Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a recyclable
paperboard pallet and a method of fabricating same, and
further wherein solid paperboard cylinders are secured
in cylinder-receiving holes formed in one of the blanks
utilized to form a top support platform and optionally
also in a bottom support platform.
BACKGROUND ART
It is well known in the art to fabricate pallets
from paperboard products and, as an example thereof,
one such pallet is described in U.S. Patent 3,464,371.
However, in such pallets staples and glue are often
used to interconnect pallet pieces together although
some of the patents may not show such staples. In U.S.
Patent 3,407,758 there is also disclosed a cardboard
pallet incorporating support posts therein which are
formed of defective metal containers in order to find a
use for such containers. It is also frequent in the
construction of cardboard pallets to utilize
reinforcing lumber pieces, such as disclosed in U.S.
Patent 4,863,024. The construction of such pallets
make it substantially impossible to recycle them and to
make other or similar paperboard products therefrom.
Another disadvantage of paperboard pallets is that some
of these are not very strong, are difficult and time
consuming to construct, and have limited applications.
Furthermore, these pallets are often heavy and the use
of wood therein makes it dangerous to the hands of the
user in that splinters can locate themselves in the
fingers of the user. These pallets are also usually of
a single rectangular shape and it is difficult to make
pallets of different shapes due to the fact that
support legs are formed from a single sheet of
cardboard material which is simply bent over along
parallel fold lines to form hollow rectangular
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cylinders to act as legs and these are then fortified
by using wood or other stronger materials.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to
provide a completely recyclable paperboard pallet and a
method to fabricate same which substantially overcomes
the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide a completely recyclable paperboard pallet which
is lightweight and which is capable of carrying heavy
loads of over 2~ tons, and wherein the pallet can be
constructed with a variety of shapes and paperboard
material weights, and in a fast and efficient manner
thereby reducing the cost of the pallet.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides a method of
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fabricating a paperboard pallet which is entirely
recyclable. The method comprises cutting from a
cardboard material at least two support blanks to form
a flat support platform having at least two paperboard
layers. Cylinder-receiving holes are cut in one of the
support blanks at predetermined locations before the
flat support platform is formed. Glue is applied to a
surface of the other blank. The two blanks are then
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superimposed to bond them together with the surface
having glue thereon. An end of a plurality of
cylinders, constructed of solid paperboard material, is
positioned in a respective one of the cylinder~
receiving holes in the support blank having the holes `~
therein to contact the surface of the other blank on ;~
which glue has been applied to bond the cylinders into -~
the holes. The cylinders have free ends which, when
positioned on a support surface, maintain the support ~
platform elevated therefrom. `- ~;-
According to a further broad aspect of the
present invention a further bottom support platform,
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formed similarly to the top support platform, is
positioned at the free ends of these cylinders which
are received in cylinder-receiving holes of the second
blank thereby attaching the second blank to the
cylinders.
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According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention the support platforms are each formed
by cutting the two support blanks in a single sheet of
cardboard material with the blanks interconnected side
by side by a slit hinge line, and the blanks are then
folded together along that hinge line to interconnect
them together as above described.
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention the method comprises cutting from a
cardboard material two support surface blanks to form a
support platform. Glue is applied to a surface of one
of the blanks. The blanks are superimposed together to
bond them by the surface having glue thereon.
Cylinder-receiving cavities are embossed in one of the
support surface blanks at predetermined locations.
Glue is applied in the cylinder-receiving cavities. A
cylinder constructed of solid paperboard material is
then positioned in the cylinder-receiving cavities and
bonded therein by the glue. The cylinders have free
ends which, when positioned on a support surface,
maintain the support platform elevated therefrom.
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention there is provided an entirely
recyclable paperboard pallet which comprises a flat
support platform formed by two support blanks of
corrugated cardboard folded together along a hinge line
in superimposition and glued together. A bottom one of
the blanks has a plurality of cylinder-receiving
cavities formed therein at predetermined locations. A
solid paperboard cylinder is secured in each of the
cylinder-receiving cavities by glue to bond the
cylinder thereto. The cylinders have free ends which,
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when positioned on a support surface, maintain the -
support platform elevated therefrom. ~ -~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. l is a perspective view of an example of a
paperboard pallet constructed in accordance with the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing another
example of the paperboard pallet of Fig. l, and wherein
a bottom support platform has been secured to the -~
cylinders;
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of Fig. 2;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are plan views of a top support
platform showing each of the two support blanks used to
form the flat support platform of the present
invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a top support
platform showing the two support blanks formed from a
single cardboard material sheet and hingeable in
superimposition along a hinge linei ~- -
FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan views of the two
support blanks which are superimposed and glued
together to form a bottom support platform;
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the two support
blanks formed from a single cardboard sheet and
foldable in superimposition along a fold line to form a
bottom support platform;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the two
support blanks in the process of being folded together;
and ,
FIG. 9 is a fragmented cross-section view
showing the construction of a sùpport platform and how ~ - `
the cylinders are received in the cylinder-receiving
cavities. ~ `-
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings and more
particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown generally
at 10 and 10' two entirely recyclable paperboard
pallets constructed in accordance with the present
invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the pallet consists
essentially of a flat support platform 11 which is
supported elevated from a ground surface by a plurality
of cylinders 12 which are constructed from solid
paperboard material. The support platform 11 is
constructed of two or more corrugated cardboard layers -~
or blanks formed from each having at least two
corrugated layers bonded together. Solid paperboard
could also be used. ~-
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The pallet as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 further
comprises a bottom support platform 13 connected to the
opposed free ends 14 of the cylinders 12 in a manner as
will be described later. As shown in Fig. 3, the
bottom support platform 13 is further provided with a
plurality of clearance holes 15 to permit the passage
of portions of wheels (not shown) when the pallet is
lifted by a mechanically controlled lift dolly (not
shown), but well known in the art.
