Folding pallet-stacking device

An article for use in stacking adjacent pairs of loaded pallets comprising:

• a pair of interconnected sections, each section having a generally flat bottom surface adapted to rest on top of a loaded pallet, a top surface including a plurality of raised surface features, and a first edge including a plurality of hinge components from the group consisting of a pivot pin and a pin grip, wherein an uppermost portion of each raised surface feature lies within a first reference plane, the first reference plane being in substantial parallel-spaced relation to the bottom surface, and wherein the hinge components of the sections cooperate to interconnect the sections for relative pivoting movement about a hinge line that lies beneath the respective first reference plane of each section wherein each section includes a lip extending along a second edge and projecting downwardly beneath the bottom surface of the section.

An article for use in stacking adjacent pairs of loaded pallets comprising:

• a pair of interconnected sections, each section having a generally flat bottom surface adapted to rest on top of a loaded pallet, a top surface including a plurality of raised surface features, and a first edge including a plurality of hinge components from the group consisting of a pivot pin and a pin grip, wherein an uppermost portion of each raised surface feature lies within a first reference plane, the first reference plane being in substantial parallel-spaced relation to the bottom surface, and wherein the hinge components of the sections cooperate to interconnect the sections for relative pivoting movement about a hinge line that lies beneath the respective first reference plane of each section wherein each section includes a handle defined in a peripheral portion, the handle of a first one of the sections being generally aligned with the handle of a second one of the sections when the first one is pivoted on top of the second one.

A molded article for use in stacking loaded pallets, the article including:

• a generally flat bottom surface,
• a top surface including a plurality of raised surface features defining a plurality of parallel-spaced raised lands extending substantially across a dimension of the top surface and separated by a plurality of parallel-spaced valleys, wherein an uppermost portion of each land lies within a first reference plane, and a lowermost portion of each valley lies within a second reference plane, the first and second reference planes being in a substantially parallel-spaced relation to the bottom surface,
• and a first edge including a plurality of hinge components from the group consisting of a pivot pin and a pin grip, the hinge components cooperating to define a pivot axis that is collinear with each pivot pin, the pivot axis lying between the first reference plane and the second reference plane.

A device for use in stacking adjacent loaded pallets, the device comprising:

• a first section and second section connected to each other, each section having a generally planar bottom surface adapted to rest on top of a loaded pallet and a top surface having a plurality of raised portions, each raised portion extending longitudinally across a dimension of the top surface, each section further having a first edge including a plurality of hinge components from the group consisting of a pivot pin and a pin grip, wherein an uppermost portion of the plurality of raised portions sits within a first reference plane that is in a substantially parallel-spaced relation to the bottom surface, and wherein the hinge components of the sections cooperate to interconnect the sections for relative pivoting movement about a hinge line that lies beneath the respective first reference plane of each section.