Pallet inspection and repair system and associated methods

a technology for repairing systems and pallets, applied in the direction of metal-working apparatus, thin material handling, article separation, etc., can solve the problems of unnecessary repairs to be made to pallets, and achieve the effect of reducing certain types of repairs

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-07-02
CHEP TECH PTY LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method and system for inspecting and repairing pallets. The system receives a plurality of pallets for inspection and uses an automated system to inspect each pallet and generate a repair recipe based on the inspection. The repair recipes are then compared to determine performance repair parameters, which can include the type of repair needed for each pallet. This allows for accurate estimation of material usage and repair trends, which can help improve the efficiency of the repair process. The system can also collect customer data and provide feedback to the customer to reduce unnecessary repairs. The repairs can be made using a processor-controlled device or human operators. Overall, the invention provides a more efficient and effective way to inspect and repair pallets.

Problems solved by technology

If one or more of the inspection tolerances are set to stringent, for example, this may cause unnecessary repairs to be made to the pallets.

Method used

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  • Pallet inspection and repair system and associated methods
  • Pallet inspection and repair system and associated methods
  • Pallet inspection and repair system and associated methods

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Embodiment Construction

[0027]The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0028]A top-level overview of the pallet inspection and repair system 40 will initially be discussed with reference to FIG. 1. Pooled pallets 50 from different customers are returned to a pallet pooling company for inspection, and if necessary, repair, before the pallets are returned to service 51. As the pallets 50 are received, customer data is collected and recorded. Customer data includes the customer providing the pallets, along with how many pallets ...

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Abstract

A pallet inspection and repair system includes a pallet in-feed for receiving pallets for inspection, and an automated pallet inspection system for inspecting the pallets. A processor cooperates with the automated pallet inspection system to generate a repair recipe for each pallet based on the inspecting, and compares the repair recipes to determine at least one performance repair parameter for the pallets. The at least one performance repair parameter corresponds to a type of repair to be made to the pallets.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to pallet inspection and repair systems, and more particularly, to the processing of data obtained from a pallet inspection and repair system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Wooden pallets are used to transport a variety of bulk goods and equipment as required in manufacturing and warehousing operations. In high volume industries, pallet pools provide a lower total industry cost than one-way pallets. The current assignee of the present invention recognizes the benefits of pooled pallets, and currently has over several hundred million pallets that are pooled each year.[0003]After the bulk goods and equipment are off loaded from the pooled pallets, the pallets are returned to pallet inspection and repair facilities for inspection, and if necessary, repair, before the pallets are returned to service.[0004]As one might expect, wooden pallets are subject to damage in use that occurs from handling with forklifts or other like equi...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & AuthorityApplications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B65H1/00
CPCB23P19/041
InventorTOWNSEND, STEVELUCAS, MICHAEL DAVID
OwnerCHEP TECH PTY LTD