Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Industrial platform
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-23
2001-06-05
Wilkens, Janet M. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Industrial platform
C108S057290, C108S901000, C206S320000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240854
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to pallets for storing a load and systems and methods for palletizing a load. More particularly, this invention relates to securing to pallets a load on wheels such as casters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Goods are often effectively and efficiently stored and transported in stacked configuration. Stacking goods maximizes the use of available storage and transportation space. In addition, it is desirable to manipulate such goods with a forklift for quick handling of the goods. This saves labor and time. Some goods, however, are difficult to store and transport in stacked configuration and are not easily manipulated with a forklift. Wheeled items such as photocopiers on casters are an example of such goods which are difficult to handle.
Typically, an item such as a photocopier on casters has to be placed on skids and secured to the skids to be manipulated with a forklift and stored and transported in stacked configuration. Normally, two laborers and a forklift are required to load and secure a photocopier to skids. The photocopier is secured to the skids by bolting the photocopier to the skids. This is a time consuming task which takes at least about 20 minutes per item.
Alternatively, wheeled items such as photocopiers on casters can be stored on an open floor without stacking the items. Without stacking, however, photocopiers occupy a large space. In addition, photocopiers, unsecured to skids, are difficult to manipulate with a forklift and are rolled about the floor instead. This requires a lot of labor and is time consuming.
Another problem with storing items such as photocopiers on an open floor is that photocopiers are controlled in inventory by serial number. When a specific serial number is requested, an employee must locate the unit within the bulk storage area and retrieve the particular photocopier by moving other photocopiers that obstruct its path. The desired unit is then pushed to the area in which it is to be processed. This is also undesirably time consuming.
Pallets disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,817, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/075,632, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, disclose pallets designed to more effectively and efficiently store and transport items on casters. Those pallets include built-in ramps and tracks for securely positioning an item on casters against a support surface of the pallet. Although such pallets are very effective, they occupy a surface area larger than the stored item because of the area required for the built-in ramps and tracks.
Therefore, there is a need for a system for storing and transporting wheeled items such as photocopiers in a manner that economizes storage space for the items and the amount of material used to make the pallet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention fulfills the above described need by providing a method and system for palletizing wheeled items wherein a pallet comprises ramps and selectively removable bridging members for placement in the ramps to form a track along which wheels of the item can roll over the ramps for initial placement of the wheeled item. The bridging members can then be removed so that the wheeled item can be rolled down the ramps until the undercarriage of the item rests on a support surface of the of the pallet. This palletizing system and method eliminates the need for a pallet for having ramps and loading tracks built into the pallet. Only ramps have to be built into the pallet and the removable bridging members form temporary tracks for initially loading the wheeled item.
More particularly, the pallet of this invention includes a base frame having opening for receiving forklift arms and a longitudinal axis extending from a first end to a second end, a support on the base frame and having a support surface for receiving the wheels of the item, and a plurality of ramps on the base frame and sloping from the support toward the base frame. The palletizing system includes at least one selectively removable bridging member for placement in one of the plurality of ramps for forming a track along which the wheels of the item can roll over the one of plurality of ramps. The support and the plurality of ramps are structured and arranged so that when the bridging member is removed from the at least one of the plurality of ramps and the wheeled item is shifted on the wheels from the support surface along the plurality of ramps, the undercarriage of the wheeled item comes to rest on the support surface.
Suitable bridging members include wedges, plates, and any structure that forms a bridge over the ramps so that a wheeled item can be rolled over the ramps.
To load a wheeled item on the pallet, at least one selectively removable bridging member is placed in one of the plurality of ramps for forming a track along which the wheels of the item can roll over the one of the plurality of ramps. The wheeled item is rolled onto the pallet along the support surface and the track formed by the bridging member. The at least one bridging member is then removed and the wheeled item is shifted on its wheels from the support surface along the plurality of ramps until the undercarriage of the wheeled item comes to rest on the support surface.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2623760 (1952-12-01), Fornelius
patent: 3478995 (1969-11-01), Lautzenhiser et al.
patent: 3620388 (1971-11-01), Mansson
patent: 3658195 (1972-04-01), Fantin
patent: 3665869 (1972-05-01), Howe
patent: 3675595 (1972-07-01), Sullivan
patent: 3753407 (1973-08-01), Tilseth
patent: 3833138 (1974-09-01), Dean
patent: 4129927 (1978-12-01), Anderson
patent: 4216568 (1980-08-01), Anderson
patent: 4266756 (1981-05-01), Anderson
patent: 4804087 (1989-02-01), Smith
patent: 4829909 (1989-05-01), Mandel
patent: 4886694 (1989-12-01), Donnard
patent: 4911084 (1990-03-01), Sato et al.
patent: 5147145 (1992-09-01), Facey et al.
patent: 5170721 (1992-12-01), Troth et al.
patent: 5398621 (1995-03-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5413224 (1995-05-01), Marron et al.
patent: 5423428 (1995-06-01), Selz
patent: 5505140 (1996-04-01), Wittmann
patent: 5524554 (1996-06-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5651463 (1997-07-01), Major et al.
patent: 5787817 (1998-08-01), Heil
patent: 6006675 (1999-12-01), Heil
patent: 6035790 (2000-03-01), Polando
patent: 81 10 297 U (1981-09-01), None
patent: 204 894 (1983-12-01), None
patent: 82 27 248 U (1984-01-01), None
patent: 94 00 050 U (1994-04-01), None
patent: 0 785 144 A1 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 1 361 066 (1974-07-01), None
patent: 2 210 517 (1989-06-01), None
patent: 2 240 581 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 2 247 926 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 2 247 899 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 2 248 283 (1992-04-01), None
patent: 2 322 435 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 2 322 408 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 1-9157 (1989-12-01), None
patent: WO 91/04137 (1991-04-01), None
patent: WO 95/30844 (1995-11-01), None
patent: WO 97/36123 (1997-10-01), None
patent: WO 98/05564 (1998-02-01), None
Perstorp Xytec, Inc., AgBin Collapsible Containers for Agriculture: AgBin Collapsible Plastic Containers Improve Produce Quality, Reduce Operating Cost, 1995.
Litco International, Inc., Litco Product Information—Nestable Plastic Pallets, 1991.
Burnham Service Company, Inc.
Sutherland & Asbill & Brennan LLP
Wilkens Janet M.
LandOfFree
Palletizing system for items on wheels does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Palletizing system for items on wheels, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Palletizing system for items on wheels will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2462625