Abstract:
The new adaptable bracket enables a pallet rack stopper assembly for facilitating the positioning of a pallet onto or under a pallet rack to prevent damage to a facility caused by the pallet, itself, or by material handling equipment during the pallet positioning process, as well as to prevent general displacement of the pallet while preserving necessary space between the pallet and the facility wall, piping, doors, electrical conduit, or other items adjacent to the pallet rack. The new bracket assembly is a compact, highly adaptable, and inexpensively elegant solution to these common problems arising in storage facilities using pallet rack storage systems.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application for Patent Ser. No. 61/717,968, filed on Oct. 24, 2012. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The new bracket assembly concerns an adaptable pallet rack stopper apparatus for facilitating positioning of a pallet on a pallet rack to prevent damage to a storage facility caused by the pallet, itself, or by material handling equipment during the pallet positioning process, as well as to prevent general displacement of the pallet while preserving necessary space between the pallet and the facility wall or other pallets. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Pallet racks are often used in warehouses and retail facilities for pallet material storage, and placement of pallets onto and under pallet racks is generally accomplished using a forklift or other material handling equipment such as pallet jacks. This system presents some common problems, including: 1) damage to walls, 2) interference with the minimum space required between pallet racks or between a pallet rack and wall, and 3) potential injury to persons or products from materials falling off of pallet racks. Over the past few decades, several devices have been developed to address similar issues with material storage on pallet racks, but none comprises the same features nor covers the scope of advantages afforded by the present invention. 
         [0006]    Other systems—specifically, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,448; U.S. Pat. No. 7,059,573; U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,125; and Pub. No. U.S. 2007/0187349 A1—have been designed to prevent items from falling off shelving or rack units. The common net-and-cable design does not prevent damage to walls, maintain minimum spacing in compliance with federal or local food storage regulations stipulated by agencies, such as the USDA or county public health departments, or provide a guide for material handlers to align and place pallets, which are prime advantages of the present invention. 
         [0007]    There are other adapter-type devices that can be used independently or in conjunction with other materials for, primarily, pallet alignment purposes. These types of devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,064; U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,846; and Pub. No. US 2009/0084746 A1. These inventions each require some combination of drilling, mounting, installing other hardware (such as screws), and/or installing the invention during the pallet rack manufacturing process. Further, devices such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,846 are limited to use on pallet rack shelves and cannot be used in floor-level bays. The new bracket assembly, however, adapts to pre-existing pallet rack features without having to drill holes or use additional hardware, and it can be used in both shelf- and floor-level bays. The bracket assembly converts existing pallet rack horizontal beams into load backstops by utilizing the same connection techniques that are used between pallet rack vertical and horizontal beams. 
         [0008]    Existing devices available on the market are designed to prevent wall damage caused by pallet jacks or forklifts. Indeed, the use of backstop support bars for shelving units is known in the art, and such supports for pallet racks are usually referred to as “load stops.” These load stops are one-piece metal beams that connect the upright (vertical) beams of a pallet rack. The standard load stop design does not universally fit onto pallet racks and, therefore, must be special-ordered according to the pallet rack bay size and desired clearance. As a result, the load stops can be very costly to purchase, and production and delivery time can be quite prohibitive. The new, adaptable bracket assembly provides a ready means of inexpensive protection for warehouses and retail locations using pallet rack storage systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Introduction to the Invention. 
       [0009]    The general purpose of the new bracket assembly is to provide an adaptable pallet rack bumper system wherein a novel bracket combines with existing beams to easily create a load stop for use on all storage levels of pallet racks, including at floor-level. The pallet rack bracket assembly is an adapter bracket made of welded steel with lock-in-place connector pins or bolt outlets similar to the pins and outlets engineered onto existing pallet rack vertical and horizontal beams. The invention depicted herewith is a simple connection bracket used in conjunction with standard horizontal beams to stop material handlers from accidentally placing product too far into pallet rack bays, thereby causing damage to walls, product, or other storage materials common in warehouse settings. 
         [0010]    This new adapter allows for universal use with a variety of pallet rack styles found in hundreds of thousands of existing warehouse facilities. The new adapter presents to manufacturers of pallet racks a low-cost alternative to creating the one-piece pallet rack load stop bars on the market today, as it can be fabricated by repurposing leftover vertical pallet rack beams. Further, the new adapter is compact and easy to stock in supply houses making it readily available for customer acquisition, unlike standard load stops, which must be custom-made. 
         [0011]    The bracket assembly for pallet rack load stops is designed to connect to pallet rack upright beams via the same mechanisms as existing pre-engineered horizontal beams, thus making the device highly adaptable and easy to use with existing materials. Since pallet racks can be engineered with different compositions and thicknesses of metal and any of several different types of connectors, the new adaptable bracket assembly can be engineered to compliment any type of pallet rack system. 
