RU2574709C1 - Method of manufacturing of platform out of hollow metal pipe, and method of disposal of hollow cylindrical cores - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine building.

SUBSTANCE: hollow metal pipe with an essentially cylindrical cross-section is deformed to a hollow section with an essentially rectangular cross-section, having in essence a flat top wall creating a load carrying platform, and a method of disposal of transverse-corrugated hollow cylindrical aluminium cores after the removal of a wounded on them plate or tape material, in which the cores are deformed in the section with an essentially rectangular cross-section by the application to the cores along their full length of the directed in essence radial pressure, and the ready sections are secured to each other to form the load carrying platform.

EFFECT: possibility to obtain hollow long blanks out of hard-to-machine materials.

5 cl, 17 dwg

Description

This application is isolated from application No. 2012157375 for the grant of a patent of the Russian Federation for an invention, filed June 20, 2011, with claiming priority on the filing date of the first application US 61 / 357,736, filed with the US Patent Office June 23, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing platforms from one or more sections formed from hollow tubular metal cores on which rolls of a metal tape or other sheet or strip material have been wound.

State of the art

Pallets are portable platforms on which packages or other goods, related or unrelated materials, such as scrap metal, etc., can be stacked for loading, unloading, storage or local movement, for example, within the manufacturer or warehouse and / or for transportation between remote points. Typically, pallets are designed to be lifted and moved by a forklift.

Conventional pallets for moving bulky goods are made of wood. Accordingly, they are relatively heavy, which increases transport costs for transportation over long distances. Recipients of goods delivered on wooden pallets are saddled with having to either send the pallets back to the sender or dispose of them. Wooden pallets have a limited service life until the necessary repairs and are of little value after failure.

Plastic pallets are more durable than wooden ones, therefore they serve a greater number of cycles, but they are heavy and must be returned to the sender in order to make economic sense. This again increases transportation costs. Plastic pallets that have become unusable, like wooden pallets, are cheap and present difficulties in disposal.

Cylindrical corrugated hollow metal pipes are widely used as cores of rolls of tape or sheet material, such as aluminum tape, from which cans are made (the term "aluminum" here refers to metal aluminum and alloys based on it), as well as rolls of other long films or tapes of thin plastic, paper or metal. Such pipes can be made by spiral winding a longitudinally corrugated aluminum tape with partial overlapping of adjacent turns as, for example, described in US patent No. 7040569, the contents of which are fully incorporated into this description by reference. In the finished pipe, the folds go around the circumference, that is, in the transverse direction, and strengthen the pipe walls.

Recipients of core rolls, which are described in the previous paragraph, often do not find use for such core, because they only use roll tape, but are not its suppliers. Therefore, at present, cores from under rolls are simply disposed of by recipients as scrap metal. Despite their value as scrap metal, their molded structure does not find proper application after they served as core rolls.

Disclosure of invention

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a platform, the method comprising deforming at least one metal pipe of a substantially cylindrical cross section into a hollow section of a substantially rectangular cross section having a flat top wall representing a load-bearing platform.

The method of the invention preferably includes the step of deforming each of the plurality of hollow metal pipes of a substantially cylindrical cross section into a hollow section having a substantially flat upper wall and a generally rectangular cross section by applying substantially radially directed pressure to the pipe substantially all over it the length, as well as the stage of fastening the hollow sections to each other so that their upper walls are turned in one direction, making up the load-bearing platform. Each of the hollow metal pipes used in this method preferably contains a longitudinally-corrugated aluminum tape spirally wound into a cylinder with partial overlapping of adjacent turns.

In specific implementations of the method, at the deformation step, each of the hollow metal pipes is deformed by a substantially radially directed pressure on the forming element having the shape of an elongated rectilinear protrusion extending parallel to the pipe so that the hollow section molded from the pipe opposite the upper wall has a lower wall having a longitudinal central ridge protruding inward to the upper wall.

In yet another aspect of the invention, in a broad sense, a platform is provided comprising at least one hollow metal section having a substantially flat upper wall and a substantially rectangular cross section obtained by deforming a hollow metal pipe of a substantially cylindrical cross section to give it throughout its length of the specified essentially rectangular cross section.

More specifically, in this aspect, the invention encompasses a platform comprising a plurality of hollow metal sections, each of which has a substantially flat upper wall and a substantially rectangular cross section and is obtained from a hollow metal pipe by deforming it with substantially radially directed pressure over substantially its entire length, moreover, the sections are bonded to each other so that their upper walls are turned in one direction, making up the load-bearing platform.

