NZ572332A - A crate locker that supports two stacks of crates and locates six others to form a moveable assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (1) for locking together crates is disclosed. The device consists of a channel (2) in which H-crates may be placed. Lugs (5) on the outer walls (3) are aligned to interact with additional crates around the outside of the device (1). In this way up to eight columns of H-crates may be alighted with each other so that when rapped in plastic all the columns and the device (1) may be moved as one unit by forklift with ease. The space taken to achieve this is the same as that taken up by a standard wooden pallet.

Description

572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 Patents Form No. 5 Patents Act 1953 Nos. 572332 Dated:28 October 2008 Complete Specification A CRATE LOCKING SYSTEM I, David Kevin JACKSON of 490B Manchester Street, Christchurch, New Zealand, a New Zealand citizen do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 A Crate Locking System Technical Field The invention relates to a locking system for stackable crates of the type used to transport and store milk or bread.

Background Art At present, particularly in New Zealand, it is common for bread and similar products to be carried and stored in crates. The crates allow a large number of loaves of bread or other products to be stored and/or transported with ease while not being squashed or damaged. Examples of such crates which are readily available and frequently used in New Zealand are those shown in the representations with New Zealand Design registrations nos. 13314, 26460 and 27742. The crates of registration nos. 13314 and 26460 are generally known in the trade as H crates and are constructed from a plastics material and when viewed from the side and end the walls forming the crate are in the general form of an H. The crates are designed to be stackable and are of sufficient structural strength to allow a number of the stacked crates to be moved by a fork lift without the need for a pallet. The crates currently in use are dimensioned so that the products stored therein can be removed from a crate on a lower tier without the need for an upper crate to be moved.

At present in New Zealand milk crates are stacked onto a wooden chep pallet which is hired from a rental company. As the pallets are rented the cost to a milk supply company is very high.

A problem is that the wooden pallet used is not designed for milk crates as the size of the pallet restricts the amount of milk which can be place onto a pallet and therefore restricts the amount that can be carried on a truck or trailer. Another problem is that the milk has to be lifted from the floor onto the pallet manually by workers. A stack of milk ranges in weight from 80-120kg, putting 2 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 physical stress on the workers who are making up orders. Another problem is that the pallets have wooden slats on top of the pallet and milk crates are hard to move around on the pallet because of the friction created by the generally rough sawn timber from which crates are manufactured.

Another problem in transporting milk on wooden pallets is that plastic wrap which holds the milk to the pallet can break during transport with the movement of the truck which makes the milk come away from the pallet ending up damaging the milk from saie.

An object of the invention is to overcome the above identified problems and to provide a means which makes the use of wooden pallets redundant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crate locking system which at least offers consumers a useful alternative choice.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a crate locking system in which a lower tier of a series of stacked H crates act as a pallet with a crate locker assisting in locating the stacked crates together, the crate locker is adapted so that at least two aligned H crates can be placed thereon, the crate locker having lugs or extensions on each side, the lugs or extensions in use interlocking with lower tier H crates placed adjacent thereto to form a base for stacked H crates placed thereon before the stacks of H crates are wrapped with plastic wrap.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a crate locker which assists in locking two stacks of H crates together while providing a base for another column of stacked crates to be placed therebetween before the three stacks of H crates are wrapped with plastic wrap. 3 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 The crate locker is shaped and designed so that in use it allows the forks of a forktift to go under the stacked crates without contacting the crate iocker.

The crate locker can be dimensioned to hold two aligned middle stacks of milk crates from falling down once the pallet is lifted while locating the stacked crates together as a module which is wrapped with plastic film so that it can be pick up by a forklift to be transported, for example around a coolroom before finally being placed onto truck or trailer to be transported to its destination. When the module gets to it destination it can be lifted off a truck deck with a forklift with fork extensions.

With current methods of using wooden pallets only seven stacks of milk can be placed onto a pallet, with the stack being five crates high. With this new system a module can have eight stacks of milk crates in the same surface area as a wooden pallet.

As the milk crates do not need to be lifted onto a pallet the overall height of the module has been lowered which improves the static roll over in a truck or trailer.

The H crate locker can be made longer if need be if more than eight stacks of milk crates are used to create a larger module.

The H crate locker can be made from stainless steel, metal or a plastics material as the environment in which the crate locker will be used is wet and damp can cause rust.

Further aspects of the invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

Description of the Drawings 4 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of crate locker for use in the crate locking system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view from above of the crate locker shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a first tier of eight crates located together in association with the crate locker as shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a view from one side of the crate locker shown in Figures 1 and 2 with three stacks of crates in position along one side thereof; Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 4 but with two stacks of crates positioned on the other side of the crate locker; Figure 6 is a view similar to that in Figures 4 and 5 with three stacks of crates on each side of the crate stacker and with a seventh and centra! stack of crates shown part way into position on the crate stacker; Figure 7 is a front view of a crate stacker with eight stacks of crates placed thereon; and Figure 8 is a front view similar to that shown in Figure 7 in which the stacked crates are wrapped with a plastic film and shown with a series lid or stacking spacers for stackable crates of the type described in the applicant's New Zealand patent specification no. 568245/569110 placed thereon.

