A LOADING PALLET AND A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PALLET OF THAT SORT

Abstract: Conventional pallets of wood show deficiencies with respect to durability and service life. In order to eliminate these deficiencies and also other ones involved with conventional wood pallets, according to the present invention a pallet with a load-carrying platform of corrugated sheet metal is proposed, which platform (3) is supported at its opposed edges by supporting beams (4) of substantially U-shaped cross-section, which beams extend perpendicularly to the corrugations (2) and are formed integral with the platform by folding the metal sheet three times substantially perpendicularly, so that its free end portions (10) form the inside of the respective supporting beam and constitute supporting legs for the platform spaced from the outer edges thereof, and said end portions (10) are locked relative to the platform in a substantially vertical position and have between themselves a free space beneath the platform which permits the insertion of the lift forks of a truck from one side or the other.

Description: A LOADING PALLET AND AMETHOD FORMANUFACTURING APALLETOF THAT SORT This invention generally relates to a loading pallet and it refers, more precisely, to a pallet of sheet metal and to a method of manufacturing the same. Conventional pallets most often consist of a low-height struc- ture of platform type, which is assembled of lumber by nailing, and in the side walls of which recesses are provided to be en¬ gaged by the lift-fork of a fork-truck. In spite of the defi¬ ciencies which this structure shows with respect to durability and service life, so far no pallet structure has been developed which suitably can replace and/or complete the wooden pallet. In view of the strongly increasing wood price and the deterio¬ ration in wood quality, resulting in more expensive pallets of poorer quality and shorter service life, the demand for an im¬ proved pallet latterly has increased. The object of the present invention is to meet this demand and to produce a pallet, which has at least as light a weight and is as durable as the wooden pallet, but is cheaper to manufacture and more hygienic than a pallet of wood, so that it can be applied even in the foodstuffs industry and in food distribution. In other respects, the pal- let shall have all advantages of the wooden conventional pallet. This object is achieved in that the pallet according to the present invention has been given the characterizing features defined in the attached claims . For manufacturing the pallet according to the invention in a simple and rational way, the invention also proposes a method with the features* defined in the claims. The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pallet according to the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective and cross-sectional view of a pallet detail, Fig. 3 is a vertical section along substantially the line Fig. -+ is a view from above of a metal sheet for manufactur ing a pallet according to the invention, and Fig. 5 is a section through a lifting bar comprised in the pallet. The pallet according to the present invention comprises a me tal sheet 1 with preferably trapezoid corrugations 2. The sh 1 constitutes a platform 3 acting as a carrying plane, which is supported on box-shaped or, more correctly, U-shaped sup¬ port or carrying beams - , which extend perpendicularly rela- tive to the sheet corrugations and between themselves form a free space 5 beneath the platform 3 , into which space the fo of a loader can be inserted from one side or the other. Each of the supporting beams * is formed of the same sheet m tal blank as the platform, in such a manner, that a corrugat sheet metal blank cut to desired length is bent in three sui ably spaced places so that corners 6, 7 and 8 are obtained. distance between the corners 6 and 7 determining the beam wi can be varied for obtaining supporting beams 4 of a greater smaller width, but the distance between the corners 7 and 8, course, shall be substantially the same as the distance betw the corner 6 and the free end 9 of the sheet, so that the en portion 10 constituting the inner surface of the beam abuts lower surface of the platform by said end 9 and acts as a su porting leg for the platform, thereby increasing the bearing capacity thereof. Each such end portion 10 is inserted with its free end 9 int locking groove 11 extending perpendicularly to the corrugati 2, and by said groove 11 the respective end portion 10 is fi and locked relative to the platform in a vertical positon, a clearly appears from Fig. 3. The locking grooves 11 are form each in a lifting bar 12, which extends across the entire wi of the pallet and at the same level as the locking groove bo 13 is provided with an attachment strip 14, which like the locking groove bottom abuts the lower surface of the platfor and is connected thereto by pop rivets or by bent-over locki tips 15, which are sibly also of the locking groove bottom 13, and of the platform, as shown schematically in Fig. 3. Each lifting bar 12 has car¬ rying surfaces 15 on both sides of the locking groove 11 , one of which surfaces spreads all the way to the corner 8 and into a fold 17 formed at the bending operation in each corrugation 2. Said fold has a slightly upward folded edge portion 18, which thus locks and fixes the lifting bar in said fold 17. In each supporting beam 4 two spaced and downwardly open reces¬ ses 19 are formed to the same level as the carrying surfaces 16 of the lifting bars, which recesses permit insertion of the loader fork also from this side of the pallet. The embodiment shown in Fig. 1 thereby is a so-called four-way pallet. The pallet when supported on lift forks inserted through the re¬ cesses 19 rests against the forks by the carrying surfaces 16 of the lift bars. The load thereby is distributed over a large area, which is advantageous from a strength point of view. The pallet to some extent also rests against the upper defining sur¬ faces 20 of the recesses in the outer lateral surfaces of the supporting beams, which surfaces 20 as already mentioned are located at the same level as the carrying surfaces 16 of the lift bars. The same load distribution also is brought about by the attachment strips 14 of the lift bars at lift forks inserted between the supporting beams, when the strips are given suf¬ ficient width, which however is not required from a strenght point of view. The starting material for the manufacture of pallets according to the invention can be smooth metal sheets of great length. In* Fig. 4 such a sheet 21 is shown by fully drawn transverse lines 22, which indicate the separation line between two sheet blanks 23. Transversely across each such line 22 rectangular openings 24 are punched out in the sheet 21 , which openings extend equal¬ ly long on both sides of the line 22 and form recesses 19 in the supporting beams 4 of the respective pallet. When said openings have been punched out, the sheet blanks are separated along the lines 22, and each such sheet blank is fed into a section rol¬ ling mill* where the blanks are corrugated, rolled to desired cross-sectional shape and edged, i.e. the longitudinal outer edges of the blanks are folded 180°. The sheet blanks, of course, also can be separated subsequent to the rolling mill. After said section rolling, every sheet blank is bent at its transverse edge portions in a bending machine, whereby the su porting beams 4 are formed, and the lift bars are inserted in position and secured. The lift bars 12 can be pressed to the cross-sectional shape as desired and as shown in Fig. 5 from same starting material as for the pallets. For this purpose a the sheet pieces can be used, which were obtained at the punc ing operation for the openings 24 and which at the embodiment shown have a length corresponding substantially to half the width of the completed pallet. In other words, two lift bars formed of these sheet pieces for each supporting beam fall aw The present invention, thus, has brought about a sheet metal pallet, which in spite of its low weight has extraordinary bearing capacity, very good strength and long service life, and which can be manufactured in a simple and rational way. T pallet material being sheet metal, it also can easily be clea and disinfected. The present invention is not restricted to the embodiment de¬ scribed above, but can be altered, modified and completed in many different ways within the scope of the invention idea defined in the attached claims. _U__»o i £ i

