US3521764A

US3521764A - Pallet and stacking pin

Info

Publication number: US3521764A
Application number: US741120A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell M Loomis
Original assignee: Unarco Industries LLC
Current assignee: Unarco Industries LLC; Unarco Industries Inc
Priority date: 1968-06-28
Filing date: 1968-06-28
Publication date: 1970-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-28

Description

. July 28, 1970 R. M. LOOMIS 3,521,7fi4

PALLET AND STAGKING PIN Filed June 28, 1968 f? z/nzo 7": if'usis'ell (W1, Laura 2'6 United States Patent 3,521,764 PALLET AND STACKING PIN Russell M. Loomis, Palos Heights, 111., assignor to Unarco Industries, a corporation of Illinois Filed June 28, 1968, Ser. No. 741,120 Int. Cl. B6511 19/38 US. Cl. 214-105 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stacking pin construction for preventing movement of vertically stacked pallets or the like includes a tubular guide socket extending through the thickness of each of the panels and opening to its opposite faces. A tapered pin is slideably disposed within the tubular socket and carries a pair of removable projecting arms which extend through elongated slots in the socket. The pin is adapted to assume a first position in which the pin is entirely contained within the tubular guide and is adapted to move to a second position by gravity in which a portion of the pin extends beyond one of the faces of the pallet and into the opening of the tubular guide of the next adjacent pallet for aligning the pallets and preventing their movement relative to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a stacking pin construction and, more particularly, to a stacking pin construction for use with pallets or the like to provide a simple means for interconnecting pallets when laid one upon another to prevent slipping movement therebetween, while readily permitting removal of the top pallet from a stack of pallets.

Pallets, when not in use, are generally stacked in vertical stacks one upon the other. Where the pallets are stacked to substantial heights, the stack frequently becomes unstable and is subjected to possible toppling resulting in damage to personnel or to the pallets themselves. The probability of toppling increases if the various pallets comprising the stack are not relatively accurately aligned with each other when stacking or if the surfaces of the pallets are relatively smooth. If stacking pins or other stack steadying elements are employed to assist in steadying the stacks, such elements must generally be manually positioned during stacking. Such manual positioning is both time consuming and hazardous, since the person doing the manual positioning will frequently insert his hand beneath the pallet which is being lowered into stacked position. Moreover, since the stacking pins or other steadying elements are not generally carried as an integral part of each pallet, they are subject to becoming lost or unavailable when needed.

The stacking pin construction incorporating the principles of my invention obviates the aforementioned disadvantages and substantially reduces the probability of toppling of a stack of pallets. The stacking pin of my invention is carried as an integral part of the pallet at all times and a portion thereof automatically tends to extend beyond the lower face of the pallet when the pallet is being stacked vertically upon another pallet obviating the possibility of loss of the pin, or requiring manual positioning or removal of the pin when the pallet is being stacked or unstacked. Moreover, the stacking pin conice struction of my invention will not damage the face coverings of adjacently stacked pallets or cargo which is carried by the pallets while the pin construction facilitates the rapid alignment of the pallet being stacked with the other pallets already stacked, and actually assists in such alignment. Finally the stacking pin of my invention may be easily removed and replaced in the field without disassembly of the pallet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a principal aspect the pallet and stacking pin construction of my invention includes a guide means located between and opening through the opposing faces of a pallet or the like. A moveable pin is carried by the guide means and is constructed and arranged to cooperate with the guide means to be positioned in either a first position where the pin is completely contained between the pallet faces and is slideably moveable to a second position wherein a portion of the pin extends beyond one of the faces to engage the guide means of the next adjacent pallet to prevent horizontal movement of the pallets with respect to each other.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the course of this description reference will be frequently made to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pallet or panel employing the stacking pin construction of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectioned fragmentary view of a stack of the pallets taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the cooperation between the stacking pins of each of the pallets; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectioned, enlarged, fragmentary view of the pallet and stacking pin construction taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a typical panel or pallet P is shown comprising a rectangular metal frame structure which is formed by a plurality of interconnected edge beams 6, end beams 8 and intermediate beams 9 of channel or box construction. Suitable headed pins 10 are provided extending from the ends of the pallet adjacent the corners for positioning the pallet either in a horizontal or vertical position in a lading space. The faces of the frame are covered with a suitable sheet material, such as plywood, for supporting articles to be carried on the upward facing one of the two faces 12 and 14.

If the pallets P are stacked when not in use to any substantial height, there is a tendency of one or more of the pallets to move in a horizontal direction if inadvertently struck or if the pallets are poorly aligned in relation to each other. If the stack of pallets falls for one reason or another, serious damage may be visited upon either the pallets themselves or upon personnel or other equipment in the immediate vicinity, since each of the pallets frequently ranges upward of 400 pounds in weight.

The stacking pin construction of my invention is preferably located midway of the length of the ends of the pallet P in each of the end beams 8 to facilitate the vertical alignment and stacking of unloaded pallets when the pallets are not in use. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stacking pin construction includes a tubular guide socket 16 extending between and integral with the flanges of the end beams 8, the socket opening through the

faces

12 and 14 of the pallet. The socket 16 is firmly secured to the inner side of the flanges of the end beam by weld 17.

