ITTO970035U1 - LOADING FOOT FOOT, CORRUGATED CARDBOARD BOXES AND SIMILAR - Google Patents

Abstract

A foot (3) for loading pallets (1), corrugated cardboard boxes and the like, formed by a single corrugated cardboard sheet (4), die-cut and folded so as to integrally define two box-like end portions (18, 19) of parallelepipedal shape which are mutually connected by a pair of intermediate longitudinal bands (9, 10). In use, a pair of these feet (3) delimit two passages (A, B) which are perpendicular to each other and define four ways for selective engagement therethrough of a fork handling system. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial utility model entitled:

"Foot for dock levellers, corrugated cardboard boxes and the like"

TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a foot for loading platforms, corrugated cardboard boxes and the like, formed by a single punched and folded sheet of corrugated cardboard.

A foot of this type is known from the Italian utility model patent application n. T095U000176 in the name of the same Applicant. This foot has an uninterrupted tubular shape, with internal reinforcing baffles and terminal closing wings. Although extremely simple, sturdy and economical, this known foot has the drawback of making only two opposite ways available for handling, by means of normal forklift equipment, the loading platform or box provided with a pair of such feet.

The object of the present invention is therefore that of realizing a foot of the type defined at the beginning which, while maintaining an extremely simple and economical structure, allows in use to double the access routes for the forks of the handling systems.

According to the invention, this object is essentially achieved thanks to the fact that the corrugated cardboard sheet has creasing lines capable of integrally defining two sections of box-like ends with a parallelepiped shape and a pair of intermediate longitudinal bands which form and interconnect the upper and lower sections of said two end sections.

With this embodiment, the foot according to the invention makes available a central passage in opposite transverse directions, without negatively affecting either the sturdiness of its box-like end sections, or the manufacturing simplicity of the entire foot.

To further reinforce the resistance under load of the two box-like end sections, the foot according to the invention provides that the front and rear walls of each of these box-like sections are each formed by at least three folded and superimposed wings of said plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the corrugated cardboard plate has four longitudinal creasing lines which delimit the aforementioned two longitudinal bands and three pairs of longitudinal half-bands alternating with said two longitudinal bands and each formed with a respective pair of creasing lines transversal suitable to define the side walls and the front and rear walls of the box-like end sections.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a loading platform provided with a pair of feet according to the invention,

Figure 2 is an inverted perspective view of Figure 1,

figure 3 shows the plan development of one of the feet,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale along the line IV-IV of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on a larger scale along the line V-V of Figure 1, e

figure 6 is a longitudinal section view along the line VI-VI of figure 5.

Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2, 1 indicates as a whole a loading platform in the shape of a "pallet" essentially comprising a support platform 2, made of corrugated cardboard or any other suitable material, provided below with a pair of feet of rise 3 according to the invention, spaced apart and extending for the entire length of the support platform 2. A longitudinal passage is defined between the two feet 3, which can be fixed to the support platform 2 by gluing or any other suitable system A which defines two access routes, in one direction and respectively in an opposite direction, for a fork handling system or the like.

Figures 3 to 6 illustrate in detail the configuration of one of the feet 3: the following description referring to these figures is also applied identically to the other foot.

The tubular foot 3 is made starting from a punched sheet of corrugated cardboard, the development of which is indicated by 4 in figure 3.

The slab 4, of a substantially quadrangular general shape, has four longitudinal creasing lines 5, 6, 7, θ which delimit two longitudinal bands 9, 10 and three pairs of longitudinal semi-bands 11, 12 alternating with the two bands 9, 10. Each semi-band 11, 12 is formed with a respective pair of transverse creasing lines which define a central portion 14 and two side wings 15 on the half-band.

The longitudinal band 9 has a greater length than that of the longitudinal band 10, and is also formed with a pair of transverse creasing lines 16 which define a pair of terminal wings 17.

To assemble the foot 3 starting from the plate 4, proceed as follows.

