GB2150110A - Collapsible pallets - Google Patents

Abstract

A collapsible pallet 10 which at each corner of its base 11 is provided with an upright for engaging a respective stanchion 24. The upright is in the form of a right-angled channel piece substantially C-shaped in horizontal cross-section which has in its two limbs 21 two pairs of slots 27, 28 for engaging pairs of projections 30, 31 in the lower end of the stanchion 24. The pairs of slots 27, 28 slope in the direction in which the stanchion 24 is collapsed. Due to this sloping arrangement of the pairs of slots 27, 28 there need only be minimal raising of the stanchion 24 in the upright to get it into a position where it can be collapsed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Collapsible pallets This invention concerns improved collapsible pallets.

Known collapsible pallets normally comprise a square or rectangular base framework having four legs extending downwardly from each corner. Also at each corner of the base framework directly above the leg is a respective upright of circular or square tubular crosssection mounted in a respective correspondingly shaped socket welded to the base framework such that the upright can be collapsed toward the base framework.

The main problem with such known pallets is the difficulty which is involved in trying to collapse the uprights.

It has been proposed to provide each socket with pairs of opposed slots which engage correspondingly arranged projections at the lower end of each upright. In this arrangement each socket is open to that side thereof which faces towards the centre of the base framework i.e. it is substantially C-shaped in horizontal cross-section. The slots extend in the longitudinal direction of the upright, that is to say vertically of the horizontal plane of the base framework. There are two pairs of slots arranged one above the other. With each pair of slots, one slot is in one limb of the Cshaped socket and the other slot in the other limb. The lower pair of slots are closed and the upper pair of slots are open to the top end of the socket. The lower pair of slots receives and at all times retain the lower pair of projections on the lower end of the stanchion.

The upper pair of slots receive the upper pair of projections on said stanchion. In order to collapse the stanchion it is necessary to raise the stanchion until the upper pair of projections are clear of the upper pair of slots so that the stanchion can be swung laterally about the lower pair of projections in the lower pair of slots into its collapsed position.

In order to ensure that any weight placed on the stanch ions when in their upright position is transmitted therethrough to the base framework and not to projections, the pairs of slots have to be of long length. This means that when collapsing the stanchions they have to be raised a considerable distance in the socket from the base framework. Not only is this difficult but it is also laborious.

An object of the present invention is to improve the known pallets making the collapsing of the stanchions much less difficult and time consuming.

With this object in view the present invention provides a collapsible pallet, for the storage and/or transportation of articles, comprising a base having a plurality of spacedapart stanchions and means for pivotally connecting said stanchions to the base so that they can be collapsed from an upright position, wherein collectively they define with the base the pallet's storage/transportation space, to a position where they lie on or closely adjacent to the base, the means for pivotally connecting the stanch ions is in the form of a plurality of uprights each of which comprises at least one pair of mutually opposed slots for receiving correspondingly arranged projections on the lower end of a respective one of the stanch ions, characterised in that each slot of the or each pair of slots extends along the upright in the direction in which the stanchion is collapsed and at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane of the base so that there need be only a minimum of upward movement from the base of the stanchion in the upright to enable said stanchion to be collapsed.

Advantageously, the base is a square framework comprising four interconnected square cross-section tubular bars, each corner of the framework is provided with a downwardly extending square cross-section tubular leg terminating in a square, hollow frustoconical stacking foot.

The uprights may be mounted one each above a respective leg and are each advantageously in the form of a right-angled channel piece substantially C-shaped in horizontal cross-section.

The channel piece is mounted on the framework preferably such that its two limbs extend parallel with one another in the longitudinal direction of a respective bar of the framework so as to define a mouth into which the lower end of the stanchion can be received, and its base, extending transversley from one limb to the other, faces the mouth and consequently the opposite end of the bar.

Advantageously, each upright has two pairs of slots, the slots of each pair being in a respective one of the two limbs of the channel piece. The pairs of slots are arranged one above the other. The lower pair of slots are closed on themselves whereas the upper pair of slots open to the top edge of the channel piece i.e. that end thereof which is remote from the end which is mounted on the bar of the framework. The upper pair of slots may be approximately half the length of the lower pair of slots due to the aforementioned sloping of the slots.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of the collapsible pallet of the invention in its erect configuration mounting an identical pallet in its collapsed configuration; Figure 2 is a plan view of the pallet of Fig.

1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of a number of uprights mounted at the corners of the pallet of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, the preferred collapsible pallet 10 of the invention comprises a base 11 in the form of a square framework comprising four square cross-section tubular bars 12,13, 14 and 15 connected to one another, for example, by wclding. To strengthen the framework two further similar tubular bars 1 6 and 1 7 (Fig. 2) extend between the bars 12 and 14 and 13 and 15 respectively in criss-cross fashion and are connected thereto, for example, by welding. All the bars of the framework can be made of mild steel. However any other suitably robust material will suffice.

