Patent Application
20070113758
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pallets designed for use with forklifts and to a method for building a pallet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pallets are one of the most widely used means for handling large amounts of heavy materials. Usually heavy machinery, such as a forklift, is used to move heavily loaded pallets as needed. Thus, pallets are designed to allow a set of fork tines on the forklift to be inserted between a top deck and bottom deck of the pallet. However, the tines of the forklift can damage the pallets if they are incorrectly aligned with the space between the pallet decks. Often, the front or sides of the tines hit one or more pallet blocks joining the two pallet decks, thereby damaging the pallet block. Some pallet blocks may be damaged more than others because of the shape of the block. As a result of the damage, the integrity and stability of the entire pallet may be compromised. Compromised pallets are safety hazards because the materials loaded on a pallet can fall if a compromised pallet breaks. Injuries to people or damage to goods and equipment that may result are unacceptable.
Attempts to prevent pallets from being compromised include changing the pallet material from wood to a more sturdy material, such as some type of plastic, or adding covers to the forklift tines to soften the impact at insertion. However, each of these solutions has failed to satisfactorily prevent pallets from becoming compromised.
The aspects of the present invention provide a pallet and a method of building a pallet. The pallet includes a first deck, a second deck, and at least one pallet block connecting the first deck and the second deck. A sleeve is disposed around the at least one pallet block for protection against damage caused by the tines of a forklift.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Tines 120 and 122 are inserted between first deck 132 and base beams 134 and 136 forming a second deck of pallet 130. Tine 122 is also inserted between sleeves 140, 141, 143, and 144, and tine 120 is inserted between sleeves 141, 142, 144, and 145. Sleeves 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, and 145 are disposed around corresponding pallet block 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, and 155. Pallet block 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, and 155 connect first deck 132 and to the second deck and maintains a space between the decks.
In the illustrative example shown, pallet 130 is provided with a total of six pallet blocks (150 through 155). However, pallet 130 can also have more or less pallet blocks. A pallet could potentially be built without pallet blocks, but most pallets include at least one pallet block, and usually include a plurality of pallet blocks.
Sleeves 140 through 145 act as protective covers for pallet blocks 150 through 155 respectively. Each sleeve is adapted to prevent the pallet feet from being damaged as the tines 120 and 122 are inserted between deck 132 and base beams 134 and 136 which form the second deck. When tines 120 and 122 are inserted into pallet 130, if the tines contact one or more of sleeves 140 through 145, one or more of sleeves 140 through 145 will deflect tines 120 and 122 away from the corresponding pallet feet. Thus, sleeves 140 through 145 also assist tines 120 and 122 to be properly aligned within the opening of pallet 130. Therefore, tines 120 and 122 roll off or slide over the outside of sleeves 140 through 145 and pass into the opening between first deck 132 and base beams 134 and 136 of pallet 130.
Sleeves 240 through 245 can be partially or fully disposed around pallet blocks 230 through 235 respectively. Partially disposed means that the sleeve partially surrounds the entire cross-section and/or length of the pallet block. In the illustrative embodiment, sleeves 240 through 245 are partially disposed around corresponding pallet blocks 230 through 235.
First deck 210 is the top of pallet 200. In the example shown, base beams 220 and 222 form the second deck and make up the bottom of pallet 200. First deck 210 and the second deck can be formed from a single, solid piece of material or one or more base beams. A base beam can be made of various materials, such as wood, steel, plastic, or some combination thereof, which are suitable for holding heavy materials.
In the illustrative embodiment, pallet blocks 230 through 235 connect first deck 210 to base beams 220 and 222. Pallet blocks 230, 231, and 232 are disposed on front 250 of pallet 200 and pallet blocks 233, 234, and 235 are disposed on back 260 of pallet 200. Sleeves 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, and 246 are disposed around pallet blocks 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, and 235 respectively.
Sleeves 240 through 245 can be hollow structures that are not permanently affixed to pallet blocks 230 through 235, to first deck 210, or to base beams 220 and 222. In the illustrative embodiment, sleeves 240 through 245 are sized and dimensioned to enable sleeves 240 through 245 to move laterally and/or rotate freely around pallet blocks 230 through 235. Thus, in the illustrative embodiment, sleeves 240 through 245 are shorter in length than pallet blocks 230 through 235 and larger in cross-section than pallet blocks 230 through 235. Therefore, if a tine strikes a sleeve, the sleeve is adapted to rotate or shift in position relative to a corresponding pallet block. The rotation or motion of the sleeve helps prevent damage to the corresponding pallet block and to the rest of the pallet. However, in other embodiments, one or more of the sleeves may be as long as a corresponding pallet block. In addition, in other embodiments, one or more of the sleeves may be fixedly attached to either first deck 210 or the second deck, and, therefore, the tines of the forklift will slide over a fixed sleeve.
Sleeve 300 can be made out of any type of material that is durable and resilient enough to protect the pallet blocks from damage caused by impact from a forklift's prongs, such as a metal alloy, a plastic resin, or any combination thereof. In the illustrative example shown, sleeve 300 is made out of a material such as polypropylene or high density polyethylene.
Once all the pallet blocks are attached to the deck, a sleeve is then disposed around a pallet block (step 420). After the sleeve is disposed, a determination is made as to whether all the pallet blocks have a sleeve disposed around the pallet blocks (step 430). If a sleeve needs to be disposed around another pallet block (“No” output of step 430), then the method returns to step 420 to have a sleeve disposed around another pallet block. The process is repeated until all pallet blocks (“Yes” output of step 430) have a sleeve disposed around the pallet blocks.
Once a sleeve is disposed around all the pallet blocks, a pallet foot is attached to the second deck (step 440). After the pallet block is attached to the second deck, a determination is made as to whether all the pallet blocks that will be used to build the pallet are attached to the second deck (step 450). If an additional pallet block needs to be attached (“No” output of step 450), then the method returns to step 440 and another pallet block is attached. The process is repeated until all the pallet blocks (“Yes” output of step 450) are attached to the second deck. Once all the pallet blocks are attached to the second deck, the method ends.
The method for building a pallet in accordance with the aspects of the present invention is not limited to the described steps or order of steps. For instance, the method may include disposing a sleeve around each pallet blocks after the pallet block is attached to both decks.
The aspects of the present invention provide a pallet and a method for building a pallet with a pallet block protection system. The pallet includes a first deck, a second deck, at least one pallet block connecting the first and second decks, and a sleeve disposed around the at least one pallet block. The sleeve acts as a protective cover for the at least one pallet block. The sleeve is adapted to prevent its associated pallet block from damage as the tines of a forklift are inserted between the first and second decks. When the tines are inserted, the sleeve deflects the tines away from the pallet block. The sleeve also assists the tines to be properly aligned with the opening of the pallet. In the manner presented, the aspects of the present invention provide a pallet and a method of building a pallet.
The aspect of the present invention prevents a pallet block on a pallet from damage by a forklift. The aspects of the present invention do not require any modifications to the forklift. The aspects of the present invention also do not require the pallet to be made from any particular different material. Therefore, pallets currently in use in industry only need to be modified with one or more sleeves to protect the pallet blocks.
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
