Abstract:
A new load tray especially well suited for use under loads on pallets is disclosed. The tray has a central load supporting base and as many as four flaps hingedly connected to the base. The tray includes flap supports for supporting the flaps and releasably maintaining them at a 90 to 135 degree angle relative to the base. The tray is designed so that it may be positioned on a pallet and have a load placed on it so that the flaps remain in an upstanding position so that when the load is wrapped, the flaps are held captive against the load.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is a load tray for supporting and protecting a load, especially a load that is to be placed on a pallet. The invention is particularly advantageous when used in between a pallet and a load when the palletized load is wrapped, to unitize the pallet and the load, because the load tray according to the invention acts to minimize damage to the load and maximize the integrity of the load. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Today, many different products are shipped from the point where they are manufactured and/or packaged to distribution outlets from whence they are shipped again to retail outlets. Many grocery items, for example, are packaged in packages which are placed, in groups, onto pallets. The palletized loads are very often unitized by wrapping either with a stretch wrap or a heat shrink wrap. In the grocery business, pallets are widely used and they are highly standardized in terms of size. The Grocery Manufacturers of America (“GMA”) actually has a pallet Subcommittee which recommends, from time to time, specifications for the standard GMA pallet which is 48 inches by 40 inches and designed to handle up to 2,800 pounds of payload. However, grocery items are not standardized in terms of size across the board and the sizes of grocery item loads are not standardized with reference to the standard size grocery pallet. This is true outside of the grocery business, too. Consequently, some pallet loads have a footprint that is smaller than the upper, load bearing surface of a pallet on which the load will be transported. Some loads have a footprint that is just about the size of the upper bearing surface of a pallet on which it will be transported and some loads have a footprint that is bigger than the upper bearing surface of a pallet on which the load will be transported. 
         [0005]    All palletized loads are subject to being damaged in transit or in storage, some more than others. Bagged goods are especially prone to being damaged and especially prone are the bags of goods that are on or near the bottom of a palletized load. Prior art has been developed to address the issue of damaged goods on pallets. Flat sheets of paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, corrugated plastic and the like have been used between the upper bearing surfaces of pallets and the loads placed thereon. Trays with pre-glued side walls have also been used. Neither the flat sheet nor the tray works well when wrapping a palletized load with shrink wrap or stretch wrap to unitize the load. Thus, there remains a need for the development of products and processes that can reduce the losses associated with damage to palletized goods, especially when the palletized goods are to be unitized as by wrapping. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The instant invention is based upon the discovery of a new load tray especially well suited for use under loads on pallets. The tray has a central load supporting base and as many as four flaps hingedly connected to the base. The tray includes flap supports for supporting the flaps and releasably maintaining them at a 90 to 135 degree angle relative to the base. In between adjacent flaps, in some embodiments, there is an exposed corner portion of the base with an edge and an adjacent edge region that is made up of flexible fingers produced by cuts made transversely to the edge so that the edge of each edge region is actually comprised of a plurality of edges of the fingers that constitute the edge region. 
         [0007]    Flap supports may take many forms. For example, the supports may consist of plastically deformable members such as metal rods which coact with the base and at least one of the flaps. The flap supports may take the form of elastic supports which engage a flap and the base or one or more adjacent flaps. Other embodiments of the flap supports are described in some detail below. 
         [0008]    Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a tray to protect a palletized load and especially the lower portion of the load. 
         [0009]    It is a further object to provide such a tray that is compatible with modern wrapping equipment. 
         [0010]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a tray that reduces damage to a wrap applied to a load on the tray, by comparison with prior art flat sheets and prior art glued trays. 
