Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Industrial platform – Knockdown or setup
Patent
1995-12-08
1998-01-06
Chen, Jose V.
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Industrial platform
Knockdown or setup
108901, B65D 1912
Patent
active
057043000
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a load-handling pallet for use with fork-lift trucks and to a method of assembly thereof.
Conventionally, load-handling pallets are made of wood. However, these are unsuitable for use with foodstuffs as they are unhygienic. To overcome this problem, pallets made from injection moulded plastics have been used but they have the disadvantage that they are expensive to manufacture owing to the high tooling costs involved. One such pallet is described in GB 1575143.
The present invention seeks to provide a pallet made from a hygienic material which overcomes or substantially mitigates the aforementioned disadvantages.
International Patent Application No. 91/13810 discloses a load handling pallet comprising plastics elements defining an upper load-bearing platform with cross-members and supporting blocks. The elements are secured together by bolts with abutments which project beyond both major surfaces of the pallet. The disclosure of this document corresponds to the preamble of claim 1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,396 also discloses a pallet comprising releasably-connected plastics elements.
According to the present invention there is provided a load-handling pallet comprising a plurality of separate plastics elements defining at least an upper load-bearing platform with at least two parallel cross members therebeneath and at least four blocks for location at the corners of the platforms, which together with the cross members define spaces between which the forks of a fork-lift truck can be located, characterised in that said plastics elements are releasably connected together by means of connection elements which, starting from the lower surface of the pallet, extend through said blocks and into said cross members, or location elements integral therewith, but terminate before they reach the upper surface of the pallet.
An advantage of the above arrangement is that the pallet can be dismantled for cleaning and repair, and individual elements can be separately replaced if damaged without the need for the whole pallet to be discarded. Also the components may be transported in compact kit form before assembly, thus saving space and thus transport costs.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention the platform is constituted by a plurality of parallel top boards which are supported on three stringers perpendicular thereto and nine support blocks, to the bottom of which are in turn attached five base boards. The top boards have bevelled sides which engage in corresponding dovetail grooves in the stringers. The stringers have plastics locator elements fixedly attached thereto which engage with respective upper parts of the support blocks. The base boards also have plastics locator elements fixedly attached thereto. Different types of locator element are provided depending on their positions on the base board. Six end locator elements are arranged in two parts which are arranged on different base boards but which are arranged to interengage before being engaged with respective lower parts of the support blocks. Three one-piece locator elements, similar to those on the stringers, are arranged centrally on three of the base boards. The various interconnections may be supplemented by screw, bolt or other connection elements.
Preferably, the plastics elements are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polypropylene (PP). This means that the pallet can be dismantled and washed down and disinfected to comply with the rigorous regulations governing the transportation and handling of foodstuffs. The elements are extruded components which are cut to appropriate length to construct the pallet. Some or all of the components, especially the support blocks, may be injection-moulded.
In another embodiment of the invention the plurality of separate plastics elements are connected together predominantly by rustless steel self-locking type bolts or screws located within the central cellular cavities of the upper load-bearing platform boards fixed to purpose-made pre-drilled and threaded stainless steel or poly
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Rushton, deceased William Joseph
Rushton, heiress by Edna Winifred
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