Plastic pallet

Claim 2

In a plastic pallet construction, top and bottom decks separated by a plurality of spaced columns, each of said decks comprising a unitary structure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, said upper and lower surfaces defining a unitary enclosure therebetween in which all parts of the enclosure communicate with other parts of enclosure, and parallel recessed channels in both of said surfaces, the bottom portions of the channels in one surface being welded to the bottom portions of the channels in the other surface at spaced points along their lengths.

Claim 3

In a pallet construction, top and bottom decks separated by and interlocked by a plurality of spaced columns, each of said decks comprising a unitary structure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, said upper and lower surfaces defining a unitary enclosure therebetween in which all parts of the enclosure communicate with other parts of the enclosure, and parallel recessed channels in both of said surfaces, the channels in one surface being perpendicular to those in the other surface with the bottom portions of the channels in one surface being welded to the bottom portions of the channels in the other surface at spaced points along their lengths.

Claim 4

In a pallet construction, top and bottom decks separated by and interlocked by a plurality of spaced columns, each of said decks comprising a unitary structure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, said upper and lower surfaces defining a unitary enclosure therebetween in which all parts of the enclosure communicate with other parts of the enclosure, and parallel recessed channels in both of said surfaces, the channels in one surface being perpendicular to those in the other surface with the bottom portions of the channels in one surface being welded to the bottom portions of the channels in the other surface at spaced points along their lengths.

Claim 5

In a pallet construction as defined in claim 2 wherein said decks are rectangular in configuration and said channels extend diagonally to the side edges of the decks.

Claim 6

In a pallet construction as defined in claim 2 including a plurality of cuplike portions on said top deck and on said bottom deck, said cuplike portions being located on the facing surfaces of said top and bottom decks with the cuplike portions on the top deck being axially aligned and in registry with the cuplike portions on the bottom deck, each of said spaced columns comprising a tubular member having opposite end portions releasably secured to said respective axially aligned cuplike portions on said top and bottom decks respectively thereby releasably interlocking said top and bottom decks.

Claim 7

In a pallet construction as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said cuplike portions have an undercut portion and said opposite end portions of said tubular members have edge portions arranged to be received in said undercut portions.

Claim 8

In a pallet construction as defined in claim 5 wherein said cuplike portions and said tubular members are arranged so as to allow four way entry of fork lift apparatus between said top and bottom decks.

Claim 9

A load-bearing pallet comprising a. vertically spaced apart top and bottom deck members, said deck members each comprising a blow molded, thermoplastic unitary structure defining an enclosure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces having a plurality of parallel recessed channels with the channels in one of said surfaces being perpendicular to those in the other surface and with the bottom portions of the channels in one surface being welded to the bottom portions of the channels in the other surface at a central plane and at spaced points along their lengths, b. a plurality of cuplike portions on said top deck member and on said bottom deck member, said cuplike portions being located on the facing surfaces of said top and bottom deck members with the cuplike portions on the top deck member being axially aligned and in registry with the cuplike portions on the bottom deck member, and c. a plurality of vertically oriented hollow tubular column members, each of said column members having opposite end portions secured to said respective axially aligned cuplike portions on said top and bottom deck members respectively.

Claim 10

A load-bearing pallet comprising a. vertically spaced apart top and bottom deck members, said deck members each comprising a blow molded, thermoplastic unitary structure defining an enclosure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces having a plurality of parallel recessed channels with the channels in one of said surfaces being perpendicular to those in the other surface and with the bottom portions of the channels in one surface being welded to the bottom portions of the channels in the other surface at a central plane and at spaced points along their lengths, b. a plurality of cuplike portions on said top deck member and on said bottom deck member, said cuplike portions being located on the facing surfaces of said top and bottom deck members with the cuplike portions on the top deck member being axially aligned and in registry with the cuplike portions on the bottom deck member, and c. a plurality of vertically oriented hollow tubular column members, each of said column members having opposite end portions secured to said respective axially aligned cuplike portions on said top and bottom deck members respectively.

Claim 11

A load-bearing pallet as defined in claim 7 wherein each of said deck members are rectangular in configuration and said channels extend diagonally to the side edges of said deck members and wherein each of said cuplike portions have an undercut portion and said opposite end portions of said tubular column members have edge portions arranged to be received in said undercut portions.

Claim 12

A load-bearing pallet as defined in claim 8 wherein said cuplike portions and said column members are arranged so as to allow four-way insertion of lifting members into the space between the upper and lower deck members.

Claim 13

A load-bearing pallet comprising a. spaced-apart top and bottom deck members, said deck members each comprising a blow-molded, thermoplastic unitary structure defining an enclosure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces having a plurality of parallel recessed channels, b. a plurality of cuplike portions on said top deck member and on said bottom deck member, said cuplike portions being located on the facing surfaces of said top and bottom deck members with the cuplike portions on the top deck member being axially aligned and in registry with the cuplike portions on the bottom deck member, and c. a plurality of tubular column members, each of said column members having opposite end portions secured to said respective axially aligned cuplike portions on said top and bottom deck members respectively.

Claim 14

A load-bearing pallet comprising a. spaced-apart top and bottom deck members, said deck members each comprising a blow-molded, thermoplastic unitary structure defining an enclosure having upper and lower generally parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces having a plurality of parallel recessed channels, b. a plurality of cuplike portions on said top deck member and on said bottom deck member, said cuplike portions being located on the facing surfaces of said top and bottom deck members with the cuplike portions on the top deck member being axially aligned and in registry with the cuplike portions on the bottom deck member, and c. a plurality of tubular column members, each of said column members having opposite end portions secured to said respective axially aligned cuplike portions on said top and bottom deck members respectively.