Wooden pallet with nail plates and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10005585-B2
Application number	US-96210710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2010
Priority date	Dec 8, 2009
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A wooden pallet includes a base layer, and a cargo layer. The cargo layer includes a pair of spaced apart connector boards, and a pair of spaced apart end deck boards orthogonal to the pair of connector boards. Respective ends of the pair of end deck boards overlap respective ends of the pair of connector boards. Nail plates are coupled between the respective ends of the pair of connector boards and the respective ends of the pair of end deck boards. Each nail plate has a first surface having projections extending outwards therefrom and embedded into one of the end deck boards, and a second surface opposite the first surface devoid of any projections and contacting an end of one of the connector boards. Spaced apart support blocks are between the base layer and the pair of connector boards in the cargo layer, and form a gap therebetween for receiving a lifting member.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A wooden pallet comprising:
a base layer;
a cargo layer comprising
a pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards,
a pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards orthogonal to said pair of wooden connector boards, with respective ends of said pair of wooden end deck boards overlapping respective ends of said pair of wooden connector boards, and
a plurality of spaced apart wooden intermediate deck boards between said pair of wooden end deck boards and coupled to said pair of wooden connector boards, with a gap area between an inside edge of each wooden end deck board and an adjacent inside edge of one of said wooden intermediate deck boards;

a plurality of spaced apart wooden support blocks between said cargo layer and said base layer and forming a space gap therebetween for receiving a lifting member; and
a plurality of nail plates coupled between the respective ends of said pair of wooden connector boards and the respective ends of said pair of wooden end deck boards in said cargo layer, each nail plate comprising
a first surface comprising a plurality of projections extending outwards therefrom and embedded into the end of one of said wooden end deck boards,
a second surface opposite the first surface and contacting the end of one of said wooden connector boards, and
a backstop extending within the gap area between the inside edge of each wooden end deck board and an adjacent inside edge of one of said wooden intermediate deck boards, with said backstop having an edge that is parallel to and contacting the inside edge of one of said wooden end deck boards to absorb an impact to an outside edge thereof.

2. The wooden pallet according to claim 1 wherein each backstop is triangular shaped with an open interior.

3. The wooden pallet according to claim 2 wherein an upper corner of the inside edge of each wooden end deck board is notched; and wherein an upper tip of each backstop is angled into the notch.

4. The wooden pallet according to claim 3 wherein an upper surface of each backstop angled into the notch is substantially coplaner with an upper surface of an adjacent wooden end deck board.

5. The wooden pallet according to claim 1 where said base layer comprises a pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards, and a pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards orthogonal to said pair of wooden connector boards, with respective ends of said pair of wooden end deck boards adjacent to and non-overlapping respective ends of said pair of wooden connector boards.

6. The wooden pallet according to claim 5 further comprising a respective nail plate in said base layer between each end of said pair of wooden connector boards and a respective one of said plurality of support blocks, while being devoid of a respective nail plate between each end of said pair of wooden end deck boards and the respective ones of said plurality of support blocks so that each end of said pair of wooden end deck boards is in direct contact with a respective support block, with each respective nail plate comprising
a first surface comprising a plurality of projections extending outwards therefrom and embedded into the end of one of said wooden connector boards, and
a second surface opposite the first surface and devoid of any projections, and contacting said support block.

7. The wooden pallet according to claim 6 further comprising a plurality of fasteners coupling said pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards and said pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards on said base layer to said plurality of support blocks, with at least a portion of said plurality of fasteners penetrating through said nail plates.

8. The wooden pallet according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of projections comprise rounded tips.

9. The wooden pallet according to claim 1 wherein each nail plate is stamped from a single metal sheet.

10. The wooden pallet according to claim 1 wherein the second surface of each nail plate is devoid of any projections.

11. The wooden pallet according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fasteners coupling said pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards and said pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards in said cargo layer to said plurality of support blocks, with at least a portion of said plurality of fasteners penetrating through said nail plates.

12. A method for making a wooden pallet comprising:
providing a base layer;
providing a cargo layer comprising
a pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards,
a pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards orthogonal to the pair of wooden connector boards, with respective ends of the pair of wooden end deck boards overlapping respective ends of the pair of wooden connector boards, and
a plurality of spaced apart wooden intermediate deck boards between the pair of wooden end deck boards and coupled to the pair of wooden connector boards, with a gap area between an inside edge of each wooden end deck board and an adjacent inside edge of one of the wooden intermediate deck boards;

positioning a plurality of spaced apart wooden support blocks between the cargo layer and the base layer and forming a space therebetween for receiving a lifting member; and
positioning a plurality of nail plates coupled between the respective ends of the pair of wooden connector boards and the respective ends of the pair of wooden end deck boards in the cargo layer, each nail plate comprising
a first surface comprising a plurality of projections extending outwards therefrom and embedded into the end of one of the wooden end deck boards,
a second surface opposite the first surface and contacting the end of one of the wooden connector boards, and
a backstop extending within the gap area between the inside edge of each wooden end deck board and an adjacent inside edge of one of the wooden intermediate deck boards, with the backstop having an edge that is parallel to and contacting the inside edge of one of the wooden end deck boards to absorb an impact to an outside edge thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein each backstop is triangular shaped with an open interior.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein an upper corner of the inside edge of each wooden end deck board is notched; and wherein an upper tip of each backstop is angled into the notch.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein an upper surface of each backstop angled into the notch is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of an adjacent wooden end deck board.

16. The method according to claim 12 where said base layer comprises a pair of spaced apart wooden connector boards, and a pair of spaced apart wooden end deck boards orthogonal to said pair of wooden connector boards, with respective ends of said pair of wooden end deck boards adjacent to and non-overlapping respective ends of said pair of wooden connector boards.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising positioning a respective nail plate in the base layer between each end of the pair of wooden connector boards and a respective one of the plurality of support blocks, while being devoid of a respective nail plate between each end of the pair of wooden end deck boards and the respective ones of the plurality of support blocks so that each end of the pair of wooden end deck boards is in direct contact with a respective support block, with each respective nail plate comprising
a first surface comprising a plurality of projections extending outwards therefrom and embedded into the end of one of the wooden connector boards, and
a second surface opposit

Assignees

• Brandt Ken
• Lantz Dan
• Chep Technology Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Brandt Ken
• Lantz Dan

Classifications

• Y10T29/49833

  Punching, piercing or reaming part by surface of second part · CPC title

• F16B15/0046

  from the body of the plate · CPC title

• B65D2519/00442

  on the base surface · CPC title

• B65D2519/00437

  on the load supporting surface · CPC title

• B65D2519/00333

  contact surface having a stringer-like shape · CPC title