Description of the Example An example of the invention will now be described with reference to a crate of the type shown in the representations New Zealand Design registrations nos. 13314, 26460 and 27742. These crates are generally rectangular and are dimensioned to sit or stack on top of each other.

In Figures 1 and 2 is shown an example a crate locker generally indicated by arrow 1 for use in the crate locking system according to the invention. In the example the crate locker 1 is formed from a length of channel or is folded to form a channel with a base 2 and opposed side walls 3. The length of the 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 crate locker 1 is a multiple of the depth of the type of crate with which it is designed to be used. In the example the length is three times the depth so that three crates can be placed alongside the crate locker 1 as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The crate locker 1 has in each side wall 3 a series of spaced apart lugs or extensions 5 which are positioned and dimensioned to interlock with existing slots or spaces 6 in the side walls of the crates.

The crate locker 1 additionally includes transverse members 8, 9 and 10. The space between members 8, 9 and 9, 10 is such that a pair of crates 11,12 can be placed on the base 2 and held in position by the members 8, 9 and 10.

The crate locker 1 can also have cutouts 13 to save weight. The H crate locker 1 can be made from stainless steel, metal or a plastics material if the environment in which the crate locker will be used is wet and damp which can cause rust.

In use the crate locker 1 is used as shown in Figures 3 to 8 to form a pallet module in which a lower tier of a series of stacked crates act as a pallet with the crate locker 1 assisting in locating the stacked crates together before the stacks of crates are wrapped with plastic film wrap 14 as shown in Figure 8.

The crate locker 1 is shaped and designed so that in use it allows the forks 15 of a forklift (not shown) to go under the stacked crates without contacting the crate locker 1.

The crate locker 1 is dimensioned to hold two aligned middle stacks (shown in Figure 6 to 8) of crates above the crates 11,12 respectively (as shown in Figure 3). These crates are located between transverse members 8, 9 and 10 and are placed on the base 2 of the crate locker 1.

In practice the outer columns of crates can be placed in position alongside the sides of the crate locker 1 before the middle stacks on crates 11, 12 are 6 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 placed in position. After the desired crates are in position they are held from falling down by being wrapped as shown in Figure 8.

Once the pallet of stacked crates is wrapped together as a module it can be picked up by a forklift to be transported, for example around a coolroom before finally being placed onto truck or trailer to be transported to its destination. When the module gets to it destination it can be lifted off a truck deck with a forklift with fork extensions.

With this new system a module can have eight stacks of milk crates in the same surface area of a wooden pallet. As the milk crates do not need to be lifted onto a pallet the overall height of the module has been lowered which improves the static roll over in a truck or trailer.

In Figure 8 a series of lid or stacking spacers 24 in accordance with the applicant's New Zealand patent specification no. 568245/569110 are shown placed on the upper layer of crates of the pallet module. This allows other packages for example cartons 25 to be stored or carried on the pallet module.

Where in the foregoing description particular mechanical integers are described it is envisaged that their mechanical equivalents can be substituted as if they were described herein.

Thus by this invention there is provided a crate locking system for stackable crates of the type used to transport and store milk or bread.

A particular example of the invention has been described and it is envisaged that improvements and modifications can take place without departing from the scope of the attached claims. 7

Claims (8)

572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010 What I Claim is:

1. A crate locking system in which a lower tier of a series of stacked H crates act as a pallet with a crate locker assisting in locating the stacked crates together, the crate locker is adapted so that at least two aligned H crates can be placed thereon, the crate locker having lugs or extensions on each side, the lugs or extensions in use interlocking with lower tier H crates placed adjacent thereto to form a base for stacked H crates placed thereon before the stacks of H crates are wrapped with plastic wrap.

2. A crate locking system as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3. A crate locker which assists in locking stacks of H crates, the crate locker is a channel section dimensioned so that at least two aligned H crates can be placed thereon, the channel section having lugs or extensions extending outwardly from each side wall thereof, the lugs or extensions in use interlocking with lower tier H crates placed adjacent thereto so that the lower tier H crates form a base for columns of stacked crates to be placed thereon.

4. A crate locker as claimed in claim 3 in which the channel section is dimensioned so that in use it fits between forks of a forklift.

5. A crate locker as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the channel section is dimensioned to hold two aligned middle stacks of H crates.

6. A crate locker as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 formed into a module which has eight stacks of H crates in the same surface area as a standard wooden pallet.

7. A crate locker as claimed in claim in any one of claims 3 to 6 which is made from stainless steel, metal or a plastics material. 8 572332 Received at IPONZ 29 June 2010

8. A crate locker as claimed in claim 3 and substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. David Kevin JACKSON By his Attorney Richard Lyth Patent Attorney 9