US3709326A - Palletizable articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A palletizable article comprised of a molded article having a plurality of seating members molded integral with it for maintaining like molded articles substantially aligned when stacked on said molded article.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Habgood, Jr.

{451. Jan. 9,1973

[75] Inventor:

[54] PALLETIZABLE ARTICLES Robert P. Habgood, Jr., Bradford, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Plexowood, Inc., Bradford, Pa. 22 Filed: July 8,1970' [21] App]. No.: 53,077

[52] US. Cl. .;.....206/65 R, 206/60 A, 220/97 R [51 Int. Cl. ..B65tl 85/62 [58] Field of Search ..206/65 K, 65 R, 60 R, 60 A, 206/46 FN; 220/97 R, 97 C; 297/239;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,744,552 1/1930 Katzinger ..220/23.6

2,566,818 Babit ..297/239 3,299,595 H1967 Munk ..52/309 3,100,046 8/1963 Wetmore et al ..206/60 A 1,979,911 11/1934 Steudel ..1o8/91 2,888,976 6/1959 Hart ..297/239 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,060,535 11/1953 France .j. ..206/65 K Primary Examiner--William T. Dixson, Jr. Att0rneyBuell, Blenko & Ziesenheim [57] ABSTRACT A palletizable article comprised of a molded article having a plurality of seating members molded integral with it for maintaining like molded articles substantially aligned when stacked on said molded article.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJAH 9 1973 INVENTOR. [{ayaod, d

Robert P PALLETIZABLE ARTICLES The invention relates to molded articles that are stacked on pallets for shipping and handling.

It has become increasingly important in recent years in manufacturing plants of all sizes that the manufactured articles be handled and shipped with a minimum of time and labor. In such operations, it has become the practice to stack articles on pallets so that they can be moved about by fork lifts and like apparatus. But when many like articles were stacked on top of one another they either became entirely unstable and fell over, or they would lean and present an imminently unstable situation. In any event, the articles could only be stacked so high, thereby impeding the manufacturing and shipping operations as a whole.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties and disadvantages and provides an inexpensive means of palletizing articles.

I provide a palletizable article comprised of a molded article and a plurality of seating members molded integral with the molded article. The seating members are so arranged so that they maintain like molded articles substantially aligned when stacked on said molded article.

My invention is particularly adapted for use with molded articles, such as chair seats, made from formed wood chips and resin. A seating member can be positioned at each corner of each chair seat and molded integral with the chair seat as the chair seat is formed. In this way, the chair seats are substantially aligned by the seating members when stacked on top of one another.

Other details, objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description of the presently preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings l illustrate a presently preferred embodiment to my invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view ofa chair seat embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ll-ll of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates the palletizing of the chair seat shown in FIG. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a chair seat 10 has a bowl-like portion 11. said bowl-like portion 11 has breather openings 12. Said chair seat 11 also has seating members 13 positioned at each corner 14 of said chair seat 10.

When chair seats 10 are palletized by stacking one on top of another as shown in FIG. 3, the seat members 13 contact a chair seat 10 stacked directly on top of a seat member 10 and substantially align chair seat 10'. In this way, the chair seats 10 can be stacked on a pallet for shipping and handling easily without the chair seats 10 falling from the pallet and being broken or otherwise damaged, in turn impeding the manufacturing or shipping operation as a whole.

While I have shown and described a certain present preferred embodiment and use of my invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and used.

lclaim:

l. A palletizable article comprising a molded body having a planar periphery defined by spaced apart upper and lower plane surfaces, a central deformed portion extending out of one of said plane surfaces and a plurality of spaced apart seating members on one of said plane surfaces extending above said surface a distance substantially equal to the extension of the deformed portion out of said one plane surface and adapted to contact the other of said plane surfaces to maintain a plurality of like stacked articles in substantial vertical and horizontal alignment, said seating members of all stacked articles being in a common line.

2. A palletizable article as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least part of said molded article is made of formed wood chips and resin.

3. A palletizable article as claimed in claim 1 wherein said molded article is a chair seat having corners and said seating members are positioned at said corners.

Claims (3)

1. A palletizable article comprising a molded body having a planar periphery defined by spaced apart upper and lower plane surfaces, a central deformed portion extending out of one of said plane surfaces and a plurality of spaced apart seating members on one of said plane surfaces extending above said surface a distance substantially equal to the extension of the deformed portion out of said one plane surface and adapted to contact the other of said plane surfaces to maintain a plurality of like stacked articles in substantial vertical and horizontal alignment, said seating members of all stacked articles being in a common line.

2. A palletizable article as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least part of said molded article is made of formed wood chips and resin.

3. A palletizable article as claimed in claim 1 wherein said molded article is a chair seat having corners and said seating members are positioned at said corners.

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