Pallet container

Sept. 19, 1961

3,000,602

F. L. O’BRIEN

PALLET CONTAINER

Filed Jan. 15, 1960

Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US3000602A_D0001.tif" />

ATTORNEY

F. L. O’BRIEN

PALLET CONTAINER

Sept. 19, 1961

Filed Jan. 15, 1960

3,000,602

Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3000602A_D0002.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,000,602

Patented Sept. 19, 1961

3,000,602 PALLET CONTAINER

Francis Lorain O’Brien, Sandusky, Ohio, assignor to Norwalk Truck Lines, Inc., a corporation of Ohio

Filed Jan. 15,1960, Ser. No. 2,693 5

Claims. (Cl. 248—120)

This invention relates to pallets and, more particularly, to a knock-down, stackable pallet container.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a 10 pallet container which can be partly or completely knocked-down, or disassembled and stored in a space of small volume and which, when assembled, provides an extremely strong and durable structure which may be stacked with similar pallets to form a column highly re- 15 sistant to twisting, sagging or other distortion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knockdown pallet container formed of several identical parts, so that comparatively few different types of parts need be manufactured and stocked. 20

To attain the above general objectives, it is intended now to provide a pallet having four identical corner units having double vertical sockets for supporting double corner posts, and having lateral brackets and horizontal sockets in which cross beams and side supports are re- 25 movably affixed. By forming the vertical sockets with open opposite ends, it is intended to provide for stacking the pallets, one on top of the other, and by similarly forming the horizontal sockets with both ends open, provision is made for using any of the identical comer units 30 at any comer of the assembly.

Furthermore, it is intended to provide for the connection of the separable parts to form identical front and rear sub-assemblies, each consisting of two comer units joined by a cross beam bolted at its ends to the lateral 35 brackets on the corner units. The sub-assemblies thus formed may be stored with the remaining disassembled parts in a comparatively small space and, when a pallet or container is to be set up, it is necessary only to fit tubular side supports in the horizontal sockets and tubu- 40 lar corner posts in the vertical sockets, and then fit a platform within the then-open rectangular frame to complete the main parts of the pallet container. Provision is also made for mounting fence walls between the comer posts for forming an enclosure. . _

By providing rigid front and rear sub-assemblies, it is intended to guard against lateral deformation of the parallelogram framework, while still retaining the advantages of quick assembly and disassembly attained by the telescoping engagement of the ends of the side mem- ₅θ bers of the frame in the horizontal sockets of the comer units.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specifications and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one complete 55 pallet container assembled, and a second identical container stacked and partly assembled on top;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a front or rear subassembly; . . .

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sub-assembly shown in „_nFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a comer post assembly;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the pallet platform; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the platform shown in FIG. ⁵·

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference ⁶⁵numerals denote similar elements, each pallet container 12 consists of four identical comer units 14, a pair of cross beams 16, each connecting a pair of corner units, and a pair of tubular side supports 18. In each comer unit are mounted two corner post assemblies 20, and a platform 22 engages within the rectangular frame formed by the comer units, cross beams and side supports. Fence panels 24 are connected between the comer post assemblies to complete the enclosure.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, each comer unit 14 is formed with two· vertical sockets 26 extending completely through, from top to bottom, and having open upper and lower ends 28 and 30. Formed laterally of vertical sockets 26 is a horizontal socket 32 having open ends 34 and 35 and, on the side of the vertical sockets opposite from horizontal socket 32 are a pair of brackets 37 and 38 closely spaced to define between them a slot 40. The portions of comer units 14 which form the lower ends 30' of vertical sockets 26 extend downwardly, well below the lower ends of bracket flanges 36 so as to constitute legs 41 which support the assembly, particularly the subsequently described platform above the level of the ground. The brackets 37 and 38 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the center line of the comer unit, and the upper edges 39 of the bracket flanges are disposed in the horizontal plane which lies above the upper peripheral part of horizontal socket 32. The symmetrical disposition of bracket flanges 37 and 38 permits the use of any one of the identical comer units 14 at any corner of the assembly.

Disposed at the front and rear of the assembly are the cross beams 16 which are, essentially, angle irons with horizontal and vertical flanges 42 and 44 respectively. The opposite ends of vertical flanges 44 are formed with integral downward extensions 46 having bolt holes which align with the bolt holes of brackets 37 and 38 for receiving bolts 48. Front and rear sub-assemblies, one of which is denoted generally at 50 in FIGS. 2 and 3, are formed by fitting the ends of the cross beam vertical flanges 44 into the slots 40, with the horizontal flange. 42 of the cross beam resting on an upper edge 39 of one of the brackets. To complete the rectangular framework, the ends of tubular side supports 18 need only be fitted into the appropriate open ends of the horizontal sockets 32 of the respective comer units 14.