Hollow metal sections can be fastened to each other, as described above, sideways in a parallel set and / or ends in a serial set. That is, the platform can be two, three or more sections wide and one, two or more sections long as desired or as required by the need to transport various types of goods.

In addition, in accordance with the invention, the horizontal cross-sectional width of each section of the platform is greater than its vertical height, and the opposite upper and lower walls extend over the entire width of the section.

In some embodiments, the bottom wall of each section is molded with a longitudinal central reinforcing ridge protruding inwardly to the upper wall of the section. In other embodiments, the upper and lower walls of each section extend substantially parallel to each other over the entire width of the section.

It is highly desirable that the pipes from which the sections are formed have repeated local reinforcing deformations, such as folds or corrugations. Particularly preferred are cylindrical pipes which are corrugated transversely (in this context, the term “transversely corrugated” means having circumferential corrugation, for example going spirally around a pipe wall). To minimize mass, the metal of which the pipes are made should preferably be aluminum.

In particular, it is preferable to form sections of hollow cylindrical corrugated aluminum cores used to wind a metal tape or other tape or sheet material. Such a core is a longitudinally corrugated aluminum tape spirally wound into a cylinder (so that the folds extend around the circumference around the cylinder) with partial overlapping of adjacent turns to provide double metal thickness for strength.

In the platform of the invention, it is also desirable for the sections to have open ends into which forklift forks can be inserted to facilitate lifting and moving the platform and the load on it.

The invention provides platforms which advantageously differ in weight from conventional and plastic pallets, while maintaining strength sufficient to be used instead of such conventional pallets. Being made of metal, they retain significant value as scrap metal and can be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner without any problems.

In addition, the invention finds a new use for corrugated aluminum cores, which become unnecessary after all tape or sheet material is wound from them. That is, if before that such cores were simply thrown away as scrap metal without benefiting from their design, the present invention proposes a method for utilizing them after winding up completely the roll material whose core they served by deforming them in a section of a substantially rectangular cross section when applied to the core along its entire length directed essentially radially pressure and fastening the finished sections to each other in a load-carrying platform.

Other distinguishing features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description below along with the accompanying drawings.

In the following description, values are given simultaneously in units of measurement of the metric and British systems (metric units are given first). In the event of a discrepancy between the values expressed in this way, the values in the British system should be considered correct, unless the contrary is obvious.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transversely corrugated cylindrical aluminum pipe of a known type used as a core for winding tape material;

In FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating the corrugation of the pipe wall of FIG. one;

In FIG. 3 is a simplified perspective view of a platform made of a pipe, such as that shown in FIG. 1, as a private implementation of the present invention;

In FIG. 4 shows a similar FIG. 3 is a view of another platform, an embodiment of the present invention, which is also made of a pipe of the type shown in FIG. one;

In FIG. 5 schematically shows the first step of forming a pipe of the type shown in FIG. 1 to the platform section shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with a first embodiment of the method of the present invention, the pipe shown from the end;

In FIG. 6 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 5 of the next step of molding the same pipe into the platform section of FIG. 3 in accordance with a first embodiment of the method of the present invention;

In FIG. 7 is a schematic end view of a section of a platform obtained by performing the procedure of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6;

In FIG. 8A shows a similar schematic end view of a platform, an embodiment of the invention, consisting of multiple sections of the type shown in FIG. 7;

In FIG. 8B is a schematic top view of the platform of FIG. 8A on a reduced scale;

In FIG. 9 shows a similar schematic end view of the platform of FIG. 8, carrying the load of packages for transportation;

In FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a first step of forming a pipe of the type shown in FIG. 1 to the platform section of FIG. 4 in accordance with a second embodiment of the method of the invention, the pipe shown from the end;

In FIG. 11 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 10 of the next step of molding the same pipe into the platform section of FIG. 4 in accordance with a second embodiment of the method of the present invention;

In FIG. 12A shows a similar schematic view of a platform that is an embodiment of the invention and consists of multiple sections resulting from the procedure of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, and load-bearing packages for transportation;

In FIG. 12B is a schematic top view of the platform of FIG. 12A on a reduced scale, with the load on it not shown;

In FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a first pipe forming step of the type shown in FIG. 1 to the section of the typical platform shown in FIG. 3, in accordance with another implementation of the method according to the invention, the pipe shown from the end;

In FIG. 14 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 10, the next step in molding the same pipe into a section of the typical platform shown in FIG. 3, in accordance with the aforementioned yet another embodiment of the method of the invention;

In FIG. 15 shows a similar schematic end view of the platform section obtained as a result of the procedure of FIG. 13 and FIG. fourteen.

