Abstract:
A plastic pallet and method of construction that permits plastic pallets of numerous different sizes and options to be easily produced from only a very small inventory of parts and without requiring a user to purchase or construct numerous different shapes and sizes of molds in order to produce a wide variety of pallets of various shapes, sizes and options.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/340,649, entitled “Plastic Pallet”, filed on May 24, 2016, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention (Technical Field) 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to plastic pallets and a method for the manufacture thereof. 
       Description of Related Art 
       [0003]    Although pallets have been in use for a long time, conventional wooden pallets suffer from various issues, including their susceptibility to rot, they are attacked by wood-eating pests, the wood can crack and bow with age and with changes in humidity, and the strength of wooden pallets changes as the wood ages and as decay occurs. While plastic pallets have been known for a while, such pallets are typically formed as a single continuous molded product. As such, to provide pallets of numerous dimensions and sizes, numerous molds must be created and subsequently stored. This makes it expensive to quickly and inexpensively provide customized pallet sizes—particularly for customized pallets where small quantities are desired. 
         [0004]    Although a few plastic pallets are known that can be formed from individual components, such known plastic pallets typically rely on an interference-fit or other self-securing method of attachment between the various components. Therefore, the strength of such connections are only as strong as the plastic connectors that are integrally formed therein. In addition, the size of the pallets cannot be adjusted without limitation. This is because the connection between two components can only occur where an integral connector has already been formed. 
         [0005]    There is thus a need for a plastic pallet and method of construction which permits plastic pallets to be formed to any size and which can be accomplished with only a few basic components; and which further can rely on stronger metal fasteners for the connections between the components instead of weaker and limiting integrally-formed plastic connectors. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0006]    An embodiment of the present invention relates to a plastic pallet having a plastic top plate with a textured pattern formed on at least one side thereof, two or more plastic stringers, at least one bottom board, the at least one bottom board having a textured pattern surface, and a first plurality of fasteners securing the bottom boards to the stringers. The plastic pallet can also include a second plurality of fasteners securing the plastic top plate to the two or more plastic stringers. The stringers can be integrally formed in the plastic top plate. The top plate can include a plurality of corner pieces projecting from a top thereof. The plastic pallet can optionally include a first IBC attached thereto. In one embodiment, the top plate can include a void formed at a location below an outlet of the first IBC. The bottom board can optionally include an opening that aligns with an inlet of a second IBC when the plastic pallet is placed atop the second IBC. The bottom board can be sized to sit inside of a frame for a second IBC. The stringers can extend beyond the at least one bottom board by at least 1.5 inches on each end. The plastic pallet can also include one or more barrel retention spaces formed on the top plate, the barrel retention spaces defined at least partially by one or more corner pieces. The barrel retention spaces can be further defined by one or more barrel spacers. The plastic pallet can include four or more barrel retention spaces formed on the top plate. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, the two or more plastic stringers can include a stiffener cutout. The plastic pallet can include at least one stiffener extending from at least one of the two or more stringers to at least one other of the two or more stringers. The first plurality of fasteners can include metal screws. 
         [0008]    An embodiment of the present invention also relates to a plastic pallet having a plastic top plate with two or more integrally formed stringers, at least one bottom board, and a first plurality of metal screws securing the bottom boards to the stringers. The plastic pallet can include an IBC attached to a top thereof and the plastic top plate can include a void formed at a location below the IBC. 
         [0009]    An embodiment of the present invention also relates to a method for forming a plastic pallet including attaching a plastic top plate to two or more plastic stringers; and attaching at least one bottom board to the two or more plastic stringers with a plurality of metal fasteners. Optionally, attaching a plastic top plate to two or more plastic stringers can include integrally forming the two or more plastic stringers into the plastic top plate. The method can include forming the plastic top plate from a compression mold and the at least one bottom board can be at least partially formed from the compression mold. The method can include at least partially forming the at least one bottom board by cutting it to a desired size. 
