Wood and metal pallet

Claim 1

In a partially wood and partially metal pallet adapted for support by the tines of a forklift, said pallet including spaced and substantially parallel upper and lower platforms of wood and three substantially parallel and rigid metal cross beams disposed between and fixedly interconnecting said upper and lower platforms, two of said cross beams comprising elongated end beams disposed adjacent and extending substantially along the opposite edges of said pallet, and said other cross beam comprising a central beam disposed between said two end beams and extending substantially along the median axis of said pallet, comprising the improvement wherein said center beam comprises two spaced and substantially parallel cross bars located on opposite sides of said median axis and spaced a predetermined distance from each other, each of said cross bars being elongated and extending between and fixedly connected to the upper and lower platforms, each of said cross bars and end beams being identical and comprising an elongated metal member extending continuously throughout the length of the pallet and having substantially parallel upper and lower flanges and a single platelike web portion extending transversely between said flanges, the upper and lower flanges being fixed to the upper and lower platforms respectively, each of said cross bars and end beams having a pair of longitudinally spaced opening means extending transversely through the respective web portion thereof, the opening means in the end beams and cross bars being aligned to permit the tines of a forklift to be inserted between the upper and lower platforms of the pallet in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinally extending direction of the cross beams, and each said opening means comprising a recess formed in each said elongated metal member and extending upwardly from the respective lower edge thereof and terminating at a location spaced downwardly from the upper flange of the respective metal member.