FOR A PALLET STORAGE ASSEMBLY

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefits of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/077,900 filed on November 10, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a pallet displacement system for a pallet storage assembly.

BACKGROUND

[0003] There exist a plurality of pallet storage assemblies, but they all essentially require a small slope to properly operate and displace stored pallets.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for a pallet displacement system allowing easy displacement of pallets stored In a pallet storage assembly.

SUMMARY

[0005] A general object of the present invention is to provide a pallet displacement system for a pallet storage assembly.

[0006] Some of the advantages of the present disclosure are as follows;

[0007] - high-density pallet storage system that can be operated using conventional forkllft trucks;

[0008] - non-motorized system, 'last in-first out' system that can hold up a plurality of pallets deep with rails that are not inclined;

[0009] - pallets are maintained perfectly horizontal: goods will not drift or fall; [0010] - pallets never move once placed Inside the pallet storage assembly, onto the pallet displacement system - the chains of the rail system combined with the pallet displacement system move the pallets;

[0011] - minimal additional height required (less than 4" per storage level, for example);

[0012] - can be installed on conventional standard pallet storage assemblies;

[0013] - length of rails and chains can be altered on-site;

[0014] - loading / unloading pallets is quick and easy;

[0015] - no motors: maintenance-free (no grease or periodic lubrication required / rust-proof); and

[0016] - can be made of robust materials resistant to low temperatures down to about -30 ^° C (about -22° F).

[0017] Accordingly, there is provided a pallet displacement system for a pallet storage assembly including a pair of rails with respective chains rollably mounted thereon for supporting one or more pallet, comprising:

[0018] a displacement guide;

[0019] a displacement mechanism positioned inside the displacement guide having a front end and a back end, the displacement mechanism having a front end connected to a push plate and a biasing mechanism biasing the push plate towards the front end of the displacement guide; and

[0020] a transmission mechanism operatively connected between the displacement mechanism and the chains;

[0021] wherein pushing the push plate towards the back end of the displacement guide rolls the chains and brings the one or more pallet towards the front end of the displacement guide. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0022J Embodiments of the disclosure will be described by way of examples only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of a part of pallet support chain;

[0024] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view the chain of Fig. 1 and a chain track;

[0025] Fig. 3 is a section view of the chain of Fig. 1 supporting a pallet on the track of Fig. 2;

[0026] Fig. 4 is a top perspective view of a double rail assembly protecting the chain and the track located therein and an abutment tab of the beginning of the chain and protruding therefrom to receive a first pallet;

[0027] Fig. 5 is an enlarged top perspective view of one of the rail assemblies of Fig, 4 showing the chain protruding above the rail protective casings (or front heads) to receive the pallet thereon;

[0028] Figs, β and 7 are top perspective views of a double rail assembly provided with a pallet displacement system in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 8 is cross section of a displacement guide;

[0030] Fig. 9 is a top perspective view of a displacement mechanism; and

[0031] Figs. 10 to 12 are top perspective views of alternative illustrative embodiments of the pallet displacement system.

[0032] Similar references used in different Figures denote similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Generally stated, the non-llmitatlve illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pallet displacement system for a pallet storage assembly.

10034] Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, there is shown a rail system 10 for a pallet storage assembly 12 typically that includes a pair of rail assemblies 14 for each row of pallets 16, with each pallet being simultaneously supported by both rail assemblies 14. The pallets 16 can be placed on and removed from the rail system 10 using conventional forklift trucks or the like.

[0035] Each rail assembly 14 includes rail 18 secured to the structure of the pallet storage assembly 12 and a chain 20 rollably and slidably mounted thereon. The chain 20 includes a plurality of segments 22 linked to one another via interlink members 24. Each segment 22 includes two rollers 26 mounted thereon via roller bearings 28 to support the load of the pallet 16 being mounted on a tooth top surface 30, The top surface 30 has a plurality of teeth 32 used to slightly anchor to the bottom surface 34 of the pallet 16 to prevent sliding of the pallet relative to the chain segments 22. Each interlink member 24 carries four lateral guides 36 used to roll into corresponding recesses 38 on the rail 18 to guide the adjacent segments 22 along the rail 18. Each interlink member 24 is rotatably mounted onto a roller axis of each adjacent segment 22, and carries the guides 36 between the roller axes. In addition to the guides 36, each interlink member 24 carries four wheels 42 freely rotatably mounted onto a roller axis of each adjacent segment 22 to support the chain 20 when it is up-side-down inside the rail 14.

