Plastic coil separator

Abstract

A new and improved plastic coil spacer or separator, for use in connection with the vertical spacing or separation of a plurality of coils upon a pallet structure so as to form a palletized load which will facilitate forklift apparatus to access one or more of the coils, has a substantially square-shaped hollow, tubular cross-sectional configuration. In accordance manufacturing techniques comprising topology optimization, a predetermined amount of material is able to be eliminated from each side wall of the substantially square-shaped hollow, tubular plastic coil separator or spacer so as to effectively reduce the amount of material required to manufacture the plastic coil spacer or separator, while each side wall of the substantially square-shaped hollow, tubular plastic coil spacer or separator has a substantially arch-shaped cross-sectional configuration so as to be capable of preserving the compressive strength and compressive force resistance properties characteristic of the plastic coil spacer or separator.

1 . A spacer member, comprising: 
 an elongate tubular bar member comprising two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members defining an axially oriented through-passageway therebetween;    wherein at least one of said side wall members will have recessed means defined within the exterior surface portion thereof such that said at least one of said side wall members has a substantially arch-shaped configuration which permits said at least one of said side wall members to exhibit compressive strength resistance characteristics in order to withstand compressive loads.    
   
   
       2 . The spacer member as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said at least one of said side wall members comprises all four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members; and    said recessed means is defined within the exterior surface portion of each one of said four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members.    
   
   
       3 . The spacer member as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said tubular bar member has a substantially square-shaped cross-sectional configuration; and    wherein said tubular bar member comprises a hermaphroditic structure whereby any one of said four side wall members can serve as a compressive strength resistance member without regard to the particular angular orientation of said tubular bar member around its longitudinal axis.    
   
   
       4 . The spacer member as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said tubular bar member comprises a structure extruded from a thermoplastic material selected from the group comprising polyvinylchloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polystyrene (PS) whereby said tubular bar member is substantially non-hygroscopic.    
   
   
       5 . The spacer member as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said recessed means defined within said exterior surface portion of said at least one of said side wall members enables the amount and cost of material, required to fabricate said at least one of said side wall members, to be reduced while said at least one of said side wall members will nevertheless be able to exhibit compressive strength resistance properties which are comparable to wall members not having said recessed means defined therein.    
   
   
       6 . The spacer member as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said recessed means defined within said exterior surface portion of said at least one of said side wall members enables the amount and cost of material, required to fabricate said at least one of said side wall members, to be preserved while said at least one of said side wall members will exhibit compressive strength resistance properties which will be enhanced to levels beyond those characteristic of wall members not having said recessed means defined therein.    
   
   
       7 . The spacer member as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said arch-shaped recessed means defined within the exterior surface portion of each one of said four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members permits a plurality of spacer members to be nested and stacked with respect to each other as a result of opposite corner leg regions of one of said plurality of spacer members being disposed within said arch-shaped recessed means defined within two other adjacent spacer members.    
   
   
       8 . A coil spacer member for spacing coil stock, comprising: 
 an elongate tubular bar member comprising two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members defining an axially oriented through-passageway therebetween;    wherein at least one of said side wall members will have recessed means defined within the exterior surface portion thereof such that said at least one of said side wall members has a substantially arch-shaped configuration which permits said at least one of said side wall members to exhibit compressive strength resistance characteristics in order to withstand compressive loads.    
   
   
       9 . The coil spacer member as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said at least one of said side wall members comprises all four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members; and    said recessed means is defined within the exterior surface portion of each one of said four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members.    
   
   
       10 . The coil spacer member as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said tubular bar member has a substantially square-shaped cross-sectional configuration; and    wherein said tubular bar member comprises a hermaphroditic structure whereby any one of said four side wall members can serve as a compressive strength resistance member without regard to the particular angular orientation of said tubular bar member around its longitudinal axis.    
   
   
       11 . The coil spacer member as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said tubular bar member comprises a structure extruded from a thermoplastic material selected from the group comprising polyvinylchloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polystyrene (PS) whereby said tubular bar member is substantially non-hygroscopic.    
   
   
       12 . The coil spacer member as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said recessed means defined within said exterior surface portion of said at least one of said side wall members enables the amount and cost of material, required to fabricate said at least one of said side wall members, to be reduced while said at least one of said side wall members will nevertheless be able to exhibit compressive strength resistance properties which are comparable to wall members not having said recessed means defined therein.    
   
   
       13 . The coil spacer member as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said recessed means defined within said exterior surface portion of said at least one of said side wall members enables the amount and cost of material, required to fabricate said at least one of said side wall members, to be preserved while said at least one of said side wall members will exhibit compressive strength resistance properties which will be enhanced to levels beyond those characteristic of wall members not having said recessed means defined therein.    
   
   
       14 . The coil spacer member as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said arch-shaped recessed means defined within the exterior surface portion of each one of said four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members permits a plurality of coil spacer members to be nested and stacked with respect to each other as a result of opposite corner leg regions of one of said plurality of coil spacer members being disposed within said arch-shaped recessed means defined within two other adjacent coil spacer members.    
   
   
       15 . A structural beam member, comprising: 
 an elongate tubular bar member comprising two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members defining an axially oriented through-passageway therebetween;    wherein at least one of said side wall members will have recessed means defined within the exterior surface portion thereof such that said at least one of said side wall members has a substantially arch-shaped configuration which permits said at least one of said side wall members to exhibit compressive strength resistance characteristics in order to withstand compressive loads.    
   
   
       16 . The structural beam member as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said at least one of said side wall members comprises all four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members; and    said recessed means is defined within the exterior surface portion of each one of said four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members.    
   
   
       17 . The structural beam member as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said tubular bar member has a substantially square-shaped cross-sectional configuration; and    wherein said tubular bar member comprises a hermaphroditic structure whereby any one of said four side wall members can serve as a compressive strength resistance member without regard to the particular angular orientation of said tubular bar member around its longitudinal axis.    
   
   
       18 . The structural beam member as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said recessed means defined within said exterior surface portion of said at least one of said side wall members enables the amount and cost of material, required to fabricate said at least one of said side wall members, to be reduced while said at least one of said side wall members will nevertheless be able to exhibit compressive strength resistance properties which are comparable to wall members not having said recessed means defined therein.    
   
   
       19 . The structural beam member as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said recessed means defined within said exterior surface portion of said at least one of said side wall members enables the amount and cost of material, required to fabricate said at least one of said side wall members, to be preserved while said at least one of said side wall members will exhibit compressive strength resistance properties which will be enhanced to levels beyond those characteristic of wall members not having said recessed means defined therein.    
   
   
       20 . The structural beam member as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said arch-shaped recessed means defined within the exterior surface portion of each one of said four of said two pairs of oppositely disposed side wall members permits a plurality of spacer members to be nested and stacked with respect to each other as a result of opposite corner leg regions of one of said plurality of spacer members being disposed within said arch-shaped recessed means defined within two other adjacent spacer members.