EP0108161B1

EP0108161B1 - Fastening mechanism for load pallet frame

Info

Publication number: EP0108161B1
Application number: EP19820110287
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kaarlo Marvia; Timo Ahlfors
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-11-08
Filing date: 1982-11-08
Publication date: 1987-04-08
Also published as: EP0108161A1; DE3275989D1

Description

The invention concerns a load pallet frame according to the preamble of claim 1.
Load pallet frames are used on load pallets in order to keep the products loaded on pallets on these pallets and in order to enable load pallets to be stacked upon each other.
From SE Design No. 16 182 there is known a load pallet frame according to the preamble of claim 1 comprising upright posts on the lower ends of which hook members project laterally for engaging the marginal foot boards of a load pallet. The hook members are secured to the upright posts with vertical reinforcement plates the upper edge of which is sharp. There is a gap between said upper edge and the marginal deck board of the load pallet when the load pallet frame is being used. The sharp upper edge of the reinforcement plates frays the under surface of the marginal deck boards destroying the pallet gradually and so causing extra costs. This fraying happens when the frame elements are raised up to a vertical position and also when detaching said frame elements. The hook members also cause fraying because the groove made by the reinforcement plate is a reason for a loose structure which results in the fact that the worker who erects the frame cannot be sure if the hook is correctly placed, because the lever arm is so long that he cannot feel that fraying action.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned and to provide a load pallet frame to be detachably fastened to a conventional load pallet comprising marginal deck boards which confine the deck in lateral direction and marginal foot boards constituting the legs of the load pallet, spaced from each other in the height direction. It is moreover an object of the invention to provide a load pallet frame meeting the requirements stated in the foregoing and suitable for being detachably fastened to a load pallet permitting load pallets to be stacked upon each other.
Regarding the characteristic features of the invention, reference is made to the claims section.
The invention is based on a hook member which belongs to the frame element of the load pallet frame and on a special locking claw consisting of a horizontal planar flange member the dimension of which at right angles away from the frame element being less than the corresponding dimension of the hook member, said locking claw being placed at a distance in vertical direction from the hook member. The hook member is pushable from the side in behind a supporting member which is part of the load pallet, i.e. the foot board, with the frame element suitably inclined, whereafter the frame element may be turned upright, while the horizontal planar locking claw locks the element in the vertical direction fast against a supporting shoulder, i.e. the underside of the marginal board of the deck. The frame elements are thereafter connectable by the elements' body structure, for instance posts, to each other upon the load pallet, either laterally around the pallet or appropriately crossing over the pallet, for instance as known from earlier load pallet frames. The load pallet frame of the invention can be fastened easily and rapidly around a load pallet loaded with goods, without removing any goods from the load pallet, and similarly the load pallet frame can be removed from around a loaded load pallet of this type. The frame is exceedingly simple of its construction and allows load pallets to be stacked on each other.
The invention is described in detail in the following with the aid of embodiment examples, with reference to the attached drawing, wherein:-

