GB2545709A

GB2545709A - Pallet arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2545709A
Application number: GB1522707.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Haughton Andrew
Original assignee: Marches Global Ltd
Current assignee: Marches Global Ltd
Priority date: 2015-12-23
Filing date: 2015-12-23
Publication date: 2017-06-28
Also published as: GB201522707D0

Abstract

A pallet 10 consisting of a board 12; possibly constructed of cardboard, containing several openings, and a plurality of feet 14 which may be a hollow tapered shape. The feet 14 are possibly made from a moulded plastic. Each foot 14 may be placed into a hole and the feet 14 are nestable so that the corresponding foot of another pallet can be received to allow stacking of pallets on top of each other. The foot 14 may be composed of two parts where the cup like portion (Fig 3, 20) is encircled by a flange (Fig 3, 24) that engages the underside of the board 12. The second part of the foot can be a retaining ring, also containing a flange (Fig 2, 30) and the tooth like ribs or serrations (Fig 2, 32) of the ring engage with serrations (Fig 3, 26) on the cup portion (Fig 3, 20).These interengaging ribs or serrations may allow for the cup and retaining ring to be spaced apart from each other over a range of differences to allow for the feet (14) to be used with pallet boards of varying thicknesses.

Description

PALLET ARRANGEMENT

This invention relates to a pallet arrangement, and in particular to a pallet, and to a foot for use in a pallet, of the type comprising a single sheet of a board material.

Pallets are in widespread use in supporting products during handling, transportation and storage thereof. Traditionally, pallets have been of wooden construction, comprising a series of wooden slats that together define a load supporting surface, the slats being nailed or otherwise secured to a plurality of bearers which serve to secure the slats to one another, supporting the slats in a position spaced above the ground or other surface upon which the pallet rests, thereby allowing the forks of a fork lift or other device to be introduced beneath the slats to assist in moving the pallet and the products located thereon. Usually, an additional series of slats are secured to the underside of the bearers.

Whilst such pallets have been successful and are in widespread use, they have the disadvantage that as they are of wooden construction, manufacture thereof is relatively environmentally unfriendly. Furthermore, transportation thereof when not carrying products is relatively inefficient as they are of relatively bulky form. Also, they are relatively heavy, making transportation less efficient and handling more awkward.

Another form of pallet in use takes the form of a single board, for example of recycled wood particle or fibre or cardboard form, to the underside of which is secured a series of bearers. Whilst pallets of this form may overcome some of the disadvantages associated with traditional pallets, they still suffer from the disadvantage that transportation or storage thereof when not in use in carrying products is relatively inefficient as they take up a relatively large amount of space. Furthermore, if they become damp, the boards thereof become weakened and as a result the pallets may no longer be suitable for use.

Both wooden and recycled wood particle or fibre pallets are unsuitable for use in certain applications, such in the food or pharmaceutical industries, as there is a tendency for such pallets to shed wood particles or fibres, or splinters, or the metallic components such as nails or staples used in the assembly of the pallets, which may then migrate into the product being handled or transported or present a hazard during the manufacturing process. A further form of pallet is of moulded plastics material form.

It is an object of the invention to provide a pallet in which at least some of the disadvantages associated with known pallets are overcome or are of reduced effect.

According to the present invention there is provided a pallet comprising a board and a plurality of feet, wherein the board is formed with openings with which the feet are associated, and wherein each foot is of nestable form, each foot being adapted to allow a part of a corresponding foot of another like pallet to be received therein.

Such an arrangement is advantageous in that, when not in use in carrying products, the pallets can be stacked upon one another with the feet nesting within one another, thereby allowing the pallets to be stored, transported and/or handled in a space efficient manner.

The board is conveniently of cardboard form, and the feet are conveniently of moulded plastics material form.

Preferably, each foot is of two part form. Conveniently, each foot comprises a main portion including a support part, conveniently of hollow tapering form, and an outwardly extending flange part adapted, in use, to bear against the underside of the board. In use, with the board supported upon the outwardly extending flange part, the weight of the board and any products carried thereby is transmitted via the outwardly extending flange part to the support part, and from the support part to an underlying surface upon which the pallet is stood.

Each foot preferably further comprises a retaining ring comprising a generally cylindrical hub from which a second outwardly extending flange part projects. In use, the hub interacts with part of the main portion to secure the retaining ring and the main portion of the foot to one another, the board being trapped between the flange part of the main portion and the flange part of the retaining ring.

Preferably, the hub and the main portion are provided with interengaging features, for example in the form of a series of tooth like ribs or serrations, that interengage to secure the hub to the main portion. Preferably, the ribs or serrations are positioned and arranged such that the retaining ring and the main portion can be secured to one another in a range of positions in which the flange part of the main portion and the flange part of the retaining ring are spaced apart from one another by a range of distances, thereby allowing the foot to be used with boards of a range of thicknesses.

The invention further relates to a foot for use in a pallet of the type described hereinbefore, the foot being of nestable form, the foot being adapted to allow a part of a corresponding foot of another like pallet to be received therein.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating part of a pallet in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are views illustrating parts of the pallet of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating part of an alternative embodiment.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 3, part of a pallet 10 is illustrated which comprises a board 12, for example of wood fibre form or of cardboard form. The material and thickness of the board 12 is chosen depending upon the nature of the load to be carried by the pallet 10, and hence on the weight requirement to be borne thereby. The board 12 is formed with a series of spaced openings, each opening having a respective foot 14 associated therewith. The number and spacing of the feet 14 depends upon the size of the pallet 10, the nature of the load to be carried thereby, and the nature of the surface upon which the pallet 10 is to be supported, in use.