Each of the tubular guide sockets 16 slideably carries an elongated pin 18 therein to which a rod-like arm 20 is removably attached, such as being driven by a press fit or the like. The arm 20 projects radially from substantially the midpoint of the pin 18, extending in opposite directions beyond the diameter of the pin. Where arm 20 extends to opposite sides of pin 18, a pair of elongated slots 22 are provided on opposite sides of the tubular guide 16 and the oppositely extending ends of the rodlike arm 20 extend through each of the slots. The longitudinal ends of each slot 22 extend toward but are spaced inwardly of the pallet faces 12 and 14 by such a distance as to allow the projection of only a portion 24 of the in 18 beyond either

face

12 or 14 of the pallet. The overall length of the pin 18 is somewhat shorter than the length of the tubular guide socket 16, the length of the socket 16 being at least the length of its pin 18 plus the fully extended length of the extended portion 24 of another pin. Each of the ends 24 of the pin is tapered, being generally frustoconical in shape and each of the tapered ends is adapted to extend from the guide socket 16 beyond either

face

12 or 14 of the pallet. Also each end of the tubular guide socket 16, at the point where it opens through its

respective pallet face

12 or 14, is beveled at 26 to facilitate positioning of the pallet and the entry of the extended tapered portion 24 of the pin 18 of the upper next pallet.

The web portion of the end beam 8 includes an aperture 28 which is aligned with the vertical axial plane of pin 18 that extends through the slots 22. If it is desired to remove or replace the pin 18, the arm 20 is so positioned that it may be readily aligned with the opening 28 to facilitate removal of the arm 20 from or insertion into the pin 18. While arm 20 is shown press fit through pin 18, an arm 20 may also be threadably connected at one end to a pin 18.

To stack the pallets, the lowermost pallet is disposed upon the floor or suitable support surface of the space in which the pallets are to be stacked. Referring to FIG. 2 when the pallet is being placed upon the floor, its stacking pin 18 contacts the floor and is thereby urged upwardly into its guide socket 16 such that the stacking pin is completely contained within the guide socket. Since the tubular guide socket 16 is somewhat longer than the stacking pin 18, sufiicient space remains at the top of the tubular guide socket to accommodate the extending portion of the pin 18 of the next pallet which is to be placed on the lowermost pallet. The next pallet is then disposed upon the lowermost pallet by horizontally maneuvering the next pallet about adjacent the upper face 12 of the first pallet until the tapered end 24 of its stacking pin 18 finds the beveled opening 26 of the tubular guide socket of the first pallet. The second pallet is then brought to rest on the first pallet. When the tapered end 24 of the pin finds the beveled opening, the tapered pin end drops into the remaining empty portion of the tubular guide socket of the lower pallet locking the upper pallet in place and preventing relative horizontal movement of the pallet. The beveled openings 26 and tapered pin ends 24 thus facilitate the alignment of the respective pins and tubular guides and, in turn, of the pallets themselves when the pallets have been located in a nearly aligned position. A third pallet may then be stacked upon the second pallet in a manner similar to that previously described, more than enough room remaining in the second pallets socket 16, particularly in view of the lowered disposition of its stacking pin 18, to accommodate the extended end 24 of the third pallets pin. Additional pallets may be further stacked in succession upon the already stacked pallets in a similar manner.

It will be evident when viewing the description of the preferred embodiment of my stacking pin construction, that the stacking pin 18 not only acts to lock each of the successive pallets against horizontal movement relative to each other, but also assists in the proper alignment of each of the pallets with respect to each other since the tapered ends 24 will tend to seek the beveled openings 26 by gravity when they are near each other. Since each of the stacking pins are completely retractable into their tubular guide sockets, a smooth surface is provided upon the faces of each of the pallets, avoiding damage to cargo or packages while the pallets are in use, as well as avoiding damage to the floor of the storage space or the pallet coverings. Moreover, the stacking pins of my invention automatically extend and secure the pallets without need for manual manipulation, substantially reducing personnel hazards if not avoiding them altogether. Also since the stacking pins of my invention form an integral part of each pallet they are always available when needed, and will not become lost or mislaid. The stacking pins are also capable of easy and rapid replacement in the field without the need for laborious disassembly of the pallet or the entire stacking pin assembly.

It will be understood that, although I have only shown a pair of stacking pins located in the end beams of the pallet or panel, the location of the pins, as well as the number, may be varied. Moreover, it should also be understood that the embodiment of the present invention which has been described is merely illustrative of one application of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pallet and stacking pin construction comprising, in combination: a pallet having a pair of spaced, opposed, generally planar faces of the type adapted to support articles thereon, elongated guide means located between and providing openings through said faces of the pallet, an elongated moveable pin having a length less than the spacing of said faces of the pallet and carried by said guide means, said pin being slideably moveable, relative to said guide means and pallet when the pallet is at a generally horizontal attitude, between a first position wherein one end of the pin is at the plane of the lowermost of said two planar faces of the pallet and the entire length of said pin is contained between the pallet faces when the pallet rests upon a substantially planar surface and a second position, wherein, under force of gravity, a portion of said pin extends beyond the lowermost one of the faces of the pallet through one of the openings of said guide means, to adapt said portion of the pin for entry into one of the openings of another adjacent pallet.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a substantially tubular member within which said pin is slideably disposed, at least one elongated slot extending along the length of said tubular member, and an arm projecting from said pin, said arm being slideably disposed in said slot.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said arm is constructed and arranged to be removed from said pin to permit removal of said pin from said tubular member, and said pallet includes an aperture which is alignable with said slot and arm to facilitate the removal.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide means has a length to simultaneously accommodate both its pin, when its pin is located in said first position, and the extended portion of another pin of an adjacent pallet.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the entire said portion of said pin which extends beyond the face of the pallet is tapered.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said guide means comprises a tubular member whose bore is unobstructed so that the pin therefor may freely slide therein, and with 5 6 both open ends of: said tubular member being bevelled. FOREIGN PATENTS 7. The cornbmatron of 01am 1 wherem sald gulde means 639,573 6/1950 Great Britainis of a length to be located Wholly between the faces of the pallet so that substantially no portion thereof extends GERALD M FORLENZA Primary Examimr outwardly of the faces of the pallet. e

5 F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,998,141 8/1961 Moore et al 108-53 XR