WO2000041941A1

WO2000041941A1 - A pallet which is nestable when stacked

Info

Publication number: WO2000041941A1
Application number: PCT/AU2000/000019
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leonard Alfred Owen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-01-15
Filing date: 2000-01-14
Publication date: 2000-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 2001-07-15
Also published as: AUPP816399A0

Abstract

Stackable galvanised metal pallet (10) for transportation and storage of goods, which is nestable when stacked while empty of goods to reduce the volume of stacked pallets. The pallet comprises a storage platform (11) having a top side (12) and an under side (13), wherein said goods are positioned on the top side of said platform; a support means comprising a plurality of tapered members (14-19) depending downwardly from the underside of the storage platform (11) to raise the platform from the surface on which the pallet rests; and receiving means adapted to receive the support means of another pallet when stacked upon the pallet, the receiving means comprising a plurality of tapered recesses (20-25) being complementary in shape to the tapered members of said other upper pallet. A resilient material (38-43) such as rubber or elastomeric polymer can be bonded to the base of the tapered members. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing a pallet comprising providing a piece of sheet metal and forming (e.g. pressing) the piece of sheet metal into the desired configuration for a pallet.

Description

A PALLET WHICH IS NESTABLE WHEN STACKED

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is concerned with a pallet for transportation and storage of goods and, more particularly, with a pallet for transportation and storage of goods which is nestable when stacked while empty of goods.

BACKGROUND ART It is a common practice when transporting goods which are relatively small to collect a number of items on a pallet, secure the items to the pallet and then transport the pallet bearing the goods. Typically individually packaged items such as bottled and canned goods are transported in this way. When palletising goods in this way was first conceived the pallets used were constructed of scrap timber and were frequently nothing more than an arrangement of parallel strips of timber (known as "deck boards") supported upon and nailed to supporting cross members (known as "stringers"). In some cases deck boards were also nailed to the underside of the stringers. In time, pallets became manufactured items and were manufactured to become much more uniform in size and weight-bearing capability, and the vast majority of all pallets in use are wooden pallets of this type.

It will be appreciated that wooden pallets are relatively expensive to construct and should be reused when possible. However, in order to reuse a pallet it will generally have to be shipped back to the manufacturer of the goods which it was used to convey, and the cost of returning empty pallets to their owners is high. Thus, it would be desirable to produce a stackable pallet which will enable more empty pallets to be shipped back to the owner per unit volume of the storage space in the transport space available. United States patent no. 5,413,054 describes a pallet moulded from plastic for use in loading, storing and transporting heavy steel or other metal coils while ensuring that they are arrayed in a vertical orientation. The pallet includes spaced apart supporting legs fashioned after the stringers in wooden pallets on its bottom surface. On its top surface it has a plurality of upright members between which the coils of wire are fitted. The upright members are designed to nest together when the pallets are stacked and are grouped into four groups on different parts of the top surface, with spaces in between the groups. When the pallets are stacked the supporting legs can be located in the spaces between the groups of upright members, and so do not interfere with nesting of the upright members . The supporting legs do not nest together, only the upright members. Thus there is no reduction in the volume that the stacked pallets occupy except through nesting of support structures on the top side of the pallet. Such structures are only present in pallets designed for very specific purposes (such as the pallet of US Patent No. 5,413,054 which is specifically designed to transport metal coils in a vertical orientation) and there would be no reduction in the volume of the stacked pallets of US Patent No. 5,413,054 in the absence of these structures. Thus it will be appreciated this patent is concerned solely with means for reducing the stacked volume of a single-purpose pallet through nesting of structures not present in a conventional pallet and which account for the excessive bulk of said pallet. Accordingly, there remains a need for a way of stacking pallets so as to reduce the volume that they occupy which is applicable to pallets in general.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pallet for transportation and storage of goods, which is nestable when stacked while empty of goods, comprising: a storage platform having a top side and an underside, wherein said goods are positioned on the top side of said platform when said pallet is used to convey same; support means which serve to raise said storage platform from the surface on which said pallet rests other than when said pallet is stacked while empty of said goods, said support means comprising at least one tapered member depending downwardly from the underside of said storage platform; and receiving means adapted to receive the support means of another pallet when stacked upon said pallet, said receiving means comprising at least one tapered recess formed in the top side of said storage platform, the or each tapered recess being complementary in shape to the or each tapered member of said another pallet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a nested stack of pallets for transportation and storage of goods, each pallet comprising: a storage platform having a top side and an underside, wherein said goods are positioned on the top side of said platform when said pallet is used to convey same; support means which serve to raise said storage platform from the surface on which said pallets rests other than when said pallet is stacked while empty of said goods, said support means comprising a tapered member depending downwardly from the underside of said storage platform; and receiving means adapted to receive the support means of another pallet when stacked upon said pallet, said receiving means comprising at least one tapered recess formed in the top side of said storage platform, the or each tapered recess being complementary in shape to the or each tapered member of said another pallet; the support means of each pallet in the stack being received in the receiving means of the pallet beneath it in the stack.

