Patent Application
20140251190
1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure is related to the field of devices for supporting, protecting and strengthening pallets during the transport of goods.
2. Description of Related Art
Pallets, also known as skids, are ubiquitous in modern transportation and warehouse environments. Pallets are utilized to ship products efficiently with minimal damage to the goods thereon. The use of pallets in the transportation space was triggered by the use of large containers (such as shipping containers and train cars) in transportation and their smooth, level surfaces.
Although they can take many forms and be comprised of different materials, pallets are generally flat transport structures that support goods in a stable fashion while the goods are being lifted by a forklift, handtruck, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking or lifting device. In sum, a pallet forms the structural foundation of a unit load which allows for the handling and storage of goods—goods or shipping containers are often placed on a pallet, secured thereon, and then moved or shipped. Thus, pallets make it easier to move and transport heavy stacks.
In the modern transportation economy, there are over half a billion pallets made each year and there are about two billion pallets in use across the United States alone. The organizations that utilize pallets for their transportation needs can have much lower costs for handling and storage, and usually also realize a cost advantage that comes from faster material movement.
While pallets can come in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, pallets generally fall into two very broad categories: “stringer” pallets and “block” pallets. Stringer pallets have a structure of three or more parallel stringers. Top deckboards are then affixed to the stringers to create the pallet structure. Bottom deckboards can also be affixed to the stringers to increase the stability of the pallet structure. Block pallets utilize both parallel and perpendicular stringers to better facilitate efficient handling by adding lines of support in two directions on the pallet. Contrary to stringer pallets, block pallets can be lifted on all four sides.
Pallets are generally comprised of either wood, metal or plastic. Metal pallets, while strong and durable, make up less than about 1% of the market because of their high initial price, susceptibility to rusting, and high weight. Plastic pallets are widely used in the industry but, despite their durability advantage, are not the dominate material used in pallets due to their high initial cost.
Traditional pallets comprised of wood constitute the largest percentage of pallets. Wooden pallets have the advantage of low cost and low weight. Wooden pallets usually cost about $9.00-$10.00 dollars each, plus the overhead costs of shipping, storing and handling the pallets. While inexpensive and efficient, wooden pallets are often and easily damaged by forklifts during transport. For example, the forklift can split, crack and cut into the deckboards or the stringers of a wooden pallet. Further, the corners of the pallet can become damaged through dropping or undesired contact of the edges with structures during transport. One big problem in the prior art is keeping pallets square. Generally, transport of pallets is adversely affected when the pallets lose their square shape. Pallets commonly lose their square orientation through impact or the corners getting hit in transport.
Generally, roughly 50% of wooden pallets are damaged after their first trip. Further, once damaged a wooden pallet generally loses about 70% of its value. In addition to lowering the value of the pallet itself, pallet damage can damage the product being transported, whether bagged, boxed or canned. In addition to damage to the transported product and the pallet, pallet damage can have additional negative economic ramifications by increasing the time it takes to transport goods. In sum, losses stemming from pallet damage can lead to tens of millions of dollars in lost product and efficiency per year for a company.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art of pallet transport for a reliable, light, inexpensive, and durable support shield for wooden pallets that would protect the entry points of the wooden pallets from the exterior pallet damage traditionally associated with pallet/forklift interaction.
Because of these and other problems in the art, described herein, among other things, is a reliable, light, inexpensive, and durable support shield for wooden pallets that protects the entry points of wooden pallets from the exterior pallet damage traditionally associated with pallet/forklift interaction.
In one embodiment of the pallet support shield, the pallet support shield comprises: an exterior frame, the exterior frame having an open side and a closed side; the open side of the exterior frame having one or more slots; the closed side of the exterior frame having one or more tong openings; wherein the open side of the pallet support receives a terminating end of a pallet comprised of deckboards, sideboards, runners and stringers.
In another embodiment of the pallet support shield, the one or more tong openings extend into the runners of the pallet. In still another embodiment, the one or more tong openings cover less than half the width of the deckboards which comprise the runners at the terminating end of the pallet.
It is also contemplated that one embodiment of the pallet support shield is further comprised of edges, wherein the edges cover at least a portion of the deckboards and sideboards of the pallet support shield. In one option, the edges of the pallet support shield will be of an equal width.
In another embodiment, the pallet support shield is sized and shaped to fit over the terminating end of the pallet.
In still a further embodiment it is contemplated that the pallet support shield is comprised of a composite material. One contemplated composite material is a fiber reinforced polymer. Further, in an additional embodiment, the pallet support shield is injection molded.
Also disclosed herein is a method for reinforcing a pallet with a pallet support, the method comprising: providing a pallet, the pallet having at least one terminating end; providing a pallet support shield, the pallet support shield comprising: an exterior frame, the exterior frame having an open side and a closed side; the open side of the exterior frame having one or more slots; the closed side of the exterior frame having one or more tong openings; and inserting the pallet support shield into the at least one terminating end of the pallet.
In one contemplated embodiment, the method will further comprise the step of fastening the pallet support shield to the at least one terminating end of the pallet. Contemplated fastening mechanisms can be chosen from the group consisting of: screws, nails and hooks.
As depicted in
In general, the exterior frame (102) of the pallet support shield (101) has an open side (107) and a closed side (108). The open side (107) of the exterior frame (102) of the pallet support shield (101) is the side of the pallet support shield (101) which receives and is attached to a pallet, in a manner as described herein. In one embodiment of the pallet support shield (100), as depicted in
The closed side (108) of the pallet support shield (101) encapsulates or covers the pallet's (100) terminating end and limits the insertion of the pallet (100), as depicted in
In one embodiment of the pallet support shield (101), depicted in
The slots (103) of this embodiment of the pallet support shield (101) correspond in width, position and structure to the pallet (100) stringers at the terminating ends of the pallet (100). Thus, when inserted onto the terminating end of a pallet (100), the slots (103) cover and are placed over the terminating ends of the stringers. In addition to covering the terminating ends of the stringers, as seen in
In addition to covering the terminating exposed portion of the stringers, the exterior frame (102) of the embodiment of the pallet support shield (101) depicted in
In the embodiments depicted in
In an alternative embodiment of the pallet support shield (101), the pallet (100) is cut back from its original dimensions (i.e., the pallet is cut back totally) and the pallet support shield (101) is attached to the “new” face of the pallet (100) produced at the cut end.
Further, in still another embodiment, the first top and bottom deckboards on the terminating end of the pallet (100) are removed and then the remaining top and bottom deckboards are cut ¼ inch (or other dimension which corresponds to the face depth of the pallet support shield (101) to be placed on the pallet (100)) from each end prior to placement of the pallet support shield (101) onto the pallet (100). The reason for this embodiment is to retain the original dimensions of the pallet (100) even with the addition of the pallet support shield (101). Because the end cap of the pallet support shield (101) has a certain face depth, after removal of the first top and bottom deckboards from the terminating end of the pallet (100), the remaining second top and bottom deckboards need to be modified in some manner to accommodate the face depth of the pallet support shield (101) without increasing the dimension of the pallet (100). An example of how such a retrofit would occur follows. First, the top and bottom deckboards on the terminating end of a pallet (100) are removed. Next, the remaining second top and bottom deckboards on the terminating end of the pallet (100) where the first and second deckboards were removed are cut to remove a given width which corresponds to the width of the face depth of the pallet support shield (101). For example, in one embodiment, where the face depth of the pallet support shield (101) is ¼ inch, the second top and bottom deckboards will be cut back by ¼ inch to accommodate the depth of the face of the pallet support shield (101).
Also in this embodiment of the pallet support shield (101), the slots (103) of the pallet support shield (101) create one or more tong openings (109). In the embodiment of the pallet support shield (101) depicted in
In one embodiment of the pallet support shield (101), as shown in
In one contemplated embodiment, as depicted in
In the embodiment of the pallet support shield (101) depicted in
In general, any lightweight, durable and cost-effective material known to those of ordinary skill in the art is a material contemplated to comprise the pallet support shield (101) discussed herein. For example, plastics and other polymers, composite-based materials and metals are all contemplated. Further, in different embodiments, it is contemplated that the pallet support shield (101) can be reinforced by a methodology known to those of ordinary skill in the art such as reinforcement through fibers, ceramics, metals or polymers. In addition, it is contemplated that the pallet support shield (101) may be manufactured by hand, injection molded, compression molded, die cast, or formulated through any other methodology known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Still further, it is contemplated that various embodiments of the pallet support shield (101) will further be comprised of a mold protection, antifungal protection and/or a fire retardant known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, it is contemplated that this mold protection, antifungal protection and/or fire retardant can comprise part of the pallet support shield (101) or can be a coating or spray applied to the pallet support shield (101).
In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that the pallet support shield (101), once inserted onto the terminating end of a pallet, will be further secured to the pallet (100) through a fastening means known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Contemplated fastening means include, but are not limited to, screws, hooks, staples, nails, bolts, glue, hook and loop fastener, tape, and clips, amongst other fastening mechanisms known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Finally, while the pallet support shield (101) discussed herein and depicted in the FIGs is generally described as a single unitary device, it should be understood that this application also contemplates pallet support shields (101) comprising two or more pieces. For example, this application also contemplates a pallet support shield (101), as described herein and as depicted in
In sum, the various embodiments of the pallet support shield (101) disclosed herein provide a cheap, lightweight, easy-to-utilize and efficient methodology to protect the terminating ends of a pallet from the damage traditionally associated with transportation of bare, unprotected wooden pallets (100). For example, the various embodiments of the pallet support shield (101) discussed herein reinforce the ends of the pallet (100) to prevent unsquaring. The pallet (100) ends will still hold a square even when impacted if the pallet support shield (101) is present. Accordingly, the pallet support shield (101) discussed herein reduces the economic losses traditionally associated with wooden pallets and wooden pallet (100) damage.
While the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a description of certain embodiments, including those that are currently believed to be the preferred embodiments, the detailed description is intended to be illustrative and should not be understood to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, embodiments other than those described in detail herein are encompassed by the present invention. Modifications and variations of the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
