GB2028268A

GB2028268A - Stanchion pallet

Info

Publication number: GB2028268A
Application number: GB7923279A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-08-17
Filing date: 1979-07-04
Publication date: 1980-03-05
Also published as: GB2028268B; NL192443B; NL7904508A; NL192443C; DE2836093A1; DE2836093C2

Abstract

A stanchion pallet comprising a rectangular horizontal frame 10 and a foot 2 at each corner has its stanchions 6 detachably connected to its feet by a plug-in connection and has a pair of spaced-apart U-section members 4, 5 facing each other, the webs of these members being wide enough to receive the ends of the stanchions and their separation being so selected that when not use the stanchions can be supported and stored by the U-section members, so as to reduce the size of the pallet for storage and transportation without the stanchions being misplaced. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Stanchion Pallet This invention relates to a stanchion pallet having a horizontally-arranged rectangular metal frame, at the corners of which vertical stanchions are provided and which can be used for transporting or storing scaffolding elements.

Known stanchion pallets have the disadvantage that they do not allow a space-saving empty transportation, or a space-saving storage when not bering used. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a stanchion pallet, a plurality of which can be transported and stored, when empty, with a low expenditure of space.

The invention provides a stanchion pallet which consists of a horizontally-arranged rectangular metal frame and vertical stanchions at the corners of this frame, primarily intended for the transporting or storing of scaffolding elements, wherein the stanchions are each detachably mounted by means of a respective plug connection and the frame has at least two U-sections members, the separation of whose flanges slightly exceeds the outside dimensions of the stanchions and whose flanges are arranged horizontally and face the centre of the frame, the mutual separation of the inner surfaces of the webs of these two U-section members is slightly greater than the length of the stanchions.

In such a pallet, for empty transporting or upon stacking in the unused state the stanchions can be withdrawn from the plug-in connection and inserted between the two U-sections and stored there, so that the stacking space of the pallet is determined only by the thickness of the frame and the vertical dimensions of the pallet feet and of the plug-in devices, whilst at the same time the stanchions are available at any time and cannot be forgotten or get lost.

For square pallets, the U-sections can advantageously be arranged at two diagonally-opposed corners of the frame in such a way that their longitudinal axes extend at right angles to an imaginary diagonal lines connecting two of the corners. They thus serve at the same time to stiffen the corners and replace, for example, gusset plates which otherwise have to be provided. On the other hand it is possible, more especially in the case of a pallet whose frame is oblong, to make one of the two shorter frame sides itself of U-section and to situate a corresponding U-section member parallel thereto in the interior of the frame.

In order to introduce the stanchions into the U-sections, members, it is sufficient to introduce one end of each stanchion into the one of the two U-sections and then to swing the stanchion laterally to such an extent that the other end enters into the opposite U-section. In order to prevent any shifting of the stanchions member there can be arranged in one of the two U-section members is a stop, for example in the form of a welded-in angle section piece, which is as far removed from the one point of attachment of the section to the frame as corresponds to four times the outer dimension of the stanchions, whilst provided in the opposite section is, for example, an outwardly extending spigat into which a plug or the like can be inserted when the stanchions hve been accommodated in the Usection members.

The plug-in connection for the stanchions can have various forms. Thus, for instance, there can be mounted, at each corner of the frame a vertically upwardly extending tube whose outside diameter corresponds to the inside diameter of the stanchions when such are circular tubes. On the other hand, it is of course also possible to provide at each corners, a tube socket whose inside diameter corresponds to the outside diameter of the stanchions and to insert a stanchion from above into such a socket. In this respect there then additionally emerges the advantage that, instead of special tube sockets, the tubes serving as pallet feet are used and are appropriately dimensioned, so that with respect to the overall height of the frame with the stanchions removed a gain in storage space is achieved.

The invention will be described further by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side view of a preferred pallet of the invention having a square frame: Figure 2 is a plan view of the pallet of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of another embodiment of a pallet having a square frame; Figure 4 is a plan view of the pallet of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a pin or plug; Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of a footplate for a pallet foot; Figure 7 is a side view of a pallet having an oblong frame; Figure 8 is a plan view of and the pallet of Figure 7; Shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a pallet having a square frame 10 whose components are metal sections 1 of any convenient cross-section, for example of square cross-section tubes.Provided at each corner is a foot 2, which consists of a length of round tube to which the adjacent frame sections 1 are welded laterally. The feet 2 project by a slight amount beyond the upper plane of the frame 10 and are provided with tube connectors 3 which extend vertically upwards and onto which exchangeable stanchions 66 can be slipped, as is indicated in Figure 1 at the right by a stanchion 6 shown in broken lines. The outside diameter a of these tube connectors 3 corresponds to the inside diameter a of the stanchions 6.