The implementation of the invention

In the shown embodiments, the sectional metal platform of the present invention is composed of a number of (two or more) hollow metal sections, each of which is molded from a hollow transverse corrugated cylindrical metal pipe, shown at position number 10 in FIG. 1. The pipe 10 itself is a well-known product made for use as a tubular core or pipe for winding rolls of flexible sheet material, such as long sheet metal, paper or plastic.

For example, pipe 10 may be a pipe of the type described in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 7,040,569. The pipe proposed in this patent is made of a long flat metal tape (it is convenient or preferable that the tape be aluminum), which is first formed into a longitudinally corrugated shaped tape, and then spirally winded by a winding device so that adjacent turns of the tape overlap at least partially, and the result is a tubular cylindrical structure with folds protruding in the transverse direction, that is, around the circumference around the resulting pipe. The manufacture is carried out by profiling sheet metal on a roller bending machine, so the resulting pipe is structurally stable.

As illustrated by a section along a plane containing the axis of the pipe (Fig. 2), the pipe wall is formed by a corrugated profile, including the outer and inner folds; the outer folds 11 (located on the outer wall of the pipe after winding) are wider than the inner folds 12 (located on the inner wall of the pipe after winding). After forming the pipe by spiral winding, the outer folds are flattened and expanded by applying radial pressure to the pipe, preferably to such an extent that they form a substantially straight line 14 on the outer surface of the pipe; high bending stiffness is achieved due to the formation of a substantially continuous surface 14 of the outer wall and the fact that between the outer and inner folds 11 and 12 a profile rib 16 is formed from a relatively large amount of metal. Production is completed by cutting the pipe to the required lengths for use as cores for rolled tape.

In modern trading practice, aluminum tubular cores of the type described above are usually available in a number of sizes, that is:

As a particular example, a tubular core with a length of 73.7 to 86.4 cm (29 to 34 inches), an outer diameter of 42.2 cm (16.625 inches) and a circumference of 132.7 cm (52.23 inches) can be given. made of aluminum alloy AA3104 (standard sheet for the manufacture of the can body). The corrugation height of the wall, measured between the line of the outer folds 11 and the tangent to the inner folds 12, as shown in FIG. 2 is approximately 0.8 cm (0.31 inch). Two such pipes, articulated to each other on the sides, are used as the core of a roll of aluminum sheet for the production of cans. The pipes that are jointed at the sides are not necessarily fastened to each other, but simply held by a sheet wound around them.

The above-described aluminum pipes 10 are convenient and by far the most preferred rough blanks for forming sections of the platform of the present invention, due to their low weight, cross-corrugated profile with stiffeners and their wide availability in can manufacturing plants, where they are produced together with rolls of metal and then disposed of in scrap metal. In a broader sense, any tubular cores formed from sheet metal are suitable for use as platform sections of the present invention, especially if their walls have some corrugated or corrugated reinforcing structure that can prevent the fabricated sections of the platform from collapsing during use without the need for transition for heavy and expensive grades of sheet metal.

Each section of the platform of the present invention, a specific embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5-9 and described below, is made by deforming one of the tubular cores 10 into a hollow corrugated aluminum section 20 having a generally flat upper wall 22 and a generally rectangular transverse profile (section). A certain number of sections 20 are fastened to each other side by side in a parallel set and / or ends in a serial set to form a finished platform, and the upper walls 22 of sections 20 are turned in one direction, making up a load-bearing platform. The platform 24 shown in FIG. 3, includes six sections 20, assembled from two pairs (consecutive sets) of parallel sets of three sections.

The tubular cores 10 are deformed (subjected to a change in shape) in section 20 by applying mainly radial molding pressure to the wall of the tubular profile at certain points of its perimeter (here, “mainly radial pressure” refers to pressure directed across the pipe axis). For this, hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical pressure or a stamping press can be used. Tubular cores, formed according to the above description by profiling sheet metal on a roller bending machine with a lock, during deformation in section 10 maintain the structural integrity of the integrated and side-closed structural elements.

