Skeleton pallets with optional faceboards

Abstract

A pallet is created from two sets of thin stringers crossing and mated orthogonally, forming forkway notches and including ribs to guide the fingers of lifting machinery through the pallet. The pallet may include an optional mortised deck.

1 . A pallet, comprising:
 a set of lower stringers that are spaced apart, each lower stringer including a set of outer slots, a set of inner slots, and a set of projections, each projection being situated at either a distal end or a proximal end of a lower stringer, each outer slot being adjacent to a projection, each inner slot being adjacent to an outer slot;   a set of upper stringers that are spaced apart, each upper stringer including a set of outer slots, a set of inner slots, a set of rib slots, a set of notches, and a set of projections, each projection being situated at either a distal end or a proximal end of an upper stringer, each outer slot being adjacent to a projection, each notch being adjacent to an outer slot at one end and to an inner slot at another end, each rib slot being situated at approximately the center of each notch; and   a set of ribs that sit into the set of rib slots of the upper stringers when the set of lower stringers and the set of upper stringers are orthogonally mated to create a structure capable of supporting a load, the sets of outer slots engaging one another and the set of inner slots engaging one another to form forkways by the set of notches, from the set of rib slots the set of ribs protruding into the forkways to guide fingers of lifting machinery so the pallet may be possessed.   
   
   
       2 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the set of lower stringers is secured to the set of upper stringers with fastening means. 
   
   
       3 . The pallet of  claim 2 , wherein the fastening means includes glue. 
   
   
       4 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the ribs situated in the rib slots of the upper stringers is one solid piece of material that runs substantially from one edge of the pallet to another edge of the pallet. 
   
   
       5 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein each stringer is of approximate half-inch thickness with the thickness disposed horizontally and of approximate four-inch width with the width disposed vertically. 
   
   
       6 . The pallet of  claim 5 , wherein each stringer is created from a two-by-four or four-by-four that has been cut lengthwise into substantially equal-sized pieces of approximate half-inch thickness and of approximate four-inch width. 
   
   
       7 . The pallet of  claim 1 , further comprising a repaired stringer that includes a set of outer slots, a set of inner slots, and a set of projections, the repaired stringer being fastened adjacent to either a lower stringer or an upper stringer that is injured. 
   
   
       8 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the lower stringers includes a set of notches, each notch being adjacent to an outer slot at one end and to an inner slot at another end such that when the set of lower stringers and the set of upper stringers are orthogonally mated to cause the sets of outer slots to engage one another and the set of inner slots to engage one another, forkways are formed by the set of notches. 
   
   
       9 . The pallet of  claim 8 , wherein each of the lower stringers includes
 a set of rib slots, each rib slot being situated at approximately the center of each notch; and   a set of ribs that sit into the set of rib slots of the lower stringers when the set of lower stringers and the set of upper stringers are orthogonally mated to create a structure capable of supporting a load, and to cause the sets of outer slots to engage one another and the set of inner slots to engage one another to form forkways by the set of notches, from the set of rib slots of the lower stringers the set of ribs protruding into the forkways to guide fingers of lifting machinery so the pallet may be possessed.   
   
   
       10 . The pallet of  claim 9 , wherein each of the ribs situated in the rib slots of the lower stringers is one solid piece of material that runs substantially from one edge of the pallet to another edge of the pallet. 
   
   
       11 . The pallet of  claim 10 , wherein the ribs situated in the rib slots of the lower stringers and the ribs situated in the rib slots of the upper stringers are mortised at their intersections and interlock orthogonally. 
   
   
       12 . A pallet, comprising:
 a set of lower stringers that are spaced apart, each lower stringer including a set of outer slots, a set of inner slots, and a set of projections, each projection being situated at either a distal end or a proximal end of a lower stringer, each outer slot being adjacent to a projection, each inner slot being adjacent to the outer slot;   a set of upper stringers that are spaced apart, each upper stringer including a set of outer slots, a set of inner slots, a set of notches, and a set of projections, each projection being situated at either a distal end or a proximal end of an upper stringer, each outer slot being adjacent to a projection, each notch being adjacent to an outer slot at one end and to an inner slot at another end; and   a deck which bottom is cut to form a set of mortises, a first subset of the mortises being spaced apart and a second subset of the mortises being spaced apart and orthogonal to the first subset of the mortises, the set of mortises receiving a structure created when the sets of upper stringers and lower stringers are orthogonally mated so as to reduce racking.   
   
   
       13 . The pallet of  claim 12 , wherein the deck is dimensioned substantially the same as the horizontal length and width of the pallet. 
   
   
       14 . The pallet of  claim 12 , wherein the deck is secured to the pallet via fastening means. 
   
   
       15 . The pallet of  claim 14 , wherein the fastening means includes glue. 
   
   
       16 . The pallet of  claim 12 , wherein the deck is formed from planks of the same material used to create the rest of the pallet. 
   
   
       17 . A method for manufacturing a pallet, comprising:
 obtaining lumber of approximate four-inch height;   configuring the teeth of a saw to cut notches and slots in the lumber;   using the saw to cut the notches and slots in the lumber in appropriate locations for a set of upper stringers;   using the same saw to cut similar notches and slots in the lumber in appropriate locations for a set of lower stringers;   using a different saw to divide the notched lumber lengthwise into pieces of approximate four-inch height and approximate one-half-inch width;   arranging the upper stringers and lower stringers orthogonally in an interlocking manner;   creating a set of ribs; and   attaching the set of ribs.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the lumber is low-grade two-by-fours; 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the lumber is obtained by squaring off timber from a fast-growth species of tree; 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , where the species of tree is black poplar.