EP0026009B1 - Pallet for a fork-lift apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pallet for forklifts which comprises a floor secured to parallel legs allowing the lingitudinal and transverse engagement of the forks under the floor, each of the legs being constituted by at least one metal element which is folded substantially symmetrically at least three times, substantially at right angles to each side and the free ends of which are secured to the unfolded middle part of said metal element.

A pallet of the type indicated above is described in document US-A-1,736,170; this palette is entirely metallic. In addition, the constituent element of each of the legs of the pallet consists either of a wrought iron or a metal strip.

Sections of metal tubes fixed together by welding form a floor which is itself butt welded to the feet of the pallet. This system is therefore very expensive both in terms of material and labor.

The patent US-A-2 235 647 also relates to an entirely metallic pallet, the constituent elements of which are round irons or metal strips which include numerous reinforcing gussets, round wedging iron, and whose floor is also made of metal. It is therefore a very high cost palette both in welding and raw material, whose weight must significantly exceed the standards.

Document CH-A-324549 describes a pallet, the feet of which consist of a frame formed by a metal strip reinforced in its center by a section of metal tube and at its ends by a second ribbed strip, welded, with the rib in the vertical direction, in order to offer greater resistance to pressure. The foot thus formed does not have the resistance necessary to avoid warping; moreover, the floor is fixed by riveting, which requires pre-drilling both in the material which constitutes the floor and in the frame which forms the base, hence a very expensive price.

The invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks, and for this purpose it proposes to produce a pallet each foot of which has a high resistance to warping and allowing a simple and inexpensive assembly of the floor on each of said feet.

The present invention therefore relates to a pallet of the type indicated above, characterized in that the metal element constituting the feet consists of a tube and that the floor, which may be made of wood or any other material, is fixed by studding on said feet.

This feature ensures an easy and quick connection of the floor to the feet and avoids the presence of nail points in the upper part of the foot, thus avoiding the risk of injury to users. The tips are lost in the thickness of the tube.

In addition, due to their tubular structure, the feet of the pallet according to the invention have improved resistance to warping or crushing.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en perspective partielle d'une palette selon l'invention dont chacun des pieds est formé d'un seul tube métallique;
• - la figure 2 est une vue en élévation de la palette;
• - les figures 3 à 6 sont des vues en élévation de palettes analogues avec des pieds à un seul tube;
• - les figures 7 à 10 sont des vues en élévation semblables de palettes avec des pieds comprenant deux tubes;
• - la figure 11 est une vue de dessous de la palette relative à la figure précédente, et
• - la figure 12 est une coupe verticale montrant le montage du plancher sur un pied de la palette.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a pallet according to the invention each of the feet of which is formed of a single metal tube;
• - Figure 2 is an elevational view of the pallet;
• - Figures 3 to 6 are elevational views of similar pallets with feet with a single tube;
• - Figures 7 to 10 are similar elevational views of pallets with feet comprising two tubes;
• FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the palette relating to the previous figure, and
• - Figure 12 is a vertical section showing the mounting of the floor on a foot of the pallet.

Each pallet shown essentially comprises a floor 1 secured to feet 2 parallel.

The floor 1 is formed for example of several wooden planks.

The feet 2 are metallic and steel but could be made of synthetic material. The feet 2 delimit between them passages for the longitudinal engagement of the forks of an elevator. In addition, the feet 2 define in themselves one or more openings for the transverse engagement of these forks.

In the first example shown in Figures 1 and 2, each foot is constituted by a single tube 3 which has a cross section for example rectangular and relatively flat. The tube 3 is folded symmetrically three times at right angles on each side, the folding being made on the side of its large faces. In this way, the tube 3 forms a double tubular box comprising its non-folded middle part 4 forming a lower spar, its two parts 5 folded perpendicular to the previous 4 and forming two lateral wings, its two parts 6 folded parallel to the first 4 and forming two upper half-beams opposite the lower beam and its two ends 7 folded perpendicular to the first part 4 and folded up against the latter. For its part, the floor 2 is fixed to the folded parts 6.

In the case of the first example, the ends 7 of the tube 3 are adjacent to each other and are joined by welds in the middle of the unfolded middle part 4, that is to say in the middle of the lower spar of the double frame. These ends therefore form median spacers between the lateral folded parts 5 for the foot 2. On the other hand, the unfolded median part 4 opposite the floor 1 is crushed substantially over its entire length so as to be wider than the remaining parts of tube 3.

Thus, each leg constitutes the aforementioned double box which is a particularly solid tubular construction, robust and resistant to bending and buckling under the effect of a significant compression stress applied to the floor.

The feet 2 delimit between them under the floor 1 passages for the lingitudinal engagement of the forks of an elevating machine. The feet 2 delimit in themselves, by their double open box, transverse engagement openings of these forks. In this order of ideas, it could be that the feet 2 are aligned in the transverse direction of the floor 1 in which case these feet define between them passages for the transverse engagement of the forks and in them openings for the lingitudinal engagement of these forks.

In the second example illustrated in FIG. 3, each foot 2 is a double tubular box differentiating from the previous one only by the fact that the free ends 7 of the tube 3 are distant from each other while delimiting with the folded parts side 5 the two openings for passage of the forks.

In the third example shown in FIG. 4, each foot 2 is still a double tubular box distinguished from the first only by the fact that the unfolded middle part 4 or the lower spar is only crushed between its ends and its part. central 8. The ends 7 of the tube 3 are welded to this central part 8.

