PALLET SYSTEM

Abstract: A pallet and lifting trolley therefor. The pallet has a load bearing surface (2) with supporting legs (3), (4) extending therefrom to a base level. Lifting attachment means are provided and located between the load bearing surface and the base level of the supporting legs and comprise lifting support members (6), (7) at each supporting leg providing first and second support surfaces (9), (10) spaced apart to define a gap allowing for the entrance and insertion of a lifting platform of a lifting trolley to effect support and lifting of the pallet. The lifting trolley comprises a lifting platform and upstanding handles, the platform and handles being carried by a support extending from an axle joining support wheels.

Description: PALLET SYSTEM The present invention relates to pallets and lifting systems in particular those systems which utilise leverage to lift and transport loads and pallets. Conventional pallet systems, usually constructed of wood, are lifted by means of a fork lift placed under or through the pallet then lifted in the vertical direction first so as to clear the ground. However, fork lift devices are very expensive and also require maintenance. However, on the workshop floor, a simple leverage system is needed to allow users of the system to readily transport pallets and products around a workshop floor space. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet system which substantially overcomes or ameliorates the above entioned disadvantages. According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a lifting mechanism to be attached, or already attached to an article to be lifted, said mechanism comprising a first supporting location co-operating with a second supporting location; said first and second supporting locations adapted to receive and transmit torque and arranged to allow a lifting device to be removably inserted between said locations, said lifting device, once inserted, lifting and/or rotating said article by means of torque applied to said lifting mechanism. According to another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a trolley including at least two wheels, a handle means and a transportation platform, said handles and platform being carried by a support extending from an axle joining said wheels. According to another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a pallet including a load bearing surface and at least two supporting legs extending therefrom to a base level; said pallet also including a lifting attachment means located between said load bearing surface and said base level, said lifting attachment means comprising a first lifting support being, or depending from said load bearing surface or from said leg or legs and a second lifting support depending from said leg or legs. The first and second lifting supports enable a substantially horizontal lifting device to be inserted between them and allows the pallet to be tilted and thereby rotated and/or lifted into a transportable position. Preferably the pallet is constructed of metal however such a pallet can be also made from wood or any other suitable material such as high strength plastics or aluminium etc. The first lifting supports can be in the form of a pair of rails extending from the load bearing surface and whilst the second lifting supports comprise a pair of rails extending horizontally from the legs. By this system, a very simple and easy to operate carting system is attained. Such things as oxyacetylene welding units, electric arc welding units, gas cutting equipment, air compressors, generators, etc. can be mounted upon the pallet and wheeled to various locations around the workshop. In another embodiment the first lifting support is the reverse surface of the load bearing surface whilst the second lifting support is formed by the top surface of a rectangular hollow section at the base of the legs. This system has advantages over the conventional systems in that this pallet system uses manual leverage whereas conventional pallets require lifting in the vertical direction first, usually by a lift or hydraulic lift vehicle. Further advantages include the use of a trolley that does not have long horizontal forks or extensions protruding forwardly. These create problems with storage of such trolleys. These "fork" trolleys are usually ungainly and awkward to manoeuvre. The use of such trolleys can easily be abused, by the carrying of persons on the forks, or injury occurring to persons' legs and shins. By the present invention a wheeled trolley having only short "forks" can'be utilised, thus removing these difficulties and dangers. One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a mini pallet of the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 illustrates the use of the apparatus of Fig. 1 with a lifting trolley; Fig. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention in perspective view; Fig. 5 illustrates a front elevation of a trolley according to the present invention; Fig. 6 illustrates a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 illustrates a rear elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 5. As illustrated in Fig. 1 a pallet 1 comprises a load bearing surface 2 with legs 3 and 4 extending downwardly from the load bearing surface 2. To complete the structure of the pallet 1 a bracing member 5 is included to help stabilise the structure of the pallet 1. However any suitable bracing system such as 45° angle braces can be utilised. The bracing member 5 can also be used to add cushioning surfaces to protect the flooring surface upon which the pallet 1 may be placed. The pallet 1 includes two vertical rails 6 and two horizontal rails 7 which are arranged so as to provide a gap or space 8 between the upper surface 9 of the horizontal rail 8 and the lowest point or line 10 of the vertical rails 6. This gap allows the entrance and insertion of a lifting trolley device or arm, which will provide the leverage to rotate the pallet 1 into a transporting position. Illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is a trolley 11 including a wheel 12, lifting platform 13 and an axle 14 about which the wheel 12 revolves. As illustrated in Fig. 3 the trolley 11 is wheeled into an interengaging position with the pallet 1. The lifting platform 13 is inserted into the gap 8 between the vertical rail 6 and horizontal rail 7. By pulling back on the handles 15, the trolley 11 is tilted and the forward portion 13f of the lifting platform 13 engages the vertical rail 6 along or at one point along the line 10. simultaneously, or if the gap 8 is larger than the width 16 of the lifting platform 13, the rearward portion 13r of the lifting platform 13 engages the edge or upper surface 9 of the horizontal rail 7. Again depending upon the width 16 of the lifting platform 13 and the size of the gap 8 the majority of the load to be carried will be transmitted to the corner or edge 17 of the horizontal rail 7 as it engages with portion 13r of the lifting platform 13. upon tilting, the lower surfaces 18 are raised from the ground or base level and are ready to transport. As illustrated in Fig. 4, another embodiment of the present invention generally designated item 20 comprises a base member 21 and legs 22 and 23 depending therefrom. Base 21 and legs are constructed of sheet metal and the base 21 in order to instil strength into the base plate is made up of corrugated surfaces 24 and 25. For the purpose of illustration these corrugated surfaces 24 and 25 do not extend the length of the base plate. The leg 23 is identical except reversed to the leg 22. The leg 22 also constructed of sheet metal is comprised of three sections namely 26, 27 and 28. Sections 26 and 28 are identical and are of rectangular hollow section or box shaped. These are located at either end of the length of the legs 22 and 23. The middle portion 27 is not box sectioned but does have a base and a lip 29 which extends part of the dimension of the height of the wall 30 in the vertical direction. In the region of section 27 is a reinforcement plate 31 which can be either the cut out section of the section 27 and folded backwards or a separate piece of sheet metal can be spot welded into position. The purpose of the sheet metal 31 is to provide a reinforcement so that the contact of the portion 13f of the trolley 11 in Fig. 3 will not damage the corrugated surfaces 24 and 25 as well as allowing the trolley 11 to apply torque to the pallet 20. The pallet 20 operates in the same fashion as that of Fig. 1, however, instead of the lifting platform 13 being inserted in the gap 8 in Fig. 1, the trolley lifting platform 13 is inserted in the gap (generally designated 32) between the top surface 33 and the reverse or underneath surface of the base 21. If the base 21 was constructed of materials other than sheet metal and did not require corrugations and was sturdy enough to bear the torque to be transmitted, then it would not be necessary to reinforce it in the similar fashion to reinforcement plate 31 and there would be no need "first lifting support" depending from the base plate. Illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 is another trolley 50 for use with and in conjunction with the present invention. The trolley 50 has two handles 51 which connect to the lifting platform 53 at the base of the trolley 50. Between the handles 51 are structural members 52 and mesh 54 to prevent the passage of objects between the handles 51. The lifting platform 53 is of a substantially L-shaped configuration and it is important to note that the drawing is not to scale and that in reality platform 53 is comparatively short in length as compared to the height 50. The handle 51 and lifting platform 53 are pivoted about an axle 55 which is rotatably held in a pair of support brackets 56, which is also at the other end thereof, pivoted about the axle 57 of the wheels 58. The brackets 56 are characterised by having two abutment surfaces namely surface 59 and 60. A tension spring 61 linking a lower portion 62 on the lifting platform 53 and a region in the vicinity of the axle 57, biases the lifting platform in an anticlockwise rotation when viewed as in Fig. 6. The tension spring 61 maintains the rear surface 63 of the lifting platform 53 up against the abutment surface 59. In so doing, an angle between the horizontal plane of the lifting platform 53 and the support bracket 56 is produced, so that when the support bracket 53 is lifted off the ground to a sufficient height in order to be inserted into the gap 8 or 32 (Figs. 1 to 3 or 4 respectively) then the lifting platform 53 is maintained in parallel position relative to the horizontal, thus