US5031776A — Pallet container having entryways for forklift pr…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 147 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, a top pallet member, and side pallet members, a combination of the bottom, side, and top pallet members providing a pallet container of rectangular configuration, the top, side and bottom-forming pallet members all having entryways for the prongs of a lift truck, the rectangular pallet container being banded together by external strapping which holds mating engagement means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, said mating engagement means being present along the entire length of the sides of the pallet members where they meet to form the four side corners of the rectangular container and being adapted to form a continuous mated engagement joint along the four side corners of the rectangular pallet container formed therefrom.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 147 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, a top pallet member, and side pallet members, a combination of the bottom, side, and top pallet members providing a pallet container of rectangular configuration, the top, side and bottom-forming pallet members all having entryways for the prongs of a lift truck, the rectangular pallet container being banded together by external strapping which holds mating engagement means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, said mating engagement means being present along the entire length of the sides of the pallet members where they meet to form the four side corners of the rectangular container and being adapted to form a continuous mated engagement joint along the four side corners of the rectangular pallet container formed therefrom.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the sides of the pallet members are configured so as to provide complementary male and female mating engagement means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the ends or sides of the pallet members are configured so as to provide male and female interlocks.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 41 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the pallet container comprises a top, bottom, sides, and a front and rear, and wherein the bottom-forming pallet member has entryways for the prongs of a lift truck at both its front and rear.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein internal support means are provided for supporting a load interior of said pallet container.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

A pallet container of claim 5, wherein the internal support means are provided with engaging means adapted to mate with complementary engaging means provided on pallet members interior of the pallet container.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

A pallet container of claim 6, wherein the engaging means comprises a male protuberance on the internal support means and a female depression on a surface of a pallet member interior of the container.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 35 words

A pallet container of claim 6, wherein said engagement between said internal support means and said pallet member is in the form of male protuberances in one member and female indentations in the other member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

A pallet container of claim 5, wherein the internal support means is provided in the form of sections adapted to mate with each other at corners of the pallet container.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

A pallet container of claim 9, wherein sections of the internal support means are adapted to lie against interior surfaces of the pallet container and to mate with each other at interior corners of the pallet container.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 44 words

A pallet container of claim 10, wherein the internal support means are angled at edges adapted to mate at corners of the pallet container so as to provide mating abutment thereof at junctures thereof internal of said pallet container and at interior corners thereof.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

A pallet container of claim 5, wherein said internal support means comprises mating engagement means adapted to mate with complementary mating engagement means provided in a pallet member against which said support means abuts, and complementary mating engagement means in said pallet member.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

A pallet container of claim 12, wherein interior walls of pallet members are provided with female mating engagement elements and the internal support means is provided with male mating engagement elements for mating engagement therewith.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 20 words

A pallet container of claim 1, comprising end wall means for providing a wall at an end of said container.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

A pallet container of claim 14, comprising also securing means for securing said end wall means with respect to a pallet member of said container.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 29 words

A pallet container of claim 15, wherein said securing means comprises slots or recesses in a plurality of pallet members of said container adapted to receive said wall means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 30 words

A pallet container of claim 16, wherein said securing means also comprises adapter or socket means for securement of said end wall means in said slot in said pallet member.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 31 words

A pallet container of claim 14, wherein the pallet container comprises a top, bottom, sides, and a front and rear, and comprising end walls at both the front and rear thereof.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 20 words

A pallet container of claim 1, comprising also preformed internal support means adapted to protect a load being transported therein.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 38 words

A pallet container of claim 1, comprising contoured external surfaces adapted to cooperate with similar external surfaces of abutting pallet containers of the same type, thereby to prevent excessive relative movement between abutting pallet containers during transportation thereof.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 45 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the pallet container comprises a top, bottom, sides front and rear, and wherein the bottom-forming pallet member comprises entryways for the insertion of prongs of a forklift therein from both the front and rear and from a side.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 11 words

A pallet container of claim 21, comprising also end wall means.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 42 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the pallet container comprises a top, bottom, sides, front and rear, and wherein all of the top, bottom, and side pallet members comprise entryways for the insertion of prongs of a forklift from a side.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 24 words

A pallet container of claim 23, wherein said entryways are provided in the form of depressions in the external surface of a pallet member.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 26 words

A pallet container of claim 24, wherein said entryways are provided in the form of suitable indentations in a molded external surface of a pallet member.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 21 words

A pallet container of claim 23, wherein said entryways are provided in the form of apertures into the pallet member itself.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 60 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein internal support members abut interior surfaces of all four pallet members and all internal support members are angled at their edges for mating abutment at the corners of the container, thereby not only to provide abutment of said interior support members but also to add structural support at the corners of said container.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 22 words

A pallet container of claim 1, comprising also variable and removable internal means for support or protection of a load being shipped.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 47 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom pallet members have identical side configurations and the side panels have identical side configurations, the one configuration being male and the other configuration being female, thereby to provide a mating engagement joint at the container corners.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 27 words

A pallet container of claim 29, there being only two types of engagement means, which engagement means are identical at both sides of the same pallet member.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 48 words

A pallet container of claim 1, wherein the bottom, top, and side pallet members of the pallet container have identical configurations at the opposite sides thereof which abut at each corner of the container, so as to provide identical mating engagement joints at the corners of the container.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 22 words

