Light weight expendable metal pallet

Abstract

A lightweight, low cost and expendable metal pallet comprises of a plurality of cellular core structures, which are sandwiched between two thin metal plates, namely the deck-plate and bottom-plate, to form a composite load-bearing panel unit. An angle-frame collar is joined to the perimeter edges of the deck plate to form a tray-base cargo-stacking platform. The cellular core structures are spaced to allow access openings for pallet lifting via the two or four sides of the pallet.

1 . A lightweight metal pallet as shown in  FIG. 1  comprising of a plurality of cellular core structures  1  sandwiched and joined between the two thin face metal plates called the deck-plate  2  and the bottom-plate  3 , forming a composite load bearing unit, and an angle-frame collar  4  joined to the top four edges of the deck-plate  2  forming a tray-base load bearing platform.  
     
     
         2 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellular core structure  1  units have vertical walls  5  with cross-section profiles of a right-angled alphabet ‘S’ configuration as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
     
     
         3 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellular core structures  1  have vertical walls  5  and with cross-section profiles of a polygon with its plurality of angles or sides either in closed-end configurations as shown in  FIG. 5 ( a ) or opened-end configurations as shown in  FIG. 5 ( b ).  
     
     
         4 . A lightweight pallet according with  claim 2 , wherein the cellular core structures  1  are all of similar or different cross-section profiles and sizes.  
     
     
         5 . A lightweight pallet according with  claim 2 , wherein the top and bottom cross-sectional faces  8  of the cellular core structures  1  are joined to the deck-plate  2  and bottom-plate  3  respectively.  
     
     
         6 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the deck-plate  2  and bottom-plate  3  are of full-faced plate coverage  10 .  
     
     
         7 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the said angle-frame collar  4  is fabricated from angle sectionals and joined to the four side edges of the deck-plate  2 .  
     
     
         8 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the said angle-frame collar  4  is formed by a 90 degrees folding of the four side edges of the deck plate  2 .  
     
     
         9 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the deck-plate  2  is of full-faced plate coverage and the bottom-plate is broken into segments, strips and pieces with a plurality of combinations as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
     
     
         10 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the deck-plate  2  and bottom-plate  3  are constructed from thin steel plates of thicknesses from about 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.  
     
     
         11 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellular core structures  1  are constructed from thin steel plates of thicknesses from about 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.  
     
     
         12 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellular core structures  1  are constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of 
 a) Aluminum    b) Alloys    c) Molded plastic polymers    d) Composites    
     
     
         13 . A lightweight metal pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein the cellular core structures  1  are spaced to allow access openings  9  for pallet lifting from the two or four sides of the pallet.  
     
     
         14 . A lightweight pallet according to  claim 3 , wherein the cellular core structures  1  are all of similar or different cross-section profiles and sizes.  
     
     
         15 . A lightweight pallet according to  claim 3 , wherein the top and bottom cross-sectional faces  8  of the cellular core structures  1  are joined to the deck-plate  2  and bottom-plate  3  respectively.