Provided at two diagonally-opposite corners of the frame 10 are the U-section members 4 and 5, the central longitudinal axes of which extend perpendicular to one imaginary line extending diagonally of the frame 10. The flanges of these U-section members 4, 5 are a disposed horizontally and are directed towards one another in such a way that the Usections members 4, 5 are open towards the centre of the frame 10. The mutual spacing of the flanges, that is to say in other words the clear width of the U-section members is so selected that the outside dimension (e.g. diameter b) of the stanchions 6 is exceeded by a slight amount, so that the ends of the stanchions 6 can easily be introduced between the flanges of the U-section members 4, 5. The separa tion L of the inside of surfaces of their webs is a slight amount greater than the length of the stanchions 6.

In order to be able to locate the stanchions 6 in the U-sections, a stop 7, is welded in one U-section member at a distance from one end of the U-section member 4 is somewhat greater than four times the outside dimension, e.g. diameters of the stanchions 6. To insert the stanchions into the U-sections members 4, 5, one end 6' of one stanchion 6 is introduced into the U-section member 4 and then its other end 6" is swung laterally in the direction ofthe arrow Y into the U-seclion memberS. In order to locate the stanchions (which are shown in broken lines in Figure 2) in position there is provided in the web of the U-section 5 a bore having an outwardly extending spigot 8, into which a plug 21 (Figure 5) can be inserted in order to prevent displacement of the stanchions 6.

The plug 21 has a shank 22, which is bent into a handle 23 and has, at its front end, a pivoting pin 24 which is mounted in a slot 25 and by which the plug is prevented from leaving spigot 8.

The U-section members 4, 5 bring about a stiffening of the two corners of the frame 10, so that the use of gusset plates is avoided. The other two corners of the frame are stiffened by means of square tubes 9.

Shown in Figures 3 and 4 is another embodiment of a pallet having a square frame. In this respect, similar or mutually corresponding parts are provided with the same reference symbols as in the afore-described Figures.

The plug-in connection by means of which the stanchions 16 are fastened to the frame 10 is, in this case, not performed by means of tu be connectors, but in such a way that the round tubes 12 forming the feet have an inside diameter d corresponds to the outside diameter b of the stanchions 16 and the stanchions are inserted from above into the feet 12.

In order to prevent the stanchions from sliding out downwardly of the tubes forming the feet 12, conical supporting plates 31 provided at the lower end of the feet are so designed that they serve at the same time as supports for the stanchions For this purpose there is provided on the funnelshaped lower part 32 of the supporting plate 31 an upwardly extending spigot 33, the outside diameter b of which is equal to the outside diameter b of the stanchions and the inside diameter thereof.Into each of the feet one such supporting plate 31 is welded from below in such a way that the socket 33 projects into the interior of the foot and its edge 34 forms a shoulder which serves as support for the relevent stanchion, since, in this embodiment, the stanchions 16 project with their lower parts into the feet 12, they must, for compensation, be an appropriate amount longer than the stanchions 6 in the previously-described embodiment. Therefore, also the mutual spacing of the U-section members 14 and 15 must be enlarged as compared with the embodiment in accordance with Figures 1 and 2. Accordingliy the length of the U-section member 14 is chosen to be four times the diameter of the stanchions 16; in this way, the need to provide a special stop is abolished, since the two adjacent frame sections 1 undertake this task.The opposite U-section 15 is then so arranged that the spacing L' necessary for accommodating the stanchions is ensured. If in this respect, there emerges a greater length for the U-section 15 than for the U-section 14, then the locating of the stanchions 16 is effected in the same way as in the cse of the previously-described exemplified embodiment by means of a plug 21 inserted into the tube socket 8. The stanchions 16 lie then between the two U-sections 14, 15, no longer parallel to the diagonal direction, but at a small angle thereto.

In Figure 3 - similarly to in Figure 1 - a stanchion 16' is indicated in broken lines.

