Claims
- 1. A spacer for supporting packages, comprising:
- a plurality of first elongate members extending in a first direction;
- a plurality of second elongate members extending in a direction substantially normal to said first direction, said first and second elongate members engaging one another at a plurality of intersections, said first and second elongate members defining a pair of spaced parallel support surfaces for supporting packages placed thereagainst and forming multiple interconnected passageways therebetween for communicating conditioned air therethrough, said first and second elongate members having a structural strength permitting layers of said packages to be alternatingly stacked with said spacers to form a multi-layered arrangement to facilitate cooling, stacking, transporting and handling of said packages;
- joining means for interconnecting said first and second elongate members at several of said intersections so as to form a rigid unit, said joining means including adhesive placed at a plurality of said intersections and cured to securely bond said elongate members together;
- said first and second elongate members being channels made from sheet metal; and
- said joining means including a first section of material from one of said plurality of first elongate members which is pressed through a second section on one of said plurality of second elongate members, said sections being clinched together to form a secure interconnection therebetween, which clinched sections both temporarily hold said intersections together until said adhesive cures, and also add to the ultimate strength of the intersection.
- 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clinched sections each have a pull strength of about 2000 PSI after said adhesive cures.
- 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adhesive is an epoxy adhesive.
- 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said adhesive is a two-part, room temperature curing epoxy.
- 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second elongate members are channels made from aluminum alloy to minimize weight.
- 6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said channels are made from a 3000 series aluminum alloy.
- 7. A spacer for supporting packages, comprising:
- a plurality of first elongate members extending in a first direction;
- a plurality of second elongate members extending in a direction substantially normal to said first direction, said first and second elongate members engaging one another at a plurality of intersections, said first and second elongate members defining a pair of spaced parallel support surfaces for supporting packages placed thereagainst and forming multiple interconnected passageways therebetween for communicating conditioned air therethrough, said first and second elongate members having a structural strength permitting layers of said packages to be alternatingly stacked with said spacers to form a multi-layered arrangement to facilitate cooling, stacking, transporting and handling of said packages;
- joining means for interconnecting said first and second elongate members at several of said intersections so as to form a rigid unit, said joining means including adhesive placed at a plurality of said intersections and cured to securely bond said elongate members together;
- said plurality of first and second elongate members including first and second flanges that engage to form said intersections; and
- said joining means including sections of material from said flanges interengaged with one another for temporarily holding said flanges together at said intersections until said adhesive cures, said joining means adding to the ultimate strength of the intersections.
- 8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said adhesive is an epoxy.
- 9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein at least some of said elongate members include locating means for locating said spacer relative to an identical spacer to prevent skewing of the stacked arrangement when the identical spacer is stacked on said spacer.
- 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least some of said elongate members include locating means for locating said spacer relative to an identical spacer to prevent skewing of the stacked arrangement when the identical spacer is stacked on said spacer.
- 11. A spacer for supporting packages, comprising:
- a plurality of first elongate members extending in a first direction;
- a plurality of second elongate members extending in a direction substantially normal to said first direction, said first and second elongate members engaging one another at a plurality of intersections, said first and second elongate members defining a pair of spaced parallel support surfaces for supporting packages placed thereagainst and forming multiple interconnected passageways therebetween for communicating conditioned air therethrough, said first and second elongate members having a structural strength permitting layers of said packages to be alternatingly stacked with said spacers to form a multi-layered arrangement to facilitate cooling, stacking, transporting and handling of said packages;
- joining means for interconnecting said first and second elongate members at several of said intersections so as to form a rigid unit;
- at least some of said elongate members including locating means for locating said spacer relative to an identical spacer when placing one or more of the identical spacers on said spacer, whereby said spacer can be stacked on other identical spacers when not in the use to form a stable, non-skewing stacked arrangement; and
- said locating means including an aperture located on one of said spaced support surfaces, and further including an embossment located on the other of said spaced support surfaces and extending in a direction away from said one spaced support surface, said embossment on said spacer being positioned and configured to mateably engage said aperture on an identical spacer when stacked thereon.
- 12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said spacer includes a pair of said apertures and a pair of said embossments.
