PALLET ASSEMBLY
A method of transporting storage components includes the step of aligning a pallet that has a plurality of cavities that extend through the pallet on a fixture that has a plurality of plugs that each correspond to a location of the plurality of cavities that extend through the pallet. A wheel is aligned on a dolly with one of the cavities in the pallet. The wheel is supported on the dolly with the plug on the fixture. The pallet is separated from the fixture such that the wheel on the dolly becomes recessed in a corresponding one of the cavities in the pallet.
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 15/200,133 filed Jul. 1, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/187,988, filed Jul. 2, 2015.
BACKGROUNDPallets are often used to transport goods. Pallets may include an upper deck supported above the floor so that the tines of a forklift or pallet lift jack can be inserted below the deck to lift the pallet and goods. The goods can be stacked directly on the pallet or placed on stackable trays. The stackable trays can be placed directly on the pallet for transport with or without goods stacked thereon.
SUMMARYIn one exemplary embodiment, a method of transporting storage components comprising the step of aligning a pallet that has a plurality of cavities that extend through the pallet on a fixture that has a plurality of plugs that each correspond to a location of the plurality of cavities that extend through the pallet. A wheel is aligned on a dolly with one of the cavities in the pallet. The wheel is supported on the dolly with the plug on the fixture. The pallet is separated from the fixture such that the wheel on the dolly becomes recessed in a corresponding one of the cavities in the pallet.
An example pallet assembly 10 is shown in
The pallet assembly 10 includes a pair of side walls 26 and a pair of opposing end walls 28 that each include a pair of fork openings 24 for accepting tines on a fork lift to move the pallet assembly 10.
As shown in
As shown in
Once the pallet assembly 10 is fully loaded with dollies 60 and trays 80, a fork lift 82 can engage the fork openings 24 in the pallet assembly 10 with tines 84 to lift the pallet assembly 10 off of the fixture 50 as shown in
When the trays 80 and dollies 60 are needed, the fork lift 82 can retrieve the trays 80 and dollies 60 on the pallet assembly 10 from the storage system 90 and lower the pallet assembly 10 onto the fixture 50. The plugs 54 on the fixture 50 raise the casters 62 out of the cavities 42 to align the mating surfaces 56 on the plugs 54 with the channels 40 in the upper deck 16. A user 92 can then remove the trays 80 on the dollies 60 by rolling the casters 62 out of the channels 40 and down the ramp 70 for use as shown in
The platform 100 is located adjacent only one end wall 28 of the pallet assembly 10 to allow access to the fork openings 24 on the three remaining sides of the pallet assembly 10 to raise or lower the pallet assembly 10 relative to the fixture 50.
Although a fixture is now shown in relation with the pallet assembly 110, a fixture similar to the fixture 50 could be utilized with the pallet assembly 110. Plugs on the fixture could be located within the cavities 142 in the pallet assembly 110 to fill discontinuities in the channels 140a and allow the casters 62 to roll onto the pallet assembly 110 freely.
Although the different non-limiting embodiments are illustrated as having specific components, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.
It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.
The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.
Claims
1. A method of transporting storage components comprising the steps of:
- aligning a pallet having a plurality of cavities extending through the pallet on a fixture having a plurality of plugs each corresponding to a location of the plurality of cavities extending through the pallet;
- aligning a wheel on a dolly with one of the cavities in the pallet;
- supporting the wheel on the dolly with the plug on the fixture; and
- separating the pallet from the fixture such that the wheel on the dolly becomes recessed in a corresponding one of the cavities in the pallet.
2. The method of claim 1, including stacking a plurality of trays on the pallet.
3. The method of claim 2, including locating the dolly on the pallet with a support structure extending upward from an upper surface of the pallet.
4. The method of claim 1 including rolling the wheel on the dolly through a channel in an upper surface of the pallet.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the channel includes a plurality of channels and at least two of the plurality of cavities are located in each of the plurality of channels.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of channels includes two pairs of channels extending between opposing edges of the upper portion.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein a first cavity of the plurality of cavities includes a first length and a second cavity of the plurality of cavities includes a second length and the second length is greater than the first length.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the support structure is located between a pair of the plurality of channels.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of channels include at least three cavities and at least two support structures located between adjacent pairs of the plurality of channels.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein supporting the wheel on the dolly with the plug on the fixture includes locating a support surface of the plug in alignment surface a support surface of a channel in an upper surface of the pallet.
11. The method of claim 1, including retaining a wheel on the dolly with a concave support surface of the plug.
12. The method of claim 4, including aligning the wheel on the dolly with the channel in the supper surface of the pallet with a ramp surface on a ramp aligned with the channel.
13. The method of claim 12, including supporting the fixture and the pallet with the ramp.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein separating the pallet from the fixture includes recessing the wheel in a corresponding one of a plurality of columns extending between an upper surface to a base portion.
15. A method of transporting storage components comprising the steps of:
- aligning a pallet having a plurality of cavities extending through the pallet on a fixture having a plurality of plugs each corresponding to a location of the plurality of cavities extending through the pallet;
- rolling a wheel on a dolly over a first plug of the plurality of plugs and aligning the wheel on the dolly with a second plug of the plurality of plugs;
- supporting the wheel on the dolly with the second plug on the fixture; and
- separating the pallet from the fixture such that the wheel on the dolly becomes recessed in a corresponding one of the cavities in the pallet.
16. The method of claim 1, including stacking a plurality of trays on the pallet and locating the dolly on the pallet with a support structure extending upward from an upper surface of the pallet.
17. The method of claim 15 including rolling the wheel on the dolly through a channel in an upper surface of the pallet.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the channel includes a plurality of channels and at least two of the plurality of cavities are located in each of the plurality of channels.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein supporting the wheel on the dolly with the plug on the fixture includes locating a support surface of the plug in alignment surface a support surface of a channel in an upper surface of the pallet.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein separating the pallet from the fixture includes recessing the wheel in a corresponding one of a plurality of columns extending between an upper surface to a base portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 20, 2017
Publication Date: May 10, 2018
Inventors: Suzanne Whitfield Clark (Santa Monica, CA), Dane Gin Mun Kalinowski (Irvine, CA), Jon P. Hassell (Atlanta, GA)
Application Number: 15/654,844