       2. Objectives of the Invention. 
       [0012]    It is an objective of the new bracket assembly to provide a novel, adaptable bracket assembly for a pallet rack that delivers many of the advantages of the relevant prior art with the additional benefit of preventing damage to warehouse or retail facility walls, doors, piping, electrical conduit, or other items found adjacent to pallet racks. 
         [0013]    It is another objective of the new bracket assembly to provide a new bracket assembly for consistent, effortless maintenance of requisite space between pallets and walls for rodent traps in storage facilities of food suppliers as required by federal or local food storage regulations. 
         [0014]    Yet another objective of the new bracket assembly is to provide a new bracket assembly that connects to pallet racks in the same manner that existing pre-engineered horizontal beams connect to pallet rack vertical beams. Such horizontal beams are generally readily available and are far less expensive than the common one-piece custom-order alternative. 
         [0015]    The sum of these objectives—including associated advantages—unifies with the novel article of the new bracket assembly, resulting in an invention that is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art support, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
         [0016]    These, together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty characterizing the invention, are described with particularity in the claims herewith. A more comprehensive understanding of the features, operation and uses of the invention may be gleaned from reference to the enclosed drawings and descriptive matter further illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention. 
         [0017]    The embodiments described herein are illustrative of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description and drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. It should be further understood that the phraseology and terminology applied herein merely serve the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    Clearly related figures have the same title number with sequential alphabetic suffixes. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 1A-1F  show, respectively, top-side-front, top-side-back, front, back, top and bottom views of the standard model pallet rack bracket assembly. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 2A-2B  show, respectively, the top-side-front and top-side-back views of the alternative “light duty” embodiment of the bracket assembly. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate another alternative embodiment of the bracket assembly.  FIG. 3A  shows the side view of the 3″ and 6″ standard bracket assembly units unconnected, and  FIG. 3B  shows the side view of the 3″ and 6″ standard bracket assembly units attached to one another and to the existing pallet rack upright beam. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a three-dimensional top-side-back view of the stacked  3 ″ standard bracket assembly unit connected by its front end to an existing pallet rack upright beam and connected by its back end to the front end of a 6″ standard bracket assembly unit, which is attached by its back end to an existing horizontal beam. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     1. FIGS.  1 A- 1 F 
     First Embodiment 
       [0023]      FIGS. 1A-1F  collectively illustrate one embodiment of the bracket assembly wherein the length of the bracket assembly body is variable, it has optional flanges for added strength, and the unit is stackable (hereafter the “standard model”). In this embodiment, the bracket is generally rectangular. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1A  shows the top-side-front view of the standard model  100 . In one embodiment, the front plate  104  is 6″ high and 3″ wide and is embellished with six male teardrop connectors  102  and a locking pin hole  110 . In another embodiment—what can be called a “heavy duty” model—the front plate  104  is 7½″ high and 3″ wide and is embellished with eight male teardrop connectors. The number, shape, arrangement of connectors, and locking pin hole depicted here match the number, shape, arrangement of connectors, and locking pin hole of the common upright-horizontal beam system in pallet rack and load stop manufacturing, but the number, shape, arrangement of connectors, and locking pin hole can vary depending on the type of pallet rack and purpose of the load stop. The side plates  101  are 6″ high and can vary in length, but the commonly used lengths are 3″ and 6″. The front plate  104  is attached perpendicularly by its long edges to the side plates  101  flush with the top and bottom. In one embodiment, 1½″ deep “flanges”  109  attach perpendicularly to the vertical edges of the front plate. There is a pair of ⅜″ mounting holes  105  placed through the flanges  109  for extra support if needed for stacking two units together or for connecting to an upright or horizontal beam. There is an additional pair of ⅜″ threaded mounting holes  108  placed through the near-top-back and near-bottom-back corners of the side plates  101  for extra support for stacking two units together or bolting a horizontal beam, if needed. A locking clip pin penetrates from the back of the front plate  104  through the locking pin hole  110 . There is a top plate  103  that is welded on its four sides flush to the top edges of the front  104 , back  106  and side  101  plates. 
