US2781936A - Materials handling pallet - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1957 D. H. BITNEY 2,781,936

MATERIALS HANDLING PALLET Filed Oct. 18, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l 28 l6 l7 l8 fizz/Way United States Patent MATERIALS HANDLING PALLET Dewey H. Bitney, Albion, Mich., assignor to Union Steel Products Company, Albion, Mich.

Application October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,763

10 Claims. (Cl. 220-6) This invention relates to materials handling pallets particularly walled pallets having collapsible walls.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a walled materials handling pallet of the stacking type having collapsible walls in which the walls may be compactly collapsed and when erected are capable of withstanding very heavy loads, such as result when a plurality of loaded pallets are stacked one upon the other.

Second, to provide a walled materials handling pallet having collapsible walls in which the walls are compactly collapsed and are well protected from injury when in collapsed position.

Third, to provide a walled pallet having these advantages which is relatively simple and economically constructed.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a pallet embodying my invention with the walls in erected position.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view with the walls in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view with the parts enlarged as compared to Figs. 1 and 2 taken on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view on a line corresponding to line 44 of Fig. 3 showing the walls in erected position by full lines and the side wall in collapsed position by dotted lines.

. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partially in vertical section of a modified form or embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 66 of Fig. 5.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1. to 4 includes a deck bed comprising the side sill members 1-1 formed of upwardly facing channel section and cross members 2, also formed of channel section and with their ends fixedly secured to the side sill members as indicated at 3. Only one cross bed member is illustrated but it will be understood that there are a plurality of these.

The deck flooring or body is of grid like type and comprises an upper series of spaced parallel rod like slats 4 and a lower series of spaced parallel slats 5 disposed in crossing relation and fixedly secured at their crossing points as by welds indicated at 6 in Fig. 4.

The lower series of slats are disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side sill members desirably by welding thereto as indicated at 7. The ends of the lower series of slats 5' project beyond the side members and side guard rails 8 are fixedly secured to their projecting ends so as to bridge the space between them. End guard rails 9 are secured to the undersides of the upper series of deck slats as shown in Fig. 3.

The legs 10 illustrated are those illustrated and de- 2,781,936 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 scribed in the application of Charles C. Averill, Serial No. 460,876 filed October 7, 1954. These legs are provided with seats 11 for the side bed members and are fixedly secured thereto as by the welds 12. The legs are provided with inwardly projecting arms 13 which are fixedly secured to the underside of the deck members of the lower series underlapped thereby as indicated at 14.

The side walls designated generally by the numeral 15 and the end walls designated by the numeral 16 are formed of a plurality of vertical slats 17 and horizontal slats 18 arranged in spaced parallel relation and secured together at their crossing points as by means of welds, as indicated at 19. These side and end members are hingedly or swingably connected in pairs by means of the helically coiled hinge members 20 which embrace the adjacent vertical end slats of the pair of side and end walls. These hinge connections for the walls are disposed at diagonally opposite corners of the walls and only one is illustrated but it will be understood that the hinge connection for the I other pair may be a duplicate of that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Parts are omitted for convenience in illustration and to avoid confusion. The collapsed pairs of walls are collapsible inwardly one upon another above the deck. It is immaterial which pair of collapsed walls are first to be collapsed upon the deck. The side walls 15 are each provided with inwardly projecting hinge arms 21 preferably formed by inturned extensions on the lower ends of the vertical slats of the side walls. The inner ends of these hinge arms are connected by hinge or pivot rods 22 secured thereto by welds 23.

The pivot rods are disposed at the inner sides of the deck slats 24 of the upper series and swingably secured thereto by the coiled hinge members 25 which closely embrace the pivot rods 22 and the slats 24 as is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

The hinge arms 21 are positioned between the bottom series of slats of the deck and when the walls are erected rest directly upon the side bed members 1. With the erected walls in erected position angles 26 of the side walls vertical slats 17 with their hinge arms 21 are inside of and guarded by the guard rails 8, as is shown in Fig. 4 which prevents their being engaged at this point by some object in the handling of the pallets. It should be noted that the load upon the side walls for superimposed crates is received directly by the sill side members 1. The end guard rails 9 are disposed at the outer sides of the end walls 16 and serve to protect the end walls.