Each foot 14 is of two part, plastics material moulded form. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, each foot 14 comprises a main portion 16 and a locking ring 18. The main portion 16 comprises a support part 20 of hollow, tapering form, closed at its lower end by an end wall. As illustrated, conveniently, one or more slots or openings 22 are formed in the support part 20 adjacent the end wall, for example to allow drainage of any fluids that may collect in the support part 20. As shown, the support part 20 in this arrangement is of stepped form. Flowever, this need not always be the case, and arrangements (such as that shown in Figure 4) are possible in which the support part 20 is not of stepped form.

An outwardly extending flange 24 projects from the upper end of the support part 20. In use, the flange 24 is arranged to engage the part of the underside of the board 12 adjacent the opening with which the foot 14 is associated.

Internally of the support part 20, adjacent the upper end thereof, the support part 20 is formed with a series of annular ribs or serrations 26.

The locking ring 18 comprises a central hub 28 from an upper end of which projects an outwardly extending flange 30 of maximum diameter substantially equal to that of the flange 24. The hub 28 is of outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the part of the support part 20 provided with the ribs or serrations 26, and is itself provided with a series of ribs or serrations 32 adapted to cooperate, in use, with the ribs or serrations 26. As shown in Figure 2, the hub 28 is conveniently formed with slots 34 which allow radial compression of the part of the hub 28 provided with the ribs or serrations 32.

In use, during assembly of the pallet 10, the main portion 16 of the foot 14 is aligned with an associated one of the openings formed in the board 12 with the flange 24 thereof bearing against the underside of the board 12. The hub 28 of the locking ring 18 is introduced into the opening from the upper side of the board 12, the part of the locking ring 18 provided with the ribs or serrations 32 being introduced into the upper part of the support part 20 such that the ribs or serrations 32 of the hub 28 interengage with those of the support part 20 securing the locking ring 18 to the main portion 16 with the board 12 sandwiched between the flanges 24, 30. Assembly of the foot 14 to the board 12 is complete when the flanges 24, 30 are both engaged with the respective surfaces of the board.

Once all of the feet 14 have been secured to the board 12 in this fashion, it will be appreciated that the pallet 10 is complete and ready for use. Products may be positioned upon the pallet 10 for storage, handling and/or transportation. Forks or the like may be used to lift and move the pallet 10, the feet 14 ensuring that the board 12 is supported above the underlying supporting surface by a sufficient distance to allow the insertion of the forks beneath the board 12, the feet 14 being spaced and positioned in such a manner as to accommodate the introduction of forks or the like.

The afore described pallet is of relatively low weight. Where used with a board 12 of cardboard form, the pallet may be suitable for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries as there are no metallic parts that could migrate into the products being handled or stored.

When not being used to support a product, several pallets 10 may be stacked one upon another. By aligning the feet 14 of the pallets 10, it will be appreciated that the feet 14 of one of the pallets 10 can be partially received within, and nest within, the feet 14 of an immediately adjacent one of the pallets 10, thereby allowing stacking of the pallets 10 in a space efficient manner. Furthermore, once stacked in this fashion, the stack of pallets 10 can be handled safely as a single unit, if desired.

Not only is the arrangement beneficial in that it allows stacking of pallets in a space efficient manner, but also the design of the feet 14 allows the feet 14 to be used with boards 12 of a range of thicknesses. There is no requirement to provide different designs of feet for use with different board thicknesses.

Another advantage of the invention is that if the pallet 10 is used in damp conditions, the plastics nature of the feet 14 ensures that the feet 14 will not be damaged by the conditions, the feet 14 supporting the board 12 in such a manner that the likelihood of the board 12 becoming damp, and possibly failing, is much reduced.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification to the arrangement of Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4 showing a pair of feet 14 in a stacked configuration. In most respects, the two embodiments are substantially the same as one another. The primary differences between the two are that, in the arrangement of Figure 4, the support part 20 is of non-stepped, tapering form as mentioned above, and that as shown in Figure 4, the main portion 16 includes an upwardly extending cylindrical wall 36 supported upon the flange 24 which is provided with the ribs or serrations 26 and which is located, in use, within the associated opening formed in the board 12.

Whilst specific embodiments of the invention are described hereinbefore, it will be appreciated that a wide range of modifications and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A pallet comprising a board and a plurality of feet, wherein the board is formed with openings with which the feet are associated, and wherein each foot is of nestable form, each foot being adapted to allow a part of a corresponding foot of another like pallet to be received therein.

2. A pallet according to Claim 1, wherein the board is of cardboard form.

3. A pallet according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the feet are of moulded plastics material form.

4. A pallet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each foot is of two part form.

5. A pallet according to Claim 4, wherein each foot comprises a main portion including a support part, and an outwardly extending flange part adapted, in use, to bear against the underside of the board.

6. A pallet according to Claim 5, wherein the support part is of hollow, tapering form.

7. A pallet according to any of Claims 4 to 6, wherein each foot further comprises a retaining ring comprising a generally cylindrical hub from which a second outwardly extending flange part projects.

8. A pallet according to Claim 7, wherein the hub and the main portion are provided with interengaging features that interengage to secure the hub to the main portion.

9. A pallet according to Claim 8, wherein the interengaging features comprise series of tooth like ribs or serrations.

10. A pallet according to Claim 9, wherein the ribs or serrations are positioned and arranged such that the retaining ring and the main portion can be secured to one another in a range of positions in which the flange part of the main portion and the flange part of the retaining ring are spaced apart from one another by a range of distances, thereby allowing the foot to be used with boards of a range of thicknesses.

11. A foot for use in a pallet as claimed in any of the preceding claims, the foot being of nestable form, adapted to allow a part of a corresponding foot of another like pallet to be received therein.