Kit for a dismountable frame for the vertical transport of goods on a pallet, pallet comprising such a frame and associated installation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a demountable gantry kit (1) for vertical transport on a pallet (2), comprising two uprights (8) and a top cross member (9), each of the two uprights (8) comprising an interlocking device (10) configured to interlock with the thickness of a pallet deck board (3), each of the two uprights (8) further comprising an interlocking locking element (14) mounted to slide on the lower part of the upright (8), said interlocking locking element (14) being movable by sliding vertically on the associated upright (8) so as to assume either a raised non-locking position or a lowered locking position. The present invention also relates to a pallet (2) on which such a gantry kit (1) is installed and an associated installation method.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of handling pallets, and in particular to a demountable gantry kit for vertical transport on pallets, to a pallet comprising it and to an associated installation method.

[0002] Handling pallets are accessories, usually made of wood, designed to streamline the handling, storage, and transport of goods. They can be either single-use or returnable and reusable.

[0003] The most common type of pallet used in Europe is the block pallet (such as the Euro pallet or EUR-PAL, standardized at 800 mm wide and 1200 mm long). Its top or deck (made of spaced wooden slats) is fixed to crossbeams, which are themselves fixed to blocks or wooden cubes. Underneath these blocks are skids, and the various pallet components are secured together by screws and / or nails. However, these block pallets alone are not suitable for transporting bulky and fragile goods in an upright position, such as doors, windows, French doors, glass panes, etc.

[0004] Therefore, when transporting goods in an upright position, pallets with backrests are generally used. However, because the backrests of these existing pallets are nailed to the pallets, they cannot be easily removed. Consequently, carriers generally do not collect these pallets due to their bulky size, and they are often discarded rather than reused.

[0005] US patent application US2006131305A1 discloses a folding pallet frame assembly comprising two uprights, a top rail, and a bottom rail installed beneath the pallet's deck boards. However, the bottom rail of this frame assembly is fixed to the pallet's base by screwing or nailing, so the existing frame assembly cannot be easily and quickly completely detached from the pallet.

[0006] The German utility model application DE202009007881U1, the European patent EP3515831B1 and the German patent application DE102021110170A1 also disclose the prior art.

[0007] The present invention aims to resolve the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a gantry kit configured to be installed in a fully demountable manner on a handling pallet in order to allow the transport in a vertical position of bulky and fragile goods (such as doors, windows, French doors, glazing, etc.) on the handling pallet.

[0008] The present invention therefore relates to a demountable gantry kit for vertical transport on pallets, characterized in that it comprises two uprights and an upper cross member configured to be fixed to the upper ends of the two uprights, each of the two uprights comprising, at its lower end, a locking device configured to fit onto the thickness of a pallet floorboard, each of the two uprights further comprising a locking element for the locking mechanism mounted to slide on the lower part of the upright, said locking element for the locking mechanism being movable by sliding vertically on the associated upright so as to take: - either a raised, non-locking position in which the locking device of the associated upright is configured, when the associated upright is positioned vertically above a cross member of the pallet,to fit into a gap between two adjacent pallet floorboards, and then to fit onto the thickness of one of the two adjacent floorboards at at least one location not above said pallet cross member; - or a lowered locking position in which, once the associated interlocking device is fitted onto a floorboard, the lower end of the interlocking locking element is configured to fit into said gap between the two adjacent pallet floorboards so as to abut against said pallet cross member while in contact with the two opposite lateral edges of the two adjacent pallet floorboards, so as to removably lock the fitting of the associated upright onto the pallet.

[0009] Thus, when the gantry kit is mounted on the handling pallet, its upper crossbar is above the pallet crossbar above which the two uprights are installed and is parallel to this pallet crossbar, so that the mounted gantry kit and said pallet crossbar together form a rectangular or square vertical frame.

[0010] Once the gantry kit according to the invention is installed in a removable manner on a handling pallet (such as a standard Euro pallet or any other type of pallet whose deck consists of spaced floorboards fixed to pallet beams), bulky and fragile goods (such as doors, windows, French doors, glazing, etc.) can rest upright against the gantry kit mounted on the handling pallet to allow for their storage and / or transport. Advantageously, straps or other securing systems are installed around the goods resting on the gantry kit to lock them upright against it during transport.

