GB2102764A - Improved pallet and rack arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A separable plastics pallet and rack arrangement for handling load units, in which plastic racks or cubes (10) are stackable upon a plastics pallet (20) for space saving, light-weight translation or storage of load units, such as automobile transmissions, engines, other assemblies or sub-assemblies. The racks (10) are open top and bottom and include transverse or longitudinally extending rails (16) to support the load units within their perimeters. The racks (10) are stackable upon and engageable with each other as well as upon and with the pallet (20). Each rack (10) is in the form of a rectilinear frame open at its top and bottom, and adjacent the bottom edge of the frame has a depending rib engageable in a perimetric groove (102) provided in an upper surface of the pallet (20) or in a recess (110) formed in the upper edge of an adjacent rack (10) to permit detachable engagement therewith. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved pallet and rack arrangement This invention relates to an improved pallet and rack arrangement.

More particularly it relates to a plastics load unit translation rack or cube having perimetric side and end walls, open at its top and bottom, and a plastics pallet-type platform for a plurality of such racks or cubes stacked one above the other and loaded with machine assemblies or sub-assemblies. The racks can be carried on the pallet and translated from station to station by roller conveyors, fork-lift trucks or other carrier. They can also be carried on the pallet or platform by an elevator device.

Heretofore, relatively heavy automotive transmission or engine units or sub-assemblies (load units) have generally been carried on steel racks or platforms having legs and upstanding corner posts.

These racks have been stacked with with their legs on corner posts, supported one upon the other. The amount of volumetric space utilized in stacking these platforms one upon the other is considerably greater than that actually required for the carriers supporting the transmission or engine units (load units).

Additionally, the tare weight of these steel racks or platforms is such that, even when unloaded, the gross weight is significantly great.

In automotive manufacturing, engine and transmission assemblies are variable according to the models of automobiles and trucks being built. Variations in size and capacity result in variations in the design and weight of the engine and transmission units, which are among the larger assemblies or sub-assemblies. Additionally, these load units, which are sensitive to physical shock and can withstand very little abuse, are placed in steel racks of various kinds for translation from station to station in the manufacturing process, to storage areas, and into shipping carriers. The resultant effect oftranslating such shock-sensitive load units in steel racks is that all too often, damage to a greater or lesser extent ensues to the load units because of the way in which they are handled and translated.

According to the present invention, a space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement for handling one or more load units during in-plant translation or storage and truck or rail translation, comprises a plastics pallet, and at least one plastic rack having a pair of spaced apart, parallel, integrally formed, unitary side walls, a pair of spaced apart, parallel, integrally formed, unitary end walls conjoined to the side walls at their longitudinal ends to form a rectilinear frame open at its top and bottom, means adjacent the bottom edge of the frame detachably engageable with the pallet in a surmounting relationship, and a plurality of plastics, spaced apart, load unit-supporting, integrally formed, unitary rails disposed between and affixed to the pair of side or end walls.

In the accompanying drawings, racks are illustrated for carrying four load units, such for example as transmission assemblies. However, the rack can be designed with similar components to carry two load units, or six or eight load units, or a different number depending upon their size and configuration. Transverse rails are provided and these are replaceable with other rails to suit and accommodate load units having different size, weight or configuration.

Because the racks of the invention are only slightly higher than the load units carried by them, and are stackable one upon the other and upon a relatively thin supporting pallet or lift platform, the space loss of the conventional steel corner post-type rack is efficiently eliminated and avoided. Thus, the net load carried by multiples of the racks of this invention is significantly higher than that of prior art rack devices. Space-saving results in higher pay loads in trucks and rail cars. The plastics pal lets designed for these plastics racks can carry up to 3,000 pounds of load units, the pallet supporting four or five racks or cubes.

The plastics pallet is provided with longitudinally or transversely extending bottom rails with slots for fork-lift tines, transverse slats affixed to the bottom rails in planar alignment, and a perimetric groove in the slats to locate the racks thereabove in positive secure relationship on the pallet.

Additional advantages include significantly lower tare weight, colour-coding of the plastics racks and pallet for distinguishing between various models of the load units carried by the racks, load unit identification by colour-coding for manufacturing, processing and storage operations, significantly less damage to the load units by virtue ofthe shock absorption by the plastics carrier in comparison with that of relatively inflexible steel, the facility for manual handling of the racks not possible with steel racks, lower maintenance and repair costs, and other maintenance benefits and advantages.

