US3192883A

US3192883A - Load carrying collapsible pallet

Info

Publication number: US3192883A
Application number: US267113A
Authority: US
Inventors: John T Massengale
Original assignee: FMC Corp
Current assignee: CYKLOP STRAPPING Corp A CORP OF
Priority date: 1963-03-22
Filing date: 1963-03-22
Publication date: 1965-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-06

Description

July 6, 1965 J. 1'. MASSENGALE LOAD CARRYING COLLAPSIBLE PALLET Filed March 22, 1963 United States Patent.

3,192,883 LOAD CARRYING COLLAPSIBLE PALLET John T. Massengale, West Chester, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to FMC Corporation, San Jose, Caiifi, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 267,113 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-56) This invention relates to pallets of the type employed for supporting loads for handling by fork lift trucks.

A convenient way of transporting bulky packages and bound together groups of packages from one plant location to another as well as loading and unloading the same from freight cars is by means of .a fork lift truck. In order to permit the forwardly extending prongs or fork of the truck to pass beneath the package preparatory to lifting the same, the package or bound group of packages is mounted upon a pallet, which is a flat platform supported above the floor on short legs or feet. The pallet is usually made of \wood andeven though it enables the expeditious use of fork lift trucks with consequent savings in labor, nevertheless the pallet itself is a noticeable item of expense. The package is often strapped or otherwise secured to the pallet and the pallet travels with the pack-age from the shipper to the purchaser. Because of the cost of the pallet it is generally economically desirable to return it to the shipper even though the transportation of the empty pallet, particularly because of its bulk rather than actual weight, is itself costly. The present invention is directed to providing a pallet which can be returned to the shipper at minimum cost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a load-carrying pallet which is readily collapsible or capable of being dis-assembled so that the parts thereof may be conveniently and inexpensively returned to the shipper of the merchandise.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structural unit so arranged that a plurality of the same may be readily assembled to form a load-carrying pallet or pallet framework.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet which is lightweight and has a resilient or yieldable loadsupporting surface.

Another object is to eliminate or facilitate pallet repair or maintenance, inasmuch as a single damaged side piece may be repaired or merely replaced from stock.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invent-ion will become apparent as the description of certain preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pallet made in accordance with this invention and showing in ghost outline a plurality of packages supported thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one corner of the pallet in enlarged detail;

FIG, 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the construction of one of the structural units used in assembling the pallet and the manner in which said unit is associated with another similar unit; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective View showing the manner of forming the structural units of metal.

The pallet is formed of a plurality of structural units one of which is generally designated at in FIG. 3. Unit 10 comprises a substantially straight member 11 having a floor engaging foot element 12 secured thereto adjacent one end and another floor engaging foot element 13 secured adjacent the other end. In that form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, the structural units are formed 3,192,883 Patented July 6, 19 65 and the extended portion is chamfered at 15 to provide a doumwardly directed sloping face. If desired, chamfer 15 may extend along the entire side of foot element 12 but preferably only encompasses the. extension 14, the dotted lines in 1 16.3 indicating the cut away portion of the foot element. Foot element !13 extends lengthwise of straight member \11 and said foot element terminates short of the end of the straight element and is charnfered as indicated at '16 to provide an upwardly directed face.

' The pallet is formed by assembling four structural units, 110, \17, 18, and 19, into a substantiallyrectangular configuration as indicated in FIG. 1. Unit 18 is identical in size and structure with unit 10 and units 17 and 19 have the same construction'as unit 10 but these two units may be of a different length than units 10 and 18 if desired.

Units

10 and 17 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and it will be noted that unit '17 comprises a substantially straight member 20 having a foot element 21 adjacent one end, saidfoot element being cha-mfered on the end at 22. The

charnfered end 22 of foot element 21 is similar to the chamfered end 16 of foot element 13 and the slope of chamfer 22 matches the slopeof chamfer .15 of foot element 12 so that when units 110 and 17 are brought together at right angles the chamfered end of foot element 21 fits snugly against the chamfered portion 15 of the extension 14 of foot element 12 and the overhanging end of the straight member 20 overlies extension 14, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, unit 17 also has a foot element 23 which is similar to the foot element 12 of unit 10.

