US5776281A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of manufacturing a pallet made of composite fiber reinforced polyolefin
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1996-09-09
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Granted: 1998-07-07
•
Expires: 2016-09-09
Abstract
Abstract A method of manufacturing a pallet made of a composite cellulose fiber reinforced polyethylene is disclosed. The composite polyethylene is produced through a process which blends preheated cellulose fibers with molten polyethylene. The blend of polyethylene and fibers is combined with ozone gas to form a polyethylene and fiber matrix. The polyethylene and fiber matrix is then fed to an extruder where it is further mixed, heated and then extruded through one of a series of dies to create the components of the pallet. The pallet has excellent rigidity and is welded together by coating meeting surfaces with a bonding material of blended high density polyethylene and iron oxide, placing the pallet into an electromagnetic field, and energizing the pallet with electromagnetic field having a frequency between 1 megahertz and 100 megahertz, causing the bonding material to melt and fuse the meeting surfaces.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel W. Evans
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:54
CPC Classifications
B; B27; B27N; B27N3/00; B27N3/08; B27N3/28; B29; B29B; B29B7/00; B29B7/30; B29B7/58; B29B7/60; B29B7/603; B29B7/80; B29B7/88; B29B7/90; B29B7/905; B29B7/92; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/03; B29C48/09; B29C48/10; B29C48/12; B29C48/25; B29C48/285; B29C48/288; B29C48/2886; B29C65/00; B29C65/02; B29C65/34; B29C69/00; B29C69/02; B29B7/34; B29B7/38; B29B7/46; B29C48/001; B29C48/0017; B29C48/0022; B29C48/022; B29C48/07; B29C48/15; B29C65/3472; B29C65/3476; B29C66/00; B29C66/70; B29C66/71; B29C66/72; B29C66/721; B29C66/7212; B29C66/73; B29C66/739; B29C66/7392; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/06; B29K2105/12; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/712; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1052; Y10T156/1062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
53 words
A method for manufacturing a composite fiber reinforced polyolefin pallet, comprising the steps of: mixing a molten polyolefin and cellulose fibers in the presence of ozone to form a matrix; extruding the matrix into a formed material having predetermined shapes of pallet components: and bonding the pallet components together to form a pallet.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
53 words
A method for manufacturing a composite fiber reinforced polyolefin pallet, comprising the steps of: mixing a molten polyolefin and cellulose fibers in the presence of ozone to form a matrix; extruding the matrix into a formed material having predetermined shapes of pallet components: and bonding the pallet components together to form a pallet.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for manufacturing a composite fiber reinforced polyolefin pallet, comprising the steps of: mixing a molten polyolefin and cellulose fibers in the presence of ozone to form a matrix; extruding the matrix into a formed material having at least one predetermined shape; cooling the formed material; cutting the formed material into predetermined lengths to form a profile lineal; stacking at least two profile lineals to form an array of profile lineals having meeting points; and bonding the meeting points together to form the array into a pallet.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for manufacturing a composite fiber reinforced polyolefin pallet, comprising the steps of: mixing a molten polyolefin and cellulose fibers in the presence of ozone to form a matrix; extruding the matrix into a formed material having at least one predetermined shape; cooling the formed material; cutting the formed material into predetermined lengths to form a profile lineal; stacking at least two profile lineals to form an array of profile lineals having meeting points; and bonding the meeting points together to form the array into a pallet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and thermoplastic rubber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the polyolefin is high density polyethylene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the high density polyethylene has a density in a range from 0.941 g/cc to 0.960 g/cc.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cellulose fiber is natural fiber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of cooling the formed material comprises placing the formed material into a bath of cooling liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cooling liquid is chilled water.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of cooling the formed material comprises cooling the formed material to a set temperature.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of cooling the formed material is accomplished by placing the formed material into a bath of a cooling liquid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cooling liquid is chilled water.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, after the step of cooling the formed material, further comprising the step of maintaining tension on the formed material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tension is maintained by a puller.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of cutting the formed material is carried out by a traversing saw.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of cutting the formed material is carried out by a compound shear configuration.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of bonding the meeting points together to form the array into a pallet comprises placing a bonding material on at least one of the profile lineals between the meeting points.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the bonding material comprises a blend of high density polyethylene and iron oxide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of bonding the meeting points together to form the array into a pallet comprises: placing a bonding material between the meeting points on at least one of the profile lineals; and welding the profile lineals together by melting the bonding material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of welding the profile lineals together by melting the bonding material comprises: placing the array into a device capable of generating an electromagnetic field between 1 megahertz and 100 megahertz; energizing the device to create the electromagnetic field; and melting the bonding material to cause the profile lineals to melt and fuse together at the meeting points.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the bonding material comprises a blend of high density polyethylene and iron oxide.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the bonding material comprises a blend of high density polyethylene and iron oxide.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-07-06 | 2002-01-05 | 2002-07-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-07-06 | 2006-01-05 | 2006-07-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-07-06 | 2010-01-05 | 2010-07-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |