Container and pallet for receiving blades of a fluid machine

Abstract

A container and a pallet are described for sorting, storing, and/or transporting objects ( 2 ) having differing external dimensions and spatial edge contours ( 4 ), the container having at least one depression ( 5 ) shaped like a stepped pyramid having bearing surfaces ( 6 ). The bearing surfaces ( 6 ) at each pyramid step ( 7 ) are tailored to the edge contours ( 4 ) of the objects ( 3 ). In this case, a lower pyramid step ( 7 ) has bearing surfaces ( 6 ) with smaller dimensions than a pyramid step ( 8 ) positioned above it in the depression ( 5 ) in order to sort and position the objects ( 3 ) in the depression ( 5 ) stacked by height in accordance with their external dimensions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A container for receiving blades of a fluid machine, the blades having differing external dimensions and edge contours, the container comprising: 
 a section having at least one depression shaped like a stepped pyramid having bearing surfaces and having a lower pyramid step having first bearing surfaces with smaller dimensions than second bearing surfaces of a higher pyramid step positioned above the lower pyramid step in the depression so as to receive objects in the depression stacked by height in accordance with the differing external dimensions.    
     
     
         2 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the bearing surfaces are tailored to contours of the blades of an axial-flow fluid machine.  
     
     
         3 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the bearing surfaces of the depression are capable of supporting blades of differing sizes of an axial-flow fluid machine so that a blade front edge is positioned lower than an associated blade rear edge.  
     
     
         4 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the bearing surfaces include horizontally implemented bearing surfaces for supporting a blade root of the blade.  
     
     
         5 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the bearing surfaces are capable of supporting blades of differing sizes of an axial-flow fluid machine so that blade rear edges are supportable freely suspended.  
     
     
         6 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container is a one-piece deep-drawn part.  
     
     
         7 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container is a one-piece injection molded part.  
     
     
         8 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container has a plastic composition.  
     
     
         9 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container has a polymer selected from at least one of the group consisting of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyimide, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container is manufactured from a deep-drawable plastic slab.  
     
     
         11 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the depression has a wall between the lower and higher pyramid steps, the wall being reverse-drawn into an inside of the container.  
     
     
         12 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container has an opening in a lowermost region of the depression.  
     
     
         13 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the container has grooves extending vertically from the lower pyramid step to the higher pyramid step, the grooves being tailored to contours of sealing plates between a blade base region and an active blade region of blades of an axial-flow fluid machine.  
     
     
         14 . The container as recited in  claim 1  wherein the section includes outer walls enclosing the depression and forming a trapezoidal support frame in cross-section.  
     
     
         15 . A pallet for receiving blades of a fluid machine having differing external dimensions and edge contours, the pallet comprising: 
 a section having depressions shaped like stepped pyramids positioned in rows and columns, each pyramid having bearing surfaces and a lower pyramid step having first bearing surfaces with smaller dimensions than second bearing surfaces of a higher pyramid step positioned above the lower pyramid step so as to receive the blades in the depressions stacked by height in accordance with the differing external dimensions.    
     
     
         16 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the bearing surfaces are tailored to contours of the blades of an axial-flow fluid machine.  
     
     
         17 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the bearing surfaces of the depressions are capable of supporting blades of differing sizes of an axial-flow fluid machine in such a way that a blade front edge is positioned lower than an associated blade rear edge.  
     
     
         18 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the bearing surfaces include horizontally implemented bearing surfaces for supporting a blade root of the blade.  
     
     
         19 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the bearing surfaces are capable of supporting blades of differing sizes of an axial-flow fluid machine so that blade rear edges are supportable freely suspended.  
     
     
         20 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet is a one-piece deep-drawn part.  
     
     
         21 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet is a one-piece injection molded part.  
     
     
         22 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet has a plastic composition.  
     
     
         23 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet has a polymer selected from at least one of the group consisting of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyimide, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         24 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet is manufactured from a deep-drawable plastic slab.  
     
     
         25 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the depressions have walls between the lower and higher pyramid steps reverse-drawn into an inside of the pallet.  
     
     
         26 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet has an opening in a lowermost region of each of the depressions.  
     
     
         27 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet has grooves extending vertically from the lower pyramid steps to the higher pyramid steps, the grooves being tailored to contours of sealing plates between a blade root region and an active blade region of blades of an axial-flow fluid machine.  
     
     
         28 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet has an outer edge enclosing and supporting the depressions and forms a trapezoidal support frame in cross-section.  
     
     
         29 . The pallet as recited in  claim 15  wherein the pallet has a removable cover plate having a peripheral horizontal collar.  
     
     
         30 . The pallet as recited in  claim 29  wherein the peripheral collar of the cover plate has a ring shoulder interacting with an outline of a support frame for stacking the pallets.