# US 5,701,827 A · Pallet assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,701,827 A - Document ID: US5701827A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/163,080 - Filed: 1993-12-08 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1993-12-08 - Inventors: Toshinaga Urabe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701827A ## CPC - B65D 19/0012: {forming a continuous plane contact surface} - B65D 2519/00029: Wood - B65D 2519/00064: Wood - B65D 2519/00099: Wood - B65D 2519/00288: made of one piece - B65D 2519/00318: made of one piece - B65D 2519/00343: contact surface being substantially in the form of a panel - B65D 2519/00373: whereby at least one spacer is made of one piece - B65D 2519/00378: whereby at least one spacer is made of two or more pieces - B65D 2519/00447: on the non-integral separating spacer - B65D 2519/00562: chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed - B65D 2519/00567: mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract A pallet used to transport and store articles is formed by using plywood laminates or particle boards, offering a pallet which can easily be disposed of as waste when it is discarded after completion of its use as a pallet. As a pallet, is highly strong in service, and can be easily assembled by the user, being manufactured at low cost. The pallet built by combining a support 2 having a plate-like support body 25 having a support end 23 at its top and a support projection 21 on the support end 23 with a top deck 10 having a deck hole 22 corresponding to the said support projection 21. With this composition, the pallet can be easily disposed of as waste when discarding it after completion of its use as a pallet, and as a pallet itself it is very strong in service, and can easily be assembled by the user and manufactured at low cost. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pallet assembly arrangement, comprising: a top deck comprising a substantially planar member having an upper support surface substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis, a lower surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis and a plurality of deck holes in said top deck, said deck holes extending from said lower surface toward said upper surface in the vertical direction and being defined by vertical surfaces of said top deck; and a plurality of vertical support members, each one of said support members comprising an upper end having a horizontal support surface substantially parallel to said lower surface of said top deck that engages said lower surface and supports said top deck in a vertical direction and a projection projecting in the vertical direction from said horizontal support surface and into disengageable engagement with one of said deck holes of said top deck, said projection having lateral surfaces engaging said vertical surfaces of said holes of said top deck such that said projections provide horizontal engagement and support between said support members and said top deck while said horizontal support surfaces provide vertical engagement and support between said support members and said top deck; wherein said plurality of vertical support members each comprises a plurality of support bodies removably connected together, and wherein each of said support bodies comprises one end having a said horizontal support surface and a said projection projecting from said horizontal support surface, another end having a second horizontal support surface and another said projection projecting from said second horizontal support surface, and a support assembling cutout in each of said support bodies for engagement with another of said support bodies. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 1, wherein there are two said support bodies for each of said support members that are connected together with said support bodies engaging each other with said support assembling cutouts. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 2, wherein said two support bodies of each of said support members are identical with each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 3, wherein each of said support members has four said projections at each end thereof, and wherein each of said support bodies has two of said projections at each end thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 3, wherein each of said support members has one of said projections at each end thereof, and wherein each of said support bodies has one of said projections at each end thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 3, wherein each of said support members has a cross shape formed by said two support bodies thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 6, wherein said projections of said support members are cross shaped and said deck holes for said projections are substantially circular, but with reduced diameter portions having a diameter smaller than the length of said projections in the horizontal direction. ### Claim 8 A pallet assembly arrangement, comprising: a top deck comprising a substantially planar member having an upper support surface substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis, a lower surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis and a plurality of deck holes in said top deck, said deck holes extending from said lower surface toward said upper surface in the vertical direction and being defined by vertical surfaces of said top deck; and a plurality of vertical support members, each one of said support members comprising an upper end having a horizontal support surface substantially parallel to said lower surface of said top deck that engages said lower surface and supports said top deck in a vertical direction and a projection projecting in the vertical direction from said horizontal support surface and into disengageable engagement with one of said deck holes of said top deck, said projection having lateral surfaces engaging said vertical surfaces of said holes of said top deck such that said projections provide horizontal engagement and support between said support members and said top deck while said horizontal support surfaces provide vertical engagement and support between said support members and said top deck; a horizontal bottom deck having a plurality of deck holes therein, wherein said support members further have support ends at lower ends thereof comprising horizontal downwardly-facing support surfaces and projections extending downwardly from said downwardly-facing support surfaces, and wherein said deck holes in said bottom deck correspond to said projections at said lower ends; wherein each of said plurality of support members comprises a plurality of support bodies removably connected together; wherein each of said support bodies comprises one end having a said support surface and a said projection projecting from said support surface, another end having a second support surface and another said projection projecting from said second support surface, and a support assembling cutout in each of said support bodies for engagement with another of said support bodies. