Four-Way Upright Pallet Device

Abstract

An upright pallet device is provided that comprises a pallet base and an upright support surface extending therefrom. The pallet base comprises an upper deck, a bottom deck, and blocks therebetween to offset the upper and bottom deck. The pallet base is a hollow, rectangular structure that comprises openings on all fours sides thereof. The sides, openings, and open interior of the base accommodate the fork of a pallet jack, a forklift, or the nose of a hand truck. The bottom deck comprises an open structure that accommodates a fork wheel therethrough when elevating the pallet device from the floor. Finally, the upstanding surface comprises a solid or open frame construction for supporting upright loads on the pallet base, whereby the load can be tethered or wrapped thereto. Two or more pallet devices can be carried on a single pallet fork, thereby allowing several pallet devices to be transported simultaneously.

I claim: 
     
         1 ) A four-way upright pallet device, comprising:
 a pallet base having an upper deck, a bottom deck, and plurality of blocks between the upper deck and the bottom deck;   the blocks offsetting the upper deck from the bottom deck to form an open interior therebetween;   the upper deck being substantially rectangular with four outer edges and four corners;   the blocks having an upper and a lower;   blocks being disposed at the corners of the upper deck and the upper thereof being secured to the upper deck;   the bottom deck being secured to the bottom of the blocks;   whereby the pallet base further comprises a pair of sides and a pair of ends;   the sides further comprising an opening therethrough, formed by the offset between the upper deck and the bottom deck;   the ends further comprising an opening therethrough, formed by the offset between the upper deck and the bottom deck;   an upstanding article support surface extending substantially perpendicularly from the upper deck, whereby the upstanding article support surface comprises a substantially planar surface with a height, a width, and a surface area.   
     
     
         2 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the bottom deck is comprised of a plurality of deckboards;   whereby the deckboards extend between adjacent blocks, below the upper deck and along the outer edges thereof;   whereby the deckboards for a perimeter frame with an open interior.   
     
     
         3 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 2 , whereby the open interior of the perimeter frame of the deckboards is sized to receive the lift wheel and rise of a pallet jack therethrough when the fork of a pallet jack is inserted through the open interior of the pallet base. 
     
     
         4 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upstanding article support surface comprises an upstanding frame having a plurality of stringers extending upwards from the pallet base, a plurality of cross members connected to the stringers and extending thereacross.   
     
     
         5 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upstanding article support surface is secured to the pallet base along an outer edge thereof, whereby the pallet base and the upstanding article support surface form a substantial L-shape.   
     
     
         6 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upstanding article support surface has a plurality of lower posts extending downward therefrom; and   whereby the pallet base further comprises a plurality of holes adapted to receive the lower posts to secure the upstanding article support surface to the pallet base such that the pallet base and the upstanding article support surface form a substantial L-shape.   
     
     
         7 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , whereby the openings through the sides of the pallet base are aligned such that a pallet jack fork can be inserted through the sides and through the open interior of the pallet base. 
     
     
         8 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , whereby the openings through the ends of the pallet base are aligned such that a pallet jack fork can be inserted through the ends and through the open interior of the pallet base. 
     
     
         9 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , whereby the openings through the sides of the pallet base are aligned such that a pallet jack fork can be inserted through both openings and through the open interior of the pallet base; and
 whereby the openings through the sides of the pallet base is sized to receive a single pallet jack fork therethrough and the upper deck and the bottom deck are sized to accommodate an adjacent pallet base of a second four-way upright pallet device along an opposing pallet jack fork.   
     
     
         10 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , whereby the openings through the ends of the pallet base are aligned such that a pallet jack fork can be inserted through both openings and through the open interior of the pallet base; and
 whereby the openings through the ends of the pallet base is sized to receive a single pallet jack fork therethrough and the upper deck and the bottom deck are sized to accommodate an adjacent pallet base of a second four-way upright pallet device along an opposing pallet jack fork.   
     
     
         11 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , whereby the openings through the sides of the pallet base are aligned and sized such that a nose plate of a hand truck can be inserted through the sides and through the open interior of the pallet base. 
     
     
         12 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , whereby the openings through the ends of the pallet base are aligned and sized such that a nose plate of a hand truck can be inserted through the ends and through the open interior of the pallet base. 
     
     
         13 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the bottom deck further comprises a plurality of lower edges;   the lower edges being chamfered inward to facilitate insertion of a hand truck nose under the bottom deck.   
     
     
         14 ) The four-way upright pallet device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upstanding article support surface further comprises a plurality of hook hardware articles secured thereto.