         [0011]    Other objects and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the description herein, reference being made to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank for producing a load tray according to the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a load tray according to the invention with erected flaps seated on a pallet. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a palletized load including a load tray according to the invention as it is being wrapped with film. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a palletized load that is similar to  FIG. 5  except that the load of the palletized load in this Fig. has a smaller footprint, relative to the load tray, than the load depicted in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a side view of a palletized load that is similar to  FIG. 6  except that the load of the palletized load in this Fig. has a smaller footprint, relative to the load tray, than the load depicted in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a wrapped load including a load tray according to the invention but not including a pallet where one of the four flaps was not erect when the load was wrapped, leaving one flap exposed so that the load tray may serve as a load sled. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view palletized load in a wrapping station of automated wrapping machinery. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a detailed view of flexible fingers extending from the load tray base. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a side view of a palletized load that is similar to  FIG. 7  except that the load of the palletized load in this Fig. has an even smaller footprint, relative to the load tray, than the load depicted in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a load tray showing alternative flap positioners. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a two flap embodiment of a load tray according to the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a two flap load tray according to the invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a two flap load tray according to the invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a two flap load tray according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures, a blank for producing a load tray according to the invention is indicated generally at  10  in  FIG. 1 . The blank  10  comprises a central load supporting base  12  surrounded by four flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . The flap  14  is integral with the base  12  but hingedly connected thereto along a score line  22 . Similarly, the flaps  16 ,  18  and  20  are integral with the base  12  and hingedly connected thereto along score lines  24 ,  26  and  28 , respectively. The flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  have rounded corners  30  for reasons that are discussed below. Plastically deformable flap positioners indicated at  32  are provided for flaps  16  and  20  and they are shown in some detail in  FIG. 2  and discussed below in reference thereto. Plastically deformable flap positioners indicated at  34  are provided for flaps  14  and  18  and they are shown in some detail in  FIG. 3  and discussed below with reference thereto. 
         [0030]    The central base  12  has a width W and a length L. Flap  14  and flap  18  extend outwardly from the base  12  and they have a width that extends length-wise relative to the length L of the base. Flap  16  and flap  20  extend outwardly from the base  12  and they have a width that extend width-wise relative to the width W of the base. The width of the flaps  14  and  18  is less than the length L of the base. Similarly, the width of the flaps  16  and  20  is less than the width W of the base. One result is that the flap  14 , and the flaps  16 ,  18  and  20 , can be pivoted, from the positions shown in  FIG. 1 , about the score line  22 , and the score lines  24 ,  26  and  28 , relative to the base  12 , until the flap  14 , and the flaps  16 ,  18  and  20  form angles of ninety degrees with the base  12 , so that the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  stand straight up from the base  12 . In this position, the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  will not touch each other and, in fact, they can be pivoted further to form acute angles with the base  12  and still not touch each other. This is discussed further, below, with reference to  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  12 . 
         [0031]    Because the flaps  14  and  18  are not as wide as the length of the base  12  and because the flaps  16  and  20  are not as wide as the width of the base  12 , corners, indicated at  36 , of the base  12  are exposed between the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . The corners  36  are rounded. The corners have been further treated to reduce damage to wrapping that is applied to a palletized load including the load tray  10 . Specifically, the rounded corners  36  have been cut several times to produce multiple flexible conformable fingers which are illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 11  and discussed below with reference thereto. The cuts extend in generally radial directions, relative to the curvature of the rounded corners  36 . 
         [0032]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a cross-sectional view of the central base  12  and the flap  16  reveals that they are comprised of a single sheet of single wall corrugated board and they are separated by score lines  24 . The corrugated board is comprised of a first liner  38 , a second liner  40  and a sheet  42  of corrugated material sandwiched in between. It can be seen that the flutes of the corrugated material extend in the direction of the width W of the base  12 . A plastically deformable flap positioner in the form of a metal rod  44  is positioned between the liners  38  and  40  and extends from the flap  16  to the base  12 , through openings (not shown) in the sheet of corrugated material  42 . The rod does not extend to the outer edge of the flap  16  but is recessed therefrom in the vicinity of a V-shaped notch  46 . The rod  44  can be inserted into the board after it is cut and scored to produce the blank  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The rod  44  can produce the openings (not shown) in the corrugated material  42  as the rod  44  is inserted into the board. The rod  44  can be removed in order to facilitate recycling of the board from which it is made. A similar rod (not shown) is similarly positioned so that it is carried in the base  12  and the flap  20 . 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , another metal rod  44  is positioned between the liners  38  and  40  and extends from the flap  18  to the base  12 , and may be contained entirely within one flute of the corrugated material  42 . The rod  44  does not extend to the outer edge of the flap  16  but is recessed therefrom in the vicinity of a V-shaped notch  46 . The rod  44  can be inserted into the board, in the V-shaped notch, after it is cut and scored to produce the blank  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The rod  44  can be removed in order to facilitate recycling of the board from which it is made. A similar rod (not shown) is similarly positioned so that it is carried in the base  12  and the flap  14 . 