- 13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said second elongate members includes ends and further includes one of said embossments at each end so that said second elongate members all have an identical shape, and each of said first elongate members includes a plurality of said apertures corresponding to the number of second elongate members so that said first elongate members all have an identical shape, said plurality of apertures being spaced apart so that, when the first and second elongate members are assembled, the outermost pair of said second elongate members include an arrangement of said apertures which can mateably accept the corresponding arrangement of said embossments on said first elongate members on an identical spacer when stacked thereon.
- 14. A spacer for supporting packages, comprising:
- a plurality of first channels;
- a plurality of second channels positioned transversely to the first channels;
- said first and second channels having a cross-sectional shape so that, when transversely positioned, the channels define a pair of spaced apart planar surfaces supported by load bearing walls extending therebetween, the planar surfaces being adapted to support packages placed thereon or to be supported by packages placed thereunder, the cross-sectional shape of the first and second channels further defining multiple passageways adapted to communicate conditioned air between the packages when the spacer is arranged in a stack with the packages, the first and second channels engaging each other at a plurality of intersections;
- adhesive placed on at least some of said intersections to securely bond the channels together at said at least some intersections;
- said first and second channels include flanges located between and parallel to the pair of spaced apart planar surfaces, the flanges engaging one another at the plurality of intersections; and
- mechanical joining means including deformed material on said flanges for interconnecting the flanges at the intersections, the joining means holding the flanges together at the intersections while the adhesive is cured and also adding to the ultimate strength of the intersection.
- 15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein at least some of said channels include locating means for locating said spacer relative to an identical spacer to prevent skewing of a stacked arrangement created by placing one or more of the identical spacers on said spacer.
- 16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said locating means includes an aperture located in one of the planar surfaces, and further includes an embossment located on the other of the planar surfaces and protruding outwardly therefrom, said embossment on said spacer being positioned and configured to mateably engage said aperture on an identical spacer when stacked thereon.
- 17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said spacer is rectangular and said channels include flanges forming a rectangular perimeter having four corners, said four corners being radiused to increase safety by eliminating sharp corners at the four corners.
- 18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said channels include laterally extending flanges with outer edges, and each of said outer edges are folded back on itself to form a hem which eliminates sharp edges, increases the stiffness of the channel, and forms a grip permitting an operator to pull one of said spacers from a multi-layered arrangement of spacers and packages.
- 19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said channels are made from a sheet of material of about 0.040 inches to minimize weight and maximize thermal conductivity.
- 20. A spacer for supporting packages of food, comprising:
- a plurality of first channels;
- a plurality of second channels positioned transversely to the first channels;
- said first and second channels having a cross-sectional shape so that, when transversely positioned, the channels define a pair of spaced apart planar surfaces supported by load bearing walls extending therebetween, the spaced planar surfaces being adapted to support packages placed thereon or to be supported by packages placed thereunder, the cross-sectional shape of the first and second channels further defining multiple passageways adapted to communicate conditioned air between the packages when the spacer is arranged in a stack with the packages, the first and second channels engaging and joined to each other at a plurality of intersections; and
- at least some of said channels include locating means for locating said spacer relative to an identical spacer to prevent skewing of a stacked arrangement created by placing one or more of the identical spacers on said spacer, said locating means including an aperture located in one of the spaced planar surfaces, and further including an embossment located on the other of the spaced planar surfaces and protruding outwardly therefrom, said embossment on said spacer being positioned and configured to mateably engage said aperture on an identical spacer when stacked thereon.
- 21. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein said spacer is rectangular and said channels include flanges forming a rectangular perimeter having four corners, said four corners being radiused to increase safety by eliminating sharp corners at the four corners.
- 22. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein said channels include laterally extending flanges with outer edges, and each of said outer edges are folded back on itself to form a hem which eliminates sharp edges, increases the stiffness of the channel, and forms a grip permitting an operator to pull one of said spacers from a multi-layered arrangement of spacers and packages.
- 23. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein said channels are made from a sheet of material of about 0.040 inches to minimize weight and maximize thermal conductivity.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/757,645, filed Sep. 11, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,117 and entitled, PALLET ASSEMBLY the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
757645 |
Sep 1991 |
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