Typically said support means comprises more than one tapered member depending downwardly from the underside of said storage platform and said receiving means comprises more than one tapered recess formed in the top side of said storage platform, each tapered recess being complementary in shape to each tapered member.

Preferably, each of the tapered members is an elongated member. Typically each tapered member takes the form of a truncated rectangular pyramid, or frustrum. The angle of slope of the sides may vary substantially, and at one extreme the sides will be almost parallel. Likewise, the recesses formed in the top side of said storage platform are elongated, and, typically, adapted to receive an elongated member taking the shape of a truncated pyramid, or frustrum.

Typically, both the tapered members and the recesses extend the full length or width of a pallet.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the or each tapered member is open to the top side of the storage platform at its junction therewith and is hollow, and so constitutes said receiving means also. Thus each tapered member of said another pallet extends into a tapered recess in said pallet, which is, in fact, the interior of a tapered member of said pallet, and in this way the pallets nest together when stacked.

Optionally, said support platform includes channels other than said tapered recesses complementary in shape to said tapered members . Typically, said recesses other than said tapered recesses are formed in said platform parallel to said tapered recesses. Accordingly, said storage platform effectively comprises a plurality of parallel, spaced apart strips separated by recesses, at least some of which are able to receive the downwardly depending tapered member of another pallet positioned thereon.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the pallet is pressed from a single sheet of a galvanised sheet metal and so the storage platform and the downwardly depending tapered members (which also serve as recesses complementary in shape to the tapered members of another pallet) and any channel other than said tapered recesses formed in the storage platform are all formed from a single sheet of metal. It will be appreciated, however, that the pallet thus-formed may be modified, for example, by boxing the ends of the tapered members and/or by welding strapping around the periphery of the support platform. Typically, the pallet comprises at least three downwardly depending tapered members, one to each side and one in the centre of the pallet so as to stably support the storage platform. Of course, there may be any number of downwardly depending tapered members in any configuration. In a preferred form of the invention there are two adjacent downwardly depending members to either side and two adjacent downwardly depending members in the centre portion of the pallet. A lifting blade, such as the tines of the forklift truck, can slide underneath of the pallet between the various groups of downwardly depending tapered members to allow for lifting of the pallet.

In order to allow for four way access for a lifting blade, each of the downwardly depending tapered members may include a pair of slots, spaced apart by a convenient distance, and with each slot in each downwardly depending member in alignment so as to allow a forklift truck to slide its tines through the slots. In either case once the tines of the forklift are positioned beneath the pallet, lifting can commence and, once lifted, the pallet can be moved by the forklift truck.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the downwardly depending tapered members has a strip of a resilient material, such as rubber or an elastomeric polymer bonded along its bottom surface, typically for the entire length of the bottom surface. This allows for quieter handling of the pallet when the downwardly depending tapered members take the weight of the goods during unloading, as well as reducing the possibility of the pallet slipping.

In addition, the pallet may include means for receiving hooks for sling loading. In one embodiment of the invention the means for receiving hooks comprises a plate secured to the storage platform but spaced apart from the storage platform. The plate may extend around the periphery of the support platform. In this case the hooks are secured beneath the edge of the plate at each corner of the support platform, typically between some of the stays used to secure the plate to the support platform (to minimise the potential for lateral movement of the hooks) whereupon the pallet may be sling loaded.

The pallet may also have strapping welded to each side. The strapping may include guides on each corner to ensure that the pallets are stacked in register. it may also have cut-away portions to allow penetration of the tines of a forklift to the interior of a stack of pallets, and so facilitate break-up of the stack.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for manufacturing a pallet for transportation and storage of goods, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a piece of sheet metal;

(2) forming said piece of sheet metal into the desired configuration for a pallet. Typically the pallet is formed by rolling or pressing.

Optionally, the formed pallet may be modified by boxing the ends of the tapered members and/or strapping, for example, by welding around the periphery of the support platform of the pallet. Typically, the pallet prepared by this process is a pallet in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention. Preferably, the sheet metal is galvanised to increase corrosion resistance.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a pallet for transportation and storage of goods formed from a single piece of sheet metal, said pallet comprising: a plurality of substantially parallel sheet metal strips constituting a storage platform for bearing said goods; a fold line bounding each strip at either side; and a plurality of recesses formed between fold lines on the adjacent sides of the adjacent strips, wherein at least some of said recesses are configured so as to serve as support means to raise said storage platform from the surface on which said pallet rests.

Optionally, the pallet may include other features such as welded strapping on all sides. The ends of the recesses may be boxed, if desired.

Typically, the recesses are configured so as to be downwardly depending tapered members in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention.