         [0034]    When the flap  16  is pivoted about the score line  24  from the position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , where it is co-planar with the base  12  to a position where it is raised, the rod  44  will bend and will remain bent so as to keep the flap  16  in the pivoted position, for example, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Similarly, when the flap  18  is pivoted about the score line  26  from the position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , where it is co-planar with the base  12  to a position where it is raised ( FIG. 4 ), the rod  44  will bend and will remain bent so as to keep the flap  18  in the pivoted position. The rods  44  will permit further pivoting of the flaps from the position shown in  FIG. 4 . Such pivoting will occur when a palletized load including the load tray is wrapped, as discussed hereinbelow. Other devices for maintaining flaps in a pivoted position are described below with reference to  FIG. 13 . 
         [0035]    Turning now to  FIG. 4 , the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  have been pivoted to a raised, ready position in which they are maintained by the flap positioners. This can be done on-site where a load is to be palletized and wrapped. The blank  10  ( FIG. 1 ) can be shipped flat, in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 1 , to a product loading site and erected on site to produce a load tray  48 . In practice, the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  should form an angle with the central base  12  of 135 degrees or less. A preferred range of angles is 135 to 90 degrees. 
         [0036]    The tray  48  is especially adapted to be used with a pallet  50 . The relative sizes of the load tray  48  and the pallet  50  are very significant. For example, the central base  12  has a larger area than the footprint of the pallet  50 . For example, with the GMA pallet which is 48 inches by 40 inches, excellent results have been obtained with a load tray having a central base that is 52.2 inches by 44.2 inches. The height of the flaps is significant and excellent results have been obtained in a load tray having a central base that is 52.2 inches by 44.2 inches, with flaps having a height of 7 inches. In such a load tray, wire rods having diameters of 1/16 of an inch and lengths of 12 inches have worked very well. 
         [0037]    In some applications, it is desirable to impart a non-skid property to the upper/interior surface of the central base  12  and this can be achieved with the application of commercially available products such as Softak from Michelman which increases the skid angle of paper up to as much as 30 to 45 degrees. Softak is re-pulpable so it will not interfere with the recycling of the load tray. By increasing the skid angle, palletized loads will be more apt to stay in place while the load is being wrapped. 
         [0038]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 , a unitized palletized load is indicated generally at  60 . The load is made up of bags  62  with closed, seamed ends  64 , i.e., the ends have been sewn or glued shut. These could be bags of pet food or grass seed or anything else that is suitably packaged in bags. Such bagged products are particularly susceptible to being damaged when they are palletized and moved. The bags have been stacked on a tray  48  which has been positioned on top of a pallet  50 . The bags, the load tray  48  and the pallet  50  have been unitized by being wrapped with film  66  from a spool  67 . The film  66  can be stretch wrap film or heat shrink film or any kind of film which can be wrapped around the load and the pallet and apply tension to the load to unitize the load by compressing or hugging it. These kinds of film will be referred to as tension films. When the bags  62  were being placed onto the tray  48 , the tray flaps  14  (not shown)  16 ,  18  and  20  were in a raised position which is represented by the position shown for flap  16 , which can be seen where a portion of the film  66  has been cut away to show the pre-wrap flap position. An end  68  of the flap  16  is sticking out from the bags  62  that make up the load. After the load has been wrapped in film and compressed, the flaps all are pressed against the load in the manner shown for flap  20 , which is shown in a post wrap position. The flap  20  and the other flaps are pressed tight against the load and, for the load shown in  FIG. 5 , after wrapping, the flaps are in about a vertical position forming an angle of about ninety degrees with the central base  12  of the tray  48 . The footprint of the load illustrated in  FIG. 5  is just about equal to the area of the central base  12  of the tray  48 . Loads with relatively smaller footprints are shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
         [0039]    The rounded corners  30  ( FIGS. 1 and 4 ) of the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  are kind to the film wrap  66  and do not tend to cut or pierce it the way straight corners tend to cut or pierce or compromise film wraps. This is also true for the rounded corners  36  ( FIGS. 1 and 4 ) of the central base  12  of the tray  48 . The corners  36  do not tend to cut or pierce a film wrap the way straight corners tend to cut or pierce or compromise film wraps. 