The formed sections 20 are then fastened to each other, for example, by crimping a metal (which does not require fasteners), giving strength sufficient to bear the desired load on the platform, but allowing easy dismantling of the platform for disposal, or simply with plastic strapping 28 (Fig. 8B).

In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrates the process of deforming a corrugated pipe 10 into a platform section 20 with pressure being applied by hydraulic cylinders (not shown). At the beginning of the process, a downward pressure is applied to the pipe 10 from above (in the direction of arrow 30) by means of a pressing plate 30a. A downward pressure (in the direction of arrow 31) is also applied to the pipe from the inside by means of the forming roller assembly 32. This knot of the forming roller bends the pipe wall around the central forming element 34 (extending at least along the entire length of the pipe parallel to the axis of the pipe), forming a longitudinal central bearing ridge 36 in the lower wall 38 of the manufactured section of the platform. In the next process step (FIG. 6), inwardly directed pressure (in the direction of arrows 40) is also applied to the opposite walls of the pipe by means of hinged plates 40a to form the side walls 40 of the platform section.

In FIG. 7-9 show an idealized end view of section 20 of the platform after completion of the process. In this ideal case, the upper wall 22 is flat and horizontal, and the lower wall 38 has two horizontal extreme portions 38a and 38b, separated by a central longitudinal bearing ridge 36, which has an upper shelf 36a located under the upper wall 22. Side walls 42 and racks 36b ridge 36 are arranged vertically.

In practice, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the walls of the molded section 20 are not perfectly flat, but remain somewhat curved and in fact can even be significantly curved outward (especially the upper wall 22), although the generally round transverse profile of the original cylindrical pipe 10 is substantially and irreversibly in a horizontally elongated (in this embodiment) hollow profile, which can be described by a rectangle in which the upper and lower horizontal sides are longer than its vertical sides. The term "substantially rectangular transverse profile" here encompasses such a horizontally elongated hollow profile, despite the fact that its walls may even retain some curvature outward, regardless of whether the lower wall of the platform section has a central longitudinal ridge similar to the ridge indicated by the positional 36. It should also be understood that the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “upper”, “lower” here refer to the orientation of the platform section carrying the load, or to the orientation of the platform, esuschey load when moving or transportation; and the term “generally flat upper wall” refers to the wall of the platform section facing upward and retaining some upward curvature across, but substantially less curved compared to the wall of the original pipe from which it was formed.

The annular folds of the original cylindrical pipe 10 are stored as transverse folds 43 of the walls of the section 20 of the platform into which it is deformed, especially on elongated surfaces, such as the upper wall 22, and perform a reinforcing function that contributes to the load-bearing capacity of the resulting platform 24. Especially in cases where sections of the platform are formed with relatively sharp corners, the folds can flatten and tear inside and near the corners, and can also stretch on the outer surfaces of the corners.

The assembly assembly shown in FIG. 8A and 9 and in a plan view of FIG. 8B, consisting in this particular embodiment of six sections 20 connected by a plastic strapping 28, typically may have an area of about 121.9 x 165.1 cm (48 x 65 inches). As shown in FIG. 9, the assembled platform may be loaded with material 44, such as scrap packages or packages held together by a plastic strapping 46 (and attached to the platform with an additional strapping that is not shown here) to transport cargo on the platform with a forklift or similar vehicle. Section 20 of the platform is not closed from the ends; therefore, the platform can be grabbed and moved on the forks of the loader without additional training.

More broadly, in implementations of the platform and method of the invention similar to those shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5-9, an entire metal section of the platform is proposed, made of a corrugated metal pipe of circular cross section by deforming it into a reinforced rectangular profile. These sections are fastened to each other in the same platform used for loading, unloading, storage and movement of bulky goods with forklifts or similar vehicles. Metal (for example, aluminum) corrugated pipes can be made in various diameters and lengths; accordingly, the platform can be created from one or more sections, depending on what size the platform should be. The finished platform is lightweight, 100% aluminum, does not require fasteners (except for plastic strapping in some cases) and can be easily disassembled for disposal as scrap metal.

Each section of the platform is molded into a pipe from a single piece of metal, preferably aluminum. After changing its shape, it is completely suitable for reuse, at the end of its service life it saves up to 70% of its value as scrap metal, is absolutely environmentally friendly and does not present problems during disposal.

