AU678497B2

AU678497B2 - Impovements in pallets

Info

Publication number: AU678497B2
Application number: AU72935/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ladislav Stephan Karpisek
Original assignee: Technosearch Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Technosearch Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1993-09-15
Filing date: 1994-09-12
Publication date: 1997-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-12
Also published as: AU7293594A

Description

SP/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

NOTICE

1. The specification should describe the invention in full and the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

2. The specification should be typed on as many sheets of good quality A4 International size paper as are necessary and inserted inside this form.

3. The claims defining the invention must start on a new page. If there is insufficient space on this form for the claims, use separate sheets of paper.

The words The claims defining the invention are as follows" should appear before claim 1. After the claims the date and the name of the applicant should appear in block letters.

S4. This form must be accompanied by a true and exact copy of the description, claims and drawings (if any) and an additional copy of the claims.

(see Pamphlets explaining formal requirements of specifications and drawings) eTO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT TECHNOSEARCH PTY. LIMITED N a m e o f A pp lica nt: LADISLAV STEPHAN'KARPISEK A ctua l Inv e nto HAL L. IDA S Address for Service: 44 ASHLEY STREET, HORNSBY N.S,W. 2077, AUSTRALIA II MventiROVEMENTS IN PALLETS InV e ntio n T itle ?M215 filed 15.09.95 Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Nos: The following statement Is a full description of this Invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- L U~-PL 1 IMPROVEMENTS IN PALLETS This invention relates to the design of pallets, mainly metal pallets.

There are two generic forms of pallet, namely a two way entry form and a four way entry form. Conventionally a pallet comprises three bearers and a number of transverse top and bottom battens. In the case of a four way entry pallet the bearers have openings transverse to their length to allow the forks of a fork lift truck to pass therethrough. This invention is applicable to both of the above pallet forms.

There are several important factors to be considered when a pallet is designed, particularly if the design is to be applicable to the two forms of pallet just named.

a0 One design factor that has to be taken into account is that the forks on a fork lift truck usually have a length less than the width of the pallet. As a result the pallet upper surface has to include a number of battens sufficient to support a load and to ensure there are battens available for engagement by the fork lift truck forks. It will be readily understood that a loaded pallet on a fork lift truck will be unstable if not supported fully on the fork lift truck forks.

Frequently the number of battens needed to suit the length of the fork lift truck forks is greater than the number needed to support the load to be carried on the II M IP 2 pallet. As a result the pallet is frequently more costly and heavier than would be the case if only the load to be carried was the only consideration. This aspect is addressed by the present invention by modifying the conventional batten arrangement of the pallet.

In addition the present form of pallet with battens transverse to the direction of fork entry can sometime result in the fork ends striking the battens and this can damage the battens or move the palleb or its load.

This is undesirable and is minimised by the construction of the pallet proposed b this invention.

Broadly stated the present invention can be said to provide a rectangular pallet having a load supporting deck spaced from and connected to ground engaging support means, openings in all four sides of the pallet :to allow load lifting means to be inserted into the pallet below said deck in four entry directions each at right angles to the pallet side through which entry is made, said load supporting deck including coplanar border members respectively extending along the four sides of the pallet and defining a central z 2 ne, major battens disposed in said central zone in alignment with said entry directions and coplanar with said border members and intersecting in the region of the centre of said central zone to provide sub-zones, and at least one minor batten in each sub-zone angularly disposed with respect to said pallet sides.

s~llllll -3 Several presently preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accomrpanying drawings in which: Fig.1 is a plan view of a conventional four way entry metal pallet,

S.

60.00 Fig.2 is an edge view in the direction of the arrow A of Fig.l, Fig.3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig.4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention, is an edge view in the direction of the arrow B of Fig.4, Fig.6 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention and Fig.7 is an edge view in the direction of the arrow C of Fig.6.

Referring to Figs.l and 2 which are plan and edge views

B

of a conventional four way entry metal pallet 1, there is illustrated four corner pillars 2 and intermediate side pillars 3 and a central pillar 4. There are flat rails 5 joining the bottoms of the pillars. The top battens are hollow tube members of square section 6 and a central transverse and top peripheral members 7 and 8 20 respectively. The members 8 form a border member for a central zone occupied by the load supporting battens.

There are peripheral flanges 9 at the edges of the members 8 and slots 10 in the members 8 which are features of a mounting method for sides which combine with the pallet to form a container. It is to be understood that the flanges 9 and slots 10 are aspects of the illustrated pallet and do not necessarily form part of the pallet or of the invention. To overcome the problem of 'short' forks on a fork lift truck short O3 cross members 11 are included. As will be seen the construction includes many pieces, considerable amount I u 1_1 of jig arrangement of the components for welding and welding operations.

The pallet of the invention has as its main inventive aspect the use of at least some battens in the load support deck of the pallet which are angled to the sides of the pallet.