         [0040]    In  FIG. 6 , a unitized palletized load is indicated generally at  70 . The load is made up of bags  72  stacked onto the central base  12  of the load tray  48 . The load of bags  72  has a footprint that is smaller, relative to the central base  12 , than the load of bags  62  shown in  FIG. 5 . When the bags  72  ( FIG. 6 ) were being placed onto the tray  48 , the tray flaps  14  (not shown)  16 ,  18  and  20  were in a raised position which is represented by the position shown for flap  16 , which can be seen where a portion of film  66  has been cut away to show the pre-wrap flap position. After the load  70  has been wrapped in film and compressed, the flaps all are pressed against the load in the manner shown for flap  20 , which is shown in a post wrap position. The flap  20  and the other flaps are pressed tight against the load and, for the load shown in  FIG. 6 , after wrapping, the flaps are past a vertical position forming an acute angle of less than ninety degrees with the central base  12  of the tray  48 . The footprint of the load illustrated in  FIG. 6  is less than the area of the central base  12  of the tray  48 . As it is wrapped and placed under compression, however, the flaps embrace the sides of the bags  72  that constitute the load, giving the load good integrity and integrating the tray  48  into the load. 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 7 , a unitized palletized load indicated generally at  80  is constituted by bags  82 . The load of bags  82  has a footprint that is even smaller, relative to the central base  12 , than the load of bags  72  shown in  FIG. 6 . When the bags  82  ( FIG. 7 ) were being placed onto the tray  48 , the tray flaps  14  (not shown)  16 ,  18  and  20  were in a raised position which is represented by the position shown for flap  16 , which can be seen where a portion of film  66  has been cut away to show the pre-wrap flap position. After the load  80  has been wrapped in film and compressed, the flaps all are pressed against the load in the manner shown for flap  20 , which is shown in a post wrap position. The flap  20  and the other flaps are pressed tight against the load and, for the load shown in  FIG. 7 , after wrapping, the flaps are well past a vertical position forming an acute angle of substantially less than ninety degrees with the central base  12  of the tray  48 . This angle is more acute than the angle between the flap  20  and the central base shown in  FIG. 6 . The footprint of the load illustrated in  FIG. 7  is significantly less than the area of the central base  12  of the tray  48 . The footprint of the load is recessed from the perimeter of the central base substantially but the distance by which it is recessed is substantially less than the length of the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . As the load of bags  82  is wrapped and placed under compression, the flaps embrace the sides of the bags  82  that constitute the load, giving the load good integrity and integrating the tray  48  into the load. 
         [0042]    From the description of  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , one begins to understand the versatility provided by the load tray  48  in terms of the various footprints of loads which a single sized tray  48  can accommodate. The flaps, when placed under tension by a film wrap, embrace the components that make up the load, regardless of the size of the load relative to the tray  48 . 
         [0043]    In  FIG. 8 , the flap  18  is shown forming an acute angle with the central base  12  of the tray. The flap positioner constituted by the rod  44  has accommodated the pivoting of the flap  18  to the  FIG. 8  position by bending with the flap  18  as it is pivoted. The pivoting of the flap  18  is caused by the tension applied to the flap  18  and the other flaps by the tension film. In practice, the flap  18  will have more of a curve like flap  20  in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0044]    A skid tray  90  is shown in  FIG. 9  as part of a non-palletized unitized load indicated at  92  and constituted by bags  94 . The skid tray  90  corresponds, generally, with the load tray  48  but is used a little differently. The skid tray comprises a central base  96  and three load flaps  100 ,  102  and  104  pivotally connected to the central base  96 . Flap positioners (not shown) are provided for the flaps  100 ,  102  and  104  to maintain those flaps in a pre-wrap position, forming an obtuse angle with the central base  96  somewhere between 90 and about 135 degrees. One hundred and ten degrees is an angle that has performed very well. The angle needs to be small enough so that, when a tension wrap is applied, the wrap will act on the flaps and the flaps will easily pivot until the flap or at least a portion of the flap engages the items that make up the load. A fourth flap, a skid flap  106 , is connected to the central base  96  but is not pivoted to a pre-wrap position like the other flaps  98 ,  100  and  102 . As a consequence, skid flap  104  is not pressed against the items that make up a load but remains outside of tension wrap  106  when it is applied to the load, thereby leaving the skid flap  104  accessible to be engaged by a skid flap grabber on a skid steer or the like. Features of the load tray  48  including the rounded corners  30 , the flexible fingers  36 , the score lines between the flaps and the central base and other features are readily and preferably incorporated into the skid tray  90 . 
         [0045]    In a method for using the skid tray  90 , the flaps  98 ,  100  and  102  are pivoted to a pre-wrap position and items making up a load are stacked on the central base  96 . Tensioning wrap is then wrapped around the items in the load so that it captures the flaps  98 ,  100  and  102  pressing them tightly against the load, while care is taken not to capture the skid flap  104  so that it remains exposed and accessible for engagement by a skid steer. 
         [0046]    In  FIG. 10 , a tensioning wrap station is indicated generally at  110 . A rotating carriage  112  is mounted on a frame  114  which spans a conveyor  116  on which loads are moved to and through the station  110 . A tensioning wrap spool support  118  is mounted for reciprocating vertical movement on the carriage  112  so that, as the carriage rotates around a load  120 , typically starting at the lowest level, wrap is unspooled and encircles the load. The spool support then rises on the carriage  112  as the carriage continues to rotate around the load  120 , thereby wrapping the load  120  substantially as shown. In the case where stretch wrap is applied to the load, the wrap, as applied, places the load in compression thereby unitizing the load. In the case where heat shrink wrap is applied to the load, heat would then be applied to the load to shrink the wrap thereby placing the load in compression and unitizing the load. In both cases, the flaps are moved by compression of the load from the pre-wrap position, where the free ends of the flaps are spaced from the load, to a unitized position, where at least the free ends of the flaps are pressed against and held against the load. 
         [0047]    In  FIG. 11 , some details concerning the rounded corners  36  of the central base  12  ( FIG. 1 ) are illustrated. The central base corners  36 , one of which is illustrated in  FIG. 11 , are rounded, as discussed above with reference to  FIG. 1 . The rounded corners  36  are made even more friendly to tensioning wrap by slits, indicated at  130  in  FIG. 11 , that are cut in the rounded corners  36 . The slits  130 , which extend in a generally radial direction relative to the rounded corners  36 , reduce the ability of the rounded corners  36  to resist deformation, thereby making the rounded corners more friendly to tensioning wrap, i.e., less likely to tear or pierce or compromise tensioning wrap applied to the corners  36 . In other words, the slits  130  make the corners  36  more crushable or deformable, minimizing damage to tensioning wrap applied to the corners. As tensioning wrap compresses a load seated on the central base, the wrap presses tight against the rounded corners  36 . The slits  130  create flexible fingers  132  which deform much more easily than would the entire rounded corner  36  if left intact. So, as the load is compressed by tensioning wrap, the individual flexible fingers  132  will deform and pivot upwardly, as shown in  FIG. 11 , or downwardly (not shown) but, in any case, the flexible fingers  132  will deform and distribute the compressive load applied by the tensioning wrap, minimizing the potential for damage to or compromising of the wrap. 
         [0048]    Referring now to  FIG. 12 , a unitized palletized load is indicated generally at  140 . The load is made up of bags  142  although the load could be made up of any type of packaged or even unpackaged goods. In the load  140 , the bags  142  are skewed. The bags  142  are on the central base  12  of the tray  48  but they are not centered. For example, the bags  142  at the bottom of the load are closer to the flap  20  than they are to the flap  16 . However, in the load  140 , this is easily accommodated because the flap  20  has pivoted further than the flap  16  so that their upper edges are both pressed neatly against the side of the bags  142  in the load, although the flaps  16  and  20  are at different angles. The sides and ends of the bags  142  are not exactly aligned with the central base either, .i.e., the sides of the load are not parallel to the score lines (not shown in  FIG. 12 ) that define the central base  12 . Again, this is easily accommodated by the load tray  48  because the flap  18  has simply conformed to the side of the load of bags  142 . Thus, it will be seen that the load tray  48  is able to accommodate imprecision in the placement of a load on it. The upper edges of the flaps  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  simply find the side of the load when tensioning wrap is applied to the load, even when the load is not centered perfectly on the central base  12  of the tray  48 . It can also be observed in this  FIG. 12  that the tray  48  is not centered exactly on the pallet  50 . Again, because of the design of the tray  48 , the tensioning wrap is able to overcome the fact that the tray  48  is not centered on the pallet  50  and still produce a unitized palletized load with excellent integrity. 
         [0049]    In terms of flap positioners, the rods  44  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  8 ) are but one option. Second and third options are illustrated in  FIG. 13  and comprise a cord  150  and/or a cord  152 . The cord  150  is adhesively connected to the flaps  18  and  20 , near the upper edges of the flaps. The flaps  18  and  20  can&#39;t pivot to be co-planar with the central base because the cord  150  prevents the flaps from separating from each other beyond the amount by which they are separated in  FIG. 13 . An end portion  154  of the cord  150  is connected, adhesively or otherwise, to the outside of flap  18  and an end portion  156  of the cord  150  is attached, adhesively or otherwise, to the outside of the flap  20  while the flaps  18  and  20  are pivoted, relative to the central base  12 , to the illustrated positions. An end portion  158  of the cord  152  is connected, adhesively or otherwise, to the inside of flap  16  and an end portion  160  of the cord  152  is attached, adhesively or otherwise, to the inside of the flap  14  while the flaps  14  and  16  are pivoted, relative to the central base  12 , to the illustrated positions. 
         [0050]    Turning now to  FIG. 14 , a two flap load tray is indicated generally at  162  and comprises a central load supporting base  164 , a first flap  166  and a second flap  168 . The flaps  166  and  168  are pivotally connected to the central base  164  and, specifically, hingedly connected to opposing ends of the base  164 . The central base  164  has a width W and a length L. The flaps  166  and  168  have a width that is shorter than the length L of the base. In the embodiment shown is  FIG. 14 , the footprint of the central base  164  is larger than the pallet P. In other words, the length L of the central base  164  is longer than the length L of the pallet P and the width W of the central base  164  is wider than the width W of the pallet P. The central base  164  has four exposed corners  170  which do not incorporate the flexible fingers described above in connection with other embodiments of load trays. Flap positioners (not shown) are provided to releasably maintain the flaps  166  and  168  in pre-wrap positions. 
         [0051]    In  FIG. 15 , a second embodiment of a two flap load tray is indicated generally at  172 . The load tray comprises a central load supporting base  174  a first flap  176  and a second flap  178 . The flaps  176  and  178  are pivotally connected to the central base  174  and, specifically connected to opposing ends of the base  174 . The central base  174  has width W and a length L. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 15 , the footprint of the central base  174  is larger than the pallet P. In other words, the length L of the central base  174  is longer than the length L of the pallet P and the width W of the central base  174  is wider than the width W of the pallet P. The central base  174  has four exposed corners  180  which do not incorporate the flexible fingers described above in connection with other embodiments of load trays, although the flexible fingers which can act as crush zones may be incorporated here and also in the load tray  162 . In this embodiment, the flap  176  has ends  182  and  184  and the flap  178  has ends  186  and  188 . The ends  182  and  184  extend outwardly beyond the end points of the hinged connection between the flap  176  and the central base  174 . In like fashion, the ends  186  and  188  extend outwardly beyond the end points of the hinged connection between the flap  178  and the central base  174 . Each of the flaps  176  and  178  are scored near their ends  182 ,  184 ,  186  and  188 , as indicated at  190  in connection with flap  184 . The scores  190  facilitate bending of the flap ends around a load (not shown) when it is wrapped. This provides a wrapping feature by which the load tray flap ends  182 ,  184 ,  186  and  188  can wrap around and protect the lower corners/edges of a load (not shown). Flap positioners (not shown) are provided to releasably maintain the flaps  176  and  178  in pre-wrap positions. 
         [0052]    In  FIG. 16 , a third embodiment of a two flap load tray is indicated generally at  190  and comprises a central load supporting base  192 , a first flap  194  and a second flap  196 . The flaps  194  and  196  are pivotally connected to the central base  192  and, specifically, they are connected to opposing ends of the base  192 . The central base  192  has width W and a length L. The flaps  194  and  196  have widths that extend along most of the length L of the base  192 , but the widths of the flaps  194  and  196  are shorter than the length L of the base  192 . The load tray  190  has the same components as the load tray  162  shown in  FIG. 14 . However, the relative sizes and orientations of the load tray  190  and the pallet P are different than those of the load tray  162  and the pallet P in  FIG. 14 . In  FIG. 16 , the flaps  194  and  196  extend along the width W of the pallet P while the flaps  166  and  168  ( FIG. 14 ) extend along the length L of the pallet P. In  FIG. 14 , the width W of the load tray  162  is aligned with the width W of the pallet P while in  FIG. 16 , the width W of the load tray  190  is aligned with the length L of the pallet P. In other words, the load tray  190  is oriented on the pallet P in  FIG. 16  so that it is rotated ninety degrees from the orientation of the load tray  162  on the pallet P shown in  FIG. 14 . 
