EP1454834A1

EP1454834A1 - Accessory device for a pallet

Info

Publication number: EP1454834A1
Application number: EP04075676A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tommy Johansen; Björn Enocsen
Original assignee: Cibell AB; Provent Maskin AB
Current assignee: Cibell AB; Provent Maskin AB
Priority date: 2003-03-07
Filing date: 2004-03-03
Publication date: 2004-09-08
Also published as: SE0300628L; SE0300628D0

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a load support for mounting on a pallet (1) and comprising support means for preventing displacement of a cargo resting on the pallet, as well as anchorage means for positionally fixing of the load support on the pallet. The anchorage means has a first engagement member (9) and a second engagement member (10) which are placed a distance from one another. The engagement members are disposed so as to grasp two separate boards/blocks (2,4) which are included in the pallet.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a load support for mounting on a pallet and comprising a support member for preventing unintentional displacement of a cargo resting on the pallet, and anchorage means for positionally fixing the load support on the pallet.

BACKGROUND ART

In industrial activities, goods are handled and loaded on pallets for transport or merely for warehousing. Such transport may be jerky, in which event the cargo can, on certain occasions, fall off the pallet. Pallets carrying goods can also serve as a work surface at a processing machine, where the pallet may be raised up to the requisite working height with the aid, for example, of an articulated jack, a fork-lift truck or the like, in which event the workforce can simply pick the goods for processing from the pallet, or lay out ready-processed goods.
A general problem in the storage of long and wide goods in industrial activities is that conventional pallets are too small, so that the goods sag down from the pallet and lie on the floor in storage, and also drag along the floor when being moved to a new position. This entails that the goods will be difficult to handle. In the worst case scenario, the goods may also be damaged.
In the technical area of pallets, many different sizes are employed, the commonest, standardised in Europe, being the Europallet, also designated the railway pallet, having a length of 1,200 mm and a width of 800 mm. If operations require other dimensions of the pallet, it is also possible to custom order other sizes with a greater length, for example the "two metre pallet", an extended Europallet. The "two metre pallet" is used when long goods or cargo projecting out beyond the transverse edges of the pallet are to be carried.
The drawback inherent in the extended "two metre pallet" is that it is not flexible, i.e. it takes up considerable space in warehousing, while awaiting use in the intended operations. It is also expensive to purchase, since it must be custom manufactured and also takes up considerable space on return transport.
A further auxiliary aid in the handling of goods in industrial activities is the pallet superstructure or pallet collar. These pallet collars are hooked on to the pallet and into one another, the construction building up vertically so that a circumferential wall is formed. The pallet collar is employed when the volume of the cargo is to be restricted and supported in the lateral direction when the cargo is stacked vertically so as not to be displaced out of position and fall off the pallet during transport.
The drawback inherent in the pallet collar is that it supports the cargo around all sides of the pallet collar, which entails that products that are larger in size than the pallet will not have room and will thus be positioned diagonally, which entails that the pallet cannot be loaded to its full payload. The pallet collar also takes up considerable spaced on warehousing and separate transport.
Finally, pallets are usually made of wood, which is a material of limited mechanical strength. In particular, it hardly withstands concentrated loading on point surfaces. Mechanical strength is particularly poor when the load is directed so that it tends to create cracks along the fibre direction of the wood.

PROBLEM STRUCTURE

The present invention has for its object to design the load support intimated by way of introduction such that it, applied on the pallet, increases the load carrying surface of the pallet with a large payload, or laterally supports the cargo so that the cargo is not unintentionally displaced. The present invention also has for its object to realise a load support for a pallet which is of economical construction and which is simple and convenient to mount on and dismount off the pallet. Finally, the present invention has for its object to design the load support so that, when carrying a cargo, it does not transfer to the pallet any large point loadings which could possibly damage the material of the pallet, or possibly break any boards or blocks included in the pallet.