[0011] After delivery and unloading of the handling pallet on which the gantry kit according to the invention is installed, the gantry kit can be easily disassembled from the pallet, so that the gantry kit and the handling pallet can be recovered by the carrier and reused for subsequent deliveries (in accordance with the circular economy model), unlike existing backrest pallets which are single-use and discarded.

[0012] The gantry kit according to the invention is therefore economical and ecological, since it is reusable just like the handling pallet on which it is installed.

[0013] When the interlocking element of an upright is in the raised, non-locking position and the upright is vertically positioned above one of the pallet beams (for example, the center beam), the upright's interlocking device can be inserted into a gap between two adjacent deck boards and then moved horizontally to engage a removable joint with the thickness of one of the two adjacent deck boards. Once the interlocking device is engaged with one of the two adjacent deck boards, the interlocking element can be slid downwards into the lowered, locking position to abut against the pallet beam and fill the gap between the two adjacent deck boards, thus allowing the upright to be removably locked onto the handling pallet.

[0014] Once the two uprights are installed on the pallet, the top crossbar can be attached to the upper ends of the two uprights, so as to form a gantry against which bulky goods (such as doors, windows, French doors, glazing, etc.) can be installed in a vertical position on the pallet.

[0015] Either the thickness of the interlocking locking element corresponds to the width of the gap between the two adjacent floorboards, or the interlocking locking element has at least one horizontal projection (for example, at least one horizontal screw) which, together with the thickness of the interlocking locking element, fills the width of the gap between the two adjacent floorboards, thus preventing the interlocking device from disengaging from the floorboard when the interlocking locking element is lowered and inserted into the gap between the two adjacent floorboards.

[0016] When the projection is at least one horizontal screw, the length of the projection can be modified by screwing or unscrewing at least one screw so as to fit the width of the gap between adjacent floorboards.

[0017] According to a particular feature of the invention, the interlocking device comprises a support bar fixed perpendicularly to the lower end of the upright and at least one C-shaped hook fixed to the support bar and configured to interlock with the thickness of a pallet floorboard when the support bar rests longitudinally on said pallet floorboard.

[0018] The support bar can, for example, have a square section and be fixed under the upright using at least one screw.

[0019] At least one hook can, for example, be attached to the support bar using at least one screw.

[0020] According to a particular feature of the invention, the interlocking device comprises two C-shaped hooks fixed to the support bar on either side of the upright.

[0021] Thus, the two-hook interlocking device is suitable for installing the gantry kit above the central crossbeam of the pallet, the two hooks interlocking onto the thickness of the floorboard on either side of the central crossbeam of the pallet, which improves the stability of the gantry kit's attachment to the pallet.

[0022] According to a particular feature of the invention, the gantry kit further includes a crossbar configured to be fixed between the two uprights at a height lower than that of the upper crossbar. Thus, goods whose height is lower than that of the upper crossbar of the assembled gantry kit can rest upright against this crossbar.

[0023] The crossbar can, for example, be installed halfway up the uprights, or at any other height below the top rail.

[0024] Each end of the crossbar can, for example, include a projection (such as a screw head or a stud) capable of sliding into a longitudinal groove formed on the inner face of the associated upright, so that the crossbar can be installed by sliding it between the two uprights (before the installation of the top crossbar), with stops fixed in the longitudinal grooves of the uprights allowing the height of the crossbar to be defined between the two uprights installed on the pallet.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper crossbar is configured to be removably fixed by fitting onto the upper ends of the two uprights.

[0026] The upper cross member may, for example, include projections extending vertically downwards from the underside of the upper cross member, said projections being configured to fit removably into vertical holes provided in the upper ends of the uprights.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the invention, the upper crossbar is configured to be fixed removably by interlocking between the upper ends of the two uprights.

[0028] Each end of the upper cross member may, for example, include a tab capable of being removably fitted into the upper end of a longitudinal groove formed on the inner face of the associated upright.

[0029] According to a particular feature of this other embodiment of the invention, the gantry kit further comprises a first cross member extension configured to be removably attached by fitting to one of the two uprights opposite the upper cross member and in line with the latter, and a second cross member extension configured to be removably attached by fitting to the other of the two uprights opposite the upper cross member and in line with the latter.

[0030] Thus, the first and second crossbeam extensions allow the upper crossbeam to be lengthened, so that wider goods can rest vertically against the gantry kit.

