving edge portions of coils of products seated on said skid;
- separator means;
- and
- means for disengageably mounted said separator means in an upstanding attitude adjacent said opposite ends of said base and between said side supports, said mounting means comprising an assembly adjacent each of said opposite ends of said base, including a fixed, downwardly extending element having a lower end disposed at a level short of the plane of said bottom surface of said base, and a resiliently supported, upwardly extending element having an upper end biased to a normal position elevated above the plane in which the uppermost of the top surfaces of said side and end supports are disposed, and displaceable to a level thereon or therebelow, said downwardly and upwardly extending elements of said assemblies being configured for interengagement so as to adapt said skid for interengaged stacking with a skid of like construction, said upwardly extending elements being adapted for mounting of said separator means, and said skid being adapted to support a coil of product lying horizontally on said uppermost top surfaces with said upwardly extending elements displaced downwardly, as necessary.
3 more elements
In a method for carrying out the shipment of products in coiled form on a reusable skid, the steps including:
- (a) providing a skid for coils of products, comprising:
- a frame-like, generally rectangular base with a substantially flat bottom surface;
- a pair of upstanding side supports extending transversely along the opposite lateral margins of said base;
- a pair of generally rectilinear end supports extending laterally across said side supports adjacent the opposite ends of said base and thereabove to define, in cooperation with said side supports, an upwardly opening recess for receiving edge portions of coils of products seated on said skid and disposed with their axes parallel to the plane of said bottom surface, each of said end supports being substantially hollow to define an elongated cavity within the interior thereof, and being open at least at one end to permit access thereto;
- a pair of generally rectilinear separator posts dimensioned and configured to fit individually within said cavities of said end supports, and to permit insertion through said one ends thereof;
- means for disengageably mounting one of said posts in an upstanding attitude adjacent each of said opposite ends of said base and between said side supports;
- and
- means for disengageably securing said posts within said cavities;
- (b) loading two coils of product on said skid in side-by-side, laterally spaced positions, with the axes thereof disposed parallel to the plane of said bottom surface and with edge portions of said coils received within said upwardly opening recess;
- (c) strapping said coils to the skid;
- (d) engaging said posts in said mounting means in an upstanding attitude adjacent said opposite ends of said base to extend between said coils;
- (e) transporting said skid with said coils loaded thereon;
- (f) unstrapping said coils and unloading them from said skid;
- (g) disengaging said posts from said mounting means;
- (h) inserting said posts into said cavities, and securing them therewithin;
- and
- (i) transporting said unloaded skid with said posts so stored.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.