Shipping pallet with fork pass-through protection
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsPaul J. Cance, William J. Green
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pallet includes a support structure configured to accept fork tines, a deck secured to the support structure, and a plate secured to at least one of the deck and the support structure by a securing device. The securing device is configured to allow movement of the plate between a first position obstructing entry of a fork tine through the support structure and a second position allowing entry of a fork tine through the support structure. The securing device is configured to allow movement of the plate from the first position to the second position when a fork tine impacts the plate from a first direction. The plate is blocked from moving from the first position when a fork tine impacts the plate from a second direction opposing the first direction.
Claims10
A pallet comprising:
- a support structure, the support structure configured to accept fork tines, the support structure comprising one or more baseboards;
- a deck secured to the support structure;
- and
- a first plate secured to at least one of the deck and the support structure by a first securing device, the first securing device configured to allow movement of the first plate between a first position obstructing entry of a fork tine through the support structure and a second position allowing entry of a fork tine through the support structure, the first securing device configured to allow movement of the first plate from the first position to the second position when a fork tine impacts the first plate from a first direction, wherein a first of the one or more baseboards prevents the first plate from moving from the first position when a fork tine impacts the first plate from a second direction, the second direction opposing the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.