Pallet construction for increased density of loading

Claim 2

A pallet structure for the simultaneous loading of a plurality of devices comprising, in combination, a plurality of skids each of which has a raised horizontal platform for supporting one of said devices, and a master pallet having a plurality of skid receiving pockets each of which detachably receives one of said skids and is at least partially defined by vertical wall portions which interfere with and restrain displacement of said skid in a horizontal direction relative to said master pallet, said plurality of skids being detachably nested in said pockets side-by-side in a horizontal plane on said master pallet so that at least one side of each skid is closely contiguous the side of another skid on said master pallet to thereby minimize the storage space occupied by said master pallet with said plurality of skids nested thereon, whereby said plurality of skids may be simultaneously lifted together with said master pallet by a fork lift truck for transportation and said skids may also be used separately for distribution of the devices supported thereon.

Claim 3

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 1 and including cooperating surface means on said master pallet and on each said skid for restraining vertical movement of said skid relative to said master pallet.

Claim 4

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 1 having cooperating surface means on said master pallet and on each said skid for restraining movement of said skid relative to said master pallet in two horizontal directions orthogonal to each other and including a horizontal support member releasably secured to said master pallet so that it partially defines said pocket in which said skid is received.

Claim 5

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said skid receiving pockets in said master pallet is partially defined by a pair of spaced parallel vertical wall portions and each said skid has a pair of depending parallel leg portions fitting between said vertical wall portions and spaced apart to receive the fork of a lift truck inserted therebetween and beneath said horizontal platform, and wherein said master pallet has a horizontally extending opening to each said skid receiving pocket permitting insertion of said lift truck fork beneath said platform of said skid nested within said pocket.

Claim 6

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said master pallet has a plurality of said skid receiving pockets in a longitudinal direction and also has a plurality of said pockets in a transverse direction and said plurality of skids are releasably nested end-to-end and side-by-side on said master pallet in the same horizontal plane so that one side of each skid is closely adjacent the side of another said skid in said longitudinal direction and another side thereof is closely adjacent the side of another skid in said transverse direction.

Claim 7

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 1 and including a plurality of devices each of which is adapted to be supported on one of said skids and has a component projecting horizontally therefrom beyond the upper surface of said skid when it is so supported, and means for securing one of said devices on each of said skids nested on said master pallet so that said projecting component is in noninterfering relation with the projecting component on the device secured to an adjacent skid.

Claim 8

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein said cooperating surface means prevent movement of each said skid relative to said master pallet in three directions orthogonal to each other and includes a horizontal support member partially defining said pocket in which said skid is received and beIng releasably secured to said master pallet.

Claim 9

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 4 wherein each said pair of spaced vertical wall portions on said master pallet comprise a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinal stringers which partially define at least two of said skid receiving pockets and wherein said depending parallel leg portions on each said skid comprise a pair of parallel spaced apart longitudinal side runners adapted to fit between said longitudinal stringers on said master pallet to restrain horizontal movement of said skid relative to said master pallet in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal stringers.

Claim 10

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 4 and including cooperating surface means on said master pallet and on each said skid for restraining movement of said skid in a vertical direction relative to said master pallet.

Claim 11

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 8 wherein said master pallet has a horizontal support member transverse to and affixed to the upper surface of said longitudinal stringers and wherein the ends of said side runners of said skids are adapted to fit beneath said horizontal support member to restrain upward movement of said skids relative to said master pallet.

Claim 12

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 4 wherein said master pallet includes at least three parallel longitudinal stringers spaced apart in a transverse direction and each adjacent pair of said stringers partially define at least two of said skid receiving pockets in a direction longitudinal of said master pallet.

Claim 13

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 10 wherein said horizontal platform on each said skid is defined by a plurality of deck boards affixed to said side runners and said deck boards on each said skid are adapted to abut against said horizontal support member on said master pallet to restrain horizontal displacement of said skid relative to said master pallet in a direction parallel to said longitudinal stringers.

Claim 14

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 12 wherein said deck boards of each said skid extend beyond said side runners and rest upon said longitudinal stringers of said master pallet.