Referring now to Fig.3 which is a perspective view of a four way entry pallet of the type having a border member 8 with flanges 9 and slots 10, where the border member 8 defines a central battened zone. There are two lower ground engaging members in the form of rails 15 connected by posts 3 to the border member 8, which is fewer than in a conventional pallet. The battens 41 in the central zone are diagonally placed.

It will be seen that irrespective of which side of the pnllet is the entry side for the forks of a lift truck there will be a number of contact points with the battens 41 available. As the battens 41 lie at an angle to the direction in which the forks enter the pallet the undesirable possibility of 'square' contact between the ends of the forka and battens, as can occur with conventional pallet design, is avoided. If there is any contact between the ends of the forks and the battens then the angled disposition of the battens ensures the smooth passage of the forks below the battens. Thus the construction described is a simple and economic design which fulfils the design aims set forth above.

LI sill Figs.4 and 5 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention. The pallet disclosed is a four way entry form with the posts 2,3,4, of the Fig.l pallet.

The previously described rails 5, member 8 with flanges 9 and slots 10 are present. The load supporting deck of this pallet comprises a primary major batten 32 joined at its ends to substantially mid-length points of two opposed sides of the member 8 and a pair of closely spaced second major battens 16 end connected at substantially mid-length positions to the other opposed sides of the member 8. The pair of second major battens 16 divide the central zone into two further zones each laterally divided by the first major batten 32 thereby providing four sub-zones. There is a diagonal minor batten 21 in each sub-zone between the end connections of the~- r tf a battens with the sides of the member 8. The advantages of the Fig.3 design are embodied in the design of Fig.4 which is for heavier duty than the design of Fig.3.

S S 20 Figs.6 and 7 show a variation of the Fig.4 arrangement where the major battens 16 are replaced by a single major batten 33 which together with the major batten 32 divide the central zone into four sub-zones. There is a diagonal minor batten 31 across each sub-zone between junctions of the ends of the major battens with the sides of the border member 8. It will be seen that with the Fig.6 arrangement there is less welding because the are fewer battens. The cost of material and manufacture are therefore less.

With all of the embodiments of Fig.3 to 7 the design criteria of adequate fork support, ease of fork passage -7 below the battens with associated reduced cost and weight are achieved. To this extent the disclosures of Fig.3 to 7 all provide inventive advances and commercial advantages over the present design for metal pallets, as illustrated representatively in Fig.l.

The examples hereinbefore described have been four way entry pallets, the invention is equally applicable to two way entry pallets.

The foregoing is to be considered as a disclosure of 10 preferred embodiments. It is to be understood that changes can be made to the disclosed inventive embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed. By way of example only, the battens 21 of Fig.4 and 31 of Fig.6 can be supplemented by additional battens as shown in broken lines in Fig.6 and numbered 31a.

0 *o•

I

Claims

2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 including a first major batten end connected at substantially mid-length positions of the border member at two opposed sides of the pallet and a second major batten end connected at :'".:substantially mid-length positions of the border member at the other of said four pallet sides thereby dividing said central zone into four sub-zones.
3. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 includinq a first major batten end connected at substantially mid-length position.s of the border member at two opposed sides of the pallet and a second major batten end connected at substantially mid-length positions of the border member at the other of said four pallet sides thereby dividing said central zone into four sub-zones, and there is one r-s~ brrbllllPILkSIIS 9 minor batten in each sub-zone which lies diagonally across the sub-zone.
4. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 including a first major batten end connected at substantially mid-length positions of the border member at two opposed sides of the pallet and a pair of parallel second major battens end connected at substantially mid-length positions of the border member at the other of said four pallet i sides and joined to the first major batten thereby 9 9 dividing said central zone into four sub-zones. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 including a first major batten end connected at substantially mid-length V. positions of the border member at two opposed sides of the pallet and a pair of parallel second major battens end connected at substantially mid-length positions of 9 the border member at the other of said four pallet sides and jdined to the first major batten thereby di'*iding said central zone into four sub-zones, and 9 there is one minor batten in each sub-zone which lies diagonally across the sub-zone.
6. A pallet as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to where the ground engaging support means includes two rails connected to the load supporting deck by posts and disposed at two opposite sides of the pallet.
7. A pallet as claimed in claim 6 when dependent on any one of claims 2 to 5 where the ground supporting means comprises four support rails disposed one at each side of the pallet and connected to the load supporting I~Ld Ls~ 10 deck by posts, and mid-rails lying below the respective maior battens and interconnected where they intersect, the mid-rails are end connected to said support rails and posts connect said mid-rails to said major battens.
8. A pallet as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing Figs. 4 to 7. Dated this 27th day of January, 1997 TECHNOSEARCH PTY. LIMITED By its Patent Attorney, ROBERT HALLIDAYS. 0 *o l ~I%~CI ABSTRACT: *0 S A pallet having a load supporting dec] including S S battens (41) which lie at an angle to the directions of S entry of pallet Xifting means into the pallet. o 00 0S *ee. 0 0606 *000 eQ 0* 5* 0 060* *0 0 S S C 0 50 S S A~