SOLUTION

The objects forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the load support intimated by way of introduction is characterised in that the anchorage means include a first and a second engagement member which are located in spaced apart relationship from one another and disposed for engagement with two separate boards/blocks included in the pallet.
As a result of this design of the load support, the major advantage will b afforded that such loadings as are transferred from the load support to the pallet are transferred to two different components included in the pallet so that excessive loading on, for example, an individual board in the pallet will thereby be avoided.
In a first embodiment, according to the present invention, the load support is disposed to project out laterally from the pallet in order to constitute an enlargement area which increases the load carrying surface of the pallet.
As a result of this feature, the major advantage will be afforded that the above-considered "two metre pallets" hardly need to be used, but the larger load carrying surface can simply be achieved by employing the device according to the present invention.
In a second embodiment, according to the present invention, the load support is disposed to extend upwards from a side edge portion of the pallet, in order to constitute a side protection which prevents lateral displacement of a cargo resting on the pallet.
As a result of this feature, the major advantage will be afforded that pallet superstructures or collars can largely be dispensed with and a support function can be achieved on each side of the pallet independently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawings. In the accompanying Drawings:

Fig. 1: shows a first embodiment of the device according to the present invention applied along one longitudinal side and one short side of a pallet shown by broken lines;
Fig. 2: shows a second embodiment of the device according to the present invention applied along one longitudinal side and one short side of a pallet shown by broken lines;
Fig. 3: shows the two load supports according to Figs. 1 and 2, both disposed simultaneously on a pallet;
Fig. 4: shows yet another embodiment of a load support;
Fig. 5: shows a first alternative of the load support according to Fig. 4; and
Fig. 6: shows a second alternative of the load support according to Fig. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the description given below, use will be made of directional and positional disclosures. These relate to a state when a pallet rests on a substantially horizontal substrate.
In Fig. 1, broken lines intimate a wing pallet 1. It will be apparent from the Figure that the pallet 1 is constructed from longitudinal boards 2, deckboards, which serve as a substrate for the loaded cargo, and which are held together by transverse boards 3, generally known as stringers. The deckboards 2 and the stringers 3 together form the top deck of the pallet. The top deck is supported by blocks 4, at both the transverse and longitudinal sides of the top deck. The blocks 4 rest on longitudinal boards 5, bottom boards, which in turn rest on the ground or some other substrate.
Between the longitudinal boards 2, there are entries or spaces 6 in the top deck. These entries or spaces always have the same width and depth (equal to the thickness of the longitudinal boards 2), but also have the same positioning in the pallet.
The distance between the transverse boards or stringers 3 is also standardised, which also relates to the positioning of the blocks 4. The height of the blocks 4 is also standardised, for which reason the distance between the top boards 2 and the bottom boards 5 is always the same.
Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the load support. In this embodiment, the load support serves the function of an enlargement area which increases the load-carrying surface of the pallet 1. In order to achieve this, the load support is disposed to project out from the pallet 1 in the lateral direction and flush with its load-carrying surface.
The first embodiment of the load support according to the present invention has a first variation 7 which is designed for cooperation with the short side of the pallet 1, and a second variation 8 which is designed for cooperation with the longitudinal side of the pallet.
The load supports in the first and second variations 7 and 8, respectively, both have at least one, but preferably two anchorage means each, these anchorage means being intended for positionally fixing of the load support on the pallet 1. These anchorage means include first and second engagement members 9 and 10, respectively, which are located in spaced apart relationship to one another and disposed for engagement with two separate, spaced apart portions of the pallet, or preferably two separate boards/blocks included in the pallet.
As regards the first variation 7 of the load support, the first engagement members 9 are disposed for engagement with a transverse board or stringer 3 located at the short end of the pallet 1 and, in particular, with the inner edge of the board or stringer facing away from the peripheral edge of the pallet 1. The second engagement members 10 are located for engagement with an outer, peripheral side edge surface of the pallet 1, in particular with those blocks 4 that are located at both ends of the short side of the pallet, i.e. at a considerable distance from the first engagement members 9. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the second engagement members 10 are placed a distance in the vertical direction away from the first engagement members 9 and considerably lower than them.
