FR2725959A1 - Support for transport or storage of agricultural food trays - Google Patents

Abstract

The support comprises a metallic frame (1) resting on four legs (2). The frame longitudinal sides each have a middle reinforcement (3) and are joined by a transverse strut (4). The transverse sides are joined by a longitudinal strut (5) formed by two sections located either side the transverse strut. At each corner of the frame is a horizontal plate (6) having a vertical rod (7) projecting from its lower face. Each leg comprises a plastics body threaded on the corresponding vertical rod. Each leg has two longitudinal walls connected at their upper end by a horizontal wall having a central drilling for passage of the vertical rod. In their middle they are connected by a second horizontal wall with a central drilling whose periphery is held inside a groove (8) in the vertical rod. At the lower end the walls are joined by a runner resting on the ground.

Description

"Support resting on feet. For transporting or storing trays or trays used in the food industry"
The present invention relates to a support for transporting or storing a load, in particular of trays or trays used in the food industry, of the type comprising a metal frame resting on four feet.

 The supports that are currently used to transport or store trays or trays carrying food products, for example cheeses to be drained or refined, have metal feet rigidly fixed to the frame.

 However, these supports are not fully satisfactory. When handled in production units or in warehouses, their feet deteriorate the floor coverings each time they are moved by sliding against them. Furthermore, when a foot deformed under the action of an impact can no longer perform its function properly, it must be replaced, which requires a great deal of time and entails significant maintenance costs.

 The present invention proposes to remedy these drawbacks and, to do this, it relates to a support of the aforementioned type which is characterized in that the frame comprises at each of its corners a horizontal plate provided with a vertical rod protruding on its underside, and in that each foot comprises a plastic body threaded on the corresponding vertical rod and retained thereon by snap-fastening.

 Thanks to its plastic feet, the support according to the invention can be moved by sliding or deposited by a handling machine without risking damaging or punching the floor coverings.

 Furthermore, when a stand of the support according to the invention is put out of use under the action of a shock, its replacement can be carried out using conventional tools, and therefore very quickly by non-staff. qualified.

 According to a particular embodiment of the invention, each foot has two longitudinal walls connected at their upper end by a first horizontal wall provided with a central stitching giving passage to the corresponding vertical rod, at their median part by a second horizontal wall provided with a central bore whose periphery is rctenue inside a groove formed in the vertical rod, and at their lower end by a shoe resting on the ground.

 The feet of the support according to the invention have the advantage of having a light structure while being very resistant.

 In order to further improve their resistance, these feet can also have a vertical median wall extending between the second wall and the shoe and connecting the two longitudinal walls.

 Preferably, the feet pad is provided with a central bore opening onto the ground, this bore facilitating the evacuation of any liquid projected against the corresponding foot and thus making it possible to maintain good hygienic conditions.

 Advantageously, the first wall of a foot and the corresponding plate of the frame comprise complementary means preventing this foot from touching on the rod on which it is threaded.

 According to a preferred embodiment, these complementary means comprise a groove formed on the upper face of the first wall and the plate itself which is housed in the groove.

 It goes without saying, however, that the groove could be replaced by a protuberance which is received in a complementary hollow part of the plate.

 Preferably, the complementary means extend perpendicular to the diagonal starting from the corresponding corner of the frame.

 The legs of the frame, which are all identical, can thus be presented and fixed correctly in their final position without any trial and error.

 It should also be noted that the feet are preferably molded in one piece and that they do not protrude from the sides of the frame so as not to be damaged during handling operations.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a support according to the invention;
- Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of Figure 3
- Figure 3 is an elevational view along line III-III dc Figure 2
- Figure 4 is a bottom view of a foot of the support
- Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line VV dc Figure 3; and
- Figure 6 is a top view of a corner of the support frame.

 The support which is shown schematically in Figure 1 was designed to transport and store racks for ripening cheese, but nothing prevents it from being used for other purposes.

 It includes a rectangular frame 1 consisting of a metal strip and resting on four feet 2 located at its corners. The longitudinal sides of the frame each have a median recess 3 directed inward and are connected at their recess by a transverse spacer 4. The transverse sides of the frame are connected by a longitudinal spacer 5 formed by two sections arranged on either side of the spacer 4.