In the fourth example relating to FIG. 5, the double tubular box of the foot 2 is turned over or reversed compared to that of the first case. Thus, the unfolded middle part 4 of the tube 3 forms the upper spar to which the floor 2 is secured, while the folded parts 6 opposite this middle part 4 constitute two lower half-lengths for supporting the pallet on a floor. It should be noted that the middle part 4 is not overwritten as in the three previous cases.

In the fifth example drawn in FIG. 6, the double tubular box of the foot 2 differs from the previous one by the fact that the ends 7 of the tube 3 are distant from each other and that the folded parts 6 forming the half lower beams are flattened and wider.

The other examples relate to pallets of the same type, the floor 1 of which have larger dimensions than in the five preceding cases.

In the sixth example illustrated in FIG. 7, each leg comprises the first tube 3 and at least one second tube 9. Preferably, the second tube 9 is identical in cross section to the first tube 3. Strictly speaking, this second tube 9 can be analogous to this first tube 3.

In fact, the first tube 3 is bent as in the fifth example above. The non-folded middle part 4 forms the upper spar to which the floor is fixed 1. The folded parts 6 parallel to the middle part 4 form two relatively short lower half-spars and substantially distant from each other. No part of the tube 3 is crushed.

On the other hand, the second tube 9 is folded symmetrically once at a right angle on each side. The second tube 9 therefore forms a U-shaped element whose core 10 and wings 11 are not crushed. The height of the wings 11 is, moreover, equal to that of the ends 7 of the first tube 3.

The second tube 9 is arranged between the folded parts of the first tube 3 so that the core 10 is in the extension of the parts 6 and is parallel to the unfolded middle part 4 and that the wings 11 are adjacent to the ends 7. Like the latter, the wings 11 are welded to the middle part 4 which is not folded.

Thus, the first and second tubes 3 and 9 together form a triple tubular box in which the core 10 and the wings 11 delimit with the middle part 4 not folded a relatively wide opening for the engagement of the forks of the lifting machine.

In a variant of the sixth example, the wings 11 of the second tube 9 can be respectively distant from the ends 7 of the first tube 3 while remaining welded to the unfolded middle part 4 of this first tube 3.

The seventh example shown in FIG. 8 relates to a pallet which has to support greater loads than the previous cases. For this purpose, the feet 2 are identical to those of the sixth example but the folded parts 6 of the first tube 3 and the cores 10 of the second tube 9 carry lower boards 12 identical to those of the floor 1. These boards 12 form a lower sole making the pallet reversible or double-sided.

The eighth example relating to FIG. 9 differs from the previous one by the fact that the core 10 of the second tube 9 is shorter and that the wings 11 of this tube 9 are clearly distant from the ends 7 of the first tube 3. In addition, the lower boards 12 are chamfered to allow the passage of a pallet truck. In this case, the lower boards 12 are aligned perpendicular to the folded parts 5 to 7 of the first tube 3 and to the wings 11 of the second tube 9 instead of being parallel and extend to a predetermined distance from the ends of these feet 2. On the other hand, two similar elements 13 connect the ends of the elements 12 and extend perpendicularly to the latter while being secured to the feet 2.

The ninth example shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is identical to the eighth except that the first tubes 3 of the feet 2 do not have the ends 7 and end in the parts 6 folded parallel to the parts medians 4 not folded.

In the examples described, the boards of the floor 1 and of the sole 12, if any, are joined to the corresponding parts of the feet 2 by nails 14 made of steel. These twisted, corrugated, or similar nails 14 are struck and driven through the wood of these boards and through the adjacent steel wall of the corresponding parts of the feet 2. However, the tips of the nails 14 do not touch and do not pass through the wall. opposite steel of these same parts of the feet 2.

Claims (10)

1. Pallet for fork-lift apparatus including a floor (1) consolidated to parallel feet (2) allowing for longitudinal and transversal engagement of the forks beneath the floor (1), each of the said feet (2) being comprised of at least one metal component folded more or less symmetrically at least three times perceptibly at right angles to each side, and the free extremities (7) of which are made secure to the unfolded mid-section (4) of the said metal component characterized in that the constituent metal component of the feet (2) consists of a tube (3) and that the floor (1) is nailed onto the said feet (2).

2. Pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that nailing is done using twisted, ringed or similar featured nails (14) which are hammered both into the wall comprised by the floor (1) and into the top wall of the feet (2) on which the floor (1) rests.

3. Pallet according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the tube (3) component of the feet (2) has a rectangular cross section, folding being done along the main faces.

4. Pallet according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the floor (1) is consolidated to the folded section (6) of the tube (3) which are opposite its unfolded mid-section (4).

5. Pallet according to claim 4, characterized in that the unfolded mid-section (4) of the tube (3) is at least partially flattened over its length.

6. Pallet according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each foot (2) comprises at least a second tube (9) which is symmetrically folded once at right angles to each side so as to form a U-shaped element set between the folded extremities of the forst tube (3) with its wings consolidated to the unfolded mid-section (4) of this first tube.

7. Pallet according to claim 6, characterized in that the wings (11) of the second tube (9) are respectively adjacent to the folded extremities (7) of the first tube (3).

8. Pallet according to claim 7, characterized in that the wings (11) of the second tube (9) are respectively set apart from the folded extremities (7) of the first tube (3).

9. Pallet according to one of the claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the folded sections (6) of the first tube (3) opposite its unfolded mid-section and the unfolded core (10) of the second tube (9) are consolidated to a base plate that can be used as a floor.

10. Pallet according to claim 9, characterized in that the elements (12) of the base plate are chamfered.

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