Patent ID: 7343865

Claim:
A twin sheet plastic pallet including an upper plastic sheet and lower plastic sheet selectively fused together to form a generally rectangular pallet having an upper platform structure, characterized in that; the pallet further includes a metallic support structure positioned beneath the platform structure between the upper and lower sheets and including a plurality of beam members arranged end to end in a rectangular frame configuration with each beam member generally parallel to a respective outer edge of the pallet; each beam member is spaced inboard with respect to the respective outer edge of the pallet; the pallet defines a peripheral groove structure opening upwardly in the platform structure between each beam member and the respective outer edge of the pallet; the groove structure is formed by portions of the upper sheet fused to portions of the lower sheet; the portions of the lower sheet forming the groove structure comprise a continuous upwardly opening peripheral groove extending around the perimeter of the lower sheet with bottom walls of the continuous groove forming a continuous rectangular perimeter footprint of the pallet; the pallet further includes a metal rod structure positioned proximate the footprint surface along each side edge of the footprint surface; and each rod includes a substantially straight main body portion and angled end portions and the rods are arranged in end to end relation with the angled end portion of one rod positioned proximate but unconnected to the angled end portion of an adjacent rod.