Patent Description:
Conventional wooden pallets include a base layer and a cargo layer separated by support blocks. The cargo layer traditionally has end deck boards assembled on connector boards that run the full length or width of the pallet. The end deck boards are nailed through the connector boards into the support blocks to build the primary structure of the pallet. The end deck boards are also known as lead boards. Intermediate deck boards are placed between the end deck boards.

To move the pallet with cargo thereon, forklift tines are inserted into the gaps between the base and cargo layers. If the forklift is not stopped in time, the forklift may crash into one of the end deck boards of the pallet. The end deck board may not be able to withstand such an impact over time. Accidents such as this weaken the pallet and greatly shorten the lifespan of the pallet, thereby causing the pallet to be repaired more frequently and/or removed from service long before its anticipated life cycle has been reached.

<CIT> describes a wood pallet. The pallet includes a top deck for receiving a load, a bottom deck, at least two spaced-apart stringers extending longitudinally between the ends of the pallet, and a plurality of spacer blocks attached to the stringers. The stringers and the spacer blocks are situated between the top deck and the bottom deck to maintain the decks in a spaced relationship. The plurality of spacer blocks comprise laminate blocks of glued wood components. The glue lines of the laminate spacer blocks are substantially perpendicular to the stringers and the grain of each of the wood components runs in the same direction as one another and against the width dimension of the spacer block.

<CIT> describes that a pallet for use in relation to the storage and/or transport of food industry products is constructed of kiln-dried wood and has a surface treatment providing a permeable coating especially a water-based emulsion primer applied by dipping the pallet into a bath of primer.

<CIT> describes a transport pallet, consisting of an upper top layer and a lower bottom layer, which are connected to one another at a distance from one another via spacers. At least the elements of the top layer being connected by transverse strips are stabilized. The contact surfaces between the elements of the upper top layer and/or the contact surfaces between the elements of the lower bottom layer are glued together, the elements being at least partially additionally connected by fastening means.

<CIT> describes pallets that include planks or friezes arranged in the same plane to constitute a load platform and crossed right through successively and parallel to this plane, close to their ends at at least one intermediate point, by rods, threaded at their ends to receive fastening nuts, said rods maintaining said boards assembled together, contiguous or spaced apart by spacers, by means of links through which said rods pass, on the one hand with crosspieces arranged parallel to the rods and below said boards and, on the other hand, with other boards arranged below said crosspieces and parallel to the upper boards; said crosspieces determining, between the upper planks forming the load platform and the lower planks forming a support and reinforcement sole, an empty space allowing the free passage of the forks of a stacker truck or similar device.

In one aspect, there is provided a wooden pallet as defined in claim <NUM>. In another aspect, there is provided a method as defined in claim <NUM>. Features of embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

A wooden pallet includes a base layer, a cargo layer, and a plurality of spaced apart support blocks coupled between the base and cargo layers and forming a gap therebetween for receiving a lifting member. The cargo layer includes a pair of spaced apart connector boards, and a pair of spaced apart end deck boards on the plurality of connector boards. The end deck boards are orthogonal to the pair of connector boards. A pair of spaced apart intermediate deck boards is on the pair of connector boards. Each intermediate deck board is orthogonal to the pair of connector boards and butted against a respective end deck board.

Wooden pallet durability is significantly improved by having the end deck boards butt up against the immediately adjacent intermediate deck boards. A wooden pallet with butted deck boards thus has an improved resilience to impacts from material handling equipment.

Each intermediate deck board and end deck board has a same width. In another embodiment, each intermediate deck board and end deck board has a different width. The cargo layer further includes at least one additional intermediate deck board between the pair of intermediate deck boards, with the at least one additional intermediate deck board being spaced from the pair of intermediate deck boards.

The plurality of support blocks comprise corner support blocks and center support blocks between the corner support blocks, with the corner support blocks and the center support blocks each having a rectangular shape. The center support blocks are orthogonal to the corner support blocks.

The base layer comprises a pair of bottom end deck boards and a bottom center deck board between the pair of bottom end deck boards, with a width of the bottom center deck board being greater than a width of the bottom end deck boards. The bottom end deck boards and the bottom center deck board are aligned with the end deck boards and the intermediate deck board.

Each corner support block has spaced apart upper and lower surfaces, and angled edges extending between the upper and lower surfaces. The outer corners of each end deck have angled edges aligned with the angled edges of the corner support blocks. The base layer comprises a pair of bottom end deck boards and a bottom center deck board between the pair of bottom end deck boards, with outer corners of each bottom end deck board having angled edges aligned with the angled edges of the corner support blocks.

