Supports: racks – Elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-12
2001-12-25
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Elements
C211S182000, C211S189000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332549
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to warehouse storage pallet racks, and, more particularly, a kit for repairing front, or front and rear legs of the pallet rack frame structure which requires no welding to install.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Pallet racks are used for warehousing and provide a number of shelves on which goods are stored upon pallets so configured as to accept the forks of a fork lift for easy placement on and removal of the palleted goods from the rack. During normal operation of the fork lift, damage may be inflicted on the rack frame due to inadvertent collisions with the rack itself. Also, corrosion may occur in the lower part of the rack frame and legs due to flooding or the presence of very humid air, or from periodic floor cleaning or maintenance using strong chemical cleaning solutions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,765,087, issued on Oct. 2, 1956, to Weinbaum, describes a system for constructing a knockdown pallet rack which employs mechanically interconnecting standard subassemblies which require no welding. The system relies on gravity to retain the various members in place. Although the system may be readily repaired by substituting new components, it is unlikely that the rack could be repaired in place without unloading the entire rack. This rack would necessarily be more expensive and less reliable than a standard pallet rack. The present invention is a kit capable of repairing standard, existing racks in place in warehouses without unloading the rack or welding splicing members to the rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,456, issued on Oct. 3, 1972, to Lewis describes a pallet rack assembly system with mechanical interconnections between members. The present invention employs mechanical interconnections, but in the environment of a repair kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,812, issued on Feb. 21, 1978, to Skubic et al., describes post and beam components which are interchangeable with existing pallet racks and as such would be usable for repair of damaged racks. It would be necessary, however, to unload an existing rack and at least partially disassemble the rack in order to replace a post or beam with one of the '812 posts or beams. The present invention requires no unloading of the rack and no disassembly thereof.
A pallet rack repair kit has been recently marketed which is installable without unloading of the rack and requires no welding during installation. It consists of a frame with a front upright so configured as to receive the lower end of the frame upright after removal of the damaged lower portion, thereof, and to provide a mechanical splice therewith. Struts extend rearward from the kit upright and mechanically secure to the rear leg of the pallet rack frame. Hence, the force imparted by any subsequent impact to the front leg of the pallet rack is transferred to, and borne by, the rear leg of the pallet rack, which has lost some stability by loss of a cross member which normally extends between the front leg and the rear leg close to ground level.
By contrast, the repair kit of the present invention does not use the undamaged back leg of the pallet rack to support or increase the impact capacity of the repair kit. The present invention includes a second leg intermediate the damaged front leg and the rear leg of the pallet rack, together with upper and lower cross members which brace the upright legs of the repair kit in a rectangular formation, such that no additional weight must be born by the existing rear post, and, indeed, less weight must be borne by the existing rear post after kit installation.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a repair kit for industrial pallet rack frame solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The repair kit for an industrial pallet rack frame has a front post having an upper end and a lower end, and an intermediate post having an upper end and a lower end. The front post and the rear post are connected by an upper cross member and a lower cross member in parallel and spaced apart relation defining a rectangular or square frame having an interior. The front and intermediate posts and the upper and lower cross members are preferably made from rectangular tubular metal stock. Both the front post and the rear post have an anchor plate attached to the lower end of the posts facing the interior of the frame. The front post has an outer clamp jaw defined by a U-shaped channel attached to its upper end, as well as a support plate perpendicular to the outer clamp jaw which caps the front post. An inner clamp jaw is removably attachable to the outer clamp jaw to clamp the front post of a pallet rack frame therebetween, the bottom of the pallet rack frame post resting on the support plate. The intermediate post includes upper and lower extension arms which terminate in rear post capture clamp jaws fixed to the extension arms. Either clamp plates or removable rear clamp jaws are used to clamp the pallet rack frame rear post to the rear post capture clamps. In an alternative embodiment, the repair kit may also include a rear post to replace a damaged pallet rack frame rear post.
The repair kit for an industrial pallet rack frame according to the present invention is a freestanding, welded assembly constructed from fabricated steel components. The repair kit is used to replace a damaged lower section on a structural or roll-formed industrial pallet rack frame and is an alternative to a complete frame replacement or a field welded spliced frame section. The repair kit does not require complete unloading of goods supported by the frame, as would be required in a complete frame replacement. The repair kit does not require any field welding as a welded splice requires, making this a much desired repair in a hazardous material, food, or drug warehouse, or where welding permits are required. The kit provides for alternative repairs, generally to replace the damaged section of the pallet rack with structural equivalents for the materials that were damaged and requiring repair. The repair kit is a very cost effective and a permanent repair due to its high impact and impact deflecting capabilities.
The repair kit is designed to replace the damaged lower post section of the pallet rack frame. The damaged section of the pallet rack frame is removed, the repair kit is inserted and the pallet rack is mechanically spliced to the repair kit. The repair kit captures and bonds the undamaged back leg of the pallet rack to the repair kit. The repair kit does not, in any way, use the undamaged back leg of the pallet rack to support, or increase the impact capacity of the repair kit. The repair kit reinforces, strengthens, captures and bonds to the repaired frame.
When the rear leg of the pallet rack frame is damaged or corroded, an optional rear post repair kit is provided to be used in conjunction with the main repair kit. The rear post repair kit is installed after removing the damaged section of the rear post of the pallet rack frame and mechanically splicing the rear post with the rear post repair kit, thereby obtaining the same advantages obtainable when connecting the repair kit to an undamaged rear post of a pallet rack frame.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a repair kit for replacing damaged components of a pallet rack.
It is another object of the invention to provide a repair kit as above which is freestanding.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a repair kit as above which requires no welding to install.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a repair kit which may be installed without removal of stored goods.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a repair kit as above which replaces the lower portion of a front upright or leg of a pallet rack without further burdening of the rear upright or leg.
It still another object of the invention as above to provide a repair kit having an in
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Litman Richard C.
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