The legs are provided with downwardly facing stacking recesses 27 which are in vertical alignment with the side walls when the walls are erected, as is shown in Fig. l. The swinging ends of the end walls are provided with means for detachably securing them to the adjacent side walls. Only the keepers 28 are illustrated, the coacting bolts are not illustrated as they form no part of this invention.

The hinlged or outer ends of the collapsed pairs of walls are spaced inwardly from the guard rails 8 so that the collapsed Walls are not likely to be engaged by some object or part in the handling of the pallet in collapsed form and the collapsed walls are capable of sustaining the load such as result from the stacking of the pallets with their Walls collapsed.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is the same as that described, insofar as the deck and walls are concerned, but in this embodiment the legs 30 are formed as integral castings and are provided with seats 31 their upper ends receiving the deck bed and leg attaching bars 32 which are in the form of rods, as distinguished from the channel bed members 1 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4. The rod like bed members are arranged in pairs and secured to the lower series of deck bars 5 by welds indicated at 33. The legs are welded to 3 the bars as indicated at 34 and the welds 33 may also serve as leg connections. The opposed pairs of legs are connected by base bars 35 but as that forms no part of my present invention their further details are not shown.

The deck bed and leg attaching bars 32 are readily adapted to legs of the cast type. It will be noted that the side walls rest directly upon the bars 32 which are in turn directly supported by the legs. This relieves the deck of stresses and strains under very heavy loads that frequently result from the stacking of a plurality of loaded containers one upon another and at the same time the walls are collapsible for storage and transportation when unloaded.

It will be understood that the term side" in reference to side bed members and side walls is used in the foregoing description and claims for convenience and not as limiting the matter of dimensions relative to other parts.

.1 have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embodyor adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck bed comprising side members and cross members extending between and fixedly secured to said side members, a grid like deck disposed on said deck bed and comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, the lower series of slats being disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side bed members to project outwardly beyond the same, the cross members being in supporting relation to the upper series of deck slats and fixedly secured thereto, deck guard rails secured upon the upper sides of said projecting ends of the lower series of deck slats, side and end walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats, each of said end walls having one of its vertical edges hingedly connected to the adjacent vertical edge of a different one of said side walls to permit the collapsing of each end wall on a side wall, the vertical slats of the side walls having in wardly projecting hinge arm extensions at their lower ends connected by pivot rods, each pivot rod being disposed at the outer side of and pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series adjacent to but spaced inwardly from a side bed member, said hinge arms being disposed between adjacent slats of the bottom series when the walls are erected and in supported engagement with the said bed side members and at the inner sides of the guard rails, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck.

2. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck bed comprising side members and cross members extending between and fixedly secured to said side members, a grid like deck disposed on said deck bed and comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, the lower series of slats being disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side bed members, the cross members being in supporting relation to the upper series of deck slats and fixedly secured thereto, side and end walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats each of said end walls having one of its vertical edges hingedly connected to the adjacent vertical edge of a different one of said side walls to permit the collapsing of each end wall on a side wall, the vertical slats of the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arm extensions at their lower ends connected by pivot rods, each pivot rod being disposed at the outer side of and pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series adjacent to but spaced inwardly from a side bed member, said hinge arms being disposed between adjacent slats of the bottom series when the walls are erected and in supported engage- 4 ment with the said bed side members and, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck.

