CA1197199A

CA1197199A - Returnable pallet

Info

Publication number: CA1197199A
Application number: CA000460326A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert Richer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-08-03
Filing date: 1984-08-03
Publication date: 1985-11-26

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The pallet of the invention is for supporting a loal, and is transportable by a fork-lift truck having at least two protruding forks. The pallet comprises at least a pair of spaced top planks, a pair of spaced bottom beams and at least to spaced intermediate studs extending transversely of the top planks and bottom beams. Each of the studs has at least a pair of upper transverse notches in co-alignment with that of the other intermediate studs. Both the height of the bottom beams and the combined height of the notches and the top planks are at least larger than the thickness of the forks, for engagement therein. The pallet is lifted by previous engagement of the forks under the intermediate studs, and the pallet is removable from under the load by engaging the forks within the notches to lift the load.

Description

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FIELD OF THE INVENTII:)N
Thi3 invention relates to load-supportlng platfor~s oJ
pallets, transportable by a fork-lift truck, snd rem~vable from under their load.
~ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Con~entional pallet~ have a main drswback. When a load i8 delivered to a _lls.~mer on a pallet, the sender generally haa to leava the pallet with the carried load, because the load needs to be removed from the pall~t before the latter can be recovered. Sb, the ~ender needa to come back Later on. The customers are then required to pay for the temporary consignation thereof. Often, the pallPts are brQken becau~e of negligence or other cause, during that time.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it i9 the gist of the tnvention to provide a load-0upporting tranOportable pallet, capable of belng re~dily removed by lifting its load therefrom using a fork-lift truck.
A lesser object oi the invention i~ to provide ~uch a pallet as above disclosed that the fork-lift truck need hot laterslly ~hift its position between the lifting of the pallet and the lifting of the load to remove th~ pallet therefrom.
SUM~RY OF THE I~ E}ITION
According to the invention, the pallet is tr~n3port&blQ
by a fork-lift truck having at lea*t two protrud~ fork3" ~r~ferab~y~
three. The pallet has three layers of spaced boards, th~n~rmedlate one having tran3verse notche~ engsgeAble by the pronRs or Porks.
'lhe pallet lô characterized in being capble of being lifted while supporting a load by the truck at the bottom of the pallet while being removable from the 102d a~ter storing by engagement o the forks through the notches of the intermediate board~.
The notche~ are preferably out of vertical alignment with the spaced boards of the lowermo~t layer.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a downwardly-looking p~r~lpective view of pallet embodying the feeture~7 of the lnvention;
Flgure 2 ia a front view of the pallet, shown as s~pportlng a load of turf rolls, and also showing the three forks of the fork-lift truck in cross-section within -~he pallet co~responding upper notches and in dotted lines unc'.er the pallet main body; and Flgure 3 is a side view of the pallet of Figure 2 and fur-ther showing p~7rt of the lifting assembly of a fork~lii;t truck.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The pallet of the invention, denoted 10, i9 lllustrated as being a transportable platform used for the storage and removal of goods~
The platform i9 a flst structure rai~7ed above the jground G, and pr~ler-ably made of hard wood. The platfvrm 10 may be llfted by a fork-lift truck (not shown).
The pallet comprisas three spaced ~arallel ground engage-able beam~ 12, 14, 16; three spaced parallel studs 18, 20, 22 ~rans-verse to beam~ 12-16 and fixedly connected thereover; and four spaced parallel planks 24, 26, 28, 30 transverse to studs 18 22 &nd fixedly connected thereover. Of cour3e, none of these number of beam~, 3tudsr . ... .
or planks is (:r:'tlcal, inaflmuch as they will withst:and the weight of the lo~d~ Al~70, the be~ms and studs ahould be a~urdler than the planks, as illustrated.
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The load shown to be suppor~ed;by t~e plank~; ~ 30 of .the pallet 10 18 several rolls of turf 32 piles up in s,everal lsyera in the preferred manner shown in t:rhlch the eentral roll 32' of the bottom l~yer Ls transverse to studs 18-20 and over notches 18b, 20b and 22b~
Studs 18-22 are essentially characteri7.ed by wide U~shaped notches 18a, 18b, 18c; 20a, 20bl 20c; and 22a, 22b, 22c op~ning up-wardly therefrom in between the planks. A critical mea~ure here, i~
that both the height of either beama and the combined height; ~:~ eith~r notches and either adjacent planks, be at least lar,ger than the thlck-:

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ness of the three forks 34, 36~ 38 from the liftinz asse~bly 40 of a fork-llft truck (not shown), to allow engagement there~hrc)ugh.
.. The notches 18a, 20a and 72a must be in co-alignment, a8 with notches 18b, 20b, 22b, and notches 18c~ 20c, 22c.
A preferable although non-critical me!asure i~ that the notches be cu~ c)f -/ertical align~ent~with the bean~ 12, 14, 16. This feature conslderably facilitates the work of the fork-lift truck oper-ator since he does not have to shift the truck and prongs laterally of the pallet when passing i.-rom ~he operstion of liftlng the pallat and load to the operation of lifting only the load. A:l~o, it i9 known that conventional fork-llft trucks have two forwardly-protruding ~p~ced parallel prongY, whereas in the particular u~age, ~I three-pron~ t,.uck i8 required in order that the central prong ~l~y ~n~age under the r~ntral transverse roll between two ad~acent aligned roll~ OL ~urf 32 of the bottom layer of such rolls. However, any number of pranEs, beginning with three and up, could be us~d, profided a corres;ponding nwnber of notches are added.
Hence, the platform lO~may be lifted frc~m the gro~nd G b~
engaging the forks 34-38 below studs 18-22, and lift:ing these fo~k~
together with the platfor~, and carrylng the load to a gi~en locat10n~
Ihen, the forks are lower~d and then retracted therefrom. The forka are then agai.n inserted through the platform 10, but through the :. ~ ~ , notches 18a, 22c, instead, directly ~nder the r~olls of ~hr~ ~. Liiting the forks lift2 the r~lis of turf and cl~ar;~he w~y: eor ~e~O~Ql of the lc)ose platform 10.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED, ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A pallet for supporting a load and transportable by a fork-lift truck having at least two protruding forks, and comprising at least a pair of spaced top rigid members, at least a pair of spaced bottom members, said top and bottom members being substantially parallel to one another, and at least two spaced intermediate rigid members ex-tending transversely of said top and bottom members; all of said members secured together, each of said intermediate members having at least a pair of upper transverse notches in co-alignment with those of the other intermediate members and out of vertical alignment with said top members;
wherein both the height of said bottom members, and the combined height of said notches and said top members, are at least larger than the thick ness of said fork, for engagement therein; said pallet being lifted after engagement of said forks under said intermediate members, and said pallet being removable from under said load by engaging said forks within said notches to lift said load and clear the way for the removal of said pallet.

2. The pallet as defined in claim 1, wherein said notches are out of vertical alignment with said bottom members.

3. The pallet as defined in claim 1, wherein said top members are planks, said intermediate members studs and said bottom members beams; wherein said planks are thinner than either said studs or said beams.

4. The pallet as defined in claim 2, for the transport of rolls of turf stacked in several layers on the top members with the central rolls of the bottom layer disposed transversely of said inter-mediate members, wherein there are three said notches for each of said intermediate members, the center group of notches being in vertical alignment with said central rolls of the bottom layer.

5. The pallet as defined ln claim 3, for the transport of rolls of turf stacked in several layers on the top members with the central rolls of the bottom layer disposed transversely of said inter-mediate members, wherein there are three said notches for each of said intermediate members, the center group of notches being in vertical alignment with said central rolls of the bottom layer.