The second variation 8 of the load support has its first engagement members 9 disposed for engagement with a longitudinal board 2 disposed along the one longitudinal side of the pallet, in particular with the edge of the board 2 facing away from the peripheral edge of the pallet 1. Correspondingly, the second variation 8 of the load support has the second engagement members 10 positioned for engagement with an outer, peripheral side edge surface of the pallet 1, in particular those blocks 4 that are located at opposing ends of the longitudinal side of the pallet. Finally, the second engagement members 10 are located a distance beneath the first engagement members 9 in the second variation 8 of the load support.
Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the load support according to the invention and, in this embodiment, the load support is disposed to extend upwards from a side edge portion of the pallet 1 in order to constitute a side protection which prevents lateral displacement of a cargo resting on the pallet. The first and second variations 7 and 8, respectively, of the load support illustrated in Fig. 2 are designed in analogy with that which was disclosed with reference to Fig. 1. Thus, the first variation 7 of the load support according to Fig. 2 is disposed for positioning at the short side of the pallet 1, while the second variation 8 of the load support according to Fig. 2 is positioned at the longitudinal side of the pallet. The load support according to Fig. 2 has first and second engagement members 9 and 10, respectively, fully in analogy with that which was disclosed with reference to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows the first and second embodiments with both of their variations 7 and 8, respectively, disposed on one and the same pallet 1.
Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the load support according to the invention. In this embodiment, the load support is designed as an enlargement area which is intended to increase the load-carrying surface of the pallet 1. The embodiment according to Fig. 4 is intended for positioning at the short sides of the pallet 1 and, therefore, corresponds to the first variation 7 of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.
The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 comprises two different alternatives, where the first alternative is shown to the left in Fig. 4 and in Fig. 6, while the second alternative is shown to the right in Fig. 4 and in Fig. 5. The two alternatives differ regarding the design of the first engagement members 9 of the load support.
A feature common to the two alternatives of the load support illustrated in Fig. 4 is that their support means i.e. their enlargement area has two mutually approximately parallel arms 11 which are disposed for accommodation in the spaces 6 which are formed at the short sides of the pallet 1 between adjacent pairs of longitudinal boards 2 located at the opposing longitudinal sides of the pallet.
In that the load support has the two mutually parallel arms 11 which are accommodated in the space 6 which is formed between adjacent, longitudinal boards in the top side of the pallet 1, the load support will be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the two arms 11. This implies that the load support can assume retracted positions where transverse parts 12 which interconnect the two arms 11 abut against the short sides of the pallet 1. In protracted positions, the arms 11 and the transverse parts 12 extend out a distance from the short sides of the pallet.
The arms 11 and the transverse part 12 together form the support means, i.e. the enlargement area. This is substantially planar and has an upper surface which lies substantially flush with the top, load-carrying surface of the pallet 1.
If the above-described displaceable feature in the longitudinal direction of the arms 11 is given lower priority, it is possible wholly or partly to provide the U-shaped arc which is formed by the arms 11 and the transverse part 12 with a supporting member of panel or lattice material, so that a cargo consisting of smaller parts can also be carried.
The first engagement members 9 are, in the alternative according to Fig. 4, disposed at the free ends of the arms 11 and include portions 13 which are disposed to abut from beneath against at least one of the longitudinal boards 2 which lie adjacent each side of the arms 11.
In the first alternative (shown to the left in Fig. 4 and in Fig. 6), these portions 13 abutting from beneath include bent end portions of the two arms 11. These portions extend downwards in the longitudinal direction of the space 6 and subsequently obliquely sidewards, transversely of this direction, whereby these bent end portions are located on the underside of the two longitudinal boards 2 which are disposed along opposing longitudinal edges of the pallet 1.
In that the two arms 11 are bent and, in the lowered position of use, fill out the space 6, the laterally projecting portions 13 are prevented from disengaging as long as the load support is located in this position of use.
The second alternative of the embodiment according to Fig. 4 (shown to the right in the Figure and in Fig. 5) displays plates projecting on the underside of the arms 11 and engaging from beneath with the longitudinal boards 2 in the top side of the pallet. Regarding the possibility of lateral displacement of the arms 11 and the plates, the same conditions apply as those described above.
The second engagement members 10 in the embodiment according to Fig. 4 are formed from portions of the arms 11 which are located a distance from the first engagement members 9 and which abut from above against the transverse board or stringer 3 disposed at the short side of the pallet 1, and preferably at the edge region of this board located at the peripheral edge of the pallet.