Of course, it is possible for the stanchion pallet to have an oblong frame. Figures 7 and 8 show such a pallet in which stanchions 16 are inserted from above into feet 22,. Thus the plug-in connection for the separable fastening of the stanchions to the pallet frame 60 is provided in the same way as in the case of the embodiment in accordance with Figures 3 and 4. This of course in no way precludes pallets of this shape also being equipped with tube connectors, as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

The pallet of Figures 7 and 8 corresponds, with regard to the feet 22, the supporting plate 31 and the stanchions 16, completely with the pallet of Figures 3 and 4. Since, as a result of the elongate shape of the rectangular frame 60, there is no compelling necessity to accommodate the stanchions diagonally in the frame, they are in this case arranged parallel to the longer frame sides, in which respect one of the shorter frame sides itself is used as a U-section member to receive respective one ends of the stanchions. Arranged parallel to this frame side 54 is a corresponding U-section member 55. The spacing L' of the inside surfaces of the webs of these two members is slightly greater than the length of the stanchions 16, in order to make it possible to introduce them between the two U-section members.To locate the stanchions, in the same way as in the previously described example a stop 7 is welded in the U-section member 54 or a frame section 1 is utilised, whilst the opposite U-section member 55 is provided with a spigot 8 to receive a plut 21. To reinforce the corners of the frame, if necessary gusset plates can be used (not shown).

Of course, the possibility also exists, in the case of a pallet having a longitudinally rectangular frame, to insert (or use) a centre limb like the section 55 in such a way that a square partial frame arises, in which the stanchions 16 are accommodated in a similar way to the manner shown in Figure 4.

An advantage emerges, in the case of stanchion pallets of the above-described kind, by the special embodiment of the feet provided at the corners of the frame: it is frequently necessary to transport scaffolding elements in the stacked state also in the interior of buildings, or to convey them in hoists.

Now, in this case, instead of carrying the pallets with the scaffolding elements stacked on them, or moving them by means of industrial trucks, the possibility exists of providing the feet with exchangeable caster wheels, as are normally used for mobile scaffoldings. The tubular plug-in connectors of the rollers are placed from below into the feet, the inside diameter of which indeed corresponds to the conventional inside diameter of a normal scaffolding tube, so that the pallet, in case of need, can also be converted in a simple way into a truck.

Claims

1. A stanchion pallet which consists of a horizontally-arranged rectangular metal frame and vertical stanchions at the corners of this frame, primarily intended for the transporting or storing of scaffolding elements, wherein the stanchions are each detachably mounted by means of a respective plug connection and the frame has at least two U-section members, the separation of whose flanges slightly exceeds the outside dimensions of the stanchions and whose flanges are arranged horizontally and face the centre of the frame, the mutual separation of the inner surfaces of the webs of these two U-section members is slightly greater than the length of the stanchion.

2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 and having a square frame, the two U-section members being arranged at two diagonally opposed corners of the frame in such a way that their longitudinal axes extend parallel or approximately parallel to an imaginary diagonal line connecting two corners of the frame.

3. A pallet as claimed in claim 2, wherein the U-section members are of different lengths, the length of the shorter section being slightly greater than four times the outside dimension of the stanchions.

4. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 and having an oblong frame, one of the two U-section members being constituted by one of the shorter frame side sections, whilst the second is arranged at the appropriate spacing parallel thereto.

5. A pallet as claimed in claim 2 or 4, wherein there is provided in the interior of one of the U-section members a stop the spacing of which from one of the ends of the U-section member is slightly greater than four times the outside dimension of the stanchions.

6. A pallet as claimed in claim 2,3 or 4, wherein the U-section member which lies opposite the U-section member which is provided with a stop or the shorter U-section member respectively is provided with an outwardly-pointing spigot coaxial with a bore provided in the section, for the reception of a plug which serves to locate the stanchions.

7. A pallet as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plug has a handle at one end and a pivoted pin at its other end.

8. A pallet as claimed in any preceding claim and having, at each corner of the frame a tube connector which extends vertically upwards and the outside diameter of which corresponds to the inside diameter of the stanchions.

9. A pallet as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a foot at each corner of the frame is upwardly open, and inside diameter corresponds to the outside diameter of the stanchions.

10. A pallet as claimed in claim 9, wherein each foot is provided, at its lower end, with a concial supporting plate which engages, by a spigot into the interior of the associated foot and forms a shoulder for supporting a stanchion.

11. A pallet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the feet are provided with exchangeable castor rollers or wheels.

12. A stanchion pallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying rollers.