Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-24
2001-05-15
Bryant, David P. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C024S288000, C108S901000, C053S589000, C100S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230383
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a method for providing detachable joining together of spacers in pairs, preferably formed by support blocks for pallets or support walls in pallets or other load carriers by joining together said spacers by means of flexible straps.
Present handling and distribution of goods is nowadays largely performed in such a way that producers package goods directly upon a so called sub-pallet, e.g. in standard size 800×600 mm, which after film wrapping or other type of wrapping is placed in pairs on a so called full size pallet, which thereby forms a so called slave pallet. Everything is stored and is later distributed as a common unit for users, e.g. wholesalers or shops. This system involves important disadvantages such as being work intensive, time consuming and space consuming in warehouses and also is cargo space lost in all handling and transporting links for the pallet i.e. during storage, distribution and return.
Above all, within the everyday commodities trade, goods are today packed on so called semi pallets in the size 600×800 mm, but in e.g. the printing industry combined part pallets are used in varying sizes. Other more or less often frequent fixed part pallet formats are e.g. quarter pallets 600×400 and a third pallet 400×800 mm, while a so called full size pallet has EUR size 800×1200 mm. Such pallet part formats are used according to what is considered to be especially suitable in the respective line of business in order to enable and facilitate a flexible and efficient local handling. On the other hand, all faraway handling is performed with respectively on full size pallets, for which all handling and storage apparatus like cargo trucks, fork lift trucks, pallet scaffoldings and so on are dimensioned and otherwise adapted for.
In order to clear the transition between pallet part format half size pallet 800×600, quarter size pallet 600×400 and third size pallet 400×800 mm, so far so called slave pallets 800×1200 (full size pallets), have been used in accordance with the above described. In order to overcome this and other problems, applicant has in the European patent No. 0 334 881 proposed to hold together pallets by means of divisible holders which surround their spacer, e.g. metal or plastic straps. This manner of joining two or more pallets into a unit, has proven to be a key solution in order to overcome the above mentioned problem. There has so far not existed a method or device respectively for enabling, facilitating respectively a fully respectively semi automatic pallet respectively goods handling while using the proposal according to the above mentioned European patent.
A return system of pallets which are joined together sideways for forming larger pallets or other load carriers e.g. of plastic material requires rational joining methods and handling of pallets and/or therein included parts.
The main object of the present invention is therefore in the first hand to find a method which solves among other said problem efficiently and safely and which enables automatizing joining together part pallets or spacers for these.
The aforementioned object is achieved by means of a method according to the present invention, which is substantially characterized in that spacers are conveyed by means of a hauling track, said spacers being loose or already included as integral building units of a respective pallet, compressed in pairs to a station for joining, that the pairs of spacers are encompassed by means of a ring shaped preferably openable band guide along which said band is arranged to run until it forms a loop around the spacer, wherein they are joined together and clamped together tightly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for performing a method for producing releasable joining together of spacers in pairs, preferably formed by support blocks for pallets or support walls in pallets or other load carriers by joining together said spacers by means of releasable joining means in the form of flexible straps and with which the intended method may be performed efficiently.
The aforementioned further object is achieved by means of a machine according to the present invention which is substantially characterized in that it includes a hauling track for conveying spacers to a joining station along the hauling track for the spacers as well as a ring shaped preferably openable band guide along which said band is adapted to run until it forms a sling around the spacer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4225259 (1980-09-01), Baldwin et al.
patent: 4545482 (1985-10-01), Novatny
patent: 8804263 (1988-06-01), None
Welleman Johan
Welleman Sven
Bryant David P.
Hong John C.
Orum & Roth
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