Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Industrial platform – Knockdown or setup
Patent
1997-01-23
1998-10-06
Cuomo, Peter M.
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Industrial platform
Knockdown or setup
108 561, 108 511, 108901, B65D 1918
Patent
active
058161732
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pallets and similar apparatus used for storing and transporting goods and, in particular, discloses a pallet manufactured from plastics materials.
BACKGROUND ART
Pallets are well known in industry and relate to portable platforms used to facilitate the handling of goods. Generally, the goods are stacked on the pallet which provides a sufficient ground clearance whereby the pallet may be lifted, typically by means of a forklift truck or crane, to permit relocation of the pallet and the goods stacked thereon for either storage or transportation.
Typically, pallets are manufactured from hardwood materials and, in Australia, such pallets generally have a capacity to support approximately two tonnes of goods. The manufactured cost of such a pallet is approximately A$25. Such pallets however are typically quite heavy and not conducive to manual handling. Also, wooden pallets, because of their nature, are difficult to clean and, over time, can rot which can result in a significant biological hazard. For these reasons, wooden pallets are not preferred for use for the transportation of fresh foods, pharmaceuticals, and like goods.
Pallets manufactured from plastics materials are known and are manufactured by moulding using rigid plastics materials to form a reinforced structure. Plastic pallets of this type are expensive and generally cost approximately A$100 to manufacture. Further, such pallets are relatively heavy, whilst having a strength comparable to that of hardwood pallets.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that known pallets suffer the significant disadvantage of a relatively high weight and/or a high manufactured cost. The weight problem associated with these types of pallets is of significant importance in transportation of goods, particularly by air, where the weight of the pallet can substantially increase the cost of transporting a load.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome, or at least ameliorate, some or all of the abovementioned problems through provision of an alternate pallet structure.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a pallet comprising a plurality of interconnected structural members characterised in that at least one of said structural members is manufactured of plastics material and comprises an upper sheet, a lower sheet and a plurality of rib supports interconnecting said upper and lower sheets.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a pallet comprising a plurality of interconnected structural members manufactured of plastics material, each of said structural members comprising an upper sheet, a lower sheet and a plurality of rib supports interconnecting said upper and lower sheets, surface of said pallet, and a second group of said structural members defining one or more supporting arrangements for said planar surfaces.
In the preferred embodiment, the structural members are folded such that each structural member is an element of each group. Most preferably, the structural members are sized such that when folded, they inter-engage or abut to form the pallet.
Preferably, where surfaces of two or more of said structural surfaces inter-engage, a fastener can be used to prevent disengagement or warping.
Also preferably, abutting portions of separate structural members can be welded or fused together.
In another embodiment, the pallet is formed using a plurality of pallet portions, each of the pallet portions comprising a structural member of the first group, and a plurality of structural members of the second group each defining a pillar configured to support the planar surface.
Preferably the pillars are fused to the planar surface and are tubular and define a like plurality of openings in the planar surface whereby the pallet portions, in one configuration, can be stacked upon each other such that the pillars of an overlying pallet portion pass through the corresponding opening of the under
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Cuomo Peter M.
Tran Hanh V.
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