The pallet comprises a first spaced pair of parallel structural units 10 and '18 and -a second spaced pair of units 17 and 19, said units being assembled with the elongated straight member of each unit overlying the extended foot of an adjacent unit. The structural units are held in assembled relationship by flexible ties secured about the corners of the rectangular framework and in FIG. 2 one of said ties is indicated at 24. While t-ie 24 could be formed of wire, it is preferably in the form of aflat strap, either metallic or non-metallic, tens-ioned about the corner of the framework with the overlapping ends of the strap secured together by a crimped metal seal 25. The tensioned strap is prevented from slipping over the corner of the framework by engagement with the foot elements of the structural units and in FIG. 2 it will be seen that the strap passes about the straight members 11 and 20 of the units .10 and 17 respectively and is prevented from slipping by the fact that it is juxtaposed the inner ends of the

foot elements

12 and 21.

As shown in FIG. 1, other and longer flexible ties 40 extend between opposed parallel units of the pallet framework to provide a yieldable load-supporting platform. Actually, when ties 40 are used to form the floor of the pallet, the breakage of one or even two of the ties 24 i will not necessarily cause a complete failure of the palof wood and the foot elements may be secured to the straight member 11 in any suitable manner as by means of nails, screws or glue. Foot element 12 has a portion 14 which extends beyond the end of straight member 11 ting parts oft-he structural units are sufiicient to hold the pallet together. Since the floor is an open network of crossing straps, the over-all weight of the pallet is obviously less than a pallet having a solid wooden floor. In practice, since it is often, in fact usually, desirable to secure the load to the pallet, some or all of the ties 40 can be looped about the load as well as around opposed ing a compact, light-weight package which may be shipped at minimum expense. Particularly if the flexible ties are non-metallic strapping material such as shown in US. Patent No. 3,028,281, one or more of the longer cross ties can conveniently be used to bundle thestructural units. Another advantage of using the strapping of Patent No. 3,028,281 rather than steel strapping is that the floor of the pallet is more yieldable and serves to cushion the shock if the pallet and its load are accidentally dropped.

FIG. 4 demonstrates one way in which the structural units may be formed of metal, for example of extruded aluminum. In this figure, one end only of two structural units is shown, one of the units comprising a straight channel member 26 and an extending foot element 27 also in the form of a channel one leg 28 of which slopes inwardly similar to the chamfer 15 of foot element 12. The other unit shown in FIG. 4 comprises a straight channel member 29 which overhangs a sloping end 30 of a foot element 31.

Foot elements

27 and 31 may be secured to their respective straight members 26 and 29 in any suitable manner as by welding, rivets, or. bolts.

FIG. 4 is only intended to illustrate one possible arrangement of metallic structural units and it will be understood that the various elements or members of the units may be tubular instead of channel-shaped and if in the form of channels the open sides of the channel may be arranged other than as shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 1. A load-carrying collapsible pallet comprising a plurality of structural units each of which comprises a substantially straight member extending at one end beyond a first floor engaging foot element secured thereto and having secured thereto a second floor engaging foot element which extends beyond the other end of the member, said plurality of units being assembled into a rectangular framework with the straight member of each unit overlying the second floor engaging foot element of an adjacent unit and flexible tie means extending about the corners of the rectangular framework for holding said units in assembled relationship, said foot elements preventing said flexible tie means from slipping.

2. The pallet set forth in claim 1 having flexible members extending between. those structural units which form opposed sides of the rectangular framework, said flexible members forming a yieldable floor for the pallet.

References (Zited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,098,405 6/14 Reinecke 2092 2,355,336 8/44 Shafer l38151 2,372,055 3/45 Braun IDS-58 2,696,235 12/54 Tolfolon 108-55 X 2,739,776 3/ 56 Terando 10854 2,742,955 4/56 Dominguez 108-150 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5 08,05 2 10/20 France.

12,776 9/24 Netherlands.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A LOAD-CARRYING COLLAPSIBLE PALLET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF STRUCTURAL UNITS EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT MEMBER EXTENDING AT ONE END BEYOND A FIRST FLOOR ENGAGING FOOT ELEMENT SECURED THERETO AND HAVING SECURING THERETO A SECOND FLOOR ENGAGING FOOT ELEMENT WHICH EXTENDS BEYOND THE OTHER END OF THE MEMBER, SAID PLURALITY OF UNITS BEING ASSEMBLED INTO A RECTANGULAR FRAMEWORK WITH THE STRAIGHT MEMBER OF EACH UNIT OVERLYING THE SECOND FLOOR ENGAGING FOOT ELEMENT OF AN ADJACENT UNIT AND FLEXIBLE TIE MEANS EXTENDING ABOUT THE CORNERS OF THE RECTANGULAR FRAMEWORK FOR HOLDING SAID UNITS IN ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP, SAID FOOT ELEMENTS PREVENTING SAID FLEXIBLE TIE MEANS FROM SLIPPING.