In North America, breweries primarily use “straight” kegs with a fairly constant diameter between the upper chime and the lower chime with the exception of two small rings in a middle area of the keg. The straight keg includes a cylindrical wall between the upper chime and the lower chime. The cylindrical wall has an increased radius forming the two small rings. The cylindrical wall has a radius substantially equal to that of the upper chime and the lower chime, but for the increased radius forming the two small rings.
Some breweries use a “belly” keg. The belly keg has a middle area that has a significantly larger diameter than the upper chime and lower chime. The middle area also has two spaced-apart small rings that increase the diameter a little further. The belly keg also has an upper area and a lower area that each taper outward from the respective chime toward the middle area. Over time, the shape of the middle area of the belly keg can change and the dimensions can increase.
A pallet described herein accommodates both straight kegs and belly kegs at the same stacking height. Straight kegs will be supported on the pallet at their upper and lower chimes, which provide a consistent radius. The large-radius middle areas of the belly kegs will be received in recesses in the pallet. This compensates for the different shapes and radii of the two keg types such that another pallet will be at the same height whether it is stacked on straight kegs or belly kegs or a mixture of both. The pallet may include elongated reinforcements to compensate for the loss of strength caused by the recesses.
The pallet may be formed in two identical halves which may be connected together to form “leg in leg” or double-walled columns. The pallet includes a deck having a center portion and two outer portions spaced outward on either side of the center portion. A plurality of keg supports extend from each outer portion to the center portion. Each keg support has a concave upper surface. A large opening is defined between each adjacent pair of keg supports. Outer middle recesses are formed on each outer portion adjacent to each large opening. Center middle recesses are formed on the center portion adjacent to each large opening. A plurality of column portions protrude from the deck.
A pallet 110 according to one embodiment is shown in
The pallet 110 includes an upper deck 112, a lower deck 114 and columns 116 between the upper deck 112 and the lower deck 114. The upper deck 112 and the lower deck 114 in this embodiment are identical so that the pallet 110 is reversible and so that identical halves 111 can be made in the same mold.
The upper deck 112 includes a center portion 118 and two outer portions 120 spaced outward on either side of the center portion 118. The center portion 118 and the two outer portions 120 extend parallel to one another along a longitudinal axis of the pallet 110, which is the longest dimension of the pallet 110. The columns 116 extend downward from the center portion 118 and the two outer portions 120. The upper deck 112 includes a pair of parallel longitudinally elongated cylindrical concave keg recesses 122. The keg recesses 122 are between the center portion 118 and each of the two outer portions 120. Three keg supports 124 extend from each of the two outer portions 120 to the center portion 118. The keg supports 124 each include a concave upper surface that is concave about an axis extending parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the pallet 110. Large openings 125 are defined between each adjacent pair of keg supports 124 within each keg recess 122.
Outer middle recesses 126 are formed at the upper corner of each outer portion 120 adjacent each opening 125. Center middle recesses 128 are formed at the upper corner of the center portion 118 adjacent to each opening 125.
Elongated channels 140 are formed through the corner columns 116 and through each of the two outer portions 120 from one corner column 116 to the other. The elongated channels 140 extend in a direction parallel to the longest axis of the pallet 110. Optional elongated reinforcement members 142 are received in the elongated channels 140.
Optional grommets 146 (e.g. four) are also shown. The optional grommets 146 on the keg supports 124 would contact the straight keg only and prevent end to end movement during handling. The belly keg sits deep into the outer middle recess 126 so it does not need grommets. The bumper rings on the straight keg also sit into shallower recesses. However, there are several generations of straight kegs and the location of the bumper rings varies significantly top to bottom so some movement would be possible.
Along the longitudinal center line, a row of column sets each have a male column portion 174 and a complementary female column portion 176 offset on either side of the longitudinal center line. In this example, each male column portion 174 is spaced away from the complementary female column portion 176, and the elongated channel 140 is aligned along the longitudinal center line, which would be aligned between the male column portion 174 and the complementary female column portion 176. In this example, there are three male column portions 170 along one long side three complementary female column portions 172 along the opposite long side. In this example, there are three pairs of male column portions 174 and complementary female column portions 176 along the longitudinal center line.
