FR2490189A1 - Clip-on foot for pallet-board - has U=section foot with square S=section leg which houses onto inner stiffening plank and onto edges of board opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The clip-on foot (10) raises a pallette (13) or a cardboard box off the floor to aid handling by a fork-lift truck. It comprises a stiffening key (17) and a clip (11) of an approximate 'U' section. The top of each leg (12) of the clip incorporates two super-imposed housing grooves (14,15) which are perpendicular to the vertical axis (16) of clip symmetry. The legs flex elastically in the lateral sense for the top groove (15) to engage the edges (13a) of an opening in the palette (13) or the base of the box, the remaining grooves (14) housing onto the edges of a key which is slidably inserted. The key (17) locks the clip (11) in place to reinforce the palette (13), and the clip may be compounded of 'U' (12a) and 'V' sections (12b) with a basal neck hinge (21).

Description

The subject of the invention is a device intended to be placed
and fixed to the base of a load in order to raise it in order to allow
including the passage of forks and handling equipment.

The invention applies more specifically but not
exclusively for handling pallets and cardboard containers.

It is advisable, before approaching the main provisions
of the device according to the invention, to recall some of the solutions
techniques which have been proposed to constitute bases, studs or
stirrups for pallets or containers.

First of all, we know from the French patent 1,594,266
requested on December 19, 1968, different types of legs could
8tre fixed directly under the bottom of a load in the form
roll or box.

In a first embodiment, the base consists
a profile, open at its ends, with an omega or U profile, fixed to the
bottom of the load, in particular by strapping. This embodiment which
finds application to solid loads such as wooden crates and
rigid packages, cannot be used on cardboard containers or pallets,
because this material has mechanical resistance characteristics
which do not allow to absorb the effects of point loads that it
undergoes when it rests loaded on legs
In a second embodiment of this earlier patent,
we proposed, as a base, studs, wedge-shaped,
adapting to the corresponding corner of the containers, these studs being formed
a triangular plate bordered on its two sides at right angles to vertical embankment edges.

These narrow banks, two of which form support lines
on the ground, prohibit stacking of cardboard containers due to their
punching effect under load.

These known bases are therefore of use limited to solid and rigid loads, and consequently have no function of load distribution and reinforcement of load-bearing wall
We also contact other types of legs and in particular a profile specially designed for cardboard containers or pallets.

This section of generally parallelepipedal section extends over the entire length of the bottom of the package, container or pallet, and its fixing is obtained by gluing. A foot is thus obtained which reinforces the considered cardboard bottom which becomes capable of supporting a load given the distribution effect provided by these stands. However, experience shows that this design has drawbacks, the main ones of which are the following: absence of locking of the continuous legs on the cardboard base, diva
possibility of takeoff during handling when a torque effect
is transmitted to the profile, when the load is placed by a
handling, which causes detachment of this base,
- elimination of the entries of handling forks on two sides
container or pallet, - high consumption of expensive raw material to constitute
these continuous legs
reinforcement effect based on section samples
of the profile.

 We also know, for cardboard containers or pallets made of wooden slats, gratings, elevation studs of generally cylindroconical shape, fixed to cardboard or wood by a catch lip. These known studs are satisfactory for transport of light loads on cardboard or wooden support, but the division of the distribution of the load on studs has no reinforcing effect on the spaces which separate these studs so that one remains dependent on the sole resistance of the cardboard or wood support which constitutes the load receiving plane.

 There is therefore a strong need for an original device which provides a solution to the limitations of the aforementioned legs and which is capable of being fully adopted by the users, by increasing the carrying power of the containers or cardboard pallets, without reducing their ability to handling with forklift devices, which is quick and easy to attach to said containers and pallets and which allows the creation of individual loads grouped on the same device to reach with packages whose dimensions are sub-multiples of transport and handling, assemblies with the dimensions of these standardized standards. The present invention meets this need.

 To this end, the invention relates to a device for handling, transporting and storing loads, in particular for making up pallets and palletizable cardboard containers, device characterized in that it comprises, on the one hand, - a profile in the general shape of a U forming a base open at its two transverse ends, the wings of this profile being organized so as to be able to be brought towards each other by elastic deformation and to each present two superimposed grip grooves, perpendicular to the vertical axis of symmetry of the U, one upper for fixing the base to a support, with horizontal insertion passage open on the external face of the profile, the other lower, with horizontal introduction passage open on the face internal of the profile, on the other hand, - a key for strengthening the support wall of the support equipped with this device, capable of being inserted by sliding into a channel receiving the profile formed by the two lower grooves opposite open passage on the internal face of the profile to, on the one hand, immobilize by locking the wings of the profile in the mounting position on the support wall of the support considered, on the other hand, to reinforce said support wall over the entire length of the bearing face of this key in contact with this wall.