A fourth embodiment is conceivable by a modification of the embodiment according to Fig. 4, where the arms 11 are curved approximately 90° so that side supports would thereby be formed which extend upwards from that plane on the pallet which is intended for accommodating a cargo. Such a lateral support can be displaced so far towards the centre of the pallet 1 that it may be located wholly inside the peripheral edge of the pallet.
In the embodiment according to Fig. 4, the support means is formed from the two arms 11 and the transverse parts 12 and is in the form of a substantially U-shaped arc.
In the embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2, the support means includes a first and second arc 14 and 15, respectively, produced from rod or tube material. These arcs display substantially the same shape and support, at their free ends, the above-mentioned first and second engagement members 9 and 10, respectively. The arcs 14 and 15 are joined together to form a rigid unit and may possibly be wholly or partly provided with a covering panel or lattice material to prevent small parts from falling through.
As one alternative to the double, interconnected arcs 14 and 15, it is also possible to use a single arc (not shown on the Drawings) which is provided with both the first 9 and the second 10 engagement members.
In the first variation 7 of the embodiments according to Figs. 1 and 2, i.e. the variation which is intended for mounting on the short side of the pallet 1, the first arc 14 has tube- or rod sections 16 which are intended for accommodation in the spaces 6 which are formed between the longitudinal boards 2 located most proximal the two opposing longitudinal sides of the pallet. The transverse dimension or diameter of these tube- or rod-shaped sections 16 is equal to or slightly smaller than the thickness of the longitudinal boards 2, for which reason the above-mentioned sections 16 will be located beneath the top surface of the pallet and rest on the transverse boards or stringers 3 at the short sides of the pallet. At their free ends, the tube-or rod-shaped sections 16 display catches 17 which grasp about the edge portions of the transverse boards 3 along the short sides of the pallet facing towards the centre of the pallet.
The second arcs 15 which are placed on the outside of the first arcs 14 display the second engagement members 10 in the form of bent portions 18 which have ends that are disposed for abutment against side edge surfaces of those blocks 4 that are located at opposing ends of the short sides of the pallet.
When the first variations 7 of the embodiments according to Figs. 1 and 2 are placed under load, the catches 17 will be subjected to a tensile loading and, to some extent, a loading in an upward direction, while the bent portions 18 will exercise a compression loading against the blocks 4. Because of the distance between the catches 17 and the bent portions 18, the support means will be able to be placed under considerable load without the pallet being subjected to excessively concentrated point loadings. In particular, no loading occurs in the transverse board or stringer 3 of the pallet 1 which could risk cracking this board along the direction of its fibres. The upwardly directed forces from the catches 17 will be absorbed by the end regions of the longitudinal boards 2.
In the second variation 8 of the embodiments according to Figs. 1 and 2, the first arc 14 display, at its free shanks, platform-shaped sections 19 which, at their free ends, display catches 20. The platform-shaped sections 19 are intended to rest on the top side of the two longitudinal boards 2 which are disposed along opposing longitudinal sides of the pallet 1. The vertical extent of the platform-shaped sections 19 is slight, so that the pallet will, despite the presence of the platform-shaped sections 19, thereby still have a substantially planar load-carrying surface.
The outer ends of the platform-shaped sections 19 extend somewhat outside opposing longitudinal sides of the pallet 1 and are there united with the first arcs 14.
The second arcs 15 in the second variation 8 of the embodiments according to Figs. 1 and 2 are designed in analogy with the first variations 7 and consequently display bent portions 21 which are intended, under compression loading, to abut against the two blocks 4 that are located at opposing ends of the longitudinal sides of the pallet 1. The bent portions 21 are designed to abut against the blocks a distance from the abutment of the catches 20 against the longitudinal boards 2 and in particular a distance beneath them.
In order to permit mounting of the second variations 8 of the embodiments according to Figs. 1 and 2, it is important that the vertical extent of the catches 20 on the platform-shaped sections 19 is so slight that the catches can be moved down from above in the space 6 between adjacent longitudinal boards 2.
The loading on the catches 20 and the bent portions 21 will be analogous with that described above regarding the catches 20 and the bent portions 18.
It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that the distance between the outsides of the platform-shaped sections 19 is less than the distance between the inner edges of the transverse boards 3 located at the short ends of the pallet 1. However, the distance between the platform-shaped sections 19 should not be considerably less than the above-mentioned distance, but only be less than it a sufficient amount to permit convenient mounting of the second variations 8 of the support means without these being excessively displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the pallet.
In the first variation 7 of the support means according to Figs. 1 and 2, these are positionally fixed by the accommodation of the tube- or rod-shaped sections 16 in the space 6 between adjacent longitudinal boards 2. In both variations, the distances between the bent portions 18 and the bent portions 21, respectively, are greater than the distance between the catches 17 and 20, respectively.