3. in a walled materials handling pallet, the combina tion of a deck bed comprising side members, and cross members extending between and fixedly secured to said side members, a grid like deck disposed on said deck bed and comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, the lower series of slats being disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side bed members, the cross members being in supporting relation to the upper series of deck slats and fixedly secured thereto, side and end walls comprising fixedly connected vertical and horizontal slats each of said end walls having one of its vertical edges hingedly connected to the adjacent vertical edge of a different one of said side walls to permit the collapsing of each end wall on a side wall, the vertical slats of the side Walls having inwardly projecting hinge arm extensions at their lower ends connected by pivot rods, each pivot rod being disposed ,at the outer side of and pivotally eonnected to a deck slat of the upper series adjacent to but spaced inwardly from a side bed member, said hinge arms being disposed between adjacent slats of the bottom series when the walls are erected and in supported engagement with the said bed side members, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck, and legs fixedly secured to said side bed members and having downwardly facing stacking recesses vertically aligned with the side walls when the walls are in erected position.

4. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck bed comprising side members, a grid like deck disposed on tSZllCl deck bed and comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced. slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, the lower series of slats being disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side bed members to project outwardly beyond the same, deck side guard rails secured upon the upper sides of the projecting ends of the lower series of deck slats, side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower edges connected by pivot rods, each pivot rod being disposed at the outer side of and pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series adjacent to a side bed member, said arms being disposed between adjacent slats of tne bottom series when the walls are erected and in supported engagement with the said bed side members and at the inner sides of the guard rails, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck.

5. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck bed comprising side members, a grid like deck disposed on said deck bed and comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, the lower series of slats being disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side bed members, side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower edges connected by pivot rods, each pivot rod being disposed at the outer sides of and pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series adjaeent to a side bed member, said arms being disposed between adjacent slats of the bottom series when the Walls are erected and in supported engagement with the said bed side members, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck.

6. In a Walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck bed comprising side members, a grid like deck disposed on said deck bed and comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, the lower series of slats being r disposed transversely of and fixedly secured upon the side bed members, side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower edges connected by pivot rods, said pivot rod being disposed at the outer side of and pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series adjacent to a side bed member, said arms being disposed between adjacent slats of the bottom series when the walls are erected and in supported engagement with the said bed side members, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck, and legs fixedly connected to said side bed members and having downwardly facing stacking recesses in vertically aligned relation to the side walls when in erected position.

7. In a walled material handling pallet, the combination of a deck comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, deck supporting and leg attaching bars disposed transversely of and secured to the under sides of the lower series of deck slats adjacent to but in inwardly spaced relation to the outer ends thereof, legs fixedly secured to said leg attaching bars, side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower ends connected by pivot rods disposed on the upper sides thereof each pivot rod being pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series adjacent to and spaced inwardly of a leg attaching bar, said arms being disposed between deck slats of the lower series when the side Walls are erected and in supported engagement with said leg attaching bars, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck.

8. In a walled material handling pallet, the combination of a deck comprising an upper series and a lower series of spaced slats fixedly connected at their crossing points, deck supporting and leg attaching bars disposed transversely of and secured to the under sides of the lower series of deck slats adjacent to but in inwardly spaced relation to the outer ends thereof, legs fixedly secured to said leg attaching bars, side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower ends connected by pivot rods, each pivot rod being pivotally connected to a deck slat of the upper series, said arms being disposed between deck slats of the lower series when the side walls are erected and in supported engagement with said leg attaching bars, the collapsed pairs of walls being collapsible in overlapping relation upon the deck.

9. in a Walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck, deck bed members disposed at opposite sides of the deck, and side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower edges pivotally connected to the deck in inwardly spaced relation to the said deck bed members, said deck having openings therein above said deck bed members to receive said arms when side walls are erected with the arms in direct supported engagement with said bed members.

10. In a walled materials handling pallet, the combination of a deck, deck bed members disposed at opposite sides of the deck, and side and end walls swingably connected in pairs to permit the collapsing of the Walls of the pairs upon each other, the side walls having inwardly projecting hinge arms at their lower edges pivotally connected to the deck in inwardly spaced relation to the said deck bed members, said deck having openings therein above said deck bed members to receive said arms when the side walls are erected with the arms in direct supported engagement with said bed members, the outer ends of the walls when in collapsed overlapping relation being spaced inwardly relative to the deck members.

Bitney Aug. 11, 1953 Coit Jan. 26, 1954

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