Claim 15

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 13 and including a plurality of transverse horizontal end members each of which is releasably attached to the upper surface of said longitudinal stringers at the end of each said skid remote from said horizontal support member and being disposed above said side runners of said skid, said horizontal support member and each said transverse end member being approximately in the same horizontal plane as said deck boards of each skid nested on said master pallet, whereby minimum storage space in a vertical direction is occupied by said master pallet with said plurality of skids nested thereon and restrained from movement relative to said master pallet in three mutually orthogonal directions.

Claim 16

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 14 wherein said master pallet includes at least three parallel longitudinal stringers spaced apart in a transverse direction and each pair of adjacent stringers partially defines at least two of said skid receiving pockets on said master pallet and wherein said horizontal support member and said end members extend in said transverse direction above all of said longitudinal stringers.

Claim 17

A pallet structure for the simultaneous fork truck loading of a plurality of devices comprising, in combination, a plurality of skids each of which has a pair of spaced horizontal longitudinal side runners and a plurality of transverse deck boards affixed to the upper edge of said side runners so that said side runners extend beyond said deck boards, and a master pallet having a plurality of spaced apart elongated longitudinal stringers, a transverse horizontal support member disposed above and affixed to the upper edge of said longitudinal stringers midway of their ends, adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet being spaCed a greater distance than said side runners of said skids, said plurality of skids being releasably nestable in said master pallet side-by-side in the same horizontal plane with said side runners disposed between said longitudinal stringers and with the extending ends of said side runners disposed beneath said transverse support member, whereby said plurality of skids may be simultaneously lifted together with said master pallet by a fork lift truck for transportation and said skids may also be used separately for distribution of the devices supported thereon.

Claim 18

A pallet structure for the simultaneous fork truck loading of a plurality of devices comprising, in combination, a plurality of skids each of which has a pair of spaced horizontal longitudinal side runners and a plurality of transverse deck boards affixed to the upper edge of said side runners so that said side runners extend beyond said deck boards, and a master pallet having a plurality of spaced apart elongated longitudinal stringers, a transverse horizontal support member disposed above and affixed to the upper edge of said longitudinal stringers midway of their ends, adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet being spaCed a greater distance than said side runners of said skids, said plurality of skids being releasably nestable in said master pallet side-by-side in the same horizontal plane with said side runners disposed between said longitudinal stringers and with the extending ends of said side runners disposed beneath said transverse support member, whereby said plurality of skids may be simultaneously lifted together with said master pallet by a fork lift truck for transportation and said skids may also be used separately for distribution of the devices supported thereon.

Claim 19

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 16 wherein a plurality of said skids are nestable end-to-end in said master pallet and including a pair of elongated transverse flat end boards each of which is positioned above said longitudinal stringers adjacent the ends thereof in the same horizontal plane as said desk boards and above the extending portion of the side runners of at least one of said skids, and means for releasably securing said transverse end boards to said longitudinal stringers of said master pallet, whereby said desk boards of each skids abut against said transverse end boards and movement if said skids longitudinally and laterally and vertically relative to said master pallet is prevented.

Claim 20

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 17 wherein a pair of skids are nestable end-to-end between each pair of adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet with the extending ends of said side runners of said pair of skids disposed beneath said transverse support board and a plurality of said skids are nestable in said master pallet side-by-side in a transverse direction and each of said transverse end boards is positioned above the extending portions of the side runners of a plurality of side-by-side skids.

Claim 21

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 16 for loading on the bed of a truck trailer wherein the transverse dimension of said master pallet is approximately equal to the fraction 1/n of the width of said trailer bed, where n is an integer.

Claim 22

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 16 wherein said master pallet has a central and two side longitudinal stringers with said central stringer spaced from each of said side stringers a greater distance than the spacing of said side runners of said skids and four of said skids are nestable on said master pallet in the same horizontal plane with a pair of said skids disposed end-to-end between said central longitudinal stringer and each said side longitudinal stringer and with the extending ends of said side runners of each of said four skids disposed beneath said transverse support board.