The base layer comprises a plurality of bottom deck boards, with each bottom deck board coupled to at least two support blocks, and having beveled edges between the pair of support blocks and non-beveled edges at each respective support block.

A method for making a wooden pallet comprises providing a base layer, providing a cargo layer, and coupling a plurality of spaced apart support blocks between the base and cargo layers and forming a gap therebetween for receiving a lifting member. The cargo layer includes a pair of spaced apart connector boards, and a pair of spaced apart end deck boards on the pair of connector boards, with the end deck boards being orthogonal to the pair of connector boards. A pair of spaced apart intermediate deck boards is on the pair of connector boards, with each intermediate deck board being orthogonal to the pair of connector boards and butted against a respective end deck board.

The present description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. However, many different embodiments may be used, and thus the description should not be construed as limited to the particular embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.

Referring to <FIG>, the illustrated wooden pallet <NUM> includes a base layer <NUM>, a cargo layer <NUM>, and a plurality of wooden support blocks <NUM>, <NUM> coupled between the base and cargo layers. The support blocks <NUM>, <NUM> form a gap <NUM> between the base and cargo layers <NUM>, <NUM> for receiving a lifting member, such as fork lift tines.

The cargo layer <NUM> includes a pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards <NUM>, and a pair of wooden intermediate deck boards <NUM> between the end deck boards. More particularly, each end deck board <NUM> and an immediately adjacent intermediate deck board <NUM> are butted against one another. Pallet durability is significantly improved by having the end deck boards <NUM> butt up against the immediately adjacent intermediate deck boards <NUM>.

Also included within the cargo layer <NUM> are a pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards <NUM> and a wooden intermediate connector board <NUM>. The connector boards <NUM> and the intermediate connector boards <NUM> are orthogonal to the end deck boards <NUM> and the intermediate deck boards <NUM>. The end deck boards <NUM> and the intermediate deck boards <NUM> are positioned on the connector boards <NUM>.

The base layer <NUM> includes bottom deck boards <NUM>, <NUM> orientated in the same direction as the end deck boards <NUM> and the intermediate deck boards <NUM> in the cargo layer <NUM>. The bottom deck boards <NUM>, <NUM> are directly coupled to the support blocks <NUM>, <NUM>.

The illustrated support blocks include corner support blocks <NUM> and center support blocks <NUM> between the corner support blocks <NUM>. The corner support blocks <NUM> and the center support blocks <NUM> each have a rectangular shape, and with the center support blocks <NUM> being orthogonal to the corner support blocks <NUM>. A rectangular shape has unequal adjacent sides so that a length and width of a rectangular shaped corner support block <NUM> are not equal as in a square shaped corner support block <NUM>.

The bottom deck boards include a pair of bottom end deck boards <NUM> and a bottom center deck board <NUM> between the pair of bottom end deck boards <NUM>. A width of the bottom center deck board <NUM> is greater than a width of the bottom end deck boards <NUM>.

In other examples which, however, do not form part of the present invention, the corner support blocks <NUM> and the center support blocks <NUM> may have a square or circular shape. When the support blocks <NUM>, <NUM> are the same size, then a width of the bottom center deck board <NUM> is equal to a width of the bottom end deck boards <NUM>.

In the illustrated wooden pallet <NUM>, a size of each end deck board <NUM> and a corresponding intermediate deck board <NUM> butted thereagainst have the same dimensions. For example, a width of the end deck board <NUM> and the intermediate deck board <NUM> butted thereagainst may be <NUM>, for example. In another example, the width may be <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the size of each end deck board <NUM> and a corresponding intermediate deck board <NUM> have different dimensions. For example, the width of the end deck board <NUM> may be <NUM> and the width of the corresponding intermediate deck board <NUM> may be <NUM>.

Traditionally, the intermediate deck boards in wooden pallets have a width that is less than a width of the end deck boards. In addition, traditionally there is a gap between the end deck boards and the adjacent intermediate deck boards. In the illustrated wooden pallet <NUM> according to the present invention, pallet durability is significantly improved because there is no gap between the end deck boards <NUM> and the immediately adjacent intermediate deck boards <NUM>, particularly with the end deck boards <NUM> and the immediately adjacent intermediate deck boards <NUM> having a same width.