[0031] One end of each of the first and second cross extensions may, for example, include a tab capable of being removably fitted into the upper end of a longitudinal groove formed on the outer face of the associated upright.

[0032] According to a particular feature of this other embodiment of the invention, the gantry kit further comprises, for each of the two uprights, a pair of fixing eyelets fixed on the upper end of the upright and in which an axle is mounted, so as to allow winching of the pallet-mounted gantry kit.

[0033] Thus, a winch cable can be fixed to the two axes of the gantry kit, so as to allow the pallet on which bulky goods rest upright against the gantry kit to be winched.

[0034] According to a particular feature of the invention, the uprights, the top rail and, where applicable, the crossbar are made of metal such as aluminium or stainless steel.

[0035] Thus, the gantry kit is resistant to various weather conditions.

[0036] According to a particular feature of the invention, the uprights, the top rail and, where applicable, the crossbar each have longitudinal grooves and studs, such that, in a storage position of the disassembled gantry kit, the different elements of the gantry kit are able to be fitted together by sliding the studs of one element of the gantry kit into a longitudinal groove of another element of the gantry kit, at least one of the two uprights optionally including a gripping handle.

[0037] Thus, all the disassembled components of the gantry kit can be nested together in a storage position to facilitate the compact storage and transport of the disassembled kit. Furthermore, the handle on one of the two uprights (see both uprights) makes it easier for an operator to grip and carry the disassembled kit.

[0038] The present invention also relates to a pallet on which is mounted at least one gantry kit as described above, so as to allow the vertical transport of goods such as joinery.

[0039] It should be noted that several gantry kits according to the invention can be installed on the handling pallet, for example one gantry kit installed above the central crossbar of the pallet, and two other gantry kits respectively installed above the other two crossbars of the pallet, in order to guarantee optimal vertical positioning of the goods on the pallet.

[0040] The pallet can be made of wood, plastic, or any other suitable material.

[0041] According to a particular feature of the invention, for each upright of at least one gantry kit, the length of the support bar for the interlocking device is identical to that of the pallet's floorboards. Thus, in the event of winching, the support bars allow for a better distribution of forces on the pallet.

[0042] The present invention further relates to a method of installing a gantry kit as described above on a pallet, characterized by the fact that it comprises the following steps: - for a first of the two uprights of the gantry kit: place the interlocking locking element in the raised non-locking position, insert the interlocking device into a first gap between two adjacent floorboards of the pallet, fit the interlocking device onto the thickness of one of the two adjacent floorboards, then place the interlocking locking element in the lowered locking position;- for the second of the two uprights of the gantry kit: place the interlocking locking element in the raised non-locking position, insert the interlocking device into a second gap between two other adjacent floorboards of the pallet, fit the interlocking device onto the thickness of one of the two other adjacent floorboards, then place the interlocking locking element in the lowered locking position; and - fix the upper cross member of the gantry kit to the upper ends of the two uprights.

[0043] Thus, when assembling the gantry kit onto the pallet, an operator can slide the interlocking locking element of one of the two uprights upwards, allowing at least one hook of the interlocking device to be inserted between two adjacent floorboards. The operator can then slide the interlocking device forward until at least one hook engages with the thickness of a floorboard.

[0044] Subsequently, the operator can slide the interlocking locking element downwards until it comes against the corresponding cross member of the pallet, thus locking the upright in position on the pallet (but in a removable manner to facilitate subsequent dismantling of the gantry kit).

[0045] The operator can then do the same for the other upright (above the same pallet crossbeam but in a different interval of adjacent floorboards). Finally, the operator can mount the top crossbeam onto the two uprights by fitting it onto or between the two upper ends of the two uprights.