         [0025]    This bracket assembly model can be used by itself or, in an alternative embodiment, stacked with another unit to achieve desired clearance for the load stop. The front end  104  connects to the existing pallet rack upright in the same manner as an existing pallet rack horizontal beam. Alternatively, the front end  104  can be connected (or “piggybacked”) to the back end  106  of a second bracket assembly unit  100  for added clearance. In this embodiment, bracket assembly units can clip together via the teardrop connectors and locking pin. It can be further secured by bolting the units together using the ⅜″ holes  105  in the flanges  109  of one bracket assembly unit and the ⅜″ threaded holes  108  in the side plates of a second unit. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1B  shows the top-side-back view of the stackable model  100 . In one embodiment, the back plate  106  is 6″ high and 3″ wide and has six female teardrop connectors  107 . In another embodiment—the heavy duty model—the back plate  106  is 7½″ high and 3″ wide and has eight female teardrop connectors. As described above, the number, shape, and arrangement of the connectors is variable and should be selected to compliment the pallet rack system in which the bracket assembly will be used. The back plate  106  is attached perpendicularly by its long edges to the side plates  101  flush with the top corner, bottom corner and long edge. The pallet rack horizontal beam connects to the back end of the bracket assembly. This combination of horizontal beam connected to the bracket assembly creates a load stop that can be placed at any desired height on a pallet rack upright beam. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1C  shows the front view of the standard model  100 . This view shows the front plate  104  connected perpendicularly on its edges to the flanges  109  of the side plates  101 , having an inner horizontal dimension of 3⅛″ and an outer horizontal dimension of 3⅜″. The male teardrop connectors  102  are spaced vertically  2 ″ from the connector centers, and the minimum vertical spacing is 15/16″. The locking pin hole  110  is 5/16″ in diameter and is 1/16″ above a male connector. The male teardrop connectors and locking pin hole are set in the same configuration as necessary for connecting to an existing pallet rack vertical beam. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1D  shows the back view of the standard model  100 . This view shows the back plate  106  having six female teardrop connectors  107 . The female teardrop connectors  107  have minimum vertical spacing of 15/16″ and minimum horizontal spacing of ¾″. The female teardrop connectors are set in the same configuration as necessary for connecting to an existing horizontal beam. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1E  shows the top view of the standard model  100 . In one embodiment, the top plate  103  covers the inside of the unit, keeping it clean from dust and debris. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1F  shows the bottom view of the standard model  100 . A locking pin clip  111  is attached to the back of the front plate  104 . In use, the locking pin is manually inserted into the locking pin hole  110  by pressing on a clip that pushes the pin through the hole. The pin then connects to the residual space inside a female teardrop connector while the corresponding male teardrop connectors of a standard or piggybacked bracket are in place. The locking pin clip  111  locks the units together by restricting movement and, thus, preventing inadvertent lift and extraction from the connected position. The use of such clips is not restricted to teardrop connectors but, rather, is adaptable to any type of connector used in pallet rack systems (e.g., slotted, speedrack, interlake, old style teardrop, keystone, sturdibilt, T-bolt, slide-and-lock, lynx, structural and teardrop). 
         [0031]    The top of the bracket assembly can be open or solid. Having a solid top does not increase the strength because the bracket assembly is meant to be a connection bracket between a pallet rack upright and an existing horizontal beam to create a load stop. The solid top, however, keeps the inside of the bracket assembly clean from dust and debris, which is particularly important when used on pallet racks in storage facilities that house consumable products such as produce or other food-based products. 
         [0032]    The front flanges can be comprised of repurposed male teardrop connection plates, locking pin clip, and locking pin hole that are pre-engineered for horizontal beams. Or, the flanges can be welded onto both sides of the front plate to align the bracket assembly when connecting to an upright beam or when piggybacking to another adapter unit. 1½″-deep flanges are depicted, but the precise depth is not critical to the function of the flanges. The back plate is derived from existing upright pallet rack beams that are pre-engineered with female teardrop connectors. The bracket assembly can be fabricated with other materials but it is less costly to repurpose materials used to make pallet rack horizontal and upright beams with only a few necessary modifications. 
         [0033]    In use, one snaps the front plate of the bracket assembly onto an existing pallet rack upright via insertion of male connectors into the female connectors of the upright at the desired height, then locking them in place with the locking pin just as one would attach a horizontal beam to a pallet rack upright beam. Then, an existing horizontal beam having male connectors can be attached to the back plate of the bracket assembly by inserting the male connectors of the beam into the female connectors of the bracket assembly. The result is a height-adjustable, strong bumper that keeps material handlers from placing pallets beyond the perimeter of the pallet rack bay. 
       2. FIGS.  2 A,  2 B,  3 A,  3 B 
     Additional Embodiments 
       [0034]      FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2A-B  illustrates one embodiment  200  of the bracket assembly wherein the length of the bracket assembly is 7½″, including 1½″-deep flanges  201  and a 6″ long body plate  208 . The unit appears as an I-shape with flanges (hereafter “light duty model”). Note that 1½″-deep flanges are depicted, but the precise depth is not critical to the function of the flanges. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2A  shows the top-side-front view of the light duty model  200 , where the front plate  205  is embellished on its front side  203  with six male teardrop connectors  204  and is connected on the front long edges to two 1½″ deep flanges  201  containing two side mounting holes  202  for extra support as needed. The backside of the front plate  210  connects from its vertical center axis to the vertical center axis of the backside of the back plate  209  via the body plate  208 . The bracket assembly connects via the front end  205  to the existing pallet rack upright in the same manner as an existing pallet rack horizontal beam. The bracket assembly can be further secured to an upright beam or a standard bracket assembly by insertion of a locking pin  212  through a hole  211  in the front plate  210  located just above a male connector  204 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 2B  shows the top-side-bottom view of the light duty model  200 , where the back plate  206  contains six female teardrop connector holes  207  and is connected from the vertical center axis of its back side  209  to the back side of the front plate  210  via the body plate  208 . The bracket assembly connects via the back end plate  206  to a pallet rack horizontal beam, thus creating a “load stop.” The light duty model cannot piggyback to other bracket assembly units like the heavy duty model. 