 The salivating device of the invention provides a series of advantages, in particular the following.

 Thanks to this arrangement, it is possible to constitute, for the same load support, the fixing of four identical legs, aligned two by two, at least two aligned legs being locked to the support by the same key which gives this support the properties of mechanical resistance of the key which add to those of the material of which this support is made. This arrangement makes it possible, by the increase in resistance thus obtained, to unexpectedly widen in particular the field of use of cardboard containers and pallets.

 Another advantage of this new base architecture is that it effectively allows the creation of individual loads grouped by the same carrier device. In this case, several packages of the same dimensions carrying base profiles according to the invention are reinforced and assembled together by a single key which successively locks the aligned bases of several load carriers.

 The device according to the invention is easier and quicker to assemble than the front legs, since it suffices only to bring the wings of the profile together to introduce it into a cutout made in the bottom of the support in question, to release the approximation pressure so that the fixing grooves penetrate with engagement on said support.

 It will also be noted that this embodiment requires a minimum of noble raw material, the profile being obtained in particular by extrusion, cut to the desired length, the locking key of at least two profiles being able to be made of less noble material but nevertheless very resistant like for example a wooden batten.

 According to an arrangement of the invention, the profile is formed from the combination of a nested U and a V, the edge of the Votant centered in the connecting part of the branches of the U, the lateral branches of this V crossing the lateral branches of this U so as to form, on either side of this crossing, boxes inscribed in a triangle.

 Thanks to this arrangement, a very rigid, light profile is obtained, capable of supporting vertical loads.

 According to another arrangement, the intersection of the edge of the V with the connecting part of the branches of the U forms a hinge hinge which allows the lateral branches of the profile to be brought together by elastic deformation.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description below of an embodiment of the invention given here by way of example in a non-limiting application to cardboard containers and pallets, this embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing, in the assembled state, the structural characteristics of the device.

 Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the application of the device to a cardboard container.

 Figure 3 is an elevational view showing the constitution of a set of several packages using the same device.

 According to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device for handling, transporting and storing loads is designated by the general reference 10. This raising device for containers or for trays of the pallet type handling, is in the general form of a U-shaped open at its two transverse ends. In this profile, there is a bottom portion fl and two side wings 12.

 The lateral wings are organized so as to be able to be brought closer to one another, by elastic deformation, so as to be able to penetrate, thanks to this deformation, between the edges of a cutout formed in the bottom part 13 of a container or a pallet-like load tray.

 In the embodiment of Figure 1, said bottom portion 13 is made of cardboard, because it is with this raw material that the device according to the invention provides the most advantages.

 According to an arrangement of the invention, the wings 12 of the profile are made to have two superimposed grip grooves, respectively 14, 15. These grooves are oriented perpendicular to the vertical axis of symmetry 16 of the profile. The upper groove 15, for fixing the profile forming a base on a support such as 13, has a horizontal introduction passage with a passage opening directed on the external face of the wing 12 of the profile, and a bottom part isa directed towards the vertical axis of symmetry 16 of the profile. The groove 14, disposed immediately below the level of the groove 15, has a horizontal insertion passage open on the internal face of the profile and a bottom portion 14a disposed at immediate vicinity of the lateral wing 12 of the profile.

 The two opposite grooves 14 define, immediately below the grip grooves 15, a housing having the general shape of a reception slide for a key 17 cooperating with the present profile, on the one hand to reinforce the bottom part 13, on the other hand to lock the profile zenle in its mounting position, between the sides 13a, 13b of the aforementioned cutout.

 It should be noted that the distance dl which separates the bottom parts 15a from the grooves 15 is smaller than the distance d2 which separates the bottom parts 14a from the grooves 14. It is understood that by this arrangement1 when the key 17 has been introduced by sliding into the receiving channel of the profile formed by the two facing grooves 14, said profile is locked, the wings 12 of the profile can no longer be brought together, which guarantees the immobilization of the grip grooves 15 on the edges 13a , 13b of the receiving cutout in the support 13.

 According to a preferred, preferred embodiment, the profile 10 is formed of two complementary profiles, respectively 12a, 12b. The profile 12a, has the general shape of a U, the rectilinear lateral branches of which have a small opening angle, between the connecting part II and their free end. Profile 12b takes the form of a V with rectilinear wings, the edge 12c of this V being centered in the connection part II of the branches of the U-shaped profile. The lateral branches of the V-shaped profile intersect the branches of the U-shaped profile , which means that the combined profile 10, on either side of the crossing point 10a of the profiles 12a, 12b, two boxes respectively 18, 19, inscribed in a triangle.

