Paperboard load-supporting pallet

Claim 2

A paperboard load-supporting pallet, comprising: a flat deck formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard; a plurality of runners extending in a longitudinal direction and attached to the bottom surface of said deck; each of said runners being formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard and each of said runners including a plurality of spaced, parallel corrugation sections; each of said corrugation sections including a flat section A attached to said deck, two leg sections B each connected to opposite ends of said flat section, and radius of curvature sections C each having a transverse axis; and said paperboard runners having a main grain direction in which a majority of the paperboard fibers extend in said longitudinal direction and perpendicular to said transverse axes to provide substantially improved structural rigidity to said runners.

Claim 3

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein at least two separate runners are attached to the bottom surface of said deck.

Claim 4

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein three separate runners are attached to the bottom surface of said deck.

Claim 5

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein the length of said flat section A is equal to between one-third and two-thirds of the length of a leg section B.

Claim 6

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein the radius of a radius of curvature section C is equal to between one-eighth and one-fourth of the length of a leg section B.

Claim 7

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said runners are attached to said deck by glue.

Claim 8

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said runners are attached to said deck by rivets.

Claim 9

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said paperboard layers of said runners are adhered together by glue.

Claim 10

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said paperboard layers of said deck are adhered together by glue.

Claim 11

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said deck is surrounded by a rail member.

Claim 12

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said leg sections B and said radius of curvature sections C cooperate to form a curved contact area over which the weight of a load on the pallet is distributed.

Claim 13

A paperboard pallet according to claim 1, wherein said paperboard fibers extend in said longitudinal direction of the runner at a ratio of substantially three to one.

Claim 14

A runner for a paperboard load-supporting pallet, wherein said pallet includes a deck formed of a plurality of paperboard layers, and wherein one or more of said runners are to be attached to spaced-apart locations on the bottom surface of said deck, comprising: said runner being formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard and including a plurality of spaced, parallel corrugation sections; each of said corrugation sections including a flat section A for attachment to the bottom surface of said deck, two leg sections B each connected to opposite ends of said flat section, and radius of curvature sections C each having a transverse axis; and said paperboard runner having a main grain direction in which a majority of the paperboard fibers extend perpendicular to said transverse axes to provide substantially improved structural rigidity to said runner.

Claim 15

A runner for a paperboard load-supporting pallet, wherein said pallet includes a deck formed of a plurality of paperboard layers, and wherein one or more of said runners are to be attached to spaced-apart locations on the bottom surface of said deck, comprising: said runner being formed of a plurality of layers of paperboard and including a plurality of spaced, parallel corrugation sections; each of said corrugation sections including a flat section A for attachment to the bottom surface of said deck, two leg sections B each connected to opposite ends of said flat section, and radius of curvature sections C each having a transverse axis; and said paperboard runner having a main grain direction in which a majority of the paperboard fibers extend perpendicular to said transverse axes to provide substantially improved structural rigidity to said runner.

Claim 16

A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein the length of said flat section A is equal to between one-third and two-thirds of the length of a leg section B.

Claim 17

A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein the radius of a radius of curvature section C is equal to between one-eighth and one-fourth of the length of said leg section B.

Claim 18

A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein the paperboard layers of said runner are adhered together by glue.

Claim 19

A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein said runner is formed of at least five layers of paperboard material adhered together by glue.

Claim 20

A runner in accordance with claim 13, wherein said paperboard fibers extend in the grain direction of the runner at a ratio of substantially three to one.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes forming the length of said flat section A so that it is equal to between one-third and two-thirds of the length of said leg section B.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes forming the radius of curvature sections C such that they are equal to between one-eighth and one-fourth of the length of said leg section B.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of attaching is performed by gluing said runners and deck to each other.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of attaching includes riveting said deck and runners to each other.

Claim 27

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said deck includes adhering said paperboard layers together by glue.

Claim 28

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes adhering said paperboard layers together by glue.

Claim 29

A method according to claim 19, further including the step of surrounding the upper surface of said deck with a rail member.

Claim 30

A method according to claim 19, further including scoring the bottom surface of said deck to form a rail member for surrounding said deck.

Claim 31

A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of forming said runners includes having the paperboard fibers extend in the main grain direction of the runner at a ratio of substantially three to one.