[0036] The first segment 22' of each rail 14 typically carries an abutment tab 40 to abuttlngly receive the first pallet there against. Pallet Displacement System

[0037] Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, there Is shown a pallet displacement system 50 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. The pallet displacement system 50 generally comprises a push plate 52 connected to a displacement mechanism 56 positioned inside a displacement guide 54 and a transmission mechanism 57 actuated by the displacement mechanism 56. In the Illustrative embodiment, the transmission mechanism 57 Is in the form of a pinion gear 58 connected to a first set of gears 60 in a ratchet configuration and a shaft 66 having thereon a second set of gears 64 operatively connected to the first set of gears 60 via transmission chain 62 and a set of chain gears 68. The gears 68 in turn move the chain 20 along the rail 18 for displacing an overlaying pallet 16.

[0038] Referring now to Fig. 8, there ie shown a cross section of the displacement guide 54, which comprises a channel 80 in which the displacement mechanism 56 moves linearly. Wheels 82 are positioned on each side of the displacement mechanism 56 to reduce friction. It is to be understood that other friction reducing mechanisms may be used.

[0039] Springs 84 are located on each side of the displacement mechanism 56 in the displacement guide 54 in order to bias the push plate 52 towards the front of the pallet storage assembly 12 against stopper 70. This is made possible by the ratchet configuration of the first set of gears 60 that only engage when the push plate 52 is forced towards the back of the pallet storage assembly 12 by the forks of the forklift truck.

[0040] Fig. 9 shows the components of the displacement mechanism 56, which generally comprises a head element 86 having thereon a pivot connector Θ8 to connect to the push plate 52. The purpose of the pivot connector 88 is to prevent the displacement mechanism 56 from being damaged due to torsion forces caused by the forks of the forklift truck not making contact simultaneously with the push plate 52. It is to be understood that in an alternative embodiment the pivot connector 88 may be optional. The head element 86 is attached to a rack 55 portion via attachment 90 and, optionally, bumper 89 so as to prevent any abrupt hit from the forklift truck from damaging any of the gears. The springs 84 can be connected, for example, to the push plate 52 or the head element 86 of the displacement mechanism 56 and to an opposed end of the displacement guide 54.

[0041] In use, a first pallet 16 is simply placed on the rails 18. A second pallet pushes on the first one, which makes the chains 20 turn, and so forth.

[0042] When pallets 16 are removed, the forks of the forklift truck are used to push against the push plate 52, which in turn pushes the displacement assembly 56 inside the displacement guide 54. The movement of the displacement mechanism 56 activates the pinion gear 58 in contact with rack portion 55, and both sets of gears 60, 64, which turns shaft 66 connected to chain gears 68 that control the displacement of both chains 20 in the opposite direction to bring to the front a pallet 16 located towards the rear of the pallet storage assembly 12. The forklift truck may now lift off the pallet 16,

[0043] As the forklift truck backs-up, the springs 84 located on each side of the displacement mechanism 56 in the displacement guide 54 push the push plate 52 back to the front of the pallet storage assembly 12 until stopped by stopper 70.

[0044] It is to be understood that other means as known in the art may be used for transferring the linear force applied to the push plate 52 to the chain gears 68 in order to displace the chains 20 and bring forth a stored pallet 16. [0045] Referring now to Figs 10 to 12, there are shown various alternative embodiments of the pallet displacement system 50.

[0046] In Fig, 10, the pinion gear 5Θ is directly connected to shaft 66.

[0047] In Fig. 1 1 , the push plate 52 is connected to transmission chains 74 that directly activate shaft 66 and chain gears 68 located at the front of the pallet storage assembly 12. A set of guards 76 protects the transmission chains 74 from the forks of the forklift truck. A set of springs 72 positioned on the shaft 66 pushes the push plate 52 back to the front.

[0048] In Fig. 12, the pinion gear 58 is directly connected to shaft 66 that activates transmission chains 74 connected to the chain gears 68 that are located at the front of the pallet storage assembly 12,

[0049] The rail 10 and pallet displacement 50 systems can be used with wooden, steel or plastic pallets.

[0050] Although the present disclosure has been described with a certain degree of particularity and by way of an illustrative embodiment and examples thereof, it is to be understood that the present disclosure Is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope of the disclosure and as hereinafter claimed.