allowing trouble free engagement with the pallets of Figs. 1 to 3 or Fig. 4. Once the lifting platform 53 is engaged into the pallet 20 or 1, then a torque can be applied to the pallets 1 or 20 via the handles 51 and by virtue of the configuration of the pallet and the trolley, the pallet is rotated around corner 70. The corner -70 remains on the ground. At this stage the pallet 20 or 1 has been rotated, however it has not been elevated therefore is not moveable. The handles 51 and lifting platform 53 and pallet 1 or 20 are limited in their rotation by virtue of the surface 60 on bracket 56. This will ensure the correct ground clearance for transportation purposes by virtue of the rotation of the pallets 1 and 20. Once the the handles 51 and platform 53 have been rotated relative to the bracket 56, then the operator can then create further rotation of the now rigid items 1, 20, 51, 53 and 56 about the axle 57. This further rotation causes the pallet 20 or 1 to be elevated. Clearance is achieved between the corner 70 and the ground, making the pallet 29 or 1 moveable. If desired to do so, the single wheels 58 can be replaced by a triangular arrangement of wheels such as "three wheel" trolleys which facilitate the climbing of stairs and the like. The purposes of the spring 61 is to alleviate the operator from producing both rotation of the handle 51 in an anticlockwise direction about the pivot 55, as well as simultaneously lifting movement (thereby producing rotation of the bracket 56 and handles 51 about axle 57) for engagement with a pallet 1 or 20. The spring is thus not essential to the invention of the trolley but rather makes it easier to manipulate. For clarity, it is a point to note that the pallet and trolley systems of the present invention transmits torque and applies rotation in two stages, for the purpose of moving the pallet 1 or 20. In the first stage there is rotation utilising the back corner 70 as the centre of rotation, and is the second stage, rotation about the axle of the trolley to obtain ground clearance. The foregoing describes some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications, made by those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. Such things that may be modified are the arrangements and dimensions of the apparatus and vertical and horizontal rail. The shape of the vertical and horizontal rail can be modified in any manner that allows a torque to be transmitted to the pallet 1. Other embodiments can include the attachment of rails 6 and 7 to the exterior of such things as drums, trays, bins and the like. As can be clearly seen it? is not necessary that the invention be internally located but this is preferred due to minimisation of the risk of injury from exposed protrusions. Other modifications include the location and attachment of both of the rails 6 and 7 from the legs 3 and 4.

Claims: THE CLAIMS : 1. A lifting mechanism to be attached, or already attached to an article to be lifted, said mechanism comprising a first supporting location co-operating with a second supporting location; said first and second supporting locations adapted to receive and transmit torque and arranged to allow a lifting device to be removably inserted between said surfaces, said lifting device, once inserted, lifting and/or rotating said article by means of torque applied to said lifting mechanism. 2. A lifting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and said second supporting locations are substantially horizontally oriented. 3. A lifting mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a vertical displacement is located between said first and said second supporting locations. 4. A lifting mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said supporting locations can be either a point, a line or a surface. 5. A pallet including a load bearing surface and at least two supporting legs extending therefrom to a base level; said pallet also including a lifting attachment means located between said load bearing surface and said base level, said lifting attachment means comprising a first lifting support depending from said load bearing surface or from said leg or legs and a second lifting support depending from said leg or legs. 6. A pallet as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first and second lifting supports are located internally of the exterior of the pallet. 7. A pallet as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said first and said second lifting supports provide lines or points contact for a lifting device to lift and/or rotate said pallet. 8. A pallet as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said first and second lifting supports have a vertical displacement between them. 9. A trolley including at least two wheels, a handle means and a transportation platform, said platform and handles being carried by a support extending from an axle joining said wheels. 10. A lifting mechanism being substantially as herein described with reference to the accmpanying drawings. 11. A pallet being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 12. A trolley being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: PEETZ GERHARD HANS, PEETZ, GERHARD, HANS
Applicants: PEETZ THOMAS ERNST, PEETZ, THOMAS, ERNST
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B65D19
IPC codes: B62B1, B65D19