[0046] Similarly, to dismantle the gantry kit from the pallet for storage and / or transport for later delivery, the operator can: Lift the upper cross member to disengage it from the two uprights; and for each upright: slide the interlocking locking element upwards; move the interlocking device along the pallet cross member to disengage at least one hook from the floorboard; and lift the upright to remove the interlocking device from the gap between the two adjacent floorboards. To better illustrate the object of the present invention, two preferred embodiments are described below, by way of illustration and without limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] In these drawings: [ Fig. 1 ] is a perspective view of a gantry kit according to a first embodiment of the invention, installed on a handling pallet; [ Fig. 2 ] is a perspective view of the gantry kit of the Figure 1 , without the handling pallet; [ Fig. 3 ] is an exploded view of the Figure 2 ; Fig. 4 ] is a front view of the lower part of a gantry kit upright of the Figure 1 ; Fig. 5 ] is a rear front view of the lower part of a gantry kit upright of the Figure 1 , with its locking element for locking into the raised position; [ Fig. 6 ] is a rear front view of the lower part of a gantry kit upright of the Figure 1 , with its locking element for locking into the lowered position; [ Fig. 7 ] is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the gantry kit upright of the Figure 1 , in the first stage of installation on the pallet; [ Fig. 8 ] is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the gantry kit upright of the Figure 1 , in a second installation step on the pallet; [ Fig. 9 ] is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the gantry kit upright of the Figure 1 , in a third installation step on the pallet; [ Fig. 10 ] is a perspective view of a gantry kit according to a second embodiment of the invention, installed on a handling pallet; [ Fig. 11 ] is a perspective view of the gantry kit of the Figure 10 , without the handling pallet; [ Fig. 12 ] is an exploded view of the Figure 11 ; Fig. 13 ] is a perspective view of the gantry kit of the Figure 10 in storage position; and [ Fig. 14 ] is a partial perspective view of a variant of the gantry kit according to the second embodiment, installed on a handling pallet.

[0048] If we refer to Figures 1 à 9 , we can see that it represents a demountable gantry kit 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is configured to be mounted on a handling pallet 2 so as to form a gantry structure for the vertical transport of goods on the pallet 2.

[0049] Pallet 2 is a standard wooden pallet comprising a floor made of several floorboards 3 successively fixed to three pallet crossbeams 4, themselves fixed to wooden blocks 5, beneath which are fixed skids 6. The various elements of pallet 2 are fixed together by screwing and / or nailing. It should be noted that pallet 2 could also be made of plastic or any other suitable material, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0050] The floorboards 3 are spaced apart from each other, so that a gap 7 is created between each pair of adjacent floorboards 3.

[0051] The gantry kit 1 includes two uprights 8 and a top crossbar 9 configured to attach to the top ends of the two uprights 8.

[0052] The two uprights 8 and the upper cross member 9 each have an identical rectangular cross-section.

[0053] Each of the two uprights 8 includes, at the lower end, a fitting device 10 configured to fit into the thickness of one of the floorboards 3 of the pallet 2.

[0054] The interlocking device 10 includes a support bar 11 fixed perpendicularly to the lower end of the associated upright 8 and two C-shaped hooks 12 fixed to the support bar 11 on either side of the upright 8.

[0055] The support bar 11 has a square cross-section corresponding to half of the rectangular cross-section of the upright 8.

[0056] The lower end of the upright 8 is fixed to the central part of the support bar 11 by means of two screws (not visible in the Figures) which pass through the support bar 11 to engage with the lower end of the upright 8, and also by means of two assembly brackets 13 fixed by screws 13a to the outer face of the upright 8 and to the outer face of the support bar 11 (by outer face is meant the face opposite to that facing the other upright 8 when the gantry kit 1 is mounted).

[0057] In addition, each of the two hooks 12 is fixed to its support bar 11 using screws 12a.

[0058] The two hooks 12 are configured, when the associated upright 8 is arranged vertically above the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2, to fit into the thickness of a floorboard 3 (on either side of said central cross member of pallet 4) when its support bar 11 rests longitudinally on said floorboard 3.

[0059] It should be noted that the interlocking device 10 could also include a single hook 12 or any number of hooks 12, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0060] Each of the two uprights 8 further includes a sliding interlocking locking element 14 mounted on the lower part of the associated upright 8.

[0061] The interlocking locking element 14 is movable by sliding vertically on the associated upright 8, so as to assume either a raised, non-locking position (as shown in the Figure 5 ), or a lowered locking position (as shown in the Figure 6 ).

[0062] As shown by Figure 7 , in the raised non-locking position of the interlocking locking element 14, the interlocking device 10 can, when the associated upright 8 is positioned vertically above the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2, be inserted into one of the gaps 7 between two adjacent floorboards 3.

[0063] Next, as the Figure 8 , the interlocking device 10 can be pushed in translation towards the floor slat 3 opposite the hollows of the two hooks 12 until the two hooks come together on the thickness of the floor slat 3 in question.