Although the original pipe (tubular core) 10 most often has a diameter of approximately 40.6 cm (16 inches), it can be made with any desired diameter. As a result, in order to obtain the required dimensions, the platform of the present invention will most often include from two to ten sections obtained from separate tubular cores and connected to each other by strapping, crimping or using bolts, rivets or welding. In some cases, it is preferable to perform platforms with the possibility of stacking them on top of each other, which implies that the platform structure is strong enough to provide this possibility and so that the platform and its sections remain unchanged and do not deform during transportation.

In one specific, but non-limiting example, the platforms of the present invention are used in a factory for the production of beverage containers, a seamless can of AA3104 aluminum alloy. At such plants, AA3104 alloy tape for making cans is delivered in rolls. In existing practice, these rolls are usually wound on aluminum cylindrical transverse corrugated tubular cores with a diameter of 42.2 cm (16.625 inches) similar to those shown with reference number 10 in FIG. 1 and as described above. That is, such tubular cores (two for each roll) are abundant in the container factory. According to the present invention, they are inexpensively transformed into sections of a platform that can withstand the weight of packages of aluminum process wastes that occasionally form during the manufacture of aluminum cans.

The weight of the platforms of the present invention is up to 75% less than the weight of ordinary wooden pallets, and they are fully recyclable, which means that all the transported weight is useful. Packaged scrap to aluminum platforms is attached in the same way as to wooden pallets, that is, there is no additional strapping required to transport packaged scrap without additional equipment, which is sometimes used as an alternative to wooden pallets.

Undoubtedly, the platforms of the present invention can be used not only for scrap, but also for such goods as cans, parts or other assortment delivered on pallets.

A platform section made of pipe 10 with a diameter of 42.2 cm (16.62 inches) according to FIG. 3 and 5-9 and shown in an idealized form in FIG. 7, has the following dimensions: wall width 22-42.2 cm (16.62 inches); outer wall height 42–13.3 cm (5.25 inches); ridge inner width 36-12.7 cm (5.0 inches); the outer width of the extreme portions 38a and 38b of the lower wall is 14.8 cm (5.81 inches); the height of the racks 36b of the ridge - 11.4 cm (4.50 inches); section length - from 73.7 to 86.4 cm (29 to 34 inches).

Platforms made of sections molded in the embodiment of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in some cases, had formation problems due to the intense deformation that occurs when the metal is bent around the forming member 34. In particular, the metal tends to rupture along one or both corners of the ridge 36 due to stretching at these points.

An alternative embodiment of the platform and method of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 10-12V. As in the above example, the platform 50 in this alternative embodiment comprises a number of sections 54, each of which has a generally flat upper wall 56 and a generally rectangular cross section, each section being made of a hollow metal (preferably aluminum) cylindrical transverse corrugated pipe, similar to the pipe indicated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 and described above by deforming the pipe by applying, along its entire length, radially directed pressure as a whole. To obtain a prefabricated platform, sections 54 are fastened to each other with sides in parallel or ends in sequential sets, for example, with plastic strapping 58.

The platform 50 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 10-12B differs from the platform 24 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5-9 in that in section 54 there is no longitudinal central bearing ridge (key 36 in FIG. 3). Accordingly, the lower wall 60 and the upper wall 56 of the section 54 are generally parallel to each other over the entire width of the section. In FIG. 11 and FIG. 12A shows an idealized cross-sectional view of section 54; in fact, as with the sections 20 shown in FIG. 3 and 5-9, and as described hereinafter, the walls of the fully formed section 54 (especially the wider walls 56 and 60) retain at least a slight outward bend. The term “generally parallel”, used here to describe the upper and lower walls of section 54, respectively also describes indirect walls curved in opposite directions from each other, as shown in FIG. four.

The absence of a bearing ridge on the bottom wall of the platform section reduces the strain rate required to convert the initially cylindrical pipe 10 into a substantially rectangular cross-section section, and thereby minimizes or eliminates the molding problems encountered in the manufacture of sections 20 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5-9.