First, the wings 15 of the upper left half-band with reference to Figure 3 are folded perpendicularly to the central part 14 of said half-band 11, and then this central portion 14 is folded perpendicularly to the plane of the band 9, from the wall of the latter. The lateral wings 15 of the intermediate half-band 11 are then folded against the wings 15 of the previous half-band 11. The various elements each time superimposed in mutual contact are permanently fixed to each other by means of a suitable glue or equivalent systems.

The same operations are carried out in a similar way with reference to the half-band 12 at the top right with respect to Figure 3 and to the intermediate half-band 12.

Then the band 10 is folded parallel to the band 9 and the central part 14 of the third half-band 11, that is the one represented at the bottom left in Figure 3, is folded over the central part 14 of the first half-band 11, and the wings 15 of said third half-band 11 are folded against the respective wings 15 previously superimposed on each other of the first and second half-band 11. The same identical operations are carried out with reference to the third half-band 12, that is the one represented at the bottom right in figure 3. Also in in this case the various elements superimposed on each other are permanently joined by means of a suitable glue or equivalent systems.

Finally, the terminal wings 17 of the band 9 are folded, superimposed and fixed one against the three external wings 15 previously superimposed on each other of the half-bands 11, and the other on the three external wings 15 previously superimposed on the three half-bands 12.

At the end of these operations, the foot 3 therefore assumes the overall configuration clearly visible in Figures 1 and 2, with two sections of box-like ends 18, 19 of generally parallelepiped shape, spaced apart and integrally interconnected by the two longitudinal bands 9, 10, which form one the lower walls and the other the upper walls of the two box-like sections 18, 19 or the entire base wall and the entire top wall of the foot 3. Between the two end box-like sections 18, 19 thus defines a large transversal passage B which, in the condition applied to the loading platform 2, defines with the corresponding passage B of the other foot 3 a further pair of ways, directed transversely to the passage A, for insertion of fork handling systems and the like.

As can be seen from figures 4 to 6, the opposite side walls of each box-like section 18, 19 are defined by the central portions 14 of the half-bands 11, 12 respectively, while the relative end walls are defined by the wings 15 of the same half-bands 11, 12 respectively. Therefore, these end walls have a structure with three superimposed elements to which a further fourth element formed by the corresponding terminal wing is added for the external end wall, that is the one arranged on the opposite side to the passage B of each box-like section 18, 19. 17 of the band 9. This allows to ensure extreme rigidity and strength of the two box-like end sections 18, 19 and, consequently, of the entire foot 3 as a whole.

It should be noted that, although the application to a loading platform 1 has been described above, the foot 3 according to the invention can be equally usefully and advantageously applied to the bottom wall of a corrugated cardboard box or the like.

Naturally, the details of construction and the embodiments may be varied widely with respect to what has been described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the present invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS 1. Foot (3) for loading platforms (1), corrugated cardboard boxes and the like, formed by a single sheet of corrugated cardboard (4) punched and folded, characterized in that said sheet of corrugated cardboard (4) has creasing lines (5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16) capable of integrally defining two sections of box-like ends of parailelepiped shape (18, 19) and a pair of intermediate longitudinal bands (9, 10) which form and interconnect between them the upper and lower walls of said two end box sections (18, 19). Foot according to claim 1, characterized in that the front and rear walls of each of said two box-like end sections (18, 19) are each formed by at least three folded and superimposed wings (15) of said plate (4) . 3. Foot according to claim 2, characterized in that said corrugated cardboard sheet (4) has four longitudinal creasing lines (5, 6, 7, 8) which delimit the aforementioned two longitudinal bands (9, 10) and three pairs of longitudinal semibands (11, 12) alternating with said longitudinal bands (9, 10) and formed -the each with a respective pair of transverse creasing lines (13) suitable for defining the side walls (14) and said front and rear walls (15) of the aforementioned two box-like end sections (18, 19). 4. Foot according to claim 3, characterized in that one of said two longitudinal bands (9, 10) has a pair of transversal creasing lines (16) which define a pair of terminal wings (17) each suitable to form a fourth wing superimposed on said three superimposed wings (15) of the front wall of a respective box-like end section (18, 19). 5. Foot substantially as described and illustrated and for the specified purposes.