APPARATUS FOR CARRYING LOADS, PARTICULARLY FOR OR AT A PALLET

Abstract: Apparatus for carrying loads, particularly a pallet comprising spacers (2, 3). Two or more pallets are interconnected by means of pairs (1; 5) of spacers provided in the adjacent areas of the said pallets. Such spacer pairs, one body of which belongs to the one pallet and the other one to the other pallet, are interconnected by severable means such as a bridge and/or a shrink film and/or tapes (12) allowing a so construed multiple pallet to be produced, transported, used and stored as a unit. In operation, one pair of spacers is provided to be severed and another one held together by the said interconnectors, so that the latter forms a hinge for positioning any of the separate pallets forming a multiple pallet.

Description: Apparatus for carrying loads, particularly for or at a pallet The invention relates to an apparatus for carrying loads, particularly for or at a pallet, and is more closely defined in the preamble of claim 1. Pallets are frequently used throughout the world. Therefore, a detailed description of known techniques in general is not necessary. A drawback with known pallets resides particularly in that handling of same, i.e. transport, packing and storing, often is very costly. It goes without saying, that e.g. relatively small pallets entail numerous operations, as they are to be produced, transported, packed and stored as such. The objective of the present invention is to render produc¬ tion as well as transport, packing and storing of pallets in particular as economical as possible. It is furthermore an objective of the invention to improve and develop previous¬ ly known pallets as well as parts of same in various technical respects. These objectives are achieved according to the invention by an apparatus for carrying loads, particularly for or at a pallet, which apparatus is designed as revealed by the characterizing clause of claim 1. Further characteristics of and advantages with the invention appear from the following specification with reference to the accompanying drawings showing some embodiments, partly in diagrammatic views, which embodiments are to be regarded as non-limiting. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for carrying loads designed as a spacer, Figure 2 is a plan view of the spacer according to figure 1, Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a modified embodi¬ ment of a spacer according to the invention, Figure 4 is a plan view of the spacer according to figure 3, Fig.s 5-8 are plan views of various diagrammatically shown pallet embodiments using spacers according to the invention, Figures 9 - 11 show various embodiments of pallets according to the invention in perspective views from - above, Figures 12 - 14 show a perspective view from below, a side elevational view and a perspective view from above of a further embodiment according to the invention, Figures 15 - 17 show a perspective view from below, a side ele¬ vational view and a perspective view from above of a -further embodiment according to the in¬ vention, Figure 18 is a perspective view of a spacer according to fi- gures 12 - 14, Figure 19 is a perspective view of a spacer according to fi¬ gures 15 - 17, and Figure 20 is a plan view o-f the spacers according to figures 18 and 19. A spacer according to the invention as shown in figures 1 and 2 comprises two cylindrical bodies 2, 3 with their axes in parallel and their peripheries in abutting relation to each other. The spacers are preferably made of wooden chips by presscasting. According to another Feature of the invention, such a pair of spacers is held together by a so called shrink film 4, which preferably is relatively thick, e.g. having a thickness oi .P TΓΓUTE SHEET o f l Oμ - 200μ . According to the alternative 5 shown in figures 3 and 4, there are also provided two cylindrical bodies 6, 7 which, ' however, are not abutting each other with their peripheries but are interconnected via a bridge 8. Furthermore, the bodies 6,7 show preferably throughgoing central openings 9, 10. Even this embodiment can be produced by presscasting, preferably, however, it is made of a more durable material with e.g. plast material or combinations of plastic material and/or fibres and chips respectively. Even pressed fibrous material of variou kinds can be considered. According to the invention, each pallet will not be produ- ced separately. Instead, at least two, possibly even three, four or more pallets are produced simultaneously with the pallet sides abutting each other showing pairs of spacers, the interconnectors 4, 8 of which ore bridging the pallets. These interconnectors 4, 8 are so strong and durable, that two or more pallets held together in such way consecutively can be transported, packed and stored coherently. Even loading the pallets can be carried out, while two or more pallets are still united in this way. Only at a time, which individu¬ ally can be chosen, the pallets can be severed from each other, e.g. by cutting through the interconnectors 4, 8 by a knife, a saw or the like. Normally, pallets interconnected in such way are separate from each other exept for the spacers and the said inter- connectors. According to a further feature of the invention, it is possible that adjacent pallets entirely or partly are produced as a unit, e.g. with a through-going upper and/or lower side, which then is e.g. cut through, in case a con¬ secutive separation is desired. SUBSTITUTE SHEET The present invention is not limited to the examples as described hereinbefore and shown in the accompanying drawings but may be modified and completed within the framework of the inventive idea in any way. Naturally, the provision of spacer pairs may in general be regarded as a pallet rein¬ forcement, as the center areas in particular of such a multiple pallet will be reinforced substantially. According to Figures 12 - 20, there are provided spacer pairs surrounded and held together by tapes or pairs of tapes 12 of preferably plastic material. Naturally, it is within the framework of the inventive idea to provide shrink film and/or bridges and/or tapes simutaneously in any combination. It should be noted, that the pairs of spacers according to the invention are able to serve as a hinge, namely when the tapes of one pair have been severed, meanwhile the other pair is still held together by surrounding tapes. In this way, e.g. a truck is able to grasp one pallet and put same in an exact predetermined position. Through the so positioned pallet, the other pallet may be positioned as well in any desired po¬ sition per se or in relation to the said grasped pallet. SU-Ξ8T„T! IT - Q*-Jϊrcτ

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Apparatus for carrying loads, particularly for a pallet, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y a pair (1) of spacers, the bodies (2,3; 6,7) of which are held together by severable holding means (4, 8, 12). 2. Apparatus for carrying loads according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the holding means is a shrink film (4) surrounding the bodies preferably on all sides. 3. Apparatus for carrying loads according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the holding means is a bridge (8) provided in the transitional area between the spacers. 4. Apparatus for carrying loads according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t one or more tapes (11, 12) of preferably plastic material are surroun¬ ding the spacers as holding means. 5. Apparatus for carrying loads according to at least one of claims 1 - 4, c h a r a c t er i z e d i n t h a t the spacers are cylindrical bodies (6,7) with throughgoing central openings (9, 10). 6. Apparatus for carrying loads according to at least one of claims 1 - 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the spacers are at least partly provided as presscasted bodies comprising fibres or chips and/or plastic material. 7. Apparatus for carrying loads according to at least one of claims 1 - 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the pairs of spacers (2, 3; 6, 7) are provided to bridge and interconnect two adjacent pallets such that each spacer as known per se is provided as cornerload-carrier and spacer element. 8. Apparatus for carrying loads according to any of claims 1 - 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t one of two pairs of spacers held together by surrounding tapes or the like is provided to serve as a hinge for positioning the pallets held together per se and in particular in rela¬ tion to each other.

Inventors: WELLEMAN SVEN, WELLEMAN, SVEN
Applicants: WELLEMAN SVEN, WELLEMAN, SVEN
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65D19
IPC codes: B65D19