subject: Pallet racking gives you more space [print this page] Pallet racking gives you more space Pallet racking gives you more space
A pallet racking has an upper deck and a lower deck. The upper deck and the lower deck are connected by a plurality of spaced apart columns. Fork insertion apertures are formed by the upper deck, the columns and the lower deck to all four sides of the pallet.
The pallet includes at least an upper deck member and a lower deck member, at least the lower deck member includes a low density core and a surrounding shell of reinforced plastic.
The pallet may be made using reaction injection moulding, with said plastic being predominantly polyurethane.
1. A pallet having an upper deck and a lower deck, the upper deck and the lower deck being connected by a plurality of spaced apart columns, with fork insertion apertures formed by the upper deck, the columns and the lower deck to all four sides of the pallet, wherein said pallet includes at least an upper deck member and a lower deck member, at least the lower deck member including a low density core and a surrounding shell of reinforced plastic, and at least a lower portion of the columns being integrally formed with the lower deck member, at least the lower portion of the columns each having a solid plastic perimeter wall, the perimeter wall extending to a substantially lower most position of the pallet.
2. The pallet as claimed in either claim 1 wherein the low density core of the lower deck member is spaced from each column perimeter wall by a joining region.
3. The pallet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lower deck member includes a scalloped section around the lower portion of each column perimeter wall, the scalloped section being formed in a lower surface of the lower deck member, each scalloped section having a downwardly facing curved section where the scalloped section meets the perimeter wall of the column, the downwardly facing curved section defining a lower surface of the joining region.
4. The pallet as claimed in claim 3 wherein the lower deck member includes an upwardly facing curved section where an upper surface of the lower deck member meets the perimeter wall of the column, the upwardly facing curved surface defining an upper surface of the joining region.
5. The pallet racking as claimed in claim 2 wherein the joining region is reinforced plastic.
6. The pallet as claimed in claim 4 wherein the upwardly facing curved section is located substantially above the downwardly facing curved section.
7. The pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein a base of each column is substantially in plane with a bottom surface of the lower deck member.
8. The pallet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lower deck member comprises eight side members, four centre members, four corner columns, four side columns and a central column, each corner column being located at a corner position of the lower deck member, each side column being located at a side of the lower deck member between two adjacent corner columns, the central column being located at a centre of the lower deck member, each side member extending along a side of the lower deck member between a corner column and an adjacent side column, and each centre member extending between a side column and the central column, each side member and each centre member comprising a separate low density core.
9. The pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plastic is reinforced with fibres.
10. The pallet racking as claimed in claim 9 wherein the low density core of the lower deck member is spaced from each column perimeter wall by a joining region, and the fibre reinforcement is a fibre pre-form that extends into the joining region and the column solid plastic wall.
11. The pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least the lower portion of the columns is hollow.
12. A pallet having an upper deck and a lower deck, the upper deck and the lower deck being connected by a plurality of spaced apart columns, with fork insertion apertures formed by the upper deck, the columns and the lower deck to all four sides of the pallet, wherein said pallet includes at least an upper deck member and a lower deck member, at least the lower deck member including a low density core and a surrounding shell of reinforced plastic, with the exterior faces of said upper deck being substantially free of deep cavities, and said low density core comprises a foam core pre-form.
13. The pallet as claimed in claim 12 wherein said lower deck also comprises a low density core and a surrounding shell of reinforced plastic, the low density core being a foam core pre-form.
14. The pallet as claimed in claim 12 wherein the fibre reinforcement is a fibre pre-form surrounding the low density core.
15. The pallet racking as claimed in claim 14 wherein said quantity of fibre reinforcement is at least 40% by weight of the plastic resin shell.
16. The pallet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pallet has a fibreless outer surface.
17. The pallet as claimed in claim 12 wherein said plastic is predominantly polyurethane.
18. The pallet as claimed in claim 12 wherein said top deck member or lower deck member or both are formed by Reaction Injection Moulding polyurethane plastic resin to surround a fibre and nested foam pre-positioned pre-form in a closed mould.
19. The pallet as claimed in claim 14 wherein said top deck member or lower deck member or both are formed by Reaction Injection Moulding polyurethane plastic resin to surround a fibre and nested foam pre-positioned pre-form in a closed mould.
20. A pallet racking having an upper deck and a lower deck, the upper deck and the lower deck being connected by a plurality of spaced apart columns, with fork insertion apertures formed by the upper deck, the columns and the lower deck to all four sides of the pallet, the parts of said pallet being formed by reaction injection moulding using a polyurethane resin into a closed mould to infiltrate a fibre reinforced pre-form pre-positioned in said closed mould.