Referring now to Figs. 4 to 9 there will be
described the detailed construction of the pallets 10
and 10'. As shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, the support
platforms 11 and 13 are formed by two support
corrugated cardboard blanks 16 and 17 which are die-cut
to size. It is pointed out that, although this pallet
is of a substantially rectangular configuration, the
configuration thereof can be modified to substantially
any shape. Round pallets could be formed by cutting
round cardboard blanks and these are practical to
support paper rolls from mills. One of the blanks,
herein blank 16, has a plurality of cylinder-receiving
holes 18 cut thereacross, and these are positioned at
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predetermined locations, as herein shown, to provide
suitable weight transfer and distribution of a load
placed on the upper support platform 11 of the pallet.
- On the surface 17' of the other cardboard blank
S 17 glue is applied thereacross. Alternatively, glue
could be applied in glue strips 19 at locations which
will register with the cylinder-receiving holes 18 when
the surface 17, is superimposed in registry over the
cardboard blank 16. When these surfaces are
superimposed, as shown in Fig. 9, the glued surface 17
will appear at the bottom of the cavities 18, as shown
in Fig. 9. A plurality of the cylinders 12 are then
positioned within a respective one of the holes or
cavities 18 and will be retained therein by the glue 19
lS which is present on the bottom wall thereof. The
cylinders 12 are thus secured to the top support
platform 11 in an efficient and rapid manner.
As shown in Figs. 5 and 9, this top platform may
also be formed from a single sheet of cardboard
material 20 and the blanks 16 and 17 are interconnected
in side-by-side relationship by a slit hinge line 21.
Glue is applied to the surface 17', in the same manner
as previously discussed with reference with Fig. 4B,
and the blank 17 is folded over the blank 16 in the
manner as shown in Fig. 8. Again, glue may be applied
over the entire surface 17' or in strips 19, as
previously described.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrates the formation of the
bottom support platform 13 and it consists of similar
blanks 22 and 23, provided either in individual form as
shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, or interconnected together,
as shown in Fig. 7. As herein shown, the difference
between the top support platform 11 and the bottom
support platform 13 is that the blanks 22 and 23 may be
provided with the clearance holes 15 which extend
through both blanks. Once the bottom support platform
13 is formed, in like manner as the top support
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platform, the free ends 14 of the cylinders are
received in the cylinder-receiving holes 24 formed in
one of the blanks of the bottom support platform which
also have glue on the bottom wall thereof.
The method of fabrication can also be modified
wherein the cylinder-receiving holes 24 are formed
after the two blanks 16 and 17, or 22 and 23, are glued
together. The cylinder holes can then be embossed
within one of the blanks to form cylinder-receiving
cavities. In such a process it would then be necessary
to again apply glue in the cylinder-receiving cavities
at least about the periphery of the bottom wall of such
cavities so as to bond the cylinders therein. However,
the preferred method is to form the support platforms
with blanks being formed in a single sheet of
corrugated cardboard, as illustrated by Figs. 5, 6 and
7, and wherein the sheets are folded over one another.
- As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 9, the corrugations 25
extend along the longitudinal axis of the pallet
support platforms, and each layer of cardboard may
consist of a plurality of corrugated layers depending
on the strength required.
As shown in Figs. 4 to 8, the pallet may also
have a plurality of aligned strap-receiving grooves 26
(see Fig. 9) formed in the outer peripheral edges 27 of
the blanks. These grooves are defined by a pair of
transverse slits 28 and a bendable panel section 29,
disposed intermediate thereof between the slits 28 and
a perforated line 30 extending therebetween spaced
parallel and close to the peripheral edges 27.
Accordingly, when material needs to be strapped onto
the pallet, a strap is positioned adjacent the panel
section ~29 and the strap is tightened. As the strap
tightens the panel section 29 will fold inwardly and
the strap will be restricted from lateral movement by
the groove formed by the collapsing of the panel. The
opposed transverse slits 28 will then provide shoulders
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31 to prevent lateral movement of the straps. Similar
strap retraining grooves are also formed along the
hinge line 21, as shown in Fig. 7.
It is pointed out that with the present method
of construction of the recyclable cardboard pallet of
the present invention the strength characteristics of
the pallet can be varied depending on the requirement
of the user. For example, the strength and thickness
of the support platforms 11 and 13 may be varied by
lo using different grade corrugated or solid cardboard.
As well, the cylinders 14 may be hollow cylinders or
solid cylinders formed of solid cardboard material.
The configuration of the pallet can also be varied and
it can, for example, be rectangular, square, oval or
circular in outline. The average weight of pallets
constructed in accordance with the present invention
varies between about 12 lbs. to 20 lbs., and
accordingly these are easily manipulatable by the user.
It also does not use any wooden planks, and accordingly
there is no risk catching a splinter. Experiments have
shown that such a pallet can also support loads of 5000
lbs. or more and accordingly the pallet has a variety
of uses. The method of fabrication is also very fast
utilizing entirely recyclable products. It is also
conceivable that the platforms and the cylinders may be
treated or coated to resist humidity, although the
pallet of the present invention was conceived primarily
for interior use.
It is within the ambit of the present invention
to cover any other modifications, provided such
modifications fall within the scope of the appended
claims.
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