Patent Publication Number: US-2009223420-A1

Title: Shipping pallet

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to shipping pallets. More particularly the present invention relates to pallets that are inexpensive to make, easy to store, and strong enough to support conventional loads. 
     Pallets have been used for many years as supports for a wide variety of goods. Pre-packaged in separate small units and secured atop individual pallets, goods can then be lifted and moved around with the use of fork lift trucks. Traditionally, pallets have been made entirely of wood, but such combinations are not only expensive to construct but also bulky to store and difficult to recycle. There is a need for low cost, easy to store and recyclable pallets. Pallets which can be easily fabricated in a wide range of custom sizes are also highly desirable. 
     Corrugated paper dates to the mid-19th century and corrugated paper for shipping pallets dates to the early 1970&#39;s in Japan. Most are based upon multiplying folded corrugated sheets to approximate the wooden stringers of conventional pallets. 
     Corrugated pallets have many advantages. Unlike wooden, plastic, or metal pallets, corrugated can be recycled at the recipient&#39;s location as paper/card board and does not have to be returned for reuse. Even so called “pallet pools” ship a lot of air. 
     There exists a need for simple corrugated pallet designs which are strong but do not require expensive multiple-step die cutting and folding steps, do not require excessive adhesive to assemble and which can be assembled at the user&#39;s site by minimally skilled laborers. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a pallet device used for shipping objects like boxes and packages. The pallet device is formed from a first cardboard sheet having a front, a back and two sides, the two sides having pre-set folds such that the sides fold to form a box at each side positioned under the sheet. The boxes are fastened to the underside of the remaining part of the sheet. 
     A pair of second cardboard sheets each having a pre-set fold are bent into an “L” shape. The “L” shape sheets are sized to fit inside the boxes on the bottom of the first sheet, to provide additional support. Maximum strength is obtained when the ends of the “L” shape sheet engage inner corners of the box and the bend in the “L” contacts an inner surface of the box. 
     The first sheet and pair of second sheets are preferably formed from two ply cardboard. The boxes are fastened by any suitable fastening means. Staples are preferred. 
     The pre-set folds in the first sheet and pair of second sheets may be formed by creasing or by cutting a portion of the sheet, such as just through the top surface of the sheets. 
     To achieve maximum load carrying capability, it is preferred to form a pair of these pallet devices and place them side by side such that each of the pair supports about half the load to be carried. The pair can be fastened together. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention shown carrying a load. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the components of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the assembly of the parts of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in the figures, a pallet device,  10  generally, is designed to carry a load, such as box  11 . It is intended that any products or objects carried by conventional pallets can be used with the present invention. It is intended that the pallet device accommodate the use of fork lifts and other means for lifting, moving and storing pallets having product thereon. 
     The pallet is formed from a first sheet  13  of cardboard that has a series of pre-set folds  15   a ,  15   b  and  15   c  on the sides of sheet  13  that are folded to form a box  15 . Also provided are a pair of second sheets  17  that have a pre-set fold  17   a  that allows the sheet  17  to be formed into a “L” shape as shown in  FIG. 3 . The sheets  17  are sized to fit inside boxes  15 , specifically such that the ends  17   b  of sheets  17  engage a corner  15   b  and  15   c  of boxes  15  and the pre-set fold  17   a  engages an inner surface  15   d  of box  15 . This triangular insert thus engages the box to provide maximum strength because the “L” shape inserted in this manner provides for compressive forces on the sheets rather than bending. With the center  17   a  of the “L” on the top surface, as shown, the box  15  thus has a support in the middle. 
     The cardboard of this invention can be any conventional cardboard material, though two ply cardboard is preferred. Pre-set folds  15   a , etc., can then be cut into the surface of the sheet  13  to assist in aligning the formation of boxes  15 . Staples  19  are shown in  FIG. 2  holding the boxes  15  in position on sheet  13 . For additional strength, the cardboard can be corrugated cardboard. 
     The figures illustrate the use of two pallets side by side, which is the preferred embodiment. This arrangement provides four box supports  15  and a shorter span on sheet  13  for each pallet. Boxes  15  are spaced such that a fork lift truck can engage the two pallets. When a load  11  is on the pallets, its weight adds stability to the pair of pallets. They may alternatively fastened together by conventional means, such as by straps, staples and the like. Staple  19   a  is shown in  FIG. 1  as holding the boxes  15  together. 
     In production, the pre-folds on the cardboard components are made and the pre-formed pallets are shipped or delivered to the user. They can then be easily assembled by dock workers or other personnel at the site where the objects are to be loaded. Because the pallets are made from cardboard, they can be recycled, thus eliminating any expense in returning them, or they can be dis-assembled for shipping as flat cardboard if it is deemed necessary to reuse them. Thus considerable economic savings are achieved with the present invention, both in material and shipping costs as well as environmental savings using recyclable materials. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.