[0064] Subsequently, as shown by the Figure 9 , the interlocking locking element 14 can be moved into its lowered locking position so that the lower end of the interlocking locking element 14 is inserted into the gap 7 in question and comes to rest against the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2 while being in contact with the two lateral edges opposite the two adjacent floor slats 3, which allows the interlocking of the interlocking device 10 on the pallet 2 to be removably locked.

[0065] The interlocking locking element 14 has a rectangular cross-section identical to that of the upright 8.

[0066] In addition, two horizontal projections 15 (such as screws) are fixed on the interlocking locking element 14 so that the sum of the thickness of the interlocking locking element 14 and the length of the horizontal projections 15 corresponds to the width of the gap 7 between the two adjacent floorboards 3, which prevents the interlocking device 10 from disengaging from the corresponding floorboard 3 when the interlocking locking element 14 is lowered and inserted into the gap 7 between the two adjacent floorboards 3.

[0067] When the horizontal projections 15 are screws, their length can be modified by screwing or unscrewing so as to fit the width of the gap 7 between the adjacent floorboards 3.

[0068] It should be noted that the interlocking locking element 14 could also not have horizontal projections and have a thickness corresponding to the width of the gap 7 between the two adjacent floorboards 3, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0069] Longitudinal grooves 16 are formed on each of the uprights 8, the top cross member 9, the support bars 11 and the interlocking locking elements 14.

[0070] In particular, when these elements have a square cross-section (namely, the support bars 11), a longitudinal groove 16 is formed on each longitudinal face, and, when these elements have a rectangular cross-section (namely, the uprights 8, the top rail 9 and the interlocking locking elements 14), a longitudinal groove 16 is formed on each thin longitudinal face and two longitudinal grooves 16 are formed on each thick longitudinal face.

[0071] On each upright 8, two stops 17 are respectively arranged at the same height in the two longitudinal grooves 16 of the inner face of the upright 8 (by inner face, we mean the face opposite the other upright 8 when the gantry kit 1 is mounted).

[0072] The face of the interlocking locking element 14 opposite the inner face of the associated upright 8 has two pins (not visible in the Figures) mounted slidably in the two longitudinal grooves 16 of the inner face of the associated upright 8, below the two stops 17, such that the stroke of said two pins of the interlocking locking element 14 is limited between the support bar 11 and the two stops 17.

[0073] Therefore, when the two lugs of the interlocking locking element 14 are in contact with the two stops 17, the interlocking locking element 14 is in the raised non-locking position, and, when said two lugs are in contact with the support bar 11, the interlocking locking element 14 is in the lowered locking position.

[0074] Each end of the upper cross member 9 includes two tabs 9a (visible in Figure 3 ) able to fit removably into the upper end of an upright 8, more precisely into the upper ends of the two longitudinal grooves 16 of the inner face of the upright 8.

[0075] The length of the upper cross member 9 corresponds to the spacing between the two uprights 8 mounted on the pallet 2. Therefore, once the two uprights 8 have been installed on the pallet 2, the upper cross member 9 can fit between the two upper ends of the two uprights 8.

[0076] Thus, when the gantry kit 1 is mounted on the pallet 2, its upper cross member 9 is above the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2 and is parallel to the central cross member 4, so that the mounted gantry kit 1 and the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2 together form a rectangular vertical frame.

[0077] Once the gantry kit 1 according to the invention is installed on the pallet 2, bulky and fragile goods (such as doors, windows, French doors, glazing, etc.) can rest upright against the uprights 8 and / or the upper cross member 9 of the gantry kit 1 (by being placed either on the support bars 11 of the gantry kit 1, or directly on the pallet 2), so as to allow the storage and / or transport of the goods.

[0078] Advantageously, straps or other restraint systems are installed around the goods resting on the gantry kit 1 in order to lock them in an upright position against it during transport.

[0079] After delivery and unloading of pallet 2 on which gantry kit 1 is installed, gantry kit 1 can be easily removed from pallet 2, so that gantry kit 1 and handling pallet 2 can be recovered by the carrier and reused for subsequent deliveries.

[0080] The gantry kit 1 may also include a first crossbar extension 18 configured to be attached removably by fitting to one of the two uprights 8 opposite the upper crossbar 9 and in line with the latter, and a second crossbar extension 19 configured to be attached removably by fitting to the other of the two uprights 8 opposite the upper crossbar 9 and in line with the latter.