Fig. 1 presents, viewed from one end of the load pallet, a load pallet frame according to the invention, attached to the load pallet;
Fig. 2 illustrates, in perspective, fastening components of the load pallet frame according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows, in elevational view, the frame fastening components according to another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 is depicted the load pallet frame 1 detachably fastened to a load pallet 2, the frame consisting of two frame elements 3 disposed on opposite sides of the pallet and detachably connected with each other across the pallet by bolt attachment 18. As taught by the invention, each frame element 3 comprises the following components projecting to one side: a hook member 4 and a locking claw 5, these two being spaced in the vertical direction. The pallet 2 comprises shoulder-like components: a supporting member 6 coordinated with the hook member 4 and a supporting shoulder 7 meeting the locking claw 5. The said components have been disposed so that the frame element 3 can be locked fast to the load pallet 2 by pushing the laterally projecting and downwardly angulated hook member 4, affixed to the upright post 13 of the frame element, over and behind the supporting member 6, that is the marginal foot board 12 of the pallet, to interlock therewith and by pushing the similarly laterally projecting locking claw 5, affixed to said upright post spaced from and higher than the hook member, in under the supporting shoulder 7, that is the marginal board 9 of the pallet's deck 8. The said locking is conveniently accomplished with the frame element 3, that is the upright post 13, tilted outward, by first locking the hook member 4 behind the supporting member 6 and by thereafter raising the frame element to the upright position, whereby the locking claw will be locked under the supporting shoulder 7. The next step is to connect the frame elements 3 mounted on both sides of the pallet 2 as has just been described, detachably with each other on the pallet's topside, for instance attaching the upright posts 13 of the frame elements to each other by connecting with each other the horizontal braces permanently joined to the upper ends of the posts, e.g. by a bolt, cotter pin or equivalent joint 18 known in itself in the art.
In Fig. 2 are seen the fastening components on the lower end of the frame element 3 according to Fig. 1, i.e., the hook member 4 and locking claw 5. The hook member 4 consists of a plate attached by welding to the upright post 13, having rectangular cross section, of the frame element 3, this plate having been shaped to have a flange-like U section with inverted vertical section. The hook member 4 has been attached by welding by one leg 17 of its U profile to the upright post 13, while the mid-portion 15 of the section together with its latter leg 16 forms a hook member 4 projecting to one side from the post and angulated downward. The locking claw 5 consists of a horizontal planar flange member welded to the post 13 above, and spaced from, the hook member 4. The hook member 4 and locking claw 5 are both aligned vertically, at a given distance from one margin of the upright post 13 in order to enable the post to be locked fast in register with the pallet's leg, with the hook member and locking claw to one side of the leg.
In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the frame element 3, that is the upright post 13, becomes locked to the load pallet in such manner that the hook member 4 hooks the lower end of the post over and behind the marginal foot board 12 of the load pallet 2, preventing any movement of the post downward and laterally, outward from the pallet. Furthermore, the locking claw 5 pushes in under the marginal board 9 of the pallet's deck 8, preventing the post 13 from rising upward. The post 13 finds support against the outer sides of said marginal foot board 12 and marginal board 9 of the deck 8, preventing all movement of the post parallel to the plane of the pallet 2.
In the embodiments depicted in Figs. 1-3, the hook member 4 has been disposed above the supporting member 6, the locking claw 5 being disposed on the opposite side of the supporting shoulder 7 with a view to providing complete support in the vertical direction to the frame element. Furthermore, in order to improve the fixing in the vertical direction, Fig. 3, the locking claw has been connected with the hook member by an intermediate brace for making them reinforce each other. The dimension of the locking claw at right angles away from the frame element 3 is less than the corresponding dimension of the hook member 4, and this enables the hook member to be locked, first behind the supporting member 6 with the post 13 in inclined position and thereafter the post to be turned upright with the locking claw against the supporting shoulder 7.

Claims

1. A load pallet frame to be detachably fastened to a load pallet (2), said frame comprising at least two frame elements (3) placeable on opposite sides of the pallet and joinable together, and said frame elements comprising a hook member (4) being disposed to project laterally and turn downward over the marginal foot board (12) of the pallet (2) to be locked therebehind, characterized in that every frame element (3) comprises a substantially horizontal planar flange-like locking claw (5), the dimension of which at right angles away from the frame element (3) being less than the corresponding dimension of the hook member (4), said locking claw (5) being spaced from the hook member (4) in the vertical direction to lock the frame element (3) to the pallet (2) in the upward direction fast against the underside of the marginal deck board (9).

2. A load pallet frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking claw (5) has been connected with the hook member (4) by an intermediate brace for making them reinforce each other.

3. A load pallet frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hook member (4) and locking claw (5) are both aligned vertically at a given distance from one margin of the upright post (13) of the frame element (3) in order to enable the post to be locked fast in register with the pallet's leg with the hook member (4) and the locking claw (5) to one side of the leg.