US 5,685,233 A · Recyclable pallet assembly

Abstract

A light weight pallet assembly extruded from a recyclable, thermoplastic material is provided for storing, handling and transporting heavy or bulky articles. The pallet assembly includes at least two elongate, generally hollow runners, a plurality of support bars, and fastening members for coupling the support bars to the runners. Each runner includes an upper load supporting surface, a lower surface, a pair of opposed lateral surfaces and at least one, and preferably two, transverse ribs connecting the opposed lateral surfaces. A plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures are formed through at least one of the opposed lateral surfaces of the runner for receiving a respective one of the support bars therein. A plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures are formed through the upper surface of the runner and in at least a portion of at least some of the support bars for receiving the fastening members. The fastening members may be secured with an adhesive or may be press fit. The fastening members are removable to repair a damaged pallet assembly, or to return empty pallets to the owner. The support bars and the upper surface of each runner may be provided with an anti-skid surface for protecting a user walking on the pallet. The opposed ends of each runner may be closed to prevent injury to persons and property, and to prevent foreign objects of any appreciable size, such as the tongues of a forklift, from penetrating the open ends of the runners. A pair of longitudinally spaced recesses may also be formed in the opposed lateral surfaces and the lower surface of each runner so that the pallet assembly may be engaged by the tongues of a forklift from any of four different, orthogonal directions. A spacer pallet assembly is also disclosed.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A pallet assembly comprising

at least two elongate, generally hollow, runners sized to support a predetermined load, each of said runners comprising
an upper load supporting surface, said upper surface having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures formed therethrough;
a lower surface;
a pair of opposed lateral surfaces, at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures formed therethrough;
and
at least one transverse rib connecting said pair of opposed lateral surfaces;
and
a plurality of elongate support bars having opposed ends, the opposed ends of each of said support bars received within a respective one of the apertures formed through said at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces of said runners, at least some of said support bars having an aperture formed therein adjacent each of the opposed ends corresponding to a respective one of the apertures formed through said upper surface of each of said runners;
wherein the number of apertures formed through said upper surface of each of said runners is less than the number of apertures formed through said at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces of said runner;
and
wherein the number of apertures formed in each of the opposed ends of the at least some of said support bars is less than the number of apertures formed through said at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces of said runner;
and
wherein the apertures formed through said upper surface of each of said runners and the apertures formed in at least some of said support bars receive fastening means therein for coupling at least two of said plurality of support bars to each of said runners.

10 more elements

A method of repairing a pallet for supporting a predetermined load, the pallet comprising at least two elongate, generally hollow runners extruded from a thermoplastic material and comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, a pair of opposed lateral surfaces and at least one transverse rib connecting the opposed lateral surfaces, at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures formed therethrough, a plurality of elongate support bars extruded from a thermoplastic material and having opposed ends, each of the opposed ends of said support bars received within a respective one of the apertures formed through said at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces, and fastening means comprising a plurality of fastening members positioned in a corresponding plurality of apertures formed through the upper surface of each runner and formed in at least some of the support bars adjacent each of the opposed ends, said method comprising the steps of

removing the fastening members from the apertures formed through the upper surface of the each runner and formed in the at least some of the support bars;
forming new apertures through the upper surface of each runner, the at least some of the support bars and the at least one transverse rib of each runner;
and
positioning new, longer fastening members within the new apertures through the upper surface of each runner, the at least some of the support bars and the at least one transverse rib of each runner;
wherein the number of apertures formed through said upper surface of each runner is less than the number of apertures formed through said at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces of said runner;
and
wherein the number of apertures formed in each of the opposed ends of the at least some of said support bars is less than the number of apertures formed through said at least one of said pair of opposed lateral surfaces of said runner.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Recyclable pallet assembly

Life of this patent

Recyclable pallet assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17