GB1592756A - Pallets - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO PALLETS (71) We, PHILIP REDMOND & BR< SONS LIMITED, a British Company of Cross Green Way, Leeds, LS9 OSE, West Yorkshire, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to pallets.

Pallets of conventional structure comprise a load support platform of wood or other substantially rigid material supported clear of the ground by two or more bearers attached to the underside of the platform to facilitate handling. The bearers commonly comprise solid blocks of timber of thickness about four inches and their bulkiness may be a disadvantage when it is required to store the pallets when not in use, and their weight may be a disadvantage in some circumstances, and consequently the present invention seeks to obviate one or both of these disadvantages.

According to the invention a pallet comprises a support platform to the underside of which is secured a plurality of spaced apart bearers for supporting the platform above the ground, each bearer comprising an open inverted tray formed by folding and erecting a generally square or rectangular fibreboard blank whereby the edges of the blank face downwardly in use of the pallet. Each of the trays may project beyond the edge of the support platform.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows in plan view a portion of a pallet comprising a fibreboard blank according to one aspect of the invention; Figure 2 shown in end elevation the portion shown in Figure 1 the blank being partially erected; Figure 3 shows in plan view a portion of a pallet in a different embodiment; Figure 4 shows in vertical section a third embodiment; Figure 5 shows a portion of an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 4 with an auxiliary tray member; As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a loadbearing platform 1 has attached to its under surface a blank 5 erectible to form downwardly extending side walls 2, near each of which is a further fold line 7 defining a flap 4 which is separated from flap 3 by slot 8.The distance a between the fold line 7 and the end of the wall is about half the distance between the walls 2 when erected so that, as shown in Figure 2, the flaps 4 abut with one another when the blank is erected and the end walls defined by the folded flaps 4 are of the same height b as the walls 2. Flaps 3 are of lesser depth because a is less than b, but they can be used to give support to flaps 4 in the erected condition.

It will be seen from Figure 1 that in the unerected condition the blank 5 may lie flat to the underside of platform 1 and wholly within its peripheral area, thus taking up only a very little space. When fully erected, as can be judged from Figure 2, the blank forms an inverted tray which can be secured in the erected condition simply by joining abutting flaps 4 with adhesive tape. The tape can be readily removed and the tray collapsed when it is required to store the pallet after use.

By a suitable choice of materials the tray can be made to provide a bearer strong enough to support a considerable load on the platform 1. Conventional wood pallets are commonly supported on bearers or blocks 4 inches thick, and it has been found that a blank as described comprising corrugated fibreboard having a dimension b equal to 4 inches can support significant weights.

Preferably the deckel of the fibreboard is transverse to the length of the blank as shown and will thus be perpendicular in the walls in the erected form.

The lower edge of the erected wall may be waterproofed and sealed for example by dipping it in pitch or wax.

The platform 1 may be of any suitable material provided that the blank can be attached to it. The platform may be provided with two or more bearers of similar constructon.

The principle of a box-like bearer can be adapted to other styles of pallet, and Figure 3 shows a pallet having attached thereto blanks 20 for erection into trays of approximately square horizontal section, which can take the place of blocks used for pallets of four-way entry type.

In a particularly advantageous form of pallet the plaform itself is constructed of fibreboard and is foldable so as to be upwardly flanged at its edges as shown in Figure 4.

In the erected form the box-like bearers 23 may project beyond the edge of the pallet base 21 as shown at 30, but it will be appreciated that in the collapsed form the walls 24 of the bearers may not extend beyond the flange 22 of the pallet and so will be protected thereby in storage. The projections 30, which may be provided by both the ends and the sides of the bearers provide a support for the ends 27 of the downward flanges 28 of a lid 29 for covering the goods supported on the base 21.

Further support can be given to the walls of the box-like bearers to increase their load-carrying capacity, by filling the volume defined by the walls, for example with an auxiliary tray 26 of similar construction as the bearer but of slightly smaller dimensions which can be fitted with the bearer 25 as shown in Figure 5 or inverted.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A pallet comprising a support platform to the underside of which is secured a plurality of spaced apart bearers for supporting the platform above the ground, each bearer comprising an open inverted tray formed by folding and erecting a generally square or rectangular fibreboard blank whereby the edges of the blank face downwardly in use of the pallet.

2. A pallet according to Claim 1 wherein at least one of said trays projects beyond the edge of the support platform.

3. A pallet according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein at least the edges of the blanks which contact the ground in use of the pallet are waterproofed.

4. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trays may be collapsed flat for storage of the pallet.

5. A pallet substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. shown and will thus be perpendicular in the walls in the erected form. The lower edge of the erected wall may be waterproofed and sealed for example by dipping it in pitch or wax. The platform 1 may be of any suitable material provided that the blank can be attached to it. The platform may be provided with two or more bearers of similar constructon. The principle of a box-like bearer can be adapted to other styles of pallet, and Figure 3 shows a pallet having attached thereto blanks 20 for erection into trays of approximately square horizontal section, which can take the place of blocks used for pallets of four-way entry type. In a particularly advantageous form of pallet the plaform itself is constructed of fibreboard and is foldable so as to be upwardly flanged at its edges as shown in Figure 4. In the erected form the box-like bearers 23 may project beyond the edge of the pallet base 21 as shown at 30, but it will be appreciated that in the collapsed form the walls 24 of the bearers may not extend beyond the flange 22 of the pallet and so will be protected thereby in storage. The projections 30, which may be provided by both the ends and the sides of the bearers provide a support for the ends 27 of the downward flanges 28 of a lid 29 for covering the goods supported on the base 21. Further support can be given to the walls of the box-like bearers to increase their load-carrying capacity, by filling the volume defined by the walls, for example with an auxiliary tray 26 of similar construction as the bearer but of slightly smaller dimensions which can be fitted with the bearer 25 as shown in Figure 5 or inverted. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A pallet comprising a support platform to the underside of which is secured a plurality of spaced apart bearers for supporting the platform above the ground, each bearer comprising an open inverted tray formed by folding and erecting a generally square or rectangular fibreboard blank whereby the edges of the blank face downwardly in use of the pallet.

2. A pallet according to Claim 1 wherein at least one of said trays projects beyond the edge of the support platform.

3. A pallet according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein at least the edges of the blanks which contact the ground in use of the pallet are waterproofed.

4. A pallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trays may be collapsed flat for storage of the pallet.

5. A pallet substantially as described with reference to the drawings.