         [0037]    In use, the light duty model is attached to the upright and horizontal beams in the same manner as the standard model  100 . Like the standard model, the light duty model can be piggybacked onto a standard model bracket, but it cannot have any other bracket piggybacked onto it (i.e., the front end of the light duty model can connect to the back end of the standard model, but the back end of the light duty model can only be connected to a horizontal beam). The other key difference is that the light duty model is potentially weaker against horizontal stress, as the end connector plates are supported by only one body plate whereas the standard model has two body plates, which provides extra support. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate, respectively, the side view of 3″ and 6″ stackable bracket assembly units  300  unconnected and side view of 3″ and 6″ stackable bracket assembly units attached to one another and to a pallet rack upright beam. This is a view of the 3″ and 6″ bracket assemblies piggybacked for a total clearance of 9″, but any combination of sizes can be used to achieve the desired clearance between the back of the existing pallet rack upright beam and the front of the existing horizontal beam, which is now being used as a load stop beam. 
         [0039]      FIG. 3A  shows the side view of the 6″ standard bracket assembly  310  and  3 ″ standard bracket assembly  305  in proximity to an existing pallet rack upright beam  302 . In this embodiment, there is a hole  316  above one male teardrop connector on the front pates of each bracket assembly through which a locking pin  317  located on the backside of each front plate can be inserted into the remaining space of the corresponding female connector once each bracket is connected to a vertical beam or to another bracket assembly. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3B  shows the side view of the 6″ standard model  310  connected to the 3″ standard model  305 , which is connected to an existing pallet rack upright beam  302 . Here, the male connectors located on the attachment flange of a horizontal pallet rack beam  315  are locked into the female connectors  306  on the back end plate of a 6″ unit  310 . The male connectors  309  on the front plate  316  and locking pin clip  318  on the back side of the front plate  316  using the locking pin hole  317  of the 6″ unit are locked into the female connectors  306  on the back end plate of the 3″ unit, and bolts  313  are threaded through both the mounting holes  311  in the flanges  314  of the 6″ unit and the mounting holes  308  of the side plates  307  to further secure attachment of the piggybacked units. Likewise, the male connectors  309  on the front plate  316  and locking pin clip  318  of the 3″ unit are locked into the female connectors  304  on the upright beam  302 , and bolts  313  are threaded through both the mounting holes  311  in the flanges  312  of the 3″ unit and the mounting holes  301  located on the sides of the upright beam to further secure attachment of the unit to the pallet rack, which is secured to the floor by bolts  303 . 
         [0041]    The new pallet rack bracket assembly adapter can be used by itself or together with another unit to obtain the desired clearance by using any combination of sizes from 1.5″ to 12″. A bracket assembly can be clipped to an existing pallet rack upright beam or can be piggybacked to another stackable unit. Once the connector brackets are in place they can be bolted together for extra support. 
       3. FIG.  4   
     Alternate View of Stackable Brackets in Use 
       [0042]      FIG. 4  shows a three-dimensional top-side-back view  400  of a 3″ standard bracket assembly unit  408  connected at the front end to an existing pallet rack upright beam  401  and connected at the back end to the front end of a 6″ standard bracket assembly unit  406 , which is attached at the back end  407  to a horizontal pallet rack beam  405 . The 3″ bracket assembly is secured to the vertical pallet rack beam via insertion of the male teardrop connectors on the front side of the 3″ bracket assembly into the female teardrop connectors  403  on the vertical beam and is further secured by bolts inserted through the pair of holes in the flanges of the 3″ bracket assembly and through the corresponding pair of holes  402  in the sides of the vertical pallet rack beam. The 6″ bracket assembly is further secured to the 3″ bracket assembly by bolts  404  inserted through the pair of holes in the flanges of the 6″ bracket assembly and screwed into the corresponding pair of threaded holes in the side panels of the 3″ bracket assembly. 
         [0043]    As to further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of this invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention, the use of which results in a bumper system that:
       keeps material handlers from placing product beyond the perimeter of the pallet rack bay, which can result in damaged walls or product;   makes it easier for material handlers to accurately place pallets inside pallet rack bays or on the floor beneath pallet rack shelves because the bumper provides a guide to assist them with properly aligning pallets; and   prevents pallets from being placed too close to walls in violation of federal and/or local health code regulations. For example, that a 12-inch gap exist between the back side of a pallet of food items and the proximal wall or other stored product to maintain clearance sufficient to accommodate rodent traps.       
 