The invention will now be further described by way of exampie with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa perspective view of a plastics pallet and stacked racks or cubes, according to the invention, supported on an elevator platform adjacent roller conveyors; Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the plastics pallet and first rack; Figure 3 is a top plan view to a larger scale ofthe topmost rack illustrated in Figure 1, with load units (automobile transmission units) outlined in broken lines; Figure 4 is a vertical medial transverse sectional view, to an even larger scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, also to a larger scale, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a top plan view of the pallet illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;; Figure 7 is a vertical side elevational view, to a different scale, taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a vertical end elevational view, also to a different scale, taken substantially on the line 8-8 of FigureS; Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 4; and Figures 10,11 and 12 are perspective views of connector brack members used for connecting the load unit supporting rails to each other medially of the rack and to the end walls laterally of the rack.

Description ofe Preferred Embodiment. A prefer red embodiment of the invention is that illustrated in the several views of the drawings. The plastics stackable rack or cube 10 comprises a pair of substantially parallel side walls, 12, 12, a pair of end walls 14, 14 connected at their ends to the side walls, and a number of transverse removably attachable load unit-supporting rail members 16 arranged in longitudinally spaced apart substantially parallel relationship between and connected to the side walls 12, 12. The side and end walls 12 and 14 are connected together at their meeting corner edges by conventional means such as bolt, washer and nut fasteners securing the walls in a rectangular relationship, open at the top and bottom, forming a cube-type frame.

The racks 10 are stackable one upon the other and upon the plastics pallet 20 for translation on roller conveyors 22 or upon an elevator 24 by its lift platform 26 (Figure 1). The load units T (Figure 3) are seated in and between the spaced apart parallel transverse rail members 16, arranged in a staggered or offset facing relationship.

The plastics components, including the side walls 12, the end walls 14, the transverse rails 16 and the pallet 20, are preferably made of a strong durable plastic material such for example as DuPont's Zytel (Trade Mark) ST (super tough) nylon material, produced by the DuPont de Nemours & Co. (Inc.) of Wilmington, Delaware, as unitary integrally moulded panels, rails and pallet components. The Zytel nylon material can be further strengthened, beyond its usual basic physical properties of high tensile and compressive strength, with fibre glass filaments according to practices well known in the art.

The side and end walls 12, 14, representatively shown in elevation by the wall 12 in FigureS, are provided with laterally extending cross ribs and vertical ribs to provide transverse and longitudinal rigidits to the panels. Similarily, cross ribs, angular ribs and horizontal and vertical ribs in the transverse rail members 16 impart transverse and longitudinal rigidity to a medial brace 30 and end braces 32 and 34 (Figure 4). The design, configuration and spacing of the vertical braces 30,32 and 34 are related directly to those portions of the load units, in this instance automobile transmissions T, which are supported between the braces of the transverse rails 16.The bottom portions 36 and 38 ofthe transverse rails 16 are designed as rest pads on which the transmission units maintained in a substantially horizontal secure attitude. Thus, the transverse rail braces 30,32 and 34 provide a cradle for the load units in an open top and bottom framing. Some edges of the end brace members 32 and 34 are provided with outwardly flaring flanges 40 to stiffen and rigidify the connection of the transverse rails 16 to the side walls 12,12.

The transverse rails are further secured in rigid posture and support by the connector brace members 42,44 and 46. All of the transverse rails, as shown in Figure 3, are identical. The rails are reversed in parallel relationship for each pair of the offset transmission units T cradled thereon and therebetween. The connector brace members 42,44 and 46, (Figures 10,11 and 12) attach to the same portions of the transverse rails and are secured thereto by conventional fasteners such as bolts, washers and nuts.

The connector member 42 comprises a pair of side walls 50, 50, top and bottom walls 52, 54 respectively, an intermediate web 56, and a medial web 58 extending within the perimeters of the upper and lower sections of the connector and defining openings 60 therewithin. The side walls 50, 50 are provided with bolt holes 61 for passage therethrough of bolt fasteners to secure the connector to the brace member 30 and the end wall 14. The connector members 44 and 46 each comprise similar elements but are disposed for connection in a horizontal instead of a vertical relationship to the transverse rails 16 and to the side walls 12.The connectors 44 and 46 are each provided with side walls 62,62, end walls 64, 64 having bolt openings 66,66 therethrough, an intermediate web 68, and a stiffening rib 70 disposed in a medial plane between the intermediate web 68 and the end walls 64, defining openings 72 therewithin to permit access to fasteners passed through the bolt openings 66. The intermediate upstanding brace member 30 is also provided with the same type of angulated stiffening ribs 40 as are provided on the brace members 32 and 34.

The connector 42 is secured at one side wall 50 to the end panel 14 by fasteners which pass through the bolt openings 61, and at the other side wall 50 to the upstanding brace member 30 at the latter's bolt holes 76 in register with the bolt openings 61 of the connector side wall 50.