Claims

A load support for mounting on a pallet and comprising a support member for preventing unintentional displacement of a cargo resting on the pallet (1), and anchorage means for positionally fixing the load support on the pallet, characterised in that the anchorage means include a first (9) and a second (10) engagement member which are located in spaced apart relationship from one another and disposed for engagement with two separate boards/blocks (2, 3, 4) included in the pallet.
The load support as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the load support is, in a first variation (7), disposed to extend out from the pallet (1) laterally in order to constitute an enlargement area which increased the load-carrying surface of the pallet.
The load support as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the upper side of the enlargement area is located substantially flush with the load-carrying surface of the pallet (1).
The load support as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the load support is, in a second variation (8), disposed to extend upwards from a side edge portion of the pallet (1) in order to constitute a lateral protection which prevents lateral displacement of a cargo resting on the pallet.
The load support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the first engagement member (9) is a catch (17, 20) which is disposed for engagement with an edge portion of a board (2, 3) included in the pallet and turned to face away from the peripheral edge of the pallet (1) and extending along the peripheral edge thereof.
The load support as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that the catch (20) is disposed at the free, first end of a platform profile (19) of slight extent in the vertical direction, said platform profile being disposed to rest on the upper side of a board (2) disposed along the peripheral edge of the pallet (1) and connected, with its other end, to the support means.
The load support as claimed in any of Claims 5 or 6, characterised in that the distance between the sides of two catches (20) disposed on a support means and facing away from one another is slightly less than the inner distance between boards/blocks (3, 4) disposed along the short sides of the pallet.
The load support as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that the catch (17) is disposed at the free, first end of a tube- or rod-shaped section (16), said tube- or rod-shaped section being connected to the support means with its other end.
The load support as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that two tube- or rod-shaped sections (16) disposed on a support means are disposed for accommodation in the spaces (6) between the longitudinal boards (2) of the pallet located most proximal the longitudinal sides of the pallet (1).
The load support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the second engagement member (10) is an abutment member (18, 21) which is disposed for abutment against an external side edge surface (4) of the pallet.
The load support as claimed in Claim 10, characterised in that the portion of the abutment (18, 21) intended for abutment against the side edge surface is located a distance beneath the first engagement member (9).
The load support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the support means includes two substantially mutually uniform and mutually interconnected arcs (14, 15) of tube- or rod material, the one (14) arc displaying the first engagement member (9), while the second arc (15) displays the second engagement member (10).
The load support as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that the arcs (14, 15) are substantially planar.
The load support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the support means displays two mutually approximately parallel arms (11) which are disposed for accommodation in the spaces (6) which, at the short sides of the pallet (1), are formed between adjacent pairs of longitudinal boards (2) located at opposing longitudinal sides of the pallet.
The load support as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that the first engagement member (9) is disposed at the free ends of the arms (11) and includes portions (13) which abut from beneath against at least one of the longitudinal boards (2) included in each pair.
The load support as claimed in Claim 14 or 15, characterised in that the second engagement members (10) are formed from those portions of the arms (11) which are located a distance from the free ends and which abut from above against a transverse board (3) disposed at the short side of the pallet (1), preferably the edge region thereof located at the peripheral edge of the pallet.