         [0047]    Although the description presented heretofore contains specificities for the benefit of illustration, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but rather as illustrative examples of some of the several embodiments. For example, bracket assemblies may primarily be made from 16 gauge steel since most existing pre-engineered standard duty pallet rack uprights are made of 16 gauge steel. There exist, however, other pre-engineered heavy duty and light duty pallet rack uprights and horizontal beams that are made of a thicker or lighter gauge depending on the required support. Bracket assembly load stop adapters can and should be made from steel of a gauge thickness and connection type complimentary to that used in the uprights and horizontal beams with which the bracket assembly will be utilized. Thus, the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples provided. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 REFERENCE NUMBERS 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 100: Stackable bracket model 
               
               
                   
                 101: Side plate 
               
               
                   
                 102: Male teardrop connectors 
               
               
                   
                 103: Top plate 
               
               
                   
                 104: Front plate 
               
               
                   
                 105: Mounting holes (flanges) 
               
               
                   
                 106: Back plate 
               
               
                   
                 107: Female teardrop connectors 
               
               
                   
                 108: ⅜″ bolt through threaded holes 
               
               
                   
                 109: Side flanges 
               
               
                   
                 110: Locking pin hole (front plate) 
               
               
                   
                 111: Locking pin clip (back of front plate) 
               
               
                   
                 200: Light duty (T-U) bracket model 
               
               
                   
                 201: Side flanges 
               
               
                   
                 202: Side mounting hole 
               
               
                   
                 203: Front plate, front side 
               
               
                   
                 204: Male teardrop connectors 
               
               
                   
                 205: Front plate 
               
               
                   
                 206: Back plate 
               
               
                   
                 207: Female teardrop connectors 
               
               
                   
                 208: Body plate 
               
               
                   
                 209: Back plate, back side 
               
               
                   
                 210: Front plate, back side 
               
               
                   
                 211: Locking pin hole 
               
               
                   
                 212: Locking pin clip 
               
               
                   
                 300: 3″ and 6″ stackable units 
               
               
                   
                 301: Upright beam mounting holes 
               
               
                   
                 302: Pallet rack upright beam 
               
               
                   
                 303: Bolt, bolting beam to floor 
               
               
                   
                 304: Female teardrop connectors on upright 
               
               
                   
                 305: 3″ stackable bracket 
               
               
                   
                 306: Female teardrop connectors 
               
               
                   
                 307: Side plate 
               
               
                   
                 308: Threaded mounting holes 
               
               
                   
                 309: Male teardrop connectors 
               
               
                   
                 310: 6″ stackable bracket 
               
               
                   
                 311: Mounting holes 
               
               
                   
                 312: Side flange extending over upright 
               
               
                   
                 313: Bolts, connecting the brackets 
               
               
                   
                 314: Side flange extending over second bracket 
               
               
                   
                 315: Horizontal beam flange 
               
               
                   
                 316: Front plate 
               
               
                   
                 317: Locking pin hole 
               
               
                   
                 318: Locking pin clip 
               
               
                   
                 400: 3″ and 6″ piggybacked brackets 
               
               
                   
                 401: Existing pallet rack upright 
               
               
                   
                 402: Mounting holes for ⅜″ bolt in upright 
               
               
                   
                 403: Female teardrop mounting holes 
               
               
                   
                 404: 3/8″ bolts connecting 3″ and 6″ units 
               
               
                   
                 405: Existing horizontal beam 
               
               
                   
                 406: 6″ stackable bracket assembly unit 
               
               
                   
                 407: Back end of a 6″ stackable bracket 
               
               
                   
                 408: 3″ stackable bracket assembly unit