Claim 23

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 16 wherein said master pallet has a plurality of flat horizontal transverse base boards disposed beneath and affixed adjacent their ends to said longitudinal stringers and wherein said base boards are spaced apart in a direction longitudinal of said stringers and said side runners of each said skid are disposed above said base boards.

Claim 24

A pallet structure for the simultaneous loading of a plurality of devices comprising, in combination, a plurality of skids each of which has a pair of spaced horizontal parallel longitudinal side runners and a plurality of transverse deck boards affixed to the upper edge of said side runners to that said deck boards extend beyond said side runners and said runners extend beyond said deck boards, and a master pallet comprising a plurality of flat horizontal transverse floor boards affixed adjacent their ends to a plurality of spaced apart elongated parallel longitudinal stringers disposed above said floor boards, a transverse flat horizontal support board disposed above and affixed to the upper edge of said longitudinal stringers midway of their ends, adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet being spaced a greater distance than said side runners of said skids, said plurality of skids being releasably nestable in said masTer pallet end-to-end in the same horizontal plane with said side runners disposed between said longitudinal stringers and above said floor boards and with the extending ends of said side runners disposed beneath said transverse support board and with the extending ends of said deck boards resting upon adjacent longitudinal stringers, whereby said plurality of skids may be lifted simultaneously together with said master pallet by a fork lift truck for transportation and said skids may also be used separately for distribution of the devices supported thereon.

Claim 25

A pallet structure for the simultaneous loading of a plurality of devices comprising, in combination, a plurality of skids each of which has a pair of spaced horizontal parallel longitudinal side runners and a plurality of transverse deck boards affixed to the upper edge of said side runners to that said deck boards extend beyond said side runners and said runners extend beyond said deck boards, and a master pallet comprising a plurality of flat horizontal transverse floor boards affixed adjacent their ends to a plurality of spaced apart elongated parallel longitudinal stringers disposed above said floor boards, a transverse flat horizontal support board disposed above and affixed to the upper edge of said longitudinal stringers midway of their ends, adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet being spaced a greater distance than said side runners of said skids, said plurality of skids being releasably nestable in said masTer pallet end-to-end in the same horizontal plane with said side runners disposed between said longitudinal stringers and above said floor boards and with the extending ends of said side runners disposed beneath said transverse support board and with the extending ends of said deck boards resting upon adjacent longitudinal stringers, whereby said plurality of skids may be lifted simultaneously together with said master pallet by a fork lift truck for transportation and said skids may also be used separately for distribution of the devices supported thereon.

Claim 26

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 24 and including a pair of transverse end boards each of which is positioned above one end of said longitudinal stringers of said master pallet and also above said side runners of at least one of said skids, and means for releasably securing each of said transverse end boards to said longitudinal stringers of said master pallet.

Claim 27

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 25 wherein each of said skids has a pair of spaced side runners disposed inwardly of a pair of adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet and extending beneath said transverse horizontal support member and a plurality of transverse deck boards affixed to the upper edge of said side runners and protruding beyond said side runners and resting on the upper edge of said pair of adjacent longitudinal stringers of said master pallet.

Claim 28

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 26 wherein each said master pallet includes a plurality of flat horizontal transverse floor boards affixed to a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal stringers disposed above said floor boards and a transverse flat horizontal support member disposed above and affixed to the upper edge of said longitudinal stringers midway of their length.

Claim 29

A pallet structure having a plurality of master pallets as defined in claim 6 positioned side-by-side on a vehicle bed, the width of each of said master pallets being approximately equal to the fraction 1/n of the width of said vehicle bed, where n is an integer greater than one, and the width of each of said skids as defined in claim 28 being approximately equal to the fraction 1/y of the width of said master pallet on which it is secured, where y is an integer greater than one.

Claim 30

A pallet structure in accordance with claim 22 and including a plurality of transverse horizontal end members each of which is detachably affixed to the upper surface of said longitudinal stringers at the end of each said skid remote from said horizontal support member and being disposed above the side runners of said skid in approximately the same horizontal plane as said deck boards of said skid.