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US 6,305,301 B1Granted
Support structures such as pallets and methods and systems relating thereto
AssigneePiper Plastics, Inc.
InventorsPaul P. Piper, Jr., Leslie E. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Support structures, systems, and methods are disclosed. Among the support structures are pallets designed especially, although not necessarily exclusively, for cold-weather environments such as commercial refrigerators and freezers and refrigerated transport carriers. Such pallets may include non-skid materials and optionally are recyclable, have improved stacking and load-bearing attributes, and incorporate recycled materials.
Claims20
A pallet comprising:
- a. a platform formed at least in part of thermoformable thermoplastic material including an olefinic non-skid material;
- b. at least one foot formed separately from the platform;
- and
- c. low density polyethylene material attaching the at least one foot to the platform.
1 more element
A support structure comprising:
- a. a load-bearing platform having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least one portion of each of such upper and lower surfaces comprising a non-skid material either co-extruded or brushed onto a thermoformable material containing polyethylene;
- b. a plurality of feet made from an injection moldable material and depending from the lower surface of the platform;
- and
- c. a plurality of bases, each of which bases (i) has a lower surface with non-skid material thereon and (ii) is not integrally formed with but attached to at least two feet, such attachment defining at least one opening bounded by the base, platform, and two feet and adapted to receive a fork-lift tine.
1 more element
A method of forming a pallet comprising:
- a. mixing a thermoformable material and glass;
- b. extruding the mixture as a sheet having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- c. co-extruding an olefinic non-skid material onto at least a portion of both the upper surface and the lower surface of the sheet so as to form a composite sheet;
- and
- d. thermoforming the composite sheet.
2 more elements
A nestable pair of pallets comprising:
- a. a first pallet comprising:
- i. a first platform having a bottom and formed at least in part of thermoformable thermoplastic material including an olefinic non-skid material;
- and
- ii. a plurality of first feet formed separately from but attached to the bottom of the first platform, such attachment defining at least one first opening between adjacent ones of the plurality of first feet;
- b. a second pallet comprising:
- i. a second platform having a bottom and formed at least in part of thermoformable thermoplastic material including an olefinic non-skid material;
- and
- ii. a plurality of second feet formed separately from but attached to the bottom of the second platform, such attachment defining at least one second opening between adjacent ones of the plurality of second feet;
- and
- in which, when nested, the first pallet is positioned relative to the second pallet so that at least one of the plurality of first feet extends into the at least one second opening and at least one of the plurality of second feet extends into the at least one first opening.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.