EP0706949A1 - Device for maintaining and sustaining of a load on a support - Google Patents

Abstract

The support system uses a series of reversible triangular wedges (7), made from a material with a degree of elasticity. Both upper and lower surfaces of the wedges have locking heels to engage with the surface of the pallet (2). The wedges can be made from a relatively rigid thermoplastic or thermo-setting material, or from natural or synthetic fibres embedded in a matrix of a thermo-setting resin, or from wood particles compressed in a resin. The upper and lower surfaces of the wedges are slightly concave in shape and the locking heels on opposite sides can be of different heights.

Description

The present invention relates to a device intended to support and wedge in position a load on a support, constituted in particular by a standard standardized pallet as well as, more generally, by a horizontal planar support element, and applies to preferably immobilizing a coil or drum with a circular section for winding cables, films or other materials, or a similar large cylindrical assembly, for handling and / or sound storage.

The invention is not however limited to such a precise application, even if it is in this case that it provides decisive advantages, but can also be envisaged for wedging and supporting on any flat support surface, arranged horizontally , a load resting on this surface and having a convex external profile with a vertical plane of symmetry, such as in particular a spherical or other element, the section of which is not necessarily circular.

Similarly, if the invention is more specifically designed to be implemented with a standard type pallet, comprising a horizontal plate formed of longitudinal parallel slats, at constant spacing, nailed or otherwise fixed to also parallel cross members, extending substantially in the plane of the plate in a direction perpendicular to that of the slats, resting moreover on ground support pads mounted under the crosspieces, the dimensions respectively in length and in width of the slats and of the crosspieces being a function of those of load to stall and bear, it should be understood that other types of support could be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, provided that they can accommodate, between the support and the load, one or more elements performing the lateral blocking of the load, in accordance with the characteristics of the invention.

Pallets or supports of this kind, adapted to immobilize and carry cylindrical coils of large dimensions and significant weight, must so far be provided with support cradles which are integral with these supports and marry in part the outer shape of the reel to wedge to support it from below.

As a general rule, these assemblies must be reusable, which requires the transporter and the user to manage a high number of pallets, each one having to be arranged according to the specific characteristics of the support cradles of the reels to be handled and stored, d 'where a considerable increase in their cost price.

Furthermore, the storage of these pallets and of the cradles which they comprise is difficult because of their bulk, which further increases the investments necessary to have a useful range which can be adapted to all sizes of reels capable of being transported. and stored.

To avoid these storage difficulties, provision could be made to use support cradles capable of being destroyed after each use, the pallets proper, with a horizontal surface, which can then be easily stacked and reused. But in addition to the fact that this method is very expensive, it comes up against the increasingly strict constraints imposed by legislation, concerning the disposal of industrial waste.

The present invention relates to a wedging device which avoids these drawbacks, in particular by allowing the use of standard pallets, of a reduced cost price, easily stackable, which considerably simplifies their storage and reduces the cost thereof. , this device can be very easily adapted to loads of variable weight and dimensions from one to the other, without having to modify the support pallet itself.

Furthermore, this device can be easily made of an inexpensive material, in particular recyclable, which increases the economy of the system, allowing easy manufacture, such a material also considerably reducing the weight and size of the device itself.

To this end, the device considered, intended to adapt to a flat support comprising a horizontal upper face for receiving and supporting a load, which has a vertical plane of symmetry, is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of reversible shims, the section of which by a plane perpendicular to the support comprises a generally triangular shape, made of a material having a relative elasticity against a crushing force under the weight of the load, each shim comprising a pointed tapered part, capable of being arranged in the manner of a wedge between the horizontal face of the support and the lower surface of the external profile of the load and at least one self-locking heel, provided opposite its tapered part towards the outside of the wedge, this heel being able to cooperate with a stop stop formed in the upper face of the support, the wedges being preferably associated two by two opposite, on either side of the plane of symmetry vertical, in order to take up the forces exerted on these wedges by the support of the load.

In a preferred embodiment, the shims are made by means of a relatively rigid plastic material but nevertheless having a certain capacity for crushing under the weight of the load.

In particular, the material used can be low density polyethylene. As a variant, however, other equivalent materials can be envisaged, such as fiber composites, natural or synthetic, embedded and dispersed in a matrix of a thermosetting resin. Also, the material of the shims can be constituted by particles of wood agglomerated by a resin and compressed.