[0081] In particular, one end of each of the first and second cross extensions 18 and 19 comprises two tabs 18a or 19a (visible in Figure 3 ) able to be removably fitted into the upper ends of the two longitudinal grooves on the outer face of the associated upright 8.

[0082] The first and second crossbeam extensions 18 and 19 thus allow the upper crossbeam 9 to be lengthened, so that wider goods can rest vertically against the gantry kit 1.

[0083] The gantry kit 1 may further include, for each of the two uprights 8, a pair of fixing eyelets 20 fixed on the upper end of the upright 8 and in which an axle (not visible in the Figures) can be mounted, so as to allow winching of the gantry kit 1 mounted on pallet 2 by fixing a winching cable on the two axles of the two uprights 8.

[0084] In this case, the length of the support bar 11 of the interlocking device 10 of each upright 8 is identical to that of the floorboards 3 of the pallet 2, so as to allow better distribution of forces on the pallet 2 in case of winching.

[0085] The various elements of the gantry kit 1 (namely, the uprights 8, the top crossbar 9, the support bars 11, the interlocking locking elements 14 and the crossbar extensions 18 and 19) are preferably made of metal such as aluminium or stainless steel, so as to withstand the various weather conditions outdoors.

[0086] To install gantry kit 1 onto pallet 2, an operator can: for the first of the two uprights 8 of the gantry kit 1: place the interlocking locking element 14 in the raised non-locking position, insert the interlocking device 10 into a first gap 7 between two adjacent floorboards 3 of the pallet 2 (above the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2), fit the interlocking device 10 onto the thickness of one of the two adjacent floorboards 3, then place the interlocking locking element 14 in the lowered locking position (which allows the upright 8 to be locked in position on the pallet 2 but in a removable manner to facilitate subsequent dismantling of the gantry kit 1);for the second of the two uprights 8 of the gantry kit 1: place the interlocking locking element 14 in the raised non-locking position, insert the interlocking device 10 into a second gap 7 between two other adjacent floorboards 3 of the pallet 2 (above the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2), fit the interlocking device 10 onto the thickness of one of the two other adjacent floorboards 3, then place the interlocking locking element in the lowered locking position 14; and fix the upper cross member 9 and the two cross member extensions 18 and 19 of the gantry kit 1 to the upper ends of the two uprights 8.

[0087] Similarly, to dismantle the gantry kit 1 from pallet 2 for storage and / or transport for later delivery, the operator can: lift the top cross member 9 and the cross member extensions 18 and 19 in order to disengage it from the two uprights 8; and for each upright 8: slide the interlocking locking element 14 upwards; move the interlocking device 10 translationally along the pallet cross member 4 so as to disengage the two hooks 12 from the corresponding floorboard 3; and lift the upright 8 so as to remove the interlocking device 10 from the associated gap 7 between the two adjacent floorboards 3.

[0088] As will be explained in more detail at the Figure 13 , studs can be fixed at different locations in the different longitudinal grooves 16 of the different elements of the gantry kit 1 in order to allow the different elements to be fitted together (by sliding at least one stud of a first element into at least one longitudinal groove 16 of another element), so as to store and / or transport the disassembled gantry kit 1 in a compact storage position.

[0089] Furthermore, a handle 21 is fixed to one of the two uprights 8 to facilitate the handling and transport of the gantry kit 1 in its stored position. It should be noted that another handle could also be fixed to the other upright 8, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0090] The different elements of the gantry kit 1 can take any dimensions (in particular with regard to the length of the uprights 8 and the length of the upper cross member 9) to adapt to different sizes of pallets 2 and / or different sizes of goods to be transported, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0091] Each upright 8 could also be made up of two parts, namely a first lower part (of short length) fixed to the support bar 11 and a second upper part (of long length) whose lower end could be removably fitted into the upper end of said first lower part, thus allowing the bulk of the kit to be reduced in its storage position by dismantling the second upper parts of the uprights 8.

[0092] Furthermore, each upright 8 can be mounted either at the central part of the corresponding support bar 11 to position the gantry in the center of the pallet, or at one of the two ends of the corresponding support bar 11 to position the gantry at the end of the pallet. In this second configuration, the upper sections of the two uprights 8 can be removed and folded down onto the two support bars 11 to further reduce the kit's size when stored.