Claims: Claims 1. A loading pallet having a load-carrying platform of corru¬ gated sheet metal, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the platform (3) is supported at its opposed edges by supporting beams (4) of substantially U-shaped cross-section and ex¬ tending perpendicularly to the corrugations (2), which beams are formed integral with the platform by bending the sheet three times substantially at right angle, so that its free end portions (10) form the inner surface of the respective support¬ ing beam and constitute supporting legs for the platform spaced from the outer edges thereof, and said end portions (10) are locked relative to the platform in a substantially vertical po¬ sition and have between themselves a free space beneath the platform to permit insertion of the forks of a loader from one side or the other. 2. A pallet as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that each supporting beam (4) is_.provided with spaced downwardly open recesses (19), which permit insertion of the forks of a loader also from these sides of the pallet. 3. A pallet as defined in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d n that each o the free end portions (10) for its locking relative to the platform (3) is inserted with its end into a locking groove (11) provided in a bar (12) at the lower surface of the platform and extending perpendicularly to the corrugations . 4. A pallet as defined in claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that each such bar (12) shows carrying surfaces (16), which are located at the same level as the defining line of which defining line is substantially in parallel with the platform. 5. A pallet as defined in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r ' i z e d i n that such carrying surfaces (16) are formed on both sides of the locking groove (11) of each bar. 6. A pallet as defined in any one of the claims 3-5, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d i n that each bar (12) has an attachme member (14) aligning with the bottom of the locking groove, which member and the locking groove bottom the bar rests against the lower surface of the platform and is connected t the same by locking tips (15), which are bent over and punch out in the attachment member and possibly also in the bottom the locking groove and in the platform. 7. A pallet as defined in any one of the preceding claims 3- c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that each bar (12) is fixed its longitudinal edge remote from the attachment member in f in the corrugation formed at the bending operation at the pe pendicular transition between the platform and the supportin beam. 8. A method for manufacturing a pallet of sheet metal as def in claims 1 and 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that in a tal sheet openings (24) are punched to form the recesses (19 the supporting beams, and that the corrugated metal sheet fi thereafter is bent at right angle to the corrugations at its es to form the supporting beams (4) integral with the platfo (3). 9. A method as defined in claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the metal sheet is corrugated after the punching o said openings (24) and cut to desired lengths prior or subse quent to the corrugation in a section rolling mill. O Of.V- ~ -- ;—.-_— ■ ,. . ,- r.-.r m. _ , . __ __ __, * * _ . WilPP

Inventors: ABERG SEARD, ABERG S
Applicants: GROKO MASKIN AB, ABERG S
Application year: 1980
Main classification: B65D19
IPC codes: B21D53, B65D19, B65G1