Claims
- 1. A substantially recyclable shipping platform apparatus for supporting and transporting loads by conventional tined material handling devices, which apparatus is easily disposable and substantially recyclable after use, said shipping platform apparatus comprising:
- substantially flat planar load-bearing platform means for supporting said load,
- said platform means formed of a substantially paper material and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface, wherein said load is capable of resting upon said top surface during the storage and transporting of said load;
- substantially flat planar bottom panel means positioned substantially parallel to, and distally spaced below said platform means, for supporting and bearing the weight of both said platform means and said load,
- said bottom panel means formed of a substantially paper material and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface;
- one or more tubular shaped pylon means formed of elements independent from said platform means and said bottom panel means, each of said pylon means being operably positioned between said platform means and said bottom panel means so as to facilitate the insertion, maintenance and removal of the tines of said conventional tined material handling devices therebetween,
- each of said tubular shaped pylon means having a top end and a bottom end opposite said top end, an outer surface, and an interior region having an inner surface,
- said top end of at least one of said tubular shaped pylon means being operably secured substantially adjacent to said bottom surface of said platform means, and said bottom end of said at least one of said pylon means being operably secured substantially adjacent to said top surface of said bottom panel means; and
- pylon top attachment means for operably securing said top end of said at least one said tubular shaped pylon means adjacent to said bottom surface of said platform means and pylon bottom attachment means for operably securing said bottom end of said at least one said tubular shaped pylon means adjacent to said top surface of said bottom panel means,
- said pylon bottom attachment means having a reinforced construction relative to the construction of said respective said pylon top attachment means so as to controllably provide for greater resistance to shear and torquing forces applied against said at least one tubular shaped pylon means, than the resistance of said pylon top attachment means to said forces;
- said greater resistance against said substantial shear and torquing forces of said pylon bottom attachment means controllably inducing failure of said pylon top attachment means before failure of said pylon bottom attachment means upon exposure to said forces, to preclude against the inadvertent cantilevering and collapse of said platform means and said supported load, relative to said bottom panel means.
- 2. The substantially recyclable shipping platform apparatus according to claim 1 in which the invention further comprises aperture means operably positioned within said bottom panel means so as to enable effective cooperation of said shipping platform apparatus with said conventional material handling devices positionable between both said platform means and said bottom panel means during raising, relocation and lowering of said shipping platform apparatus and, in turn, said load.
- 3. The invention according to claim 1 in which said pylon bottom attachment means comprises a plurality of articulateable flap means integrally formed within said bottom panel means about a configuration of folds that closely match the shape of said interior region of said pylon means, for attachment of said articulateable flap means to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means proximate to the bottom ends of said pylon means;
- said articulateable flap means having a first side and a second side opposite said first side, said first side being operably attachable to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means by adhesive attachment means positioned therebetween.
- 4. The invention according to claim 3 in which the bottom end of each of said pylon means are further secured to said bottom panel means by adhesive attachment means positioned between the bottom ends of said pylon means and the region of said bottom panel means immediately surrounding said configuration of articulateable flap means folds.
- 5. The invention according to claim 4 in which said articulateable flap means are each configured to have a maximized height with respect to attached contact with said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means, for optimal securement and stabilization of said pylon means to said bottom panel means.
- 6. The invention according to claim 5 in which said articulateable flap means comprise a first side flap, a second side flap, a first end flap and a second end flap, each of which have a scalene triangular configuration;
- said first and second side flaps being positioned contiguous to each of said first and second end flaps,
- said first side flap having its apex in abutment with the apex of said first end flap, and said second side flap having its apex in abutment with said second end flap so as to form a configuration which maximizes the height of attachment of said articulateable flap means to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means.
- 7. The invention according to claim 5 in which said articulateable flap means comprise a plurality of triangular shaped flaps operably positioned within a substantially oval configuration;
- each of said triangular shaped flaps being arranged in a substantially interwoven configuration so as to maximize the height of attachment of said articulateable flap means to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means.
- 8. The invention according to claim 3 in which said adhesive attachment means comprises a polyvinyl acetate adhesive material.
- 9. The invention according to claim 1 in which said pylon top attachment means includes adhesion attachment means operably positioned between the top end of each of said pylon means and at least a portion of said bottom surface of said platform means for restrained securement therebetween.
- 10. The invention according to claim 9 in which said pylon top attachment means comprise a plurality of articulateable flap means integrally formed within said platform means about a configuration of folds that closely match the shape of said interior region of said pylon means for attachment of said articulateable flap means to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means proximate to the bottom ends of said pylon means;
- said articulateable flap means having a first side and a second side opposite said first side, said first side being operably attachable to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means by adhesive attachment means positioned therebetween.
- 11. The invention according to claim 10 in which said articulateable flap means are each configured to have a maximized height with respect to attached contact within said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means, for optimal securement and stabilization of said pylon means to said platform means.
- 12. The invention according to claim 11 in which said articulateable flap means comprise a first side flap, a second side flap, a first end flap and a second end flap, each of which have a scalene triangular configuration;
- said first and second side flaps being positioned contiguous to each of said first and second end flaps,
- said first side flap having its apex in abutment with the apex of said first end flap, and said second side flap having its apex in abutment with said second end flap so as to form a configuration which maximizes the height of attachment of said articulateable flap means to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means.
- 13. The invention according to claim 11 in which said articulateable flap means comprise a plurality of triangular shaped flaps operably positioned within a substantially oval configuration;
- each of said triangular shaped flaps being arranged in a substantially interwoven configuration so as to maximize the height of attachment of said articulateable flap means to said inner surface of said interior region of said pylon means.
- 14. The invention according to claim 10 in which said adhesive attachment means comprises a polyvinyl acetate adhesive material.
- 15. The invention according to claim 1 in which at least one of said one or more substantially elongated continuously uninterrupted tubular shaped pylon means comprise a relatively oval shaped pylon member configuration.
- 16. The invention according to claim 1 in which at least one of said one or more substantially elongated continuously uninterrupted tubular shaped pylon means comprise a relatively rectangular shaped pylon member configuration.
- 17. The invention according to claim 1 in which at least one of said one or more substantially elongated continuously uninterrupted tubular shaped pylon means comprise two or more relatively non-elongated members substantially adjoining one another peripherally and in abutting succession to thereby create a substantially elongated, continuously uninterrupted tubular shaped pylon member.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/876,572, filed Apr. 30, 1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,531 which is a continuation of 07/634,426, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
Number |
Date |
Country |
603977 |
Nov 1990 |
AUX |
569513 |
Jan 1959 |
CAX |
2466402 |
Apr 1981 |
FRX |
2676994 |
Dec 1992 |
FRX |
7211803 |
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GBX |
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
876572 |
Apr 1992 |
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Parent |
634426 |
Dec 1990 |
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