Twin sheet plastic pallet with latch means

A shipment package comprising in combination:

• a free-standing cargo load comprising a manufactured product having a high aspect ratio and support feet constructed to support the product upright in end-use orientation;
• and a planar load bearing twin sheet plastic hollow pallet member normally oriented with its major plane generally horizontal in use and being formed from upper and lower sheets of thermoplastic so as to have a low aspect ratio;
• said pallet member comprising a top deck formed from said upper sheet of thermoplastic and having a generally upwardly facing product supporting exterior surface;
• said pallet member further comprising a bottom deck formed from said lower sheet of thermoplastic and having a generally downwardly facing pallet supporting exterior surface;
• a plurality of top deck bosses and bottom deck bosses extending between said top and bottom exterior deck surfaces respectively formed from said upper and lower sheets of thermoplastic and being fused together, said top deck bosses being distributed in a predetermined pattern to define at least one nesting compartment means recessed into said top deck adapted for drop-on placement into said at least one compartment means of the product from above said top deck,
• said top deck bosses being constructed and arranged to provide an array of load bearing product foot compartment seating surfaces and associated cooperative nesting surfaces in said at least one compartment means for restraining product foot movement horizontally relative to said pallet member,
• said product being partially received and nested in said at least one compartment means with the product support feet individually resting on said compartment seating surfaces with said product oriented upright on said pallet top deck and projecting upwardly therefrom in end-use orientation with said pallet oriented horizontally,
• and retractable seat belt latch means permanently attached to said pallet member and having product hold down belt means operably movable relative to said at least one compartment means to an extended position spaced above said compartment seating surfaces for releasably engaging said product as supported on its feet on said compartment seating surfaces with the product positioned in its free-standing end-use orientation and with said hold down belt means disposed above the elevation of said compartment seating surfaces and operable in said extended position for preventing vertical removal of said product relative to said at least one compartment means, said hold down belt means being operably movable to a retracted product disengaged position clearing said compartment seating surfaces and enabling lift-off product removal and drop-on loading of the product on said compartment seating surfaces with said product positioned in its free-standing end-use orientation.