Pallet for gas cylinders and the like

Claim 2

A pallet for supporting and transporting vertically elongated articles in their upright position, comprising a rigid baseplate for supporting said articles, means, attached to the upper face of said baseplate, providing a pair of parallel tunnels which extend along opposite side edges of said upper face and which are spaced to receive the tines of a forklift truck, said articles being accommodated by said baseplate in the space between said tunnels; means secured to the top of one of said tunnels providing a framework at one side of said baseplate for restricting the lateral movement of the upper ends of said articles; and means secured to the top of the other of said tunnels providing a framework at the other side of said baseplate for restricting the lateral movement of the upper ends of said articles.

Claim 3

Structure according to claim 1, wherein the first-mentioned means comprises a pair of inverted channel-shaped members secured to the upper face of said baseplate one at each respective side edge thereof.

Claim 4

Structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the second-mentioned and third-mentioned means comprises a pair of upstanding columnar members secured at their lower ends to respective opposite eNds of the corresponding tunnel, and a framing member extending substantially parallel to the length of the tunnel and secured at its ends respectively to the upper ends of the corresponding columnar members.

Claim 5

Structure according to claim 1, wherein the first-mentioned means comprises a pair of inverted channel-shaped members welded to the upper face of said baseplate one at each respective side edge thereof; and wherein each of the second-mentioned and third-mentioned means comprises a pair of upstanding columnar members secured at their lower ends to respective opposite ends of the corresponding channel-shaped member, and a framing member extending substantially parallel to the length of the channel-shaped member and secured at its ends respectively to the upper ends of the corresponding columnar members.

Claim 6

Structure of claim 1, including also a rigid retaining member coupled to both of said frameworks and extending across the space therebetween, thereby to restrict movement of the upper ends of said articles in a direction parallel to the lengths of the tunnels.

Claim 7

Structure set forth in claim 5, wherein said retaining member is movable between an operative position wherein it extends across the space between said frameworks an an inoperative position wherein it lies outside of said space.

Claim 8

Structure set forth in claim 5, wherein the tunnel providing means comprises a pair of inverted channel-shaped members secured to the upper face of said base plate one at each respective side edge thereof.

Claim 9

Structure set forth in claim 5, wherein the tunnel providing means comprises a pair of inverted channel-shaped members welded to the upper face of said baseplate one at each respective side edge thereof; and wherein each of the framework providing means comprises a pair of upstanding columnar members secured at their lower ends to respective opposite ends of the corresponding channel-shaped member, and a framing member extending substantially parallel to the length of the channel-shaped member and secured at its ends respectively to the upper ends of the corresponding columnar members.

Claim 10

Structure of claim 1, including also a plurality of spaced, parallel rigid retaining members each coupled to both of said frameworks and extending across the space therebetween, thereby to restrict movement of the upper ends of said articles in a direction parallel to the lengths of the tunnels.

Claim 11

Structure set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said retaining members is individually movable between an operative position wherein it extends across the space between said frameworks and an inoperative position wherein it lies outside of said space.

Claim 12

A pallet for supporting and transporting vertically elongated articles in their upright position, comprising a rigid baseplate; means, attached to the upper face of said baseplate, providing a pair of parallel tunnel configurations for receiving the tines of a forklift truck; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of one of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member secured at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said upright members, said side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of the other of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member secured at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said last-mentioned upright members, said last-mentioned side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; and a rigid retaining member coupled to both of said side members and extending across the space therebetween, said retaining member being movable between an operative position wherein it extends across the space between said side members and an inoperative position wherEin it lies outside of said space.

Claim 13

A pallet for supporting and transporting vertically elongated articles in their upright position, comprising a rigid baseplate; means, attached to the upper face of said baseplate, providing a pair of parallel tunnel configurations for receiving the tines of a forklift truck; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of one of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member secured at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said upright members, said side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of the other of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member secured at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said last-mentioned upright members, said last-mentioned side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; and a rigid retaining member coupled to both of said side members and extending across the space therebetween, said retaining member being movable between an operative position wherein it extends across the space between said side members and an inoperative position wherEin it lies outside of said space.

Claim 14

A pallet for supporting and transporting vertically elongated articles in their upright position, comprising a rigid baseplate; means, attached to the upper face of said baseplate, providing a pair of parallel tunnel configurations for receiving the tines of a forklift truck; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of one of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member secured at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said upright members, said side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of the other of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member welded at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said last-mentioned upright members, said last-mentioned side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; and a plurality of spaced, parallel rigid retaining members each coupled to both of said side members and extending across the space therebetween, each of said retaining members being individually movable between an operative position wherein it extends across the space between said side members and an inoperative position wherein it lies outside of said space.

Claim 15

A pallet for supporting and transporting vertically elongated articles in their upright position, comprising a rigid baseplate; means, attached to the upper face of said baseplate, providing a pair of parallel tunnel configurations for receiving the tines of a forklift truck; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of one of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member secured at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said upright members, said side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; a pair of parallel rigid elongated upright members having their lower ends fixedly mounted with respect to said baseplate, one member at each end of the other of said tunnel configurations; a rigid elongated side member welded at its opposite ends respectively to the upper ends of said last-mentioned upright members, said last-mentioned side member extending generally parallel to said tunnel configurations; and a plurality of spaced, parallel rigid retaining members each coupled to both of said side members and extending across the space therebetween, each of said retaining members being individually movable between an operative position wherein it extends across the space between said side members and an inoperative position wherein it lies outside of said space.