         [0010]    Objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating one or more preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a drawing which illustrates an under-side of a pallet having bottom boards according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a drawing which illustrates an underside of a pallet without bottom boards; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a drawing which illustrates a pallet having a flat-top plate according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C  respectively illustrate top, bottom, and side-view drawings of a pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention having four stringers; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C  respectively illustrate top, bottom, and side-view drawings of a pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention having three stringers; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C  respectively illustrate top, bottom, and side-view drawings of a pallet having a plurality of spaced-apart top plates according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a drawing which shows one embodiment of how the shaped surface of the leg can plug into or otherwise interact with the shaped surface of a top plate; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a drawing which shows an embodiment of the present invention wherein a plurality of legs are attached to a top plate; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C  respectively illustrate top, bottom, and side-view drawings of a pallet formed by a plurality of legs separating top plate from a base board; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a drawing of a mold for forming top plates according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a drawing of a pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention wherein a top surface of the top plate has faux boards formed therein; 
           [0023]      FIG. 12A  is a perspective view drawing of a stringer with cutouts to accommodate stiffeners; 
           [0024]      FIG. 12B  is a side-view drawing of a pallet with the ends of stiffeners exposed; 
           [0025]      FIGS. 13A, and 13B  respectively illustrate a top and side view of a pallet with barrel spacers and corner pieces attached to the top plate to accommodate up to five barrels; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13C  is a drawing which illustrates a barrel spacer and corner piece for the embodiment of  FIG. 13A ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14A  illustrates a top and side view of a pallet with barrel spacers and corner pieces attached to the top plate to accommodate up to four barrels; 
           [0028]      FIG. 14B  is a drawing which illustrates barrel spacers and a corner piece for the embodiment of  FIG. 14A ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 14C  is a drawing which illustrates a top view of a pallet with barrel spacers and corner pieces having straight sides; 
           [0030]      FIGS. 15A and 15B  are drawings which illustrate an embodiment of an intermediate bulk container (“IBC”) pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 15C  is a drawing which illustrates an IBC pallet stacked atop an IBC according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 16  is a drawing which illustrates an embodiment of the present invention wherein stringers are integrally formed into a top plate; 
           [0033]      FIGS. 17A and 17B  respectively illustrate top and bottom views of a nestable pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 17C  is a drawing which illustrates a side-view of the nestable pallet of  FIGS. 17A and 17B ; and 
           [0035]      FIG. 17D  is a drawing which illustrates a plurality of nestable pallets stacked together according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0036]    Referring now to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention relates to plastic pallet  10  having top plate  12 , attached by fasteners  13  to stringers  14 . The term “plastic” as used throughout this application is intended to include not only materials that are conventionally referred to as plastic materials, but also any other synthetic solid material, including not only materials that have a slightly elastic form, but also rigid, non-elastic materials, including but not limited to epoxies, glass-filled resins, combinations thereof and the like. In one embodiment, fasteners  13  are also preferably used to attach bottom boards  16  to stringers  14 . In one embodiment, bottom boards  16  can be formed by cutting a piece of top plate material  12  into strips. Fasteners  13  are preferably metal fasteners and most preferably screws. Although carbon-steel screws can be used and will provide desirable results for numerous applications, in one embodiment, the screws are most preferably galvanized or stainless steel. In one embodiment, when using metal screws to attach one or more piece of pallet  10  together, the screw preferably generates heat from the friction of its installation and thus causes the plastic that immediately surrounds it to melt slightly and thus adhere to the screw. This therefore locks the screw in place and reduces the potential for the screw to gradually back out. In one embodiment, nails can be used for one or more of fasteners  13 . 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, bottom boards  16  can optionally be omitted (see  FIG. 2 ). In a further embodiment, stringers  14  can have notches formed in them such that gaps for forks of a forklift are provided along the sides of pallet  10  (this configuration is typically referred to as a “4-way” pallet). In one embodiment, bottom boards  16  can comprise a plurality of boards that are parallel with one another. Alternatively, however, a single bottom board  16  can be provided. In this embodiment, bottom board  16  can be a duplicate of top plate  12 , thus covering substantially the entire bottom of pallet  10 . In one embodiment, a plurality of bottom boards  16  can be provided and each can be formed by cutting a strip of top plate material. For example, in one embodiment, a pair of top plates  12  can be formed, one of those top plates can be cut into strips and some or all of those strips can be used as bottom boards  16 . In one embodiment, two stringers  14  can be provided. More preferably, three or four stringers can optionally be provided (see  FIGS. 4B and 5B  respectively). In an alternative embodiment, any number of a plurality of stringers  14  can be provided. In one embodiment, one or more stringers can be wider at the top and the bottom such that the stringer comprises an I-beam cross-section, thus, stiffening the stringer and reducing lateral deflection while also providing a wider area at the top of the stringer to provide a larger area for its attachment to top plate  12 . 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, top plate  12  can comprise a standard width and length (for example, top plate  12  can optionally be about 48″ wide by about 48″ long). In this embodiment, for pallets that are longer than top plate  12 , more than one top plate can be used. For example, if a user desires to have a pallet that is six feet long by three feet wide, a first top plate can be cut such that it is four feet by three feet. Then, a second top plate can be cut such that it is three feet by two feet. The two top plates can then be butted together to proved a top plate assembly that is six feet by three feet. Likewise, if a pallet is desired that is four feet by twelve feet, three top plates  12 , each measuring four feet by four feet, can be butted together and then stringers  14  can be connected thereto to form the desired pallet. 