Since none of the walls of the initially cylindrical pipe is used to form the bearing ridge, the total width of each of the sections 54 made of a pipe 10 of a certain diameter is larger than the width of a section 20 (having a ridge 36) made of a pipe 10 of the same diameter. For example, the width of each section 54 made of pipe 10 with a diameter of 41.1 cm (16.62 inches) is usually 55.9 or 58.4 cm (22 or 23 inches) compared to 42.2 centimeters (16, 62 inches) of the width of each section 20 made of pipe 10 of the same diameter. That is, shown in FIG. 4, the platform 50, assembled from two tandem (jointed) sets of two parallel sections 54, can have substantially the same area with the six-section platform 24 shown in FIG. 3, provided that in both cases pipes of the same axial length are used for the manufacture of the platform sections.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 4 and FIG. 10-12V it is more difficult to make a section with a flat top due to elastic springing; and the lower and upper walls of each section 54, being “generally flat”, can retain some curvature, and again the terms “generally rectangular transverse profile” and “generally parallel upper and lower walls” also describe sections with upper and lower walls, slightly curving outward to the side of each other. In addition, sections 54 that do not have a central ridge on the bottom wall can withstand less weight than sections 20. Nevertheless, due to the transverse corrugation of the upper, lower, and side walls of section 54, these sections are capable of carrying loads whose order of magnitude is allows the use of sections in cargo platforms.

In FIG. 10 and 11 show one example of a method for forming a section 54 of a platform from a transversely corrugated and initially cylindrical aluminum pipe 10. In the procedure of this method, the pipe is placed (so that its axis is horizontal) between the stationary lower supporting horizontal surface 62 and the vertical movable upper horizontal pressing plate 64, to which pressure is directed downward (arrow 66) by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) in order to flatten the initially cylindrical pipe in tion having a generally rectangular cross section and a horizontal width greater vertical height. At the same time, two parallel bars 68, passing axially through the pipe and correspondingly abutting in opposite sections of the pipe, are routed by the hydraulic cylinder 72 horizontally on opposite sides of each other (along arrows 70) so that, together with the action of the pressing plate, they give the pipe a cross section along its entire length, a generally rectangular shape.

The four resulting sections are assembled with their upper walls up into the platform in two sections long and two sections wide, as shown in FIG. 4 (perspective view), 12A (end view with the representation of the transverse profiles of the platform sections in the form of perfect rectangles) and 12B (top view with the indicated reference number 74 transverse corrugation of the upper wall), and fastened to each other with a plastic strapping 58. Then on the platform can be placed on top of each other packs of scrap metal, strapping 76 securing them to the platform to transport them to a processing plant, where both scrap metal and the platform can be recycled as secondary raw materials. In some cases, tying the load to the platform can partially or fully perform the function of fastening the sections of the platform to each other. As in the embodiment of FIG. 3 and 5-9, open at the ends of section 54 of the platform 50 can receive the forks of the loader.

In a typical can manufacturing process, it is desirable that the platform for transporting scrap metal is capable of supporting 2495 kg (5500 pounds) of transported cargo. That is, each section of the platform with a standard size of 121.9 × 165.1 cm (48 × 65 inches) must be able to carry 1235 kg / m ² (253 lb / ft ² ); and with a platform size of 114.3 × 172.7 cm (45 × 68 inches), i.e. 103.75 kg / m ² (21.25 lb / ft ² ), each section of the platform should be able to carry 1260 kg / m ² (258 lb / ft ² ). Since each roll of aluminum tape (can tape) in modern commercial practice of producing cans for drinks is wound on two tubular cores 10, then from the cores of two rolls one platform 50 of a standard size will be obtained. To carry out the invention of the example of FIG. 3-9, for the manufacture of each such pallet, cores of three rolls will be required.

In one test of a four-section platform 50 made in accordance with the illustrations of FIG. 4, 12A and 12B, the platform supported 2072 kg (4567 pounds) of transported load; Both the platform and the cargo were not damaged during transportation. In another, already static, test, one section 54 was successfully tested for static load with two water-filled 55 gallon barrels weighing approximately 390 kg (860 lbs), stacked on top of each other on the top wall of the platform section; the base area of the column of barrels was 0.25 m ² (2.64 ft ² ), that is, the section showed a load capacity of 1587 kg / m ² (325 lb / ft ² ), which is more than enough for a platform load of 2495 kg (5,500 pounds).

Another embodiment of the invention of a method for deforming transversely corrugated cylindrical aluminum pipes 10 in a section of a platform having a generally rectangular cross section is shown in FIG. 13-15. In an effort to minimize or eliminate the molding difficulties inherent in the procedure illustrated in FIG. 5-6, in the method of this embodiment, sections 80 (FIG. 15) similar to the sections shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5-9, having a generally flat upper wall 82 and a lower wall 84 molded with a central longitudinal bearing ridge 86 protruding inwardly to the upper wall.