A pallet container of claim 31, wherein the mating engagement means is the same for all pallet members at both sides thereof.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 130 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, and additional pallet members, a combination of the bottom, and additional pallet members providing a pallet container of polygonal configuration, all said pallet members having entryways for insertion of the prongs of a lift truck, the rectangular pallet container being banded together by strapping which holds mating engagement means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, said mating engagement means being present along the entire length of the sides of the pallet members where they meet to form the corners of the container and being adapted to form a continuous joint along the corners of pallet container formed therefrom.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 130 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, and additional pallet members, a combination of the bottom, and additional pallet members providing a pallet container of polygonal configuration, all said pallet members having entryways for insertion of the prongs of a lift truck, the rectangular pallet container being banded together by strapping which holds mating engagement means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, said mating engagement means being present along the entire length of the sides of the pallet members where they meet to form the corners of the container and being adapted to form a continuous joint along the corners of pallet container formed therefrom.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 26 words

A pallet container of claim 33, wherein the sides of the pallet members are configured so as to provide complementary male and female mating engagement means.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 23 words

A pallet container of claim 34, wherein the polygonal container has a cross-sectional configuration of a polygon having a maximum of four sides.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 25 words

A pallet container of claim 33 comprising at least one end wall mounted in slots or recesses in a plurality of the said pallet members.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 103 words

A plurality of rectangular pallet members adapted to produce, a pallet container, each pallet member having mating engagement means along the full length of two sides thereof adapted for mating engagement with complementary mating engagement means along the full length of a side of two other of said pallet members, said mating engagement means along said two sides of each pallet member being continuous whereby said pallet members are adapted to form a continuous mating engagement joint at the four side corners of a rectangular pallet container produced therefrom, all of said pallet members having entryways for the prongs of a lift truck.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 103 words

A plurality of rectangular pallet members adapted to produce, a pallet container, each pallet member having mating engagement means along the full length of two sides thereof adapted for mating engagement with complementary mating engagement means along the full length of a side of two other of said pallet members, said mating engagement means along said two sides of each pallet member being continuous whereby said pallet members are adapted to form a continuous mating engagement joint at the four side corners of a rectangular pallet container produced therefrom, all of said pallet members having entryways for the prongs of a lift truck.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 39 words

The pallet members of claim 37, wherein the mating engagement means at one side of each pallet member has a female configuration and the mating engagement means at the other side of each pallet member has a male configuration.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 23 words

The pallet members of claim 37, wherein the mating engagement means at both said sides of each pallet member has the same configuration.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 99 words

A plurality of rectangular pallet members adapted to produce a pallet container, each pallet member having mating engagement means along the full length of two sides thereof adapted for mating engagement with complementary mating engagement means along the full length of a side of two other of said pallet members, said mating engagement means along said two sides of each pallet member being continuous, whereby said pallet members are adapted to form a continuous joint at the corners of a polygonal pallet container formed therefrom, all of said pallet members having entryways for the prongs of a lift truck.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 99 words

A plurality of rectangular pallet members adapted to produce a pallet container, each pallet member having mating engagement means along the full length of two sides thereof adapted for mating engagement with complementary mating engagement means along the full length of a side of two other of said pallet members, said mating engagement means along said two sides of each pallet member being continuous, whereby said pallet members are adapted to form a continuous joint at the corners of a polygonal pallet container formed therefrom, all of said pallet members having entryways for the prongs of a lift truck.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 39 words

The pallet members of claim 40, wherein the mating engagement means at one side of each pallet member has a female configuration and the mating engagement means at the other side of each pallet member has a male configuration.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 23 words

The pallet members of claim 40, wherein the mating engagement means at both said sides of each pallet member has the same configuration.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 109 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, a top pallet member, and side pallet members, a combination of the bottom, side, and top pallet members providing a pallet container of rectangular configuration, the rectangular pallet container being banded together by external strapping which holds mating engaging means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, wherein the pallet container has a top, bottom, and sides, and wherein all of the bottom, top, and side pallet members comprise entryways for the entry of prongs of a forklift.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 109 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, a top pallet member, and side pallet members, a combination of the bottom, side, and top pallet members providing a pallet container of rectangular configuration, the rectangular pallet container being banded together by external strapping which holds mating engaging means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, wherein the pallet container has a top, bottom, and sides, and wherein all of the bottom, top, and side pallet members comprise entryways for the entry of prongs of a forklift.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 41 words

A pallet container of claim 43, wherein the pallet container has a top, bottom, sides, front, and rear, and wherein at least the bottom-forming pallet member comprises entryways for the insertion of prongs of a forklift from the front and rear.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 55 words

A pallet container of claim 43, wherein entryways for the entry of prongs of a forklift from the side are provided on all four of the bottom, top, and side pallet members, thereby to allow entry of prongs of a forklift from the side regardless of the member upon which the pallet container is resting.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 20 words

A pallet container of claim 43, wherein the rectangular container has a cross-sectional configuration of a polygon having four sides.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 84 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, and additional pallet members, a combination of the bottom, and additional pallet members providing a pallet container of polygonal configuration, the polygonal pallet container being banded together by strapping which holds mating engagement means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, wherein all pallet members have entryways for the prongs of a forklift.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 84 words

A knockdown pallet container formed of molded or extruded pallet members, comprising a bottom-forming pallet member, and additional pallet members, a combination of the bottom, and additional pallet members providing a pallet container of polygonal configuration, the polygonal pallet container being banded together by strapping which holds mating engagement means at sides of the various pallet members in mating engagement with each other where they meet to form corners of said container, wherein all pallet members have entryways for the prongs of a forklift.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 25 words

A pallet container of claim 47, comprising at least one end wall mounted in slots or recesses in a plurality of the said pallet members.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 26 words

A pallet container of claim 47, wherein the sides of the pallet members are configured so as to provide complementary male and female mating engagement means.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 23 words

A pallet container of claim 47, wherein the polygonal container has a cross-sectional configuration of a polygon having a maximum of four sides.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-07-15	1995-01-14	1995-07-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-07-15	1999-01-14	1999-07-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-07-15	2003-01-14	2003-07-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Pallet container having entryways for forklift prongs on each side thereof

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