         [0039]    In one embodiment, top plate  12  can be cut into strips and spaced apart such that there are gaps in top plate  12  once pallet  10  is constructed (See  FIG. 6A ). In one embodiment, top plate  12  can have a shaped surface on one or both major surfaces thereof. For example, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , top plate  12  can have a square recesses  22  formed by raised ribs  24 . Of course other shapes and designs of shaped surface of top plate  12  can be used and will provide desirable results. In one embodiment, for example, one or both sides of top plate  12  can have various shapes and/or textured patterns formed therein. The term “textured pattern” as used throughout this application is intended to mean an anti-slip and/or friction and/or friction-inducing pattern intentionally formed onto a surface that comprises a height and/or depth of at least 1/16 of an inch, and more preferably comprising a height and/or depth of at least ⅛ of an inch, and most preferably comprising a height and/or depth of at least about ¼ of an inch. The term “textured pattern” thus includes ribbed structures, a waffle pattern, a diamond-shaped pattern, or shaped surface patterns or textures and includes but is not limited to the grid pattern illustrated in some of the drawings. In one embodiment, a company logo or other image can be formed into the top surface of top plate  12 . In yet a further embodiment, as best illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the top surface of top plate  12  can have faux boards  30  formed therein. Because in one embodiment, bottom boards  16  are formed by cutting a top plate  12  into strips, bottom boards  16  can also thus comprise these same textured patterns formed therein. 
         [0040]    By providing a top plate  12  having a smooth first major surface and a shaped second major surface (for example a smooth top and a shaped bottom), a user can apply top plate  12  such that either the smooth side is up or such that the smooth side is down. This permits further customization of the resulting pallet for a particular good to be moved or shipped thereon. For example, powdered or liquid goods that are stored in a bag will benefit from shipping them on pallets having the shaped surface facing up because the bag can conform to the shaped surface, thereby helping to lock the bag in place and inhibiting the bag and its contents from sliding about on the pallet. Because some embodiments of the present invention also form bottom boards  16  from the same material that top plate  12  is formed from, the resulting plastic pallet can further be customized for a particular application by attaching bottom boards with the shaped surface side down or the smooth side down. 
         [0041]    In one embodiment, as best illustrated in  FIG. 7-9C , legs  18  can be provided to be used in place of stringers  14 . In this embodiment, leg  18  most preferably comprises shaped surface  20  on its upper and/or lower surfaces. In this embodiment, shaped surface  20  most preferably comprises a shape and dimensions which permit shaped surface  20  to engage recesses  22  and/or protrusions  24  of top plate  12 . Fastener  13 , which is most preferably a metal screw, is used to secure leg  18  to top plate  12 . The engageable arrangement between  20 ,  22 , and  24 , permits a stronger connection between legs  18  and top plate  12 . For example, when used in its intended operating position, lateral forces experienced by leg  18  are received and distributed to ribs  24  of top plate  12 , whereas without the engageable surfaces, metal fastener  13  would have to receive and transfer all of the lateral force. In one embodiment, legs  18  can have one or more protrusions as part of its shaped surface  20 . In a preferred embodiment, legs  18  can have four protrusions as part of its shaped surface  20 . In one embodiment, both end surfaces of legs  18  comprise a shaped surface. 
         [0042]    Although pallet  10  can be formed simply by attaching legs  18  to top plate  12  with fasteners  13 , such as that illustrated in  FIG. 8 , in one embodiment, bottom boards  16  are also preferably used to increase the strength and rigidity of the resulting pallet  10 . See for example,  FIGS. 9A-9C . As best illustrated in  FIG. 9B , in one embodiment, bottom boards  16  can be formed simply by cutting large voids in a piece of material that matches top plate  12  (in the case of  FIG. 9B , four large rectangular voids have been cut into bottom board  16 ). 
         [0043]    As best illustrated in  FIG. 10 , in forming top plate  12 , mold  26  is preferably used. The protrusions on the mold result in recesses  22  (see  FIG. 7 ). In one embodiment wherein pallets  10  are to be formed with stringers  14 , a solid structure, such as a board or other strip of material, can be secured to mold  26  at the location of where stringers  14  are desired to be attached to the resulting top plate  12 . Then, plastic material is applied to mold  26  and allowed to harden. When the resulting top plate is removed from the mold, the top plate has a recess formed along the location of where the strip of material was attached. The stringer can then be placed down into that recess and, if the strip of material had a width substantially similar to that of the stringer, the stringer will fight snugly into the recess. This helps to better secure stringer  14  to top plate  12 , thereby resulting in a more durable plastic pallet. In one embodiment, however, recesses  22  are not formed into top plate  12 . In this embodiment, stringers  14  are simply attached to top plate  12 . 
         [0044]    As best illustrated in  FIGS. 12A  and B, in one embodiment, stringers  14  can comprise one or more cut-outs  32  to accommodate stiffeners  34 . In one embodiment, stiffeners  34  are preferably disposed near the edges of top plate  12  and preferably span the entire width of the pallet. In this embodiment, stiffeners  34  preferably comprise strips of material. For example, in one embodiment, a stiffener can have a width of about two inches to about six inches, and more preferably about four inches. In one embodiment, stiffener  34  can comprise a thickness of from about ½ of an inch to about two inches and most preferably a thickness of from about one inch. Other dimensions can be used to accommodate any particular application. In one embodiment, as best illustrated in  FIG. 12B , stiffener  34  can be disposed in a location where one portion of a top plate abuts another portion of a top plate. In one embodiment, stiffener  34  is preferably formed from a plastic material. In one embodiment, top plate  12  is preferably attached to stiffener  34  via one or more fasteners  13 . 
         [0045]    Referring now to  FIGS. 13A-13C , in one embodiment, pallet  10  can be configured to provide barrel retention spaces  36  to hold barrels by attaching barrel spacers  38  and corner pieces  40  to top plate  12 . Optionally, pallet  10  can be configured to hold one or more barrels, and most preferably four or five barrels in a standing configuration (i.e. with the primary axis of each barrel placed perpendicular to top plate  12 ).  FIG. 13A  illustrates an embodiment of pallet  10  configured to accommodate up to five barrels via five barrel retention spaces  36 . In one embodiment, barrel spacers  38  and corner pieces  40  can be attached to top plate  12  via one or more fasteners. Of course, in one embodiment, barrel spacers  38  and corner pieces  40  can optionally be formed into a single continuous piece of material such that they are all connected together (for example, by forming the single continuous piece of material as a molded plate with barrel retention spaces  36  formed therein). In an alternative embodiment, only barrel spacers  38  or corner pieces  40  can be provided. In addition, although  FIG. 13C  illustrates a most preferred shape for each of barrel spacers  38  and corner pieces  40  for a pallet  10  configured to accommodate five barrels, different shapes can optionally be used for one or both of barrel spacers  38  and/or corner pieces  40  and will provide desirable results. For example, the curves and spacing between them as illustrated on barrel spacer  38  can have a different radius and/or spacing such that any one or more of barrel spaces  36  can have a different diameter from any other of the barrel spacers. In one embodiment, top plate  12  can have barrel spacers  38  and/or corner pieces  40  formed directly its upper surface. For example, top plate  12  can have increased thickness where barrel spacers  38  and/or corner pieces  40  are desired. This can optionally be done by molding or milling barrel retention spaces  36  into top plate  12 . 