Two corner posts assemblies 20 are provided for each corner, each consisting of a comer post 51 having a tapering end piece 52 at its upper end and a stop collar 54 near its upper end. Panel supporting collars 56 may also be affixed around the comer posts as shown in FIG. 4, the lowermost collar serving as a stop for the lower end of the post when the latter is fitted downwardly into an upper end 28 of a vertical socket 26. Collars 56 may also be provided with apertured ears 56a to which a fence panel may be attached.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6, platform 22, preferably of weather-resistance plywood, is formed of upper and lower plywood sheets 58 and 60 whose adjacent faces are strongly bonded to one another. Upper sheet 58 is wider than lower sheet 60, with marginal overhangs 62 extending outwardly beyond the adjacent edges of the bottom sheet 60. When platform 22 is fitted into place, marginal overhangs 62 rest on the horizontal flanges 42 of cross beams 16 and the double thickness ends 68 of the platform rest on tubular side supports 18. Comer cut-outs 70 in the top platform sheet 60 accommodate comer units 14. If desired, marginal overhangs 62 may be bolted or otherwise fastened to the horizontal flanges 42 of cross beams 16.

Fence panels 24 of various types, preferably flexible and consisting of straps 64 having their ends 66 encircling the comer posts, as shown in FIG. 1, may be connected between comer posts 20. It is noteworthy that one entire side, consisting of a fence panel and the pair of comer posts to which its ends are attached may be removed simply by lifting out the comer posts. Except for the removed fence panel, the assembly is left intact because of the dual post and socket arrangement

3,000,602 elongate end pieces, for said frame, said end pieces each . having opposite ends telescopically engaging in said horizontal sockets for joining said sub-assemblies, a platform engaging in said framework with the marginal edges 5 thereof resting on said cross beams and end pieces, and four pairs of comer posts, each pair of posts respectively engaging in the pairs of. vertical sockets in said comer units.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4, said bracket 10 means comprising a spaced pair of brackets having laterally spaced vertical surfaces defining a vertical slot therebetween said cross beams having vertical end surfaces respectively engaging in.the vertical slots.

6. The combination claimed in claim 4,. said bracket 15 means comprising a spaced pair of brackets having laterally spaced vertical surfaces defining a vertical slot.therebetween and having co-planar top surfaces, said cross beams comprising angle irons having normally vertical and horizontal flanges, the vertical flanges at each end of 20 a cross beam engaging in the vertical slots between a pair of flanges and the horizontal flanges at each end of the beam resting on the top surface of one of the brackets.

7. A corner unit for a knock-down pallet container comprising a body having a laterally spaced pair of ver25 tical open-top sockets therein for receiving a pair of corner posts, said body having a pair of opposite sides spaced from one another by said vertical sockets, a horizontal socket on one of said opposite sides for receiving a. horizontal frame element, and bracket means 30 on.the other of said opposite sides for supporting another horizontal frame element at right-angles to the first-mentioned frame element.

8.. A knock-down pallet container comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular frame having four cor35 ner units each with a pair of vertical sockets, a horizontal socket on one side of said vertical sockets, and a bracket on the other side of said vertical sockets, a pair of elongate angle irons constituting front and rear sides of the frame and means for connecting the opposite ends of 40 each of said cross beams respectively to the respective brackets of a pair of said comer units, whereby to form front and rear sub-assemblies consisting of a pair of comer units and one of Said cross beams, a pair of elongate tubular end pieces for said frame, said end pieces 45 each having opposite ends telescopically engaging in said horizontal sockets for joining said sub-assemblies, four pairs of corner posts, each pair of posts respectively engaging in the pairs of vertical sockets in said comer units and a platform engaging in said framework with 50 the marginal, edges thereof resting on said angle irons and end pieces, said platform comprising a generally rectangular sheet having comer cut-outs accommodating the respective comer units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1,490,665 Gifford______________ Apr. 15, 1924

FOREIGN PATENTS

54,863 Denmark____________ lune 13, 1938

1,089,616 France _______________ Oct. 6, 1954 at each, corner. Pallet containers 12 may be stacked or assembled, one on top of the other, as shown in FIG. 1 by fitting the open lower ends 30 of vertical sockets downwardly over the upper ends of corner posts 20 until the leg portions 41 of the comer units engage stop collars 54. It will also be apparent , to those skilled in the art that a flat pallet may be provided by eliminating the comer posts and fence panels or, alternatively, the box-like enclosure may be formed by eliminating the. corner posts and fence panels from the uppermost unit when the latter is stacked on a. lower unit as shown in FIG. 1.

The invention is not limited to the details shown and described hereinbefore, but is intended to cover all substitutions, modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.