Each corner of the framework is provided with a downwardly extending square crosssection tubular leg 1 8 terminating in a square, hollow frusto-conical stacking foot 19.

The legs 1 8 and the feet 1 9 may be made of the same material as the framework and enable the framework to be engaged by the forks of a fork lift truck (not shown).

Mounted on the framework above each leg 1 8 is a respective upright 20. The mounting of the uprights 20 on the framework is usually by welding but may be by means of screws or nuts and bolts etc.

The construction of each upright 20 is illustrated in Fig. 3, from which it will clearly be seen that it is in the form of a right-angled channel piece substantially C-shaped in horizontal cross-section. The channel piece is mounted on the framework such that its two limbs 21, 22 extend parallel with one another in the longitudinal direction of a respective bar (in Fig. 2 the bar 12) so as to define a mouth 23 into which the lower end 24a of a respective stanchion 24 (of which there are four as can clearly be seen from Fig. 2) engages. The channel piece's base 25 extends transversely from one limb 21 to the other limb 22 facing the mouth 23 and consequently the opposite end of the bar 1 2.

The front edges 26 of the limbs 21, 22 slope gradually upwards from the bar 1 2 towards the base 25 of the channel piece so that the width of the channel piece where it is connected to the bar 1 2 is greater than its width at its end remote therefrom.

Each upright 20 has two pairs of slots 27 and 28, the slots of each pair 27 and 28 being in a respective one of the two limbs 21, 22 of the channel piece. The pairs of slots 27, 28 are arranged one above the other. The lower pair of slots 27, are closed on themselves and the upper pair of slots 28 are open to the top edge 29 of the channel piece. The upper pair of slots 28 are approximately half the length of the lower pair of slots 27.

The purpose of the pairs of slots 27 and 28 are to receive correspondingly arranged pairs of projections 30 and 31 in the lower end 24a of a respective one of the stanchions 24.

It will clearly be seen that the pairs of slots 27 and 28 slope forward along the limbs 21, 22 in the direction of the mouth 23 of the channel piece and at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane of the base 11.

In other words the pairs of slots 27 and 28 extend generally in the direction in which the stanchion 24 is raised and collapsed as indicated in Fig. 1 by the arrow 32.

To collapse the pallet 10 so that it can be stored, each stanchion 24 is raised until the upper pair of projections 31 thereon clear the upper pair of slots 28 whereupon the stanchion 24 can be pivoted about the lower pair of projections 30 in the lower pair of slots 27.

Due to the fact that the pairs of slots 27, 28 slope forward and therefore the upper pair of slots 28 is half the length of the lower pair of slots 27 the amount by which the stanchion 24 has to be raised away from the base 11 is minimal. This makes the collapsing of the pallet much quicker and easier.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the pallet's base 11 and stanchions 24 define its storage/transportation space. The pallet 10 even in its erect position can receive other similar pallets by means of the feet 1 9 engaging over the upper ends of the stanch ions 24.

Due to the arrangement of the uprights 20 with their mouths 23 facing the opposite ends of the bars 1 2 etc., on which they are arranged, the stanchions 24 can be collapsed so that they lie along their entire length on the bar 1 2 etc.

Claims (8)

1. A collapsible pallet, for the storage and/or transportation of articles, comprising a base having a plurality of spaced-apart stanchions and means for pivotally connecting said stanchions to the base so that they can be collapsed from an upright position, wherein collectively they define with the base the pallet's storage/transportation space, to a position where they lie on or closely adjacent to the base, the means for pivotally connecting the stanchions is in the form of a plurality of uprights each of which comprises at least one pair of mutually opposed slots for receiving correspondingly arranged projections on the lower end of a respective one of the stanchions, characterised in that each slot of the or each pair of slots extends along the upright in the direction in which the stanchion is collapsed and at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane of the base so that there need be only a minimum of upward movement from the base of the stanchion in the upright to enable said stanchion to be collapsed.

2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base is a square framework comprising four interconnected square cross-section tubular bars, each corner of the framework provided with a downwardly extending square cross-section tubular leg terminating in a square, hollow frusto-conical stacking foot.

3. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the uprights are mounted one each above a respective leg and are each in the form of a right-angled channel piece substantially C-shaped in horizontal cross-section.

4. A pallet as claimed in claim 3 wherein the channel piece has two limbs, which extend parallel with one another in the longitudinal direction of a respective bar of the framework so as to define a mouth into which the lower end of the stanchion is received, and has a base which extends transversely from one limb to the other limb and faces the mouth and consequently the opposite end of the bar.

5. A pallet as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each upright has two pairs of slots, the slots of each pair being in a respective one of the two limbs of the channel piece.

6. A pallet as claimed in claim 5 wherein the pairs of slots are arranged one above the other, the lower pair of slots being closed in on themselves and the upper pair of slots being open to the top edge of the channel piece.

7. A pallet as claimed in claim 6 wherein the slots of the upper pair of slots are approximately half the length of the slots of the lower pair of slots.

8. A collapsible pallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.