Method and article for stacking boxes on a pallet board
OwnerEugene Vaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is (i) a method for reinforcing pallet board loads having internal ventilation channels and (ii) a pallet board brace useful in such method. The method comprises: (a) stacking each tier of the pallet board load in a preselected configuration such that the sides of the boxes on each tier form at least two open channels in fluid communication with one another, wherein at least one end of each channel is open to the exterior of the tier and wherein each channel is at least one inch wide; and (b) bracing the boxes to prevent them from shifting laterally into the open channels by interposing spacing elements between the boxes on opposites sides of the channels, the spacing elements being disposed in fixed relationship to one another by a suitable rigid structure.
Claims12
A method of storing a plurality of uniformly shaped boxes, wherein each box has a horizontal base, vertical sides and a horizontal top, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) cross-stacking the boxes in horizontal tiers on a plurality of pallet boards to define a plurality of pallet board loads, each pallet board load having a plurality of tiers formed in a cross-stacked relationship to adjacent tiers, each pallet board load having four vertical sides, an exterior and an interior, the boxes being stacked on each pallet board such that at least one ventilated tier is defined in each pallet board load by arranging the boxes on the ventilated tier to define a horizontal interior ventilation channel, the ventilation channel defining a first pallet board load opening in a first vertical side of the pallet board load and a second pallet board load opening in a second side of the pallet board load;
- (b) bracing the boxes in each ventilated tier by interposing spacing elements between the boxes located on opposite sides of the ventilation channel, the spacing elements being predisposed in fixed relationship to one another by rigid structural means so as to conform to the outline of part of the ventilation channel while leaving open the balance of the ventilation channel for ventilation purposes, and thereby prevent the boxes from shifting laterally into the ventilation channel;
- and
- (c) arranging the pallet board loads in close proximity to one another in such a way that the pallet board load openings of adjacent pallet board loads are in alignment with one another and a ventilation channel in each pallet board load communicates with a ventilation channel of at least one other pallet board load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.