The shims can be produced by any process which is in itself conventional, in particular by molding, with or without compression, or by extrusion, or even by machining a block previously formed, by cutting, milling or other.

According to a particular characteristic, each of the opposite lateral faces of each wedge has a self-locking heel, the depth of the heels preferably being different on one and the other of the two faces, so that the positioning and blocking of the wedge can be made in two distinct positions according to the heel which cooperates with the stop stop of the support.

Also preferably, the lateral faces of the wedge each have a profile having a slightly curved concave, so as to partially match that of the external surface of the load, following the limited deformation and crushing of this wedge under the weight of the latter. Depending on the case, the curvatures of the faces of the wedge can be identical or different, to adapt to loads of profiles that are also identical or different.

According to various variants, the wedges can be monobloc and solid or even be made by means of two removable elements, having a common junction plane according to which these elements adapt to each other, delimiting between them, the center of the hold, a hollowed out area.

In this latter embodiment and according to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the two removable elements respectively comprise, in line with the tapered part and the heel, connecting means ensuring their assembly.

Advantageously, these connecting means can be constituted by a projecting rib provided in one of the elements and cooperating with a groove in the other or vice versa.

Alternatively, the connecting means consist of pins or keys, arranged or extending along the width of the wedge.

According to yet another characteristic, the two elements of the wedge comprise, in their internal surface facing the hollowed-out area and along the width of this wedge, a plurality of parallel stiffening ribs extending longitudinally between the tapered part and the heel self-locking.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention where the flat support is constituted by a pallet comprising longitudinal slats joined by perpendicular crosspieces, the self-locking heel of each wedge is adapted to cooperate with the edge of one of the slats, to immobilize the wedge in position.

Finally and according to another advantageous characteristic, the shims can include different colors to facilitate their differentiation according to their dimensions and their adaptation to each type of load as a function of the weight and the bulk thereof.

• La Figure 1 est une vue en coupe transversale d'un premier mode de réalisation, mettant en oeuvre une palette de support de type connu, sur laquelle repose une charge de forme générale cylindrique, par l'intermédiaire de cales réalisées selon l'invention.
• La Figure 2 est une vue en coupe d'une pile formée par la superposition de plusieurs palettes, telle que celle représentée sur la Figure 1, après retrait de la charge et des cales de blocage.
• La Figure 3 est une vue extérieure, de côté, à plus grande échelle d'une cale de blocage selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention.
• La Figure 4 est une vue analogue à la Figure 3 d'une cale de blocage selon une variante d'exécution.
• La Figure 5 est une vue en coupe transversale d'un des deux éléments constituant la cale illustrée sur la Figure 4.
• La Figure 6 est une vue de dessus de l'élément de cale représenté sur la Figure 5.
• Les Figures 7 et 8 sont des vues analogues aux Figures 5 et 6 d'une autre variante.
• Les Figures 9 et 10 illustrent encore une autre variante.
• La Figure 11 est une vue de dessus, à échelle légèrement plus réduite de la palette de la Figure 1, montrant la répartition des cales sous la charge.
• La Figure 12 illustre une autre mode de réalisation, plus particulièrement adapté au support d'une charge de forme sphérique et non plus cylindrique.

Other characteristics of a device for setting a load on a support, established in accordance with the invention, will become more apparent from the following description of several exemplary embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. on which ones :

• Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment, implementing a known type of support pallet, on which rests a load of generally cylindrical shape, by means of shims produced according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of a stack formed by the superposition of several pallets, such as that shown in Figure 1, after removal of the load and blocking shims.
• Figure 3 is an external side view, on a larger scale of a blocking block according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a blocking block according to an alternative embodiment.
• Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of one of the two elements constituting the wedge illustrated in Figure 4.
• Figure 6 is a top view of the wedge element shown in Figure 5.
• Figures 7 and 8 are views similar to Figures 5 and 6 of another variant.
• Figures 9 and 10 illustrate yet another variant.
• Figure 11 is a top view, on a slightly reduced scale of the pallet of Figure 1, showing the distribution of the shims under the load.
• Figure 12 illustrates another embodiment, more particularly suitable for supporting a load of spherical shape and no longer cylindrical.

In Figure 1, we have schematically designated, under the reference 1, a load which in the embodiment considered has a circular section. Such a load may in particular consist of a coil or a drum for winding cables, films or other similar materials, or by any assembly having a similar profile, with notable dimensions and a high weight.