         [0046]      FIGS. 14A  and B illustrate an embodiment wherein four barrel retention spaces  36  are provided on pallet  10  via barrel spacers  38  and  42 , and corner pieces  40 . In this embodiment central barrel spacer  42  is preferably disposed at or near a center of top plate  12 . 
         [0047]    As best illustrated in  FIG. 14C , barrel spacers  38 , corner pieces  40  and central barrel spacer  38 , if provided, can comprise one or more straight sides. In this figure barrels  43  are illustrated as being disposed in barrel retention spaces  36  (not shown because they are covered by barrels  43 ). Optionally one or more of barrel spacers  38 , corner pieces  40 , and central barrel spacer  42  can be formed from more than one piece. For example, in one embodiment, central barrel spacer  42  can be formed from a plurality of elongated pieces that are arranged to form a square or another shape as illustrated in  FIG. 14C . In one embodiment, four corner pieces  40  could optionally be used in place of central barrel spacer  42 . Although  FIGS. 13A-14C  illustrate an embodiment wherein corner pieces  40  can be used in conjunction with barrel spacers  38  and/or  42  in order to form barrel retention spaces  36 , corner pieces  40  can be applied to any other pallet to help prevent its contents (regardless of whether it is barrels or not) from shifting off of the pallet when it is in transit. In addition, one or more strips of material can be attached with fasteners or formed onto any desired location on the top plate  12  to prevent contents from easily sliding off of the pallet. For example, in one embodiment, four strips of material can be attached or formed along the perimeter of top plate  12 . 
         [0048]    In one embodiment, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 15A-C , pallet  10  can be configured to accommodate or incorporate an intermediate bulk container (“IBC”)  44  and its accompanying space frame  45 . In this embodiment, frame  45  is preferably attached to top plate  12  via a plurality of fasteners  13 . In this embodiment, pallet  10  is preferably sized such that one or more—and most preferably all of stringers  14 —are positioned such that fasteners  13  that attach frame  45  to top plate  12  will pass down into stringers  14  (see  FIG. 15A ). In this embodiment, a pair of stringers  14  are preferably disposed on the sides of pallet  10 —of course wider stringers  14  could also optionally be used on each respective left and right side of pallet  10  in lieu of a pair of stringers  14 . In this embodiment, top plate  12  preferably comprises cutout  48  beneath outlet  50  of IBC, thus providing increased access to outlet  50 . Bottom board  16  preferably comprises notched corners  46  and most preferably all of bottom boards  16  (for embodiments where a plurality of bottom boards  16  are used) of a pallet are preferably positioned and/or cut such that the outside perimeter of bottom boards  16  comprise dimensions that are smaller than the inside perimeter of frame  45 . Thus, when a first pallet  10  comprising IBC  44  is placed atop a second pallet  10  comprising IBC  44 , bottom boards  16  preferably rest inside of frame  45  of IBC  44  of the first pallet, thus locking the top pallet onto the bottom IBC and preventing the top pallet from sliding and/or shifting during transport (see  FIG. 15C  which illustrates bottom boards  16  nestled down within frame  45  of the lower pallet). In this embodiment, stringers  14  preferably extend further than bottom boards  16  so that when stacked atop an IBC, the stringers rest on frame  45  of IBC  44 . Thus, the entire weight of the top pallet and its contents are transferred down through its stringers and onto the frame of the lower IBC. In one embodiment, an opening can be disposed in a bottom board  16  at a location that aligns with a top inlet and fill cap for an IBC. Thus, when a top pallet is stacked atop a lower IBC, the fill cap and inlet that projects above the lower IBC will not be pressed against by the bottom boards of the top pallet. 
