Plastic pallet having diagonally corrugated deck

Abstract

A molded plastic rectangular pallet has a deck made of corrugated thin sheet material. A multiplicity of corrugations, and preferably all of them, run continuously across the deck and parallel to a line connecting the diagonally opposite corners of the deck. The pallet, when predominately plastic, preferably has a metal deck and a base comprised of rails having steel reinforcing beams. Eight columns extend upwardly from the rails for supporting a frame which forms the periphery of the top. The deck edge is preferably inset from the outer edge of the top of the pallet, and the deck has a flat flange which is attached to the frame or to a subframe mounted within the frame.

1 . A pallet comprising: a rectangular base comprised of interconnected outer rails; a plurality of spaced apart outer columns extending upwardly from the base; a top, for receiving goods placed on the pallet, attached to said outer columns and comprising a rectangular sheet deck; wherein the deck is textured with a first set multiplicity of substantially parallel continuous corrugations which run from one corner to the other corner of a first pair of diagonally opposed corners of the deck.  
     
     
         2 . The pallet of  claim 1  said first set comprises three or more corrugations.  
     
     
         3 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the deck texturing further comprises: additional continuous corrugations running substantially parallel to said first set, so that the preponderance of the deck is textured with corrugations.  
     
     
         4 . The pallet of  claim 1  further comprising: a second set multiplicity of substantially parallel corrugations which run from one corner to the other corner of the second pair of diagonally opposed corners of the deck; wherein the second set corrugations are continuous other than where the corrugations intersect the first set corrugations.  
     
     
         5 . The pallet of  claim 4  further comprising: four additional sets of multiple parallel corrugations, each of which set is substantially parallel to a different edge of the deck.  
     
     
         6 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the lengthwise axes of the corrugations of the first set run within plus or minus 10 degrees of a line L connecting the deck edge intersects of said first pair of diagonally opposed corners.  
     
     
         7 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein said first set axes run within plus or minus 3 degrees of said line L.  
     
     
         8 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the corrugations have flat top peaks and flat bottom valleys.  
     
     
         9 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the deck further comprises a circumscribing flange, for attaching the deck to the top of the pallet,  
     
     
         10 . The pallet of  claim 1  wherein the deck is made of metal sheet.  
     
     
         11 . The pallet of  claim 1  further comprising: cross rails connecting the centers of opposing side outer rails of the base; reinforcing beams in the rails; and a center column extending upwardly from the base at the center of the pallet; wherein the deck is attached to the center column.  
     
     
         12 . The pallet of  claim 11  wherein the top further comprises: a frame which forms the periphery of the top; wherein the deck is attached to the frame; and, wherein the deck edges are inset from the outside edges of the frame.  
     
     
         13 . The pallet of  claim 11  wherein the top further comprises: a frame which forms the periphery of the top; and, a subframe, spaced apart from the inside edge of the frame; and, wherein the edges of the deck is attached to the frame.  
     
     
         14 . The pallet of  claim 11  wherein the deck texturing further comprises: additional continuous corrugations running substantially parallel to said first set, so that the preponderance of the deck is textured; and wherein the deck is made of a metal alloy.  
     
     
         15 . The pallet of  claim 14 , wherein the corrugations have a pitch of about two inches, flat top peaks and flat bottom valleys, and valleys of at least 0.5 inch in depth.  
     
     
         16 . The pallet of  claim 14  wherein the frame is free of reinforcing members.  
     
     
         17 . The pallet of  claim 16  wherein the deck texturing further comprises: additional continuous corrugations running substantially parallel to said first set, so that the preponderance of the deck area is textured.  
     
     
         18 . The pallet of  claim 11  which is of the GMA type, for use with a fork lift device, the pallet having a top which is 48 inches long and 40 inches wide and fork entry openings on each side of the pallet; wherein the deck is made of metal and has a circumscribing flange; wherein the edges of the deck are inset at least about 3 inches from the outside edges of the top; wherein the reinforcing beams of the base are made of steel, and wherein the pallet is between 30 and 45 weight percent metal.  
     
     
         19 . The pallet of  claim 18  wherein the deck texturing further comprises: additional continuous corrugations running substantially parallel to said first set, so that the preponderance of the deck is textured with corrugations.