The load 1 is provided to rest on a support 2, intended to allow its maintenance, either for the storage of the load on the ground 3, or for its handling and transport.

Advantageously, the support 2 is constituted by a standardized pallet, which very generally comprises parallel slats 4 suitably spaced from one another and extending along the length of the support to form a horizontal support surface at skeleton, these slats being held in position by means of crosspieces 5 disposed substantially in the plane of the bearing surface under the slats, these crosspieces being secured to the latter by any appropriate means, in particular by nails or screws if the slats and crosspieces are formed by wooden planks, or by welding when the support elements are metallic.

The bearing surface of the load 1 thus formed by the slats and the crosspieces extends parallel to the ground 3, slightly above the latter thanks to the installation of studs 6 suitably distributed under the support along the sides and the central part of it.

The support 2 thus produced is in itself well known in the art and has the advantage of allowing easy stacking of the corresponding pallets in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 2, the user or the carrier thus being able to use d 'a high number of such pallets, without the need to have a considerable storage space for the latter.

On the other hand, these pallets are not adapted in the state to the support of the load 1 which, placed as it is on the horizontal support surface of the support, is not maintained and balanced.

As already indicated, the conventional solution consists, to overcome this drawback, to fix on the top of the support of the load support cradles, shaped to support the latter on part of its periphery and prevent it from moving laterally. However, these cradles are bulky and make it difficult, if not impossible, to stack the pallets on top of each other, the cradles necessary to constitute a sufficiently large and complete range to adapt to loads of different dimensions, not allowing the pallets to be superimposed properly, so that the storage of the latter quickly poses space problems which can have significant financial consequences.

The invention consists, under these conditions, of using, in combination with a support 2, in particular consisting of a standard pallet as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, wedges for immobilizing the load 1, designated under the reference 7 and whose profile is more particularly detailed in Figures 3 to 9 according to various alternative embodiments.

These wedges 7, of generally triangular shape, are in particular adapted to engage under the load 1 between the latter and the upper face of the pallet constituting the support 2, by being shaped so as to conform locally to the external profile of the load. in order to support the latter, while comprising immobilization and blocking means with respect to the support.

In the example considered, considered purely for information, these shims are associated in pairs, facing each other as shown in Figure 1, so as to prevent any lateral movement of the load 1 once that -this implementation, the immobilization of the latter can be perfect if necessary but not necessarily essential, by means of an external strap A which is therefore not part of the invention, this strap being provided with a suitable tensioning member B, of the turnbuckle type or the like, the ends of the strap being secured to the sides of the pallet so as to allow the load to be clamped from the outside.

When the load 1 is removed from the support 2 to be transported and put in place in a suitable place, the shims 7 can be easily detached from the support and stored separately, the pallet being able to be placed on its side on the stack of the other pallets available as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 3 illustrates on a larger scale the detail of the realization of one of the wedges 7 thus implemented in a first embodiment, in which this shim consists of a solid block 8 of an appropriate material, Figures 4 to 9 referring to similar shims but hollowed out.

In all these variants, the shim is preferably obtained by pressure molding or injection of a thermoplastic or thermosetting material. In particular, it can be made of low density polyethylene or the like and optionally include reinforcing fibers, natural or synthetic.

Other materials, composite or not, can of course be used, the shims can for example be made from wood particles agglomerated by a resin, compressed and molded. One can also plan to form the shims from a block of the material under consideration, then to machine the latter to give it the desired profile.

Whatever the material chosen, the wedge thus produced must have a relative rigidity sufficient to withstand the force due to the load 1 when the latter is in place on its support, however combined with a limited crushing capacity, allowing the wedge in this situation to partially marry the outer contour of this load.

Advantageously, the shims 7 can be made with a virgin raw material or, preferably, recycled, in particular of the cable waste type or the like, these shims, whatever their manufacturing method, can be easily stored for later use, possibly renewable. from one charge to another, or else be destroyed or undergo recycling after use, their volume remaining in all cases relatively limited.

Each wedge 7 has a tapered portion 9 at a point, adapted to be housed in the narrowest part of the space provided between the load and the support, and on the opposite, a front portion 10 forming the base of the triangle formed by the wedge in its section by a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder of the load.