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 8, wherein there are two said support bodies for each of said support members that are connected together with said support bodies engaging each other with said support assembling cutouts. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The pallet assembly arrangement of claim 9, wherein said two support bodies of each of said support members are identical with each other. ### Claim 11 A pallet assembly arrangement, comprising: a top deck comprising a substantially planar member having an upper support surface substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis, a lower surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis and a plurality of deck holes in said top deck, said deck holes extending from said lower surface toward said upper surface in the vertical direction and being defined by vertical surfaces of said top deck; and a plurality of vertical support members, each one of said support members comprising an upper end having a horizontal support surface substantially parallel to said lower surface of said top deck that engages said lower surface and supports said top deck in a vertical direction and a projection projecting in the vertical direction from said horizontal support surface and into disengageable engagement with one of said deck holes of said top deck, said projection having lateral surfaces engaging said vertical surfaces of said holes of said top deck such that said projections provide horizontal engagement and support between said support members and said top deck while said horizontal support surfaces provide vertical engagement and support between said support members and said top deck; a horizontal bottom deck having a plurality of deck holes therein, wherein said support members further have support ends at lower ends thereof comprising horizontal downwardly-facing support surfaces and projections extending downwardly from said downwardly-facing support surfaces, and wherein said deck holes in said bottom deck correspond to said projections at said lower ends; wherein said projections extend into and through said deck holes in said top and bottom decks so as to protrude beyond the upper and lower surfaces of said top and bottom decks, respectively. ### Claim 12 A pallet assembly arrangement, comprising: a top deck comprising a substantially planar member having an upper support surface substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis, a lower surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis and a plurality of deck holes in said top deck, said deck holes extending from said lower surface toward said upper surface in the vertical direction and being defined by vertical surfaces of said top deck; and a plurality of vertical support members, each one of said support members comprising an upper end having a horizontal support surface substantially parallel to said lower surface of said top deck that engages said lower surface and supports said top deck in a vertical direction and a projection projecting in the vertical direction from said horizontal support surface and into disengageable engagement with one of said deck holes of said top deck, said projection having lateral surfaces engaging said vertical surfaces of said holes of said top deck such that said projections provide horizontal engagement and support between said support members and said top deck while said horizontal support surfaces provide vertical engagement and support between said support members and said top deck; wherein said top deck is made of a wooden material; and wherein said deck holes extend completely through said top deck, said top deck is made from a wooden material selected from the group consisting of particle board and plywood laminate and said projections extend through said deck holes from said lower surface of said top deck to a position above said upper surface of said top deck. ### Claim 13 A pallet assembly kit, comprising: a top deck comprising a substantially planar member having an upper support surface substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis, a lower surface substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis and a plurality of deck holes therein, said deck holes extending from said lower surface toward said upper surface in the vertical direction and being defined by vertical surfaces of said top deck; and a plurality of vertical support members, each one of said support members comprising an upper end having a horizontal support surface substantially parallel to said lower surface of said top deck that is engageable with said lower surface and capable of supporting said top deck in a vertical direction and a projection projecting in the vertical direction from said horizontal support surface and engageable in one of said deck holes of said top deck, said projection having lateral surfaces engageable with said vertical surfaces of said holes of said top deck such that said projections can provide horizontal engagement and support between said support members and said top deck and said horizontal support surfaces can provide vertical engagement and support between said support members and said top deck; wherein said top deck is made of a wooden material; and wherein said deck holes extend completely through said top deck, said top deck is made from a wooden material selected from the group consisting of particle board and plywood laminate and said projections have a length in the vertical direction sufficient to extend through said deck holes from said lower surface of said top deck to a position above said upper surface of said deck.