US3710733A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Integrated reinforced plastic unit and method and apparatus for making the same
Assignee: PLASTEEL IND Inc
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Filing: 1971-03-02
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Granted: 1973-01-16
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Expires: 1991-03-02
Abstract
Abstract An integrated plastic unit and molding or thermoforming process and apparatus for producing the plastic unit from heated thermoplastic sheet material, such as polyethylene. The heated thermoplastic sheet material is placed over reinforcing forming members disposed on spacers which space the reinforcing forming members from the face of a mold, and the reinforcing members extend over substantially the entire face of the mold. The heated sheet material is then forced over the reinforcing forming members and over the face of the mold, such as by vacuum forming, to provide a generally flat surface extending in one plane and a bridging or web surface encapsulating the reinforcing forming members to provide a fused ribbed substructure of the thermoplastic sheet material reinforced by the forming members extending in a plane generally perpendicular to the flat surface. The reinforcing forming members may be metal members such as bars, wire, strip or rods, arranged in a grid-like network. The mold may be flat or of bowed configuration. The product is particularly utilized as a pallet for transportation by forklift trucks in which event legs are provided for the unit.
Inventors
- 👤 W Story
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 11:16
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04C; E04C2/00; E04C2/30; E04C2/32; B; B65; B65D; B65D19/00; B65D19/0004; B65D19/0006; B65D19/0008; B65D19/001; B65D19/0014; B65D19/0018; E04C2/02; E04C2/10; E04C2/20; E04C2/22; B65D2519/00; B65D2519/00004; B65D2519/00009; B65D2519/00014; B65D2519/00034; B65D2519/00049; B65D2519/00069; B65D2519/00258; B65D2519/00263; B65D2519/00268; B65D2519/00283; B65D2519/00288; B65D2519/00313; B65D2519/00318; B65D2519/00328; B65D2519/00338; B65D2519/00398; B65D2519/00402; B65D2519/00412; B65D2519/00432; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S108/00; Y10S108/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
An integrated reinforced plastic unit which comprises generally rigid reinforcing forming means, a one-piece preformed thermoplastic sheet of material assembled with said reinforcing forming means with the first portion of said sheet material extending in opposite directions in a plane parallel to and spaced from the reinforcing forming means and overlying said reinforcing forming means to provide the outer surface of said first portion as an exposed working surface, and a second portion of the thermoplastic material encapsulating the reinforcing forming means and providing fused ribs of the material extending from the reinforcing forming means in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first named portion and to the reinforcing forming means, said fused ribs combining with the reinforcing forming means to supply rigidity to the plastic unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
An integrated reinforced plastic unit which comprises generally rigid reinforcing forming means, a one-piece preformed thermoplastic sheet of material assembled with said reinforcing forming means with the first portion of said sheet material extending in opposite directions in a plane parallel to and spaced from the reinforcing forming means and overlying said reinforcing forming means to provide the outer surface of said first portion as an exposed working surface, and a second portion of the thermoplastic material encapsulating the reinforcing forming means and providing fused ribs of the material extending from the reinforcing forming means in a plane substantially perpendicular to the first named portion and to the reinforcing forming means, said fused ribs combining with the reinforcing forming means to supply rigidity to the plastic unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
The integrated plastic unit of claim 1 in which the reinforcing forming means are members assembled in a criss-crossed configuration, and fillets of the sheet material provided at the crisscrossed areas of the members between the first and second portions of the sheet of material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The integrated plastic unit of claim 1, in which the reinforced plastic unit is a pallet and the reinforcing forming means are members assembled in a crisscrossed configuration.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The integrated plastic unit of claim 1, in which the reinforced plastic unit is a pallet and the reinforcing forming means are metal members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The integrated plastic unit of claim 3, in which the reinforcing forming means are metal members which are welded together at the areas where they cross each other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The integrated plastic unit of claim 1, in which the reinforced plastic unit is a pallet and the reinforcing forming means are of non-metallic material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The integrated plastic unit of claim 1, in which the thermoplastic material is polyethylene, and supporting legs integrally molded as a part of the first-named portion of the material and projecting substantially perpendicular thereto a relatively short distance therefrom to provide the plastic unit for use as a pallet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
A loading pallet comprising metal reinforcing members assembled in a crisscross configuration, a one-piece thermoformed sheet of thermoplastic material with one portion encapsulating the reinforcing members and extending therefrom to a second portion of the sheet having a generally flat configuration with fused ribs of the sheet material disposed between the encapsulating portion of the sheet material and the generally flat portion, and fillets of the sheet material provided at the crisscross areas of the reinforcing members between the first-named portion of the material and the generally flat portions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
A loading pallet comprising metal reinforcing members assembled in a crisscross configuration, a one-piece thermoformed sheet of thermoplastic material with one portion encapsulating the reinforcing members and extending therefrom to a second portion of the sheet having a generally flat configuration with fused ribs of the sheet material disposed between the encapsulating portion of the sheet material and the generally flat portion, and fillets of the sheet material provided at the crisscross areas of the reinforcing members between the first-named portion of the material and the generally flat portions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-16 | 1976-07-17 | 1977-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-16 | 1980-07-17 | 1981-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-16 | 1984-07-17 | 1985-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |