This invention relates to a frame for supporting a second pallet above a first pallet in stacked or tiered relationship.
Pallets are used for the transportation and storage of goods to enable bulky goods to be handled, for example by a forklift truck. The most commonly used pallets comprise an upper load table and a lower support table, both made from wooden planks, with spacer blocks arranged between said tables, the planks being attached to the spacer blocks by means of nails. The spacer blocks are arranged so that the tines of a forklift truck can be inserted between the tables to enable the pallet, and any goods carried thereon, to be lifted and moved from place to place.
Whilst pallets have become the standard way of handling bulky goods during transportation and storage, in particular when goods are carried on a flat bed or curtain sided trailer, the use of such pallets to transport relatively bulky goods can result in wasted spaced on the trailer due to an inability for the pallets to be stacked without crushing the goods carried thereon.
Previous attempts to devise spacers or frames for supporting pallets one above the other in tiered relationship have encountered limited success due to the complexity of the frames and the problem of transporting such frames when the pallets are empty. An example of such known pallet support frames is shown in
An object of the present invention is to obviate such problems.
According to the present invention there is provided a frame for supporting a second pallet above a first pallet in tiered relationship, as claimed in claim 1.
Preferably each corner post includes a support seat adjacent an upper end thereof for supporting a respective corner of said support deck. In one embodiment each corner post comprises an elongate angle section member comprising side flanges arranged at right angles to one another. Preferably a plate extends between the side flanges of each support post at a lower end thereof to be located, in use, beneath a respective corner of the first pallet.
The ends of each tie member may comprise an L-section mounting portion adapted to detachably engage an outer corner of a respective corner post. Preferably the mounting portion on each end of each tie member is shaped to be received between an outer corner of a respective corner post and a respective retaining member mounted on an outer side of each corner post to detachably retain the tie members in engagement with the corner posts. Each retaining member may comprise an angle section plate secured to the respective corner post at a lower end thereof to define an upwardly open receiving slot for receiving respective mounting portions of the tie members.
In a preferred embodiment the support deck comprises a pair of rectangular leaves hingedly connected together along a centreline of the support deck via said hinge so that the support deck can be folded in half. Preferably the hinge is located on a lower side of the support deck such that opposing edges of the leaves abut one another when the leaves of the support deck are in a flat unfolded configuration.
A plurality of restraining straps may be attachable to the corner posts to extend between adjacent pairs of corner post, preferably extending diagonally between respective corner posts.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
As shown in
Each corner post 2,4,6,8 is defined by an elongate angle section member comprising side flanges arranged at right angles to one another. The lower end of each support post includes a base plate 32 extending between the side flanges of the respective post whereby the base plate 32 may be received beneath a respective corner region of the first pallet 10 when the respective corner post 2,4,6,8 is fitted against the respective corner of the first pallet 10.
Each support seat 22 extends between the side flanges of the respective corner post 2,4,6,8 adjacent an upper end thereof.
Each tie member 12,14,16,18 comprises an elongate flat bar having L section mounting portions 34,36 provided at opposite ends thereof, preferably attached thereto by welding, each mounting portion 34,36 being arranged to abut an outer side of a respective corner post.
As best seen from
As shown in
The support deck 20 comprises a latticework of elongate rods or bars defining a pair of rectangular leaves 46,48 hingedly connected together along a centreline of the support deck 20 via a hinge 50 so that the support deck 20 can be folded in half. The hinge 50 is provided on a lower side of the support deck 20 such that opposing edges of the leaves 46,48 abut one another when the leaves 46,48 of the support deck 20 are in a flat unfolded configuration. The hinge 50 may extend the full width of the support deck 20.
Assembly of the support frame will now be described, with reference to
Firstly, as shown in
Next the tie members 12,14,16,18 are attached to the corner posts 2,4,6,8, the mounting portions 34,36 of each tie member 12,14,16,18 being slotted into the respective receiving slots defined by the mounting members 38 on the outer sides of the corner posts 2,4,6,8, to interconnect the corner posts 2,4,6,8 as shown in
Once all of the tie members 12,14,16,18 have been attached to the corner posts 2,4,6,8, the restraining straps 24,26,28,30 are attached to the corner posts 2,4,6,8 via the mounting loops 40,42 to extend diagonally between the corner posts 2,4,6,8, as shown in
The support deck 20 is then positioned over the corner posts 2,4,6,8 in a partly folded, raised configuration, the hinge 50 of the support deck 20 defining a raised ridge, as shown in
The support deck 20 is then pushed down to its flat unfolded configuration, supported on the corner posts 2,4,6,8, as shown in
A second pallet 60 may then be placed onto the support deck 20, as shown in
The components of the support frame may be formed from galvanised steel or any other suitable material, such as plastic.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.