In its lateral sides, each wedge further comprises a heel, respectively 11a and 11b, formed in one and the other of these sides, these heels being arranged so as to produce the self-locking of the wedge with respect to the support 2, by coming to cooperate with the lateral edge 12 forming a stop of one of the slats 4 constituting the horizontal plate of the pallet to immobilize it in position and allow, when the load 1 is supported on this wedge, to partially transfer to the support the forces exerted by the weight of the latter.

Each heel 11a and 11b is delimited by an open notch provided in the surface of the wedge. Preferably, the length of these notches and the corresponding arrangement of the heels 11a and 11b is not identical on one or the other of the two sides of the wedge, so that, the latter being reversible, it is that is to say being able to be turned over on itself, the stop 12 which cooperates with the corresponding heel allows a lateral adjustment of the wedge according to the dimensions and the proper profile of the load 1.

In its lateral sides, the shim 7 has an external curvature, respectively 13a and 13b, slightly concave and suitable for being applied more or less tightly against the external profile of the load 1, the relative elasticity of the material of this shim allowing it , due to its limited crushing, to deform slightly and to come into contact over most of its surface against the external wall of the load.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the wedge 7 shown is no longer formed, as in the example of Figure 3, by means of a solid block of the material used, but of two substantially symmetrical elements, respectively 14a and 14b, delimiting between them a hollow area 15, facilitating the partial crushing of the wedge under the effect of the point of the load 1.

In this variant, the two parts are joined to one another according to a plane of symmetry 16 in line with the tapered part 9 of the wedge and comprise mutual connecting means in their front part 10, in particular formed by a rib 17 coming from manufacture with the first element 14a for example, engaging in a groove opposite 18 of the other element 14b.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate, respectively in cross section and in top view, the structure of one of the two elements of the wedge 7 according to the variant of Figure 4, this element comprising in particular a veil 19, advantageously provided in its running part between the end parts 9 and 10, of a plurality of longitudinal stiffening ribs 20, making it possible both to lighten the volume and to improve the mechanical strength of the wedge, in particular with regard to the forces compression due to the load 1 when the latter is placed on the support 2.

The production of the means for assembling the two elements 14a and 14b of the wedge 7 can of course correspond to numerous variants, of which Figures 7 to 9 illustrate examples which have no limiting character in themselves.

Thus, in FIGS. 7 and 8, the two elements 14a and 14b of the wedge may comprise, in the joint plane 16 in line with the tapered part 9 thereof, a pin 21, capable of penetrating into a blind housing 22 of the facing element, likewise the rib 17 and the groove 18 can in turn comprise a housing 23 and a pin 24, which can be reversed if necessary, the pin being provided on the rib and the housing in the bottom of the groove.

In another variant according to Figures 9 and 10, the assembly of the two elements of the wedge is achieved by the penetration of a projecting plate 25 in one of them, cooperating with a counterbore 26 on the other in the tapered part 9, the rib 27 and the groove 28 provided in the opposite part 10 comprising complementary interlocking profiles 29 and 30.

Figure 11 shows the relative distribution of the locking wedges on the support 2 for immobilizing the load 1 when the latter has a cylindrical profile with circular section.

As already specified, the shims 7 are used here in pairs, respectively in pairs, 7a-7b, 7c-7d, 7e-7f and 7g-7h, these shims thus being, in this example, eight in number and distributed according to the length of the load to support the latter in a suitably balanced manner, in the transverse direction as in the longitudinal direction. Each of the holds is self-locked against the pallet plate by cooperation of one of its heels (here 11b) with the edge 12 of the support forming a stop. In addition, these shims can possibly be made with different colors so as to distinguish them more easily, in particular as a function of the dimensions of the load to be propped up and to be supported.

In the variant according to Figure 12, the support 70 is more particularly adapted to carry a load 80 of generally spherical profile. In this case, the shims 90 are also represented eight in number and again assembled in pairs, two by two facing each other, respectively 90a-90b, 90c-90d, 90e-90f and 90g-90h, but arranged in a circle around the vertical axis of the load to regularly support and stall the latter according to the same principle. Each wedge comprises in particular a heel 91, the support having a stopper 92 cooperating with this heel to self-lock the various wedges under load.

A wedging device is thus produced for a load of given profile, preferably cylindrical with circular section but which can be different as long as it comprises at least one vertical plane of symmetry making it possible to accommodate between the load and the plane support of the holds self-locking devices according to the invention, preferably associated two by two and immobilized in position relative to the support.

The wedges thus used can be easily reused after each use, easily stored in the meantime, or even if necessary recycled.

The nature of the material which constitutes these wedges allows them to play a role of shock absorber for the load which they support, thanks to their faculty of crushing limited under the weight of the latter and to the curvature of their face in contact with the charge that they can marry locally without deforming or even damaging it. Preferably, for heavy loads, use full shims according to Figure 3; for smaller loads, we may prefer hollowed shims having in principle a better ability to deform locally to more closely follow the curvature of the external surface of the corresponding load.

These wedges are moreover easily produced so as to have heels which can be offset from one with respect to the other along their lateral sides, so that, by simply reversing these wedges, the center distance can be modified which separates them, determined by the spacing of the stops provided on the support and which cooperates with these heels.

Of course, and as already follows from the above, it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, on the contrary it embraces all the variants coming within the scope thereof. of the appended claims.

In particular, in these examples, it is more especially provided that the shims, placed under the load and against the support, were associated two by two opposite, to better distribute the forces exerted on them. However, and also according to other arrangements, it is possible not to place these shims in pairs but to offset them laterally one relatively with respect to the other, along the axis of the load when the latter is cylindrical or by distributing them. differently, for example three by three under a load of spherical shape in particular.

The invention is therefore not limited to a particular assembly but more directly targets the shim itself and its use, regardless of the number of such shims used and the way in which they are arranged under the load.

Claims (14)

Device for supporting and wedging a load (1) on a flat support (2) comprising a horizontal upper face for receiving and supporting this load, which has a vertical plane of symmetry, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of shims (7), reversible, the section of which by a plane perpendicular to the support has a generally triangular shape, made of a material having a relative elasticity against a crushing force under the weight of the load, each shim comprising a tapered point portion (9), capable of being arranged in the manner of a wedge between the horizontal face of the support and the lower surface of the external profile of the load and at least one self-locking heel (11a, llb) , provided opposite its tapered part towards the outside of the wedge, this heel being adapted to cooperate with a stopper (12) formed in the upper face of the support, the wedges being preferably but not n necessarily associated two by two opposite each other, on either side of the vertical plane of symmetry, in order to take the forces exerted on the wedges by the support of the load. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shims (7) are made by means of a relatively rigid thermoplastic or thermosetting material but nevertheless having a certain capacity for crushing under the weight of the load. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the shim material used is in particular low density polyethylene, or a composite of fibers, natural or synthetic, embedded and dispersed in a matrix of a thermosetting resin, or also consists of particles of wood agglomerated by a resin and compressed. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the opposite lateral faces of each wedge (7) has a self-locking heel (11a, 11b), the depth of the heels preferably being different on the one and the other of the two faces, so that the positioning and the blocking of the wedge can be carried out in two distinct positions according to the heel which cooperates with the stopper (12) of the support (2). Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lateral faces of the wedge each have a profile (13a, 13b) comprising a slightly concave curvature, so as to partially match that of the external surface of the load (1), following the limited deformation and crushing of this wedge under the weight of it (1). Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the curvatures of the faces of the wedge (7) are identical or different, to adapt to loads of profiles also identical or different. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the wedges (7) are in one piece and full. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the shims (7) are produced by means of two removable elements (14a, 14b), presenting a common junction plane according to which these elements adapt to each other. to one another, by delimiting between them, in the center of the hold, a hollowed-out area (15). Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the two removable elements (14a, 14b) comprise respectively, in line with the tapered part (9) and the heel (11a, 11b), connecting means ensuring their assembly. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the connecting means consist of a projecting rib (17) provided in one of the elements and cooperating with a groove (18) on the other or vice versa. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the connecting means consist of pins or keys. Device according to any one of Claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the two elements (14a, 14b) of each wedge (7) have, in their internal surface facing the hollowed-out area (15) and along the width of this wedge, a plurality of parallel stiffening ribs (20) extending longitudinally between the tapered part (9) and the self-locking heel (11a, 11b). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flat support (2) consists of a pallet comprising longitudinal slats (4) joined by perpendicular crosspieces (5). Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the shims (7) have different colors to facilitate their differentiation according to their dimensions and their adaptation to each type of load as a function of the weight and the size of this one.

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