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The male column portions 170 each have a rectangular peripheral wall with rounded corners that is elongated in the direction of the long dimension of the pallet half 111. Ribs inside the male column portions 170 provide reinforcement. The female column portions 172 each have a rectangular peripheral wall with rounded corners that is elongated in the direction of the long dimension of the pallet half 111.
Along the longitudinal center line, the male column portions 174 are on one side of the longitudinal center line and the complementary female column portions 176 are on the other side of the longitudinal center line. Any or all of the male/female pairs could be flipped and they would still mate with an identical pallet half 111.
The female column portions 176 each have a peripheral wall that is rectangular with round corners or they can be stadium-shaped. The inner portion of the peripheral wall is approximately half the height of the remainder of the peripheral wall. The inner portion of the peripheral wall of each of the female column portions 176 is spaced away from an inner portion of a peripheral wall of the corresponding male column portion 174. The peripheral wall of each male column portion 174 is rectangular with round corners or stadium-shaped and has reinforcing ribs therein. Spacer ribs connect the inner portions of the peripheral walls of the female column portions 176 to the inner portions of the peripheral walls of the male column portions 174. The spacer ribs are approximately half the height of the female column portions 176 and the male column portions 174.
The outer middle recess 126 includes an outer center recess portion 130 that is cylindrical concave. On either side of the outer center recess portion 130 is a ring recess portion 132 that is cylindrical concave and narrower than the outer center recess portion 130. The ring recess portions 132 may be deeper (downward and outward) than the center recess portion 130, as shown. Alternatively, the radius of the center recess portion 130 may be increased to match that of the ring recess portions 132. Outward of the two ring recess portions 132 are tapered portions 134 that are conical concave. The inner upper corner of the outer portion 120 may be slightly beveled or cylindrical concave, as shown.
The center middle recess 128 includes an inner center recess 136 aligned with the outer center recess portion 130. Inner ring recess portions 138 are formed on either side of the inner center recess 136 and align (at least partially) with in ring recess portions 132.
The outer center recess portion 130 is much deeper (downward and outward) than the inner center recess 136 and the ring recess portions 132 are much deeper (downward and outward) than the inner ring recess portions 138. The inner ring recess portions 138 are deeper (downward and inward) than the inner center recess 136.
Referring also to
Thus, on the outer portion 120 of the upper deck 112, the weight of the keg 60 is supported exclusively (or primarily, depending on the shape of the keg 60 after years of use) at the upper edges 178 of the keg supports 124, which is where the keg supports 124 join the columns 116. These are the most robust areas of the outer portions 120. On the center portion 118, the weight of the keg 60 is supported on the center middle recess 128, but the entire center portion 118 is strong because it does not have a thin portion as do the outer portions 120.
The belly keg 60 may also contact the outer center recess portion 130, the ring recess portions 132, and the tapered portions 134 on the outer portion 120 (depending on the shape of the keg 60 after years of use) but most of the weight on the outer portion 120 will be at the outermost upper edges 178. The belly keg 60 may also contact the tapered portions 134 on the outer portion 120, but these tapered portions 134 are away from the thinnest part of the outer portion 120 and the corresponding tapered portions of the belly keg 60 are relatively dimensionally stable. The center area of the outer portion 120 (i.e. the outer middle recess 126) may deflect a little, again, depending on the shape of the belly keg 60, but the outermost upper edges 178 will be very rigid, preventing substantial deflection (or breakage) of the center area of the outer portion 120.
Similarly, those same parts of belly kegs 60 below the pallet 110 would be received in the same corresponding recesses in the lower deck 114. Again, the upper deck 112 and lower deck 114 are identical, such that either deck of the pallet 110 can be the “upper” deck or the “lower” deck.
On the uppermost pallet 110, both straight kegs 50 and belly kegs 60 are shown superimposed. As can be seen, the height of the centers of the two keg types are the same, although the centers of the belly kegs 60 are positioned slightly outward of the centers of the straight kegs 50.
Referring to
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The pallet 110 can thus be used with both the straight keg 50 and the belly keg 60 and is reversible. Each pallet half 111 is preferably injection molded of a suitable plastic although the elongated reinforcement members 142 may be steel or other metal. The columns 116 could be molded separately and snap-fit, welded or glued to the upper deck 112 and lower deck 114.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63345632 | May 2022 | US | |
63302064 | Jan 2022 | US |