Turf pallet and system

Abstract

A lightweight turf pallet is formed of High Density Polyethylene and is formed by a twin-skin vacuum molding process under high pressure. The pallet has top and bottom faces each with an array of frustoconical cavities formed in rows on each face, the cavities on opposed faces being coaxial and joined at their apices to form a web therebetween. A system for constructing a recreation or sporting surface comprising such pallets, together with comer joiner members and surface pads is also described and claimed.

1 . A lightweight turf pallet, comprising:
 spaced top and bottom faces being made of plastic material and defining a periphery;   two opposing edges interconnecting said spaced top and bottom faces along said periphery;   an array of substantially frustoconical cavities being formed in each of said spaced top and bottom faces, the cavities on said spaced top and bottom faces being coaxial and being joined at their apices to form opposed cavities with a web therebetween, said web having at least one drainage hole therein, and   an open-ended steel reinforcing member being disposed between said spaced top and bottom faces and extending between said two opposing edges, said reinforcing member defining at least part of a tine pocket facilitating lifting and transportation of the pallet using a forklift.   
   
   
       2 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein said spaced top and bottom faces include high-density polyethylene. 
   
   
       3 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein said pallet is formed by a twin-skin vacuum molding process under high pressure. 
   
   
       4 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a first part includes said spaced top and bottom faces, said two opposing edges, said array of substantially frustoconical cavities, and said open-ended steel reinforcing member; and   a second part includes spaced top and bottom faces being made of plastic material and defining a periphery; two opposing edges interconnecting said spaced top and bottom faces along said periphery; an array of substantially frustoconical cavities being formed in each of said spaced top and bottom faces, the cavities on said spaced top and bottom faces being coaxial and being joined at their apices to form opposed cavities with a web therebetween, said web having at least one drainage hole therein, and an open-ended steel reinforcing member being disposed between said spaced top and bottom faces and extending between said two opposing edges, said reinforcing member defining at least part of a tine pocket facilitating lifting and transportation of the pallet using a forklift;   an edge of said part being connected to an edge of said further part to form a rectangular pallet.   
   
   
       5 . The pallet according to  claim 4 , wherein said first part has a groove formed in said edge and said second part has a groove in said edge; and
 an aluminum joining member interconnects said first part and said second part, said aluminum joining member being inserted in said groove in said first part and inserted in said groove in said second part.   
   
   
       6 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said cavities on said bottom face is arranged at each corner of said pallet and is positioned to receive a substantially complementary projection on a joining member for joining adjacent pallets to form an extended surface. 
   
   
       7 . The pallet according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said reinforcing member has a U-shaped cross section with extremities, and flanges extending laterally from said extremities, said U-shaped cross section opening downward; and   a steel plate spans said flanges to cap said U-shaped channel member.   
   
   
       8 . The pallet according to  claim 7 , wherein said steel plate is further connected to a U-shaped channel member of a further pallet. 
   
   
       9 . A system for constructing a recreation or sporting surface, said system including a series of pallets as defined in  claim 1 , corner joiner members for joining the adjacent corners of four said pallets together, surface pads comprising a plastics sheet for placing on top of each said pallet to provide sound deadening in use, said surface pads having holes therein for drainage purposes, and natural or synthetic turf on top of said surface pads and retained thereon by an upstanding wall extending around the perimeter of the pallets when joined and forming a perimeter member. 
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said surface pads are formed of acrylonitrite butadiene styrene (ABS). 
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said corner joiner members are plastics pads with upstands for engaging in corresponding said cavities in the underside of each pallet at said corners. 
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said corner joiner members have an upstanding central cruciform for locating and supporting the respective corners of the pallet. 
   
   
       13 . A system for constructing a recreation or sporting surface, comprising:
 a first pallet according to  claim 1 ; and   a second pallet according to  claim 1 ;   said first pallet and said second pallet being coplanar and joined along adjacent edges to form a rectangular pallet;   said reinforcing member of said first pallet and said reinforcing member of said second pallet being joined to form a common reinforcing member.   
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein said reinforcing member of said first pallet and said reinforcing member of said second pallet are collinear. 
   
   
       15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said reinforcing member of said first pallet and said reinforcing member of said second pallet, each of said reinforcing members having a U-shaped channel member extending between said opposing edges of said pallet, having opposed sides ending in laterally opposing extremities, and having an open side directed towards said bottom face of said pallet; and   said reinforcing member of said first pallet and said reinforcing member of said second pallet share a steel plate connected to said U-shaped channel of said first pallet and said U-shaped channel of said second pallet to form a rectangular section tine pocket.   
   
   
       16 . A turf pallet, comprising:
 a part having a top face and a bottom face;   a reinforcing member with a U-shaped cross section opening downward, said reinforcing member being disposed on said bottom face of said part and spanning said part.   
   
   
       17 . The turf pallet according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 said bottom face has a channel formed therein; and   said reinforcing member is disposed in said channel.   
   
   
       18 . The turf pallet according to  claim 16 , further comprising a plate connected to said reinforcing member and disposed beneath said reinforcing member to define an open-ended pocket for receiving a forklift tine. 
   
   
       19 . The turf pallet according to  claim 16 , wherein said U-shaped reinforcing member has a flange on each opposing side of said channel, said flanges at least partially overlapping said bottom face of said part. 
   
   
       20 . The turf pallet according to  claim 19 , further comprising a plate connected to said U-shaped reinforcing member, disposed beneath said U-shaped pocket, and spanning said flanges to define an open-ended pocket for receiving a forklift tine. 
   
   
       21 . The turf pallet according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a further part having a top face and a bottom face and a reinforcing member with a U-shaped cross section opening downward, said reinforcing member being disposed on said bottom face of said part and spanning said part;   a plate overlying said reinforcing member in said part and overlying said reinforcing member in said further part.   
   
   
       22 . The turf pallet according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a further part having a top face and a bottom face and a reinforcing member with a U-shaped cross section opening downward, said reinforcing member being disposed on said bottom face of said part and spanning said part;   said reinforcing member of said part being aligned with said reinforcing member of said further part.   
   
   
       23 . The turf pallet according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 said part has a side with a groove formed therein;   said further part has a side with a groove formed therein;   said side of said part opposes said side of said further part; and   a joiner member engages said groove in said part and said groove in said further part.   
   
   
       24 . The turf pallet according to  claim 23 , wherein said joiner member has an I-shaped cross section. 
   
   
       25 . The turf pallet according to  claim 22 , further comprising a perimeter member for providing an upstanding wall in which to retain turf, said perimeter member extending around an outer edge of said part and said further part. 
   
   
       26 . The turf pallet according to  claim 22 , wherein said part and said further part have a rebate formed therein around said part and said further part when said part and said further part are joined. 
   
   
       27 . The turf pallet according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 said bottom surface of said has an aperture formed therein; and   a corner joiner has a first protrusion inserted in said aperture in said bottom surface of said part and a second protrusion configured to insert into an aperture in a bottom surface of a further part.   
   
   
       28 . The turf pallet according to  claim 27 , wherein said corner joiner has four protrusions, each of said four protrusions being configured to insert in an aperture in a respective part, said corner joiner further having a cruciform disposed between said four protrusions.