The wings of the V-shaped section 12b extend to the level of the support lip 15b of the grip groove 15, which makes it possible to form a third box 20, also inscribed in a triangle, located between the bottom parts 14a , grooves 14, and the end 12b 'of the wings of the V-shaped profile.

 In this particular geometry, the three superimposed triangular boxes have for common hypotenuse one of the wings of the V-shaped profile. This combined structure is particularly rigid, can have relatively thin walls without drawback, and can be produced without difficulty by extrusion.

 It will also be noted that, the edge 12c of the V-shaped profile, with the connecting part read from the branches of the U-shaped profile, a hinge hinge 21 which allows the lateral branches of the profile 10 to be brought together by elastic deformation, this characteristic applying to the mounting of the device as for example in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

 In this application, the device is mounted on the bottom part 23 of a cardboard container 22. The bottom part has as many cutouts 24 as there are devices forming legs. These cutouts as shown, are preferably rectangular, one of the small sides of these cutouts, being arranged in line with one of the vertical walls 22a, of the container. This particular method of assembly allows on the one hand to work on edge the wall 22a directly above a base, and on the other hand, not to hide more or less the base under the bottom part of the container. , thanks to which we considerably improve, for the forklift driver, the visualization of the legs, which, of course, notably facilitates the operations of picking up or removing containers. Figure 2 shows the simplicity of mounting the device which consists, firstly, of bringing the wings of the profile together so as to bring the entries of the fixing grooves 15 with the edges 13a, 13b of the cut at the same level 24. Next, the approaching pressure exerted on the wings of the profile is released, so that the grooves 15 trap the edges of the cutout as shown in detail in the explanations of FIG. 1. Then, only '' to engage the key 17 by simple sliding in the space formed by the facing grooves 14, which makes it possible, the raising device is perfectly locked on the bottom of the cardboard container. in FIG. 2, that the entire bottom part of the cardboard container is reinforced by the continuous support of the key 17.

 According to another aspect of this device, it is possible to constitute, as shown in FIG. 3, sets of packages 25, 26 whose aligned profiled legs 10 can be secured by the same locking bolt 17. It is thus possible to produce batches of blocks consisting of several packages, which constitutes a new method of grouping packages in handling techniques.

It will also be noted that the device no longer requires the
closure of the bottom of the container by traditional means such as
collages, staples, adhesive tapes.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples
above described and shown, for which we can
provide other variants without departing from the scope of
appended claims.

So for example, for pallets or containers,
we can spare the installation cutouts at any desired location,
in order to guarantee the absorption of an overload in given places.

Claims (6)

 1) Device for handling, transporting and storing loads, in particular for the creation of pallets and palletizable cardboard containers, device characterized in that it comprises on the one hand - a profile in the general shape of U forming a base, open at its two transverse ends, the wings of this profile being organized so as to be able to be brought closer to each other by elastic deformation and to present two superimposed grip grooves, perpendicular to the vertical axis of symmetry of the U, one upper for fixing the base to a support, with horizontal insertion passage open on the external face of the profile, the other lower with horizontal introduction passage open on the internal face of the profile, on the other hand, a key for strengthening the support wall of the support equipped with this device, capable of being inserted by sliding into a receiving channel of the profile formed by the two lower grooves facing open passage on the internal face of the profile to, on the one hand immobilize by locking the wings of the profile in the mounting position on the carrier wall of the support considered, on the other hand, to reinforce said carrier wall over the entire length of the face d 'support of this key in contact with this wall.  2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the profile is formed by the combination of a nested U and a V, the edge of the V being centered in the connecting part of the branches of the U, the lateral branches of this V crossing the lateral branches of this U so as to form, on either side of this crossing, boxes inscribed in a triangle.  3) Device according to claims I and 2, characterized in that the intersection of the edge of the V with the connecting part of the branches of the U, forms a hinge hinge which allows the lateral branches of the profile to be brought together by deformation elastic.  4) Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each branch of the profile comprises three superimposed triangular boxes, having for common hypotenuse one of the V-shaped walls of the profile.  5) Cardboard container equipped with a raising device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the bottom part which receives such devices has as many cutouts as there are fixtures, these cutouts preferably rectangular having two opposite long sides trapped in the corresponding fixing grooves of the profile, one of the short sides of these cutouts being arranged in line with one of the vertical walls of the container.  6) Load support, of the plate type, characterized in that it comprises elevation devices according to any one of claims I to 4.