         [0053]    In the load tray  190  shown in  FIG. 16 , the area of the footprint of the central base  192  (L×W) is smaller than the area of the footprint of the pallet P (L×W). Specifically, the length L of the base  192  is less than the width W of the pallet so that portions of the top of the pallet P are exposed and not covered by the central base  192 . The width W of the central base  192  is just a little longer than the length L of the pallet P so that portions of the central base  192  adjacent to the flaps  194  and  196  extend just a little bit beyond the corresponding or adjacent ends E of the pallet P. So, the central base  192  overlaps two opposed ends of the pallet P and is recessed from two opposed sides S of the pallet P. The flaps  194  and  196  are oriented so that they extend along the length L of the central base  192  and they extend a distance that is slightly less than the length L of the central base  192 . However, the flaps  194  and  196  extend along the width W of the pallet P on which the tray  190  sits. The central base  192  has four exposed corners  198  which do not incorporate the flexible fingers described above in connection with other embodiments of load trays. Flap positioners (not shown) are provided to releasably maintain the flaps  194  and  196  in pre-wrap positions. 
         [0054]    In  FIG. 17 , a fourth embodiment of a two flap load tray is indicated generally at  200  and comprises a central load supporting base  202 , a first flap  204  and a second flap  206 . The flaps  204  and  206  are pivotally connected to the central base  202  and, specifically, they are connected to opposing ends of the base  202 . The central base  202  has a width W and a length L. The flaps  204  and  206  have widths that extend along most of the length L of the base  202 , but the widths of the flaps  204  and  206  are shorter than the length L of the base  202 . The load tray  200  corresponds generally with the load tray  172  of  FIG. 15 , except that the relative sizes and orientations of the load tray  200  and the pallet P are different than those of the load tray  172  and the pallet P in  FIG. 15 . In  FIG. 17 , the flaps  204  and  206  extend along the width W of the pallet P while the flaps  176  and  178  ( FIG. 15 ) extend along the length L of the pallet P. In  FIG. 15 , the width W of the load tray  172  is aligned with the width W of the pallet P while in  FIG. 17 , the width W of the load tray  200  is aligned with the length L of the pallet P. In other words, the load tray  200  is oriented on the pallet P in  FIG. 17  so that it is rotated ninety degrees from the orientation of the load tray  172  on the pallet P shown in  FIG. 15 . 
         [0055]    In the load tray  200  shown in  FIG. 17 , the area of the footprint of the central base  202  (L×W) is smaller than the area of the footprint of the pallet P (L×W). Specifically, the length L of the base  202  is less than the width W of the pallet so that portions of the top of the pallet P are exposed and not covered by the central base  202 . The width W of the central base  202  is just a little longer than the length L of the pallet P so that portions of the central base  202  adjacent to the flaps  204  and  206  extend just a little bit beyond the corresponding or adjacent ends E of the pallet P. So, the central base  202  overlaps two opposed ends E of the pallet P and is recessed from two opposed sides S of the pallet P. The flaps  204  and  206  are oriented so that they extend along the length L of the central base  202  and they extend a distance that is slightly less than the length L of the central base  202 . However, the flaps  204  and  206  extend along the width W of the pallet P on which the tray  200  sits. The central base  202  has four exposed corners  208  which do not incorporate the flexible fingers described above in connection with other embodiments of load trays. Flap positioners (not shown) are provided to releasably maintain the flaps  204  and  206  in pre-wrap positions. 
         [0056]    It will be appreciated that considerable departures from the specific details of the embodiments of the invention described above, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as it is defined in the following claims. Further, it will be appreciated that features shown and described in connection with certain ones of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with features shown and described in connection with certain other ones of the disclosed embodiments in cases specifically mentioned above and in other cases as well.