The cargo layer <NUM> also includes at least one additional intermediate deck board <NUM> positioned between the intermediate deck boards <NUM> that are butted against the end deck boards <NUM>. This additional intermediate deck board <NUM> is positioned so that there is a gap between the adjacent intermediate deck boards <NUM>. The dimensions of the end deck boards <NUM> and the intermediate deck boards <NUM> as well as additional intermediate deck boards <NUM> positioned between the intermediate deck boards <NUM> are selected and spaced such that coverage of the cargo layer <NUM> is within a range of <NUM>-<NUM> percent of a maximum total surface area of the cargo layer <NUM> when there are no gaps between the boards.

A width of the intermediate deck board <NUM> may be the same as a width of the intermediate deck boards <NUM> butted against the end deck boards <NUM>. Alternatively, in other embodiments, this intermediate deck board <NUM> may have a different width.

As noted above, the illustrated wooden pallet <NUM> also includes center support blocks <NUM> between the corner support blocks <NUM>. The support blocks <NUM>, <NUM> are rectangular shaped and the center support blocks <NUM> are positioned in a different orientation to the corner support blocks <NUM>. In other words, the center support blocks <NUM> are at a <NUM> degree angle to the corner support blocks <NUM>. In other examples not forming part of the present invention, orientation of the center support blocks <NUM> is the same as orientation of the corner support blocks <NUM>.

Another feature of the illustrated wooden pallet <NUM> is the edges of each support block <NUM> being angled or chamfered. The angled edges <NUM> may be within a range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, for example, to deflect the impact force of the forklift tines should such an impact occur. The illustrated edges are angled at <NUM> degrees.

When the edges <NUM> of each support block <NUM> are angled, the corresponding outermost edges <NUM> of the end deck boards <NUM> are angled to match the angled edges <NUM> in the support blocks <NUM>. The corresponding outermost edges <NUM> of the connector boards <NUM> in the cargo layer <NUM> are angled to also match the angled edges <NUM> in the support blocks <NUM>. The corresponding outermost edges <NUM> of the deck boards <NUM> in the base layer <NUM> are also angled to match the angled edges <NUM> in the support blocks <NUM>.

Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to making a wooden pallet <NUM> comprising a base layer <NUM>, and a cargo layer <NUM>, and a pair of spaced apart connector boards <NUM> orthogonal to the pair of spaced apart end deck boards. The method includes forming the cargo layer <NUM> such that the cargo layer comprises a pair of spaced apart end deck boards <NUM>, and a pair of intermediate deck boards <NUM> between the pair of spaced apart end deck boards, with each end deck board <NUM> and an adjacent intermediate deck board <NUM> butted against one another. The method further includes coupling a plurality of spaced apart support blocks <NUM> between the base and cargo layers <NUM>, <NUM> and forming a gap therebetween for receiving a lifting member.

Claim 1:
A wooden pallet (<NUM>) comprising:
a base layer (<NUM>) comprising a pair of bottom end deck boards (<NUM>) and a bottom center deck board (<NUM>) between said pair of bottom end deck boards (<NUM>), with a width of said bottom center deck board (<NUM>) being greater than a width of said bottom end deck boards (<NUM>);
a cargo layer (<NUM>) comprising
a pair of spaced apart connector boards (<NUM>),
a pair of spaced apart end deck boards (<NUM>) on said pair of connector boards (<NUM>), with the end deck boards (<NUM>) being orthogonal to said pair of connector boards (<NUM>), and
a pair of spaced apart intermediate deck boards (<NUM>) on said pair of connector boards (<NUM>), with each intermediate deck board (<NUM>) being orthogonal to said pair of connector boards (<NUM>) and butted against a respective end deck board (<NUM>); and
a plurality of spaced apart support blocks (<NUM>, <NUM>) coupled between said base (<NUM>) and cargo (<NUM>) layers and forming a gap (<NUM>) therebetween for receiving a lifting member, said plurality of support blocks (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising corner support blocks (<NUM>) and center support blocks (<NUM>) between the corner support blocks (<NUM>), said center support blocks (<NUM>) coupling said bottom center deck board (<NUM>) to the cargo layer (<NUM>), with said corner support blocks (<NUM>) and said center support blocks (<NUM>) each having a rectangular shape defining a length direction, and with the length direction of said center support blocks (<NUM>) being orthogonal to the length direction of said corner support blocks (<NUM>).