As can be seen from FIG. 13, the cylindrical pipe 10, orienting its axis horizontally, is laid on a support having a central forming element 88 serving for forming the ridge 86, and a vertically movable horizontal pressing plate 90 extending along the entire length of the pipe and intended to be directed to it is placed on top down force. Inside the pipe parallel to its axis there passes a pair of side bars 92, which in the initial position abut against the upper parts of the inner wall of the pipe on opposite sides of the median axial vertical plane of the pipe, and a pair of central forming rollers 94, respectively abutting against the inner wall of the pipe along opposite sides of the central forming element. The force clamp 96 passes inside the pipe along its axis directly above the above-mentioned element and in exact combination with it. Hydraulic cylinders (not shown) are used to apply pressure to the pipe wall by means of various forming elements.

First, the pipe is molded outward and downward (FIG. 13), and a tearing force is applied to the bars 92, which are inclined so that more material is used to form the lower wall and the crest than in the procedure according to FIG. 5-6. Downward forces are applied to the plate 90 (along arrow 98) and to a pair of rollers 94 (along arrow 100), and bursting forces (along arrows 102) are applied to the bars 92. The pressing forces are applied to a portion of the pipe wall above the forming member 88 to begin forming central ridge 86 section of the platform.

The molding is continued (Fig. 14) by the simultaneous movement of all the forming parts, except for the central clamp 96, which maintains a constant pressure to hold the metal of the pipe wall stationary on the forming element 88. During the molding process, after completing the preliminary shaping step, the side bars 92 are rotated. At the end of the shape-changing operation (Fig. 15, in which the cross section of the finished section 80 is again shown in an idealized rectangle with flat walls), the bars 92 are on opposite sides of the section 80. Due to the external contours of the cross section of the forming element 88 and rollers 94, the corners of the formed ridge 86 are more rounded than in the section 20 made according to the procedure of FIG. 5-6, since the initial inclination of the bars 92 and their subsequent rotation provide more metal (i.e., a larger arc of the original pipe circumference) for the crest forming section as compared to the procedure illustrated in FIG. 5-6. These features are considered to reduce tension along the corners of the central ridge, creating the molding problems mentioned above with respect to section 20.

The dimensions and configurations of the described platforms and their sections are given as examples and to explain specific options that are currently preferred, but the invention in its broader aspects covers other ratios of the geometric dimensions of the generally rectangular transverse profiles of the sections of the platform, with ridges and without ridges , sections molded from pipes of various and different diameters and platforms, assembled from one or a number of sections, which need not be four or six, as well as platforms , in which the sections composing them are fastened to each other by a plastic strapping that also ties the load and secures it to the platform, rather than a plastic strapping that only ties the platform sections to each other.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples given, but may be practiced otherwise within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (4)

1 A method of manufacturing a platform in which at least one hollow metal pipe of a substantially cylindrical cross section is deformed into a hollow section of a substantially rectangular cross section having a substantially flat upper wall forming a load-bearing platform.
2 A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of deforming each of the plurality of hollow metal pipes of a substantially cylindrical cross section into a hollow section having a substantially flat upper wall and a substantially rectangular cross section by applying directed substantially radially pressure to the pipe essentially along its entire length and the step of fastening the hollow sections to each other so that their upper walls are turned in one direction to form a load-bearing platform. 3. The method according to p. 2, characterized in that at the stage of deformation, each of the hollow metal pipes is pressed with a substantially radially directed pressure to the forming element in the form of an elongated rectilinear protrusion extending parallel to the pipe in such a way that the hollow section formed from the pipe is opposite to the upper wall there is a lower wall having a longitudinal central ridge, protruding inward to the upper wall. 4. The method according to p. 2, characterized in that each of the hollow metal pipes contains a longitudinally corrugated aluminum tape helically wound into a cylinder with a partial overlap of adjacent turns. 5. A method for disposing of transversely corrugated hollow cylindrical aluminum cores after removing sheet or tape material wound thereon, in which the cores are deformed in a section of a substantially rectangular cross section by applying substantially radially directed pressure to the cores along their entire length and fasten the finished sections together friend for the formation of a load-bearing platform.

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