 Furthermore, the frame 1 comprises at each of its corners a horizontal plate 6 fixed on the lower edge of the metal strip and carrying on its lower face a vertical rod 7 provided with an annular groove 8 in the vicinity of its free end .

 In the embodiment shown, the plates 6 are constituted by small metal plates fixed by welding and extending perpendicular to the diagonals of the frame. More specifically, they are in the form of strips having a longitudinal side 9 close to the corresponding corner of the frame, a longitudinal side 10 further from this corner, comprising a central section parallel to the longitudinal side 9 and two lateral sections forming a bevel, and two transverse sides it extending in the plane of the outer faces of the corresponding sides of the frame.

 It will be noted here that the plates 6 could have a shape different from that which has just been described without departing from the scope of the present invention.

 As for the feet 2 of the support, they include a plastic body threaded onto the corresponding vertical rod 7 ct retained on the latter by snap-fastening.

 The legs 2 each have two longitudinal walls 12 connected at their upper end by a first horizontal wall 13 provided with a central bore 14 providing passage to the corresponding rod 7, at their median part by a second horizontal wall 15 provided a central bore 16 whose periphery is located inside the groove 8 dc the corresponding rod 7, and at their lower end by a shoe 17 resting on the ground.

 They also have a vertical wall 18 extending between the second wall 15 and the shoe 17. The wall 18 connects the two longitudinal walls 12, equidistant from the longitudinal edges of the latter, and contributes to stiffening the foot.

 It will also be noted that the shoe 17 of each foot has a vertical central bore 19.

 With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be noted that a groove 20 is formed in the upper face of the first wall 13 of each foot, this groove being centered on a diagonal of the wall 13 and receiving the plate 6 practically without Game.

 The groove 20 and the corresponding plate 6 allow the foot to be presented without trial and error in the correct mounting position and prevent it from turning once it is fully threaded on the rod 8, the plate 6 then being housed in the groove. 20.

 As the support according to the invention is designed for the food industry, the frame 1, the plates 6 and the rods 8 are made of a metallic material of food quality, in particular stainless steel. The feet 2 are made in one piece, molded plastic, also of food grade, such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

 It will be noted here that the upper wall 13 of the feet is provided with recesses 21 making it possible to limit the quantity of plastic material necessary for its production and to avoid the shrinkage problems that are usually encountered when molding large quantities of material. .

 It will also be specified that the feet 2 have no angular part in order to satisfy the usual hygienic conditions and that they are inscribed in the external perimeter of the frame 1 in order to limit the size of the support to that of the latter.

 Finally, it will be specified that the supports according to the invention are stackable, the pads 17 of the feet of a support of a battery resting on the plates 6 of the lower support.

Claims (9)

 1. Support for transporting or storing a load, in particular of trays or trays used in the food industry, of the type comprising a metal frame (1) resting on four feet (2), characterized in that the frame (1) comprises at each of its corners a horizontal plate (6) provided with a vertical rod (7) projecting from its underside, and in that each leg (2) comprises a plastic body threaded onto the corresponding vertical rod (7) and retained thereon by snap-fastening.  2. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that each foot (2) has two longitudinal walls (12) connected at their upper end by a first horizontal wall (13) provided with a central bore (14) providing passage to the corresponding vertical rod (7), at their median part by a second horizontal wall (15) provided with a central bore (16) whose periphery is retained inside a groove (8) formed in the vertical rod (7), and at their lower end by a shoe (17) resting on the ground.  3. Support according to claim 2, characterized in that each foot (2) further comprises a vertical median wall (18) extending between the second wall (15) and the shoe (17) and connecting the two longitudinal walls ( 12).  4. Support according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the shoe (17) of the feet (2) is provided with a central bore (19) opening onto the ground.  5. Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first wall (13) of a foot (2) and the corresponding plate (6) of the frame (1) comprise complementary means (20,6) preventing this foot from turning on the rod (7) on which it is threaded.  6. Support according to claim 5, characterized in that the complementary means comprise a groove (20) formed on the upper face of the first wall (13) and the plate (6) itself which is housed in the groove (20 ).  7. Support according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the complementary means (20,6) extend perpendicular to the diagonal from the corresponding corner of the frame (1).  8. Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feet (2) are molded in one piece.  9. Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feet (2) do not protrude on the sides of the frame.