Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Industrial platform – With load-confining means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-15
2001-11-06
Chen, Jose V. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Industrial platform
With load-confining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311628
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This specification relates to a bunded pallet capable of preventing spillage from at least one container carried by the pallet.
It is known to provide a bunded pallet made as a plastics moulding but such a moulding is relatively expensive because it has to be strong enough to function as a pallet to carry the load imposed thereon in use.
An object of the present invention is to provide a bunded pallet whereby the above-mentioned problem is overcome or is reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention we provide a fitment for mounting on a pallet to provide a bunded pallet wherein the fitment has a part supportable by the pallet and adapted to receive a load thereon and a retaining wall disposed at least partly to surround the base part and adapted to retain spillage there within.
The fitment may be provided with a recess in the underside thereof to receive the pallet and mount the fitment on the pallet. Accordingly, the fitment is a simple “slip-over” add-on device.
The fitment may be provided with a channel disposed at least partly to surround the base wall.
At least part of the channel may be at a level below the said base part.
The channel may comprise an outer wall part provided by said retaining wall, a bottom wall part disposed between the base wall and a connecting wall part which upstands from the bottom wall pall and which depends downwardly from the base part.
The top of the retaining wall may be substantially no higher than the top of the pallet. In this case, it is relative easily to load and offload a container.
In an alternative version, the top of the retaining wall may be considerably higher than the top surface of the pallet, for example, by up to 400 mm. In this case, although it is more difficult to load or offload a container, a greater amount of spillage may be retained.
In a further alternative version the retaining wall may be of variable height to facilitate loading when the retaining wall is of relatively small height and to retain a relatively large amount of fluid when the wall is a relatively large height.
All, or at least part of the retaining wall, may be formed so that the height thereof can be changed.
The retaining wall may comprise at least a part of generally “bellows” configuration.
The retaining wall may comprise a plurality of wall parts which are hinged together for movement between a relatively small height position in which the wall parts have a relatively smaller included acute angle mutually therebetween than the relatively large height position in which the wall parts have a relatively large included acute angle mutually therebetween. The wall parts may be hinged together by virtue of being formed integrally with each other.
The hinged together wall parts may comprise all or part of one side of the fitment or may comprise all of said sides or any desired combination of sides or parts thereof.
The variable height retaining wall may normally adopt a raised position but be deformable to a lower position by virtue of said hinged interconnection.
The base part of the fitment may be provided with a configuration to receive a load such as a container in at least one desired orientation or a further pallet which usually would carry at least one container or other item thereon.
The load may comprise a generally cylindrical container disposed in a first orientation with its longitudinally extending axis vertical. Thus a lower circular part of the container is horizontal and supported by the base part.
The base part may be configured to receive a plurality of containers such as four, in said first orientation.
Alternatively, or in addition, the base pale may be configured to receive at least one container in a second orientation with said longitudinal axis generally horizontal. If desired, the base part may be configured to receive two parallel containers in said configuration.
The base part may be provided with a plurality of upstanding walls which may be configured to provide seats to receive the or each container.
The upstanding walls of the base pale may comprise two side walls and two transverse walls, a front one of the transverse walls being displaced rearwardly from a front end of the fitment and the other transverse wall being disposed at or adjacent a rear of the fitment, or, if desired, at an intermediate position, the distance between the transverse walls being such as to support a container in an horizontal position. By virtue of displacing the front transverse wall inwardly, contents of the drum spilled onto the base part in front of the transverse wall may fall into the channel at the front of the fitment.
Where the fitment has a variable height retaining wall wherein only a part of the wall has a height which can be changed, said part may comprise all or part of said front wall.
The channel at the front of the fitment may be at or adjacent the top of the pallet and, hence, at or adjacent the level of the main part of the base wall. In this case the channel may extend, if desired, around only three sides or along only two opposite sides of the tray at a lower level than the base part and the channel at the front being at the same level as the base wall or at a reduced depth compared with the base part.
The side walls and, if desired, the real transverse wall may be provided with bracing webs connected to the bottom part of the channel. The webs may be arranged so that liquid can flow past the webs in the channel.
The pallet may be a conventional timber pallet.
The pallet may comprise an upper part which may comprise a plurality of parallel upper members, a lower part which may comprise a plurality of lower members parallel to said upper members and an intermediate part which may comprise a plurality of intermediate members disposed between and interconnecting said upper and lower parts. A socket means may be provided in the pallet below the upper part to receive a handling means.
According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a bunded pallet comprising a pallet having mounted thereon a fitment according to the first aspect of the invention.
The side walls may comprise a continuation of said connecting walls.
Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
REFERENCES:
patent: 2725087 (1955-11-01), Potter
patent: 4195732 (1980-04-01), Bell
patent: 4361232 (1982-11-01), Olmsted
patent: 5052307 (1991-10-01), Morrison
patent: 5144897 (1992-09-01), Avery
patent: 5193700 (1993-03-01), Lyman et al.
patent: 4242472A1 (1994-06-01), None
patent: WO9324395 (1993-12-01), None
Husband John
Smith Richard Anthony
Armagard Limited
Chen José V.
Kelly Bauersfeld Lowry & Kelley LLP
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