In general, the pallet is prepared by a process according to a third aspect of the present invention.

Throughout this specification and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pallet for transportation and storage of goods in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the pallet shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pallet shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but showing a stack of pallets in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing only a portion of the pallet, of a pallet in accordance with the present invention which is adapted for lifting with a sling lift. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The pallet 10 shown in the Figures comprises a storage platform 11 having a top side 12 and an underside 13, as best seen in Fig. 2, and support means comprising a plurality of tapered members 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. The pallet 10 includes receiving means adapted to receive the tapered members of a second pallet when stacked upon a first pallet, said receiving means comprising tapered recesses 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. The storage platform 12 also includes additional recesses 26, 27, 28, 29 for structural purposes. The tapered members 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 extend fully across the storage platform 11 and take the form of a truncated rectangular, or frustrum. While the slope on the sides of the tapered members is not large, it is nevertheless appreciable on careful inspection of the drawings. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that each of the tapered members 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 can be received in the corresponding tapered recess 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, when a first pallet is stacked on a second pallet (as shown in Fig. 4), and so the two pallets "nest" when stacked. The pallet 10 shown in Fig. 1 is made from a single sheet of galvanised steel which is pressed into the configuration shown. If looked at in terms of the manner of fabrication, the storage platform 11 comprises a plurality of parallel metal strips, such as strips 30 and 31, which are separated by recess 20. In order to form the recess, the sheet metal is folded around fold lines 32, 33 to create recess 20, and the other recesses 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 are created similarly. In some cases the fold is such that a downwardly depending tapered member 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 is created but in others the recess, which may be tapered or not, serves a structural purpose. A metal strap 34 is welded around the periphery of the pallet 10 subsequent to the pressing step. The metal strap 34 on pallet 10 has cut-away portions 49, 50 above the spaces 46, 47 which exist between the downwardly depending members 15, 16, 17 and 18 respectively. On the opposite side of the pallet (not seen) similar cut-away portions exist. As best seen in Fig. 4, these cut-away portions are shaped so as to create an opening for the tines of a forklift truck even when the pallets are nested together in a stacked configuration. This allows a nested stack to be broken up by a forklift truck. In addition, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the pallet includes a plate 35 welded to the pallet and spaced apart from the pallet by a plurality of stays such as stays 36, 37 as shown in Fig. 5. This allows for sling lifting of the pallet 10 since the hooks of a sling lift can be secured beneath the edge of the plate 35 at each corner of the pallet 10. In particular, the hooks can be secured beneath the plate 35 between the stays to either side of a corner, such as stay 36 and another stay (not shown) to the bottom of that corner to minimise lateral movement of the hooks.

With reference to Fig. 2, it will also be appreciated that layers 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 of a resilient material such as rubber or an elastomeric polymer can be bonded to the base of each of the tapered members 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. The resilient material may be bonded in any convenient way. These layers allow for quieter handling of a loaded pallet and reduce the wear and tear to the metal runners. In addition, they reduce the potential for slipping of the pallet.

The pallet 10 also includes slots, such as slots 44, 45 in each of the tapered members 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. The slots are all aligned to allow for access of the tines of a forklift from this side of the pallet 10. The slots, such as slots 44, 45, are conveniently cut from the sheet of galvanised metal used to fabricate the pallet 10 prior to pressing. Of course, it will be appreciated that side access for a forklift is additional to the conventional means of access by insertion of the tines beneath the storage platform 11 through spaces 46, 47 which exist between the downwardly depending members 15, 16 and 17, 18, respectively.

The pallet 10 further comprises guides on each corner to ensure that the pallets are stacked in register. These comprise right angle plates 51, 52, 53, 54 welded to each corner of the strapping 34. As best seen in Fig. 4, when a pallet is added to a stack it is positioned within the right angle plates 51A, 52A, 53A, 54A of the pallet 10A beneath it in the stack to ensure that the pallets are stacked in register.

In use, a pallet 10 is loaded in the same manner as a conventional pallet, with the goods being placed on storage platform 11 and, where the nature of goods demands, secured to the platform. The loaded pallet 10 may then be transported from the site of loading to the place where the goods are required. In order to move either the loaded or unloaded pallet a forklift truck can be used, or, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the pallet may be sling loaded as described earlier. The four way access allowed for by the provision of slots such as slots 44, 45 provides greater flexibility in storage, since a forklift can pick-up the pallet 10 from any of the four sides. Once unloaded, the first empty pallet can be placed in a truck or container conveying it back to its source, then a second pallet can be placed on top in the manner described above with reference to Fig. 4, and more pallets can be stacked so as to form a "nested" stack in the manner described above. In this way a stack of pallets can be arranged so as to occupy considerably less volume than a stack of conventional wooden pallets, hence the cost of transporting the pallets back to their source is considerably less than with conventional pallets. On their arrival back at the source of the goods, the pallets can be unloaded using a forklift truck. The stack may be broken up by insertion of the tines of the forklift truck through the spaces created by the cut-away portions 49, 50 on pallet 10, 49A, 50A on pallet 10A, 49B, 50B on pallet 10B, and so on. The pallets may then be re-used to convey goods, optionally after being washed down if used to convey foods. If damaged in transit the pallets are repairable since they can be pressed back into shape but, if the damage is severe, the pallets can be melted down and recycled.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is useful in the transportation and storage of goods.