         [0049]    Referring now to  FIG. 16 , in one embodiment, stringers  14  can be integrally formed into top plate  12 . As used throughout this application, the term “integrally formed” is intended to include any manner of forming two items together from a single continuous piece of material or separate materials without the use of adhesives or fasteners or an interference fit. Thus the term “integrally formed” can include two items molded together in a single mold and can include two items formed together by milling down a single piece of material. In this embodiment, stringers  14  and top plate  12  are most preferably all molded together in a single mold, thus forming a single, continuous piece of material. This embodiment of the integrally-formed stringers  14  can be used in all of the previously described embodiments wherein stringers  14  are attached to top plate  12 , however, fasteners  13  are of course not needed to secure stringers  14  to top plate  12  when they are integrally formed. Thus, the integrally-formed stringers can be used in all of pallets of  FIGS. 1-6 and 11-15C . Thus, one or more bottom boards  16  can be attached to the integrally formed stringers. In addition, one or more of the stringers  14  can be made wider or more narrow than one or more other stringers  14 . For example, in one embodiment, the outside stringers on the left and right of  FIG. 16  can be made twice as thick as the inside stringer if desired for a particular application. As with the embodiment of  FIGS. 12A  and B, one or more cutouts can be disposed or formed in the integrated stringers such that one or more stiffeners  34  can be slid therethrough and then secured to top plate  12 , for example via one or more fasteners. Alternatively, top plate  12  can optionally comprise stiffeners  34  integrally formed such that stiffeners  34  extend between two or more of stringers  14 —particularly at or near the edge of top plate  12 . 
         [0050]    Referring now to  FIGS. 17A-17D , in one embodiment, pallet  10  comprises elevated nubs  54  which preferably project above the rest of top plate  12 . Although the height of nubs  54  can be provided to have any desired height, in a preferred embodiment, nubs  54  preferably project from about ¼ inch to about 1.5 inches above top plate  12 , and more preferably from about ½ inch to about inch above top plate  12  and most preferably about ⅝ inch above top plate  12 . Although  FIG. 17A  illustrates nubs  54  as comprising a square shape, nubs  54  can comprise any desirable shape for any particular application. Nubs  54  preferably permit cargo, such as large bags of bulk products to be placed onto top plate  12  and settle around nubs  54 , thus helping to prevent such cargo from slipping off of pallet  10  while in transit. As best illustrated by the dashed lines of  FIG. 17A , nubs  54  most preferably align to fall inside of openings  56  on bottom boards  16 . As such, when two empty pallets are stacked atop one another (see  FIG. 17D ), nubs  54  of the bottom pallet preferably project up into openings  56  in the bottom of the top pallet, thus nesting the two pallets together and preventing the top pallet from sliding off of the bottom pallet when in transit. Openings  56  are also preferably provided to permit load-bearing wheels of pallet jacks to pass therethrough so that pallet  10  can be easily moved via a conventional pallet jack. Optionally, bottom board  16  can be formed form a single board or from a plurality of smaller boards. One or more tags  58  can optionally be formed into or onto top plate  12 . Tags  58  can comprise text and/or graphics. For example, in one non-limiting embodiment, one or more tags  58  can comprise a company logo and/or product description or product number. 
         [0051]    Optionally, as best illustrated in  FIG. 17C , the end portion of stringers  14  can be tapered slightly such that they are longer at the top than at the bottom. Likewise, as best illustrated in  FIG. 17C , top plate  12  can be slightly longer than bottom board  16 . This tapered configuration can help reduce the possibility for the bottom edge of the pallet and or the bottom end of stringer  14  to snag on items, such as product stacked on immediately adjacent pallets or the top plates of the immediately adjacent pallets. In one embodiment, nubs  54 , top plate  12 , stringers  14 , and/or tags  58  can all be molded in a single mold at the same time as a single continuous piece of material, as was also described in relation to  FIG. 16 . In this embodiment, one or more bottom boards, most preferably with openings  56  formed therein can then be attached to the bottom of stringers  14  via fasteners—preferably metal fasteners, and most preferably via metal screws. Of course, one or more of nubs  54 , top plate  12 , stringers  16 , and/or tags  58  can be formed individually and subsequently attached together—for example using one or more fasteners. For example, in one embodiment, nubs  54  can be attached to top plate  12  via one or more fasteners. In one embodiment, as best illustrated on  FIG. 17B , the width of top plate  12  can be molded wide so that it overhangs the outside stringers  14  and bottom board  16 . As such, a user can provide one mold that forms a top plate that overhangs the bottom boards and stringers and the user can then trim one or both sides of the overhanging portion to reduce the width of the pallet to a desirable width, thereby producing pallets of various sizes from a single mold. 
         [0052]    Note that in the specification and claims, “about” or “approximately” means within twenty percent (20%) of the numerical amount cited. 
         [0053]    Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference.