Plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet

Abstract

A plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet has replaceable top boards, stringers and bottom boards made from a thermoplastic resin with variable amounts of long glass fiber reinforcements molded into the pallet boards. The top boards have on center circular indexing buttons. The stringers have top lengthwise molded in channels for receiving multiple reinforcing metal bars, rods or tubes held in place by the top boards. The bottom boards have two circular cups at each end on their bottom surfaces for indexing with the on center buttons of the below pallet when the empty pallets are stacked for storage and transportation. This arrangement allows for the bottom boards to be horizontally reversibly mounted on the bottom surface of the stringers in either 180° horizontal direction. The bottom boards have thick bottom feet pads with foot wear-resistant pads for sliding engagement with ground surfaces.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet comprising:
 a) replaceable top boards;   b) replaceable bottom boards with wear-resistant feet pads for engagement with below surfaces;   c) replaceable stringers running 90° from the boards; and   d) mechanical fasteners for holding the top and bottom boards to the stringers.   
     
     
         2 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom sides of the top and bottom boards and the stringers are honeycombed on their bottom sides to add additional strength the pallet. 
     
     
         3 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom boards are 180° horizontally reversible when mounting to the stringers. 
     
     
         4 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom boards have re-enforcing fibers molded into the boards and stringers running their lengths. 
     
     
         5 . The pallet of  claim 4 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be chosen from a group comprising carbon fibers, graphite fibers, basalt fibers or ceramic fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The pallet of  claim 4 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be 20-50% of volume of the boards. 
     
     
         7 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom boards and stringers may be chosen from a group comprising thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylons, PVC, or polyesters. 
     
     
         8 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the top boards have top surfaces with circular indexing buttons and the bottom boards have circular indexing cups to index into a second lower pallet top indexing buttons. 
     
     
         9 . The pallet of  claim 1 , wherein the stringers have top surfaces with channels for locating reinforcing metal bars, rods or tubes held in place by fastened top boards. 
     
     
         10 . A plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet comprising:
 a) replaceable honeycombed top boards with molded in re-enforcing fibers;   b) replaceable, horizontally rotatable, honeycombed bottom boards with wear-resistant feet for engagement with ground or below surfaces with molded in re-enforcing fibers wherein the bottom boards are 180° horizontally reversible when assembling the pallet;   c) replaceable honeycombed stringers running 90° from the boards with molded in re-enforcing fibers; and   d) mechanical fasteners for holding the top and bottom boards to the stringers.   
     
     
         11 . The pallet of  claim 10 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be chosen from a group comprising carbon fibers, graphite fibers, basalt fibers or ceramic fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The pallet of  claim 10 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be 20-50% of volume of the boards. 
     
     
         13 . The pallet of  claim 10 , wherein the top and bottom boards and stringers may be chosen from a group comprising thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylons, PVC, or polyesters. 
     
     
         14 . The pallet of  claim 10 , wherein the top boards have top surfaces with indexing buttons and the bottom boards have indexing cups to index into a second lower pallet top indexing buttons. 
     
     
         15 . The pallet of  claim 10 , wherein the stringers have top surfaces with channels for locating reinforcing metal bars, rods or tubes held in place by fastened top boards. 
     
     
         16 . A plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet comprising:
 a) replaceable honeycombed top boards with molded in re-enforcing fibers;   b) replaceable, horizontally rotatable, honeycombed bottom boards with wear-resistant feet for engagement with ground or below surfaces with molded in re-enforcing fibers wherein the bottom boards are 180° horizontally reversible when assembling the pallet;   c) replaceable honeycombed stringers running 90° from the boards; and   d) mechanical fasteners for holding the top and bottom boards to the stringers.   
     
     
         17 . The pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be chosen from a group comprising carbon fibers, graphite fibers, basalt fibers or ceramic fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be 20-50% of volume of the boards. 
     
     
         19 . The pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the top and bottom boards and stringers may be chosen from a group comprising thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylons, PVC, or polyesters. 
     
     
         20 . The pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the top boards have top surfaces with indexing buttons and the bottom boards have indexing cups to index into a second lower pallet top indexing buttons. 
     
     
         21 . The pallet of  claim 16 , wherein the stringers have top surfaces with channels for locating reinforcing metal bars, rods or tubes held in place by fastened top boards. 
     
     
         22 . A plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet comprising:
 a) replaceable honeycombed top boards with molded in re-enforcing fibers;   b) replaceable, horizontally rotatable, honeycombed bottom boards with wear-resistant feet for engagement with ground or below surfaces with molded in re-enforcing fibers wherein the bottom boards are 180° horizontally reversible when assembling the pallet, wherein the top boards have top surfaces with indexing buttons and the bottom boards have indexing cups to index into a second lower pallet top indexing buttons;   c) replaceable honeycombed stringers running 90° from the boards with molded in re-enforcing fibers, wherein the stringers have top surfaces with channels for locating reinforcing metal bars, rods or tubes held in place by fastened top boards; and   d) mechanical fasteners for holding the top and bottom boards to the stringers.   
     
     
         23 . The pallet of  claim 22 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be chosen from a group comprising carbon fibers, graphite fibers, basalt fibers or ceramic fibers. 
     
     
         24 . The pallet of  claim 22 , wherein the re-enforcing fibers may be 20-50% of volume of the boards. 
     
     
         25 . The pallet of  claim 22 , wherein the top and bottom boards and stringers may be chosen from a group comprising thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylons, PVC, or polyesters. 
     
     
         26 . A plastic composite modular rebuildable pallet comprising:
 a) replaceable top boards;   b) replaceable bottom boards with wear-resistant feet pads for engagement with below surfaces;   c) replaceable stringers running 90° from the boards, the stringers having top surfaces with channels for locating at least three reinforcing metal bars, rods, or tubes; and   d) mechanical fasteners for holding the top and bottom boards to the stringers.