Claims

1. A pallet for transportation and storage of goods, which is nestable when stacked while empty of goods, comprising: a storage platform having a top side and an underside, wherein said goods are positioned on the top side of said platform when said pallet is used to convey same; support means which serve to raise said storage platform from the surface on which said pallet rests other than when said pallet is stacked while empty of said goods, said support means comprising at least one tapered member depending downwardly from the underside of said storage platform; and receiving means adapted to receive the support means of another pallet when stacked upon said pallet, said receiving means comprising at least one tapered recess formed in the top side of said storage platform, the or each tapered recess being complementary in shape to the or each tapered member of said another pallet.

2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means comprises more than one tapered member.

3. A pallet as claimed in claim 2 wherein said receiving means comprises more than one tapered recess.

4. A pallet as claimed in either one of claims 2 or 3 wherein each of the tapered members is an elongated member.

5. A pallet as claimed in claim 4 wherein each elongated, tapered member takes the form of a truncated, rectangular pyramid.

6. A pallet as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the recesses formed in the top side of said storage platform is elongated.

7. A pallet as claimed in claim 6 wherein each of the recesses is adapted to receive an elongated member taking the shape of a truncated, rectangular pyramid.

8. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the or each tapered member is open to the top surface of the storage platform at its junction therewith and hollow, and so constitutes said receiving means also.

9. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein both the tapered members and the recesses extend the full length or width of said pallet.

10. A pallet as claimed in claim 9 wherein said support platform includes channels other than said tapered recesses.

11. A pallet as claimed in claim 10 wherein said recesses other than said tapered recesses are formed in said platform parallel to said tapered recesses.

12. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein each of the downwardly depending tapered members includes a pair of spaced apart slots, each of the pair of slots in each downwardly depending member being substantially in alignment.

13. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein each of the downwardly depending tapered members has a resilient material bonded to its bottom surface.

14. A pallet as claimed in claim 13 wherein said resilient material is rubber or an elastomeric polymer.

15. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the pallet includes hook receiving means for receiving hooks for sling loading.

16. A pallet as claimed in claim 15 wherein said hook receiving means comprises a plate secured to the storage platform but spaced apart from the storage platform.

17. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 further comprising strapping welded to the edge of the pallet.

18. A pallet as claimed in claim 17 wherein the strapping includes guides on each corner to ensure that the pallets are stacked in register.

19. A pallet as claimed in either claim 17 or 18 wherein the strapping includes cut-away portions to allow penetration of the tines of a forklift to the interior of a stack of pallets.

20. A nested stack of pallets for transportation and storage of goods, each pallet comprising: a storage platform having a top side and an underside, wherein said goods are positioned on the top side of said platform when said pallet is used to convey same; support means which serve to raise said storage platform from the surface on which said pallets rests other than when said pallet is stacked while empty of said goods, said support means comprising a tapered member depending downwardly from the underside of said storage platform; and receiving means adapted to receive the support means of another pallet when stacked upon said pallet, said receiving means comprising at least one tapered recess formed in the top side of said storage platform, the or each tapered recess being complementary in shape to the or each tapered member of said another pallet; the support means of each pallet in the stack being received in the receiving means of the pallet beneath it in the stack.

21. A process for manufacturing a pallet for transportation and storage of goods, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a piece of sheet metal;

(2) forming said piece of sheet metal into the desired configuration for a pallet.

22. A process for manufacturing a pallet as claimed in claim 21 wherein said piece of sheet metal is pressed to form said pallet.

23. A process for manufacturing a pallet as claimed in claim 22 wherein said piece of sheet metal is rolled to form said pallet.

24. A process for manufacturing a pallet as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 23 further comprising the step of modifying the pressed pallet.

25. A process for manufacturing a pallet as claimed in claim 24 wherein the modification comprises welding strapping around the periphery of the support platform of the pallet.

26. A pallet for transportation and storage of goods formed from a single piece of sheet metal, said pallet comprising: a plurality of substantially parallel sheet metal strips constituting a storage platform for bearing said goods; a fold line bounding each strip at either side; and a plurality of recesses formed between fold lines on the adjacent sides of the adjacent strips, wherein at least some of said recesses are configured so as to serve as support means to raise said storage platform from the surface on which said pallet rests.

27. A pallet for transportation and storage of goods substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.