The connectors 44 are secured by conventional bolt and nut fasteners to the end walls 14, 14 (Figure 3) and the adjacent parallel rail number 16 at a lower panel portion 78. The intermediate connectors 46 are also secured to the lower panel portions 78 of the intermediate transverse rails 16, 16 and to the adjacent oppositely facing panel portions 80. As shown particularly in Figures 4 and 9, the upstanding distal end panels 82 are secured by conventional fasteners to the side wall panel portions 84.

The pallet 20 comprises a base member 92 and a plurality of transversely disposed parallel, longitudinally spaced apart slats 94 secured to the base member by conventional fasteners, such as bolts, washers and nuts, at the distal ends ofthe slats. The base 92 comprises longitudinally extending members 96 and 98 conjoined to intermediate members 100 at each end of the pallet, to form a support for the transverse slats 94. A generally V-shaped groove 102 is moulded into the slats 94 to form a perimetric groove adjacent but inwardly of the perimetric edges of the pallet. The lower edges of the rack side walls 12, 12 are provided with depending ribs 106 adapted to seat in the perimetric groove 102.

The pallet components 94, 96,98 and 100 are pref- erably made of the Zytel ST nylon plastics material, as integrally moulded unitary components secured together in the structural relationship illustrated by conventional fasteners such as bolts, washers and nuts.

It will of course be understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that the transverse load unit-supporting rail members 16 can be fixed in a permanent fashion to the sidewalls 12, 12 by any suitable means. Forthe purpose of carrying the load units T, conventional fasteners such as bolts, washers and nuts are adequate. Should the load units be engines instead of transmissions, the transverse rail members 16, especially the vertical brace members, will of course have a different configuration related to the design of the complementary engine portions engaged by the transverse rail members in their supporting relationship.

The merit of the pallet and rack structure herein disclosed lies in the flexibility, space saving and minimum weight ofthe pallet and rack combination, for such difficult-to-handle load units as automotive transmissions, engines and other machine assemblies (orsubassemblies) made in large volume production numbers.

When a rack 10 is located on a pallet 20, a detachable connection exists by virtue of ribs 106 locating in perimetric groove 102. Thus the rack is located on the pallet and shifting or displacement is prevented, although the rack can be readily lifted off the pallet.

Likewise, when racks are stacked one upon the other (as shown in Figure 1) the depending ribs 106 of the upper rack engage in a profiled recess 110 formed on the upper edge ofthe lower pallet and again location and a detachable connection results.

Claims (12)

1. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement for handling one or more load units during in-plant translation or storage and truck or rail translation, comprising a plastics pallet, and at least one plastics rack having a pair of spaced apart, parallel, integrally formed, unitary side walls, a pair of spaced apart, parallel, integrally formed, unitary end walls conjoined to the side walls at their longitudinal ends to form a rectilinear frame open at its top and bottom, means adjacent the bottom edge of the frame detachably engageable with the pallet in a surmounting relationship, and a plurality of plastics, spaced apart, load unit-supporting, integrally formed, unitary rails disposed between and affixed to the pair of side or end walls.

2. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 1, and comprising a plurality of said plastic racks each having the means adjacent the bottom edge of said frame detachably engageable not only with the pallet but with each other rack.

3. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pallet is provided with a planar upper surface and a perimetric groove therein adjacent to, but spaced inwardly of, its outer edges.

4. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein said frame bottom edge pallet-engageable means on the or each rack comprises a rib our flange depending from the side and end walls inwardly of the planes of those walls for accommodation in said pallet perimetric groove.

5. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pallet is provided with a planar racksupporting plastics platform and plastics bottom rails affixed to and under the platform to elevate the same above a ground plane.

6. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the platform comprises a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart, integrally formed, unitary plastics slats lying in a plane and affixed adjacent their longitudinal ends to the bottom rails.

7. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the bottom rails extend longitudinally and/or trans- versely of the platform.

8. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the platform comprises a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart, integrally formed, unitary plastics slats affixed at their longitudinal ends to the bottom rails.

9. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the load unit supporting rails ofthe or each rack comprise upstanding end and intermediate rest and brace members for load and thrust-bearing contact with, and support of, at least one load unit, the end rest and brace members being removably affixed to the pair of rack side or end walls.

10. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 9, including one or more integrally formed, unitary plastics connectors, removably affixed to the load unit-supporting rails, and adjacent the rack side or end walls intermediate the longitudinal ends of the rails.

11. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement as claimed in claim 9 or 10, including one or more integrally formed, unitary plastics connectors, removably affixed to and between adjacent load unit-supporting rails substantially medially of the rack.

12. A space-saving plastics pallet and rack arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.