[0093] As depicted on the Figures 1 à 9 Preferably, each of the two uprights 8 is mounted on the support bar 11 perpendicular to it. However, alternatively, at least one of the two uprights 8 could also be mounted on the support bar 11 not perpendicular to it, so that the upright(s) 8 are inclined relative to the vertical in the kit's operating position, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0094] In addition, the position of the interlocking locking element in position 14 on the upright 8 could also be removably locked using a key or a pin, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0095] If we refer to Figures 10 à 12 , we can see that it represents a demountable gantry kit 22 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is configured to be mounted on the handling pallet 2 so as to form a gantry for the vertical transport of goods on the pallet 2.

[0096] The common elements between the first embodiment of the invention on the Figures 1 à 9 and this second embodiment of the invention bear the same reference number, and will not be described in more detail here when they are of identical structures.

[0097] The gantry kit 22 according to the second embodiment is identical to the gantry kit 1 according to the first embodiment, except that the upper ends of its two uprights 8 do not have eyelets for winching, and that the length of its upper cross member 9' is greater than the spacing between the two uprights 8 installed on the pallet 2, said upper cross member 9' being removablely fitted onto the upper ends of the two uprights 8.

[0098] In particular, the upper cross member 9' has two sets of four projections 23 extending vertically downwards from the lower face of the upper cross member 9', one of the two sets of projections 23 being configured to fit removably into corresponding vertical holes provided in the upper end of one of the uprights 8, and the other set of projections 23 being configured to fit removably into corresponding vertical holes provided in the upper end of the other upright 8. It should be noted that each set could also comprise any number of projections 23, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0099] Since this gantry kit 22 according to the second embodiment is not suitable for winching, the support bar 11 of the interlocking device 10 of each upright 8 is shorter compared to that of the first embodiment.

[0100] In particular, the length of the support bar 11 in this second embodiment can correspond to the spacing between the distal ends of the two hooks 12 with respect to the associated upright 8.

[0101] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the gantry kit 22 further includes a crossbar 24 (made of metal such as aluminium or stainless steel) configured to be fixed between the two uprights 8 at a height lower than that of the upper crossbar 9', which allows goods whose height is lower than that of the upper crossbar 9' to be able to rest upright against this crossbar 24.

[0102] The crossbar 24 has a square cross section identical to that of the support bar 11.

[0103] Each end of the crossbar 24 includes a projection 25 (such as a screw head or a stud) suitable for sliding into one of the two longitudinal grooves 16 formed on the inner face of the associated upright 8, so that the crossbar 24 can be installed by sliding it between the two uprights 8 (before the installation of the top crossbar 9').

[0104] Stops 26 fixed at a certain height in the corresponding longitudinal grooves 16 of the two uprights 8 allowing the height of the crossbar 24 to be defined between the two uprights 8 installed on the pallet 2.

[0105] The crossbar 24 can, for example, be installed halfway up the uprights 8, or at any other height below the top rail 9'.

[0106] It should be noted that the crossbar 24 could also have a rectangular cross-section identical to that of the uprights 8, without departing from the scope of the present invention, each end of the crossbar 24 then comprising two projections 25 adapted to slide respectively in the two longitudinal grooves 16 of the inner face of the associated upright 8. The gantry kit 1 according to the first embodiment could also comprise a crossbar 24, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0107] It should be noted that several gantry kits 22 could also be installed on the handling pallet 2, for example one gantry kit 22 installed above the central cross member 4 of the pallet 2, and one or two additional gantry kits 22 installed above one or both of the other cross members 4 of the pallet 2, in order to ensure optimal vertical support of the goods on the pallet 2. In this case, each upright 8 of the two additional gantry kits 22 could have one or more hooks 12 arranged on the same side of the upright 8.

[0108] The different elements of the gantry kit 22 can take any dimensions (in particular with regard to the length of the uprights 8 and the length of the upper cross member 9') to adapt to different sizes of pallets 2 and / or different sizes of goods to be transported, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0109] If we refer to the Figure 13 , we can see that the gantry kit 22 is shown in its storage position.

[0110] As previously mentioned, nipples (not visible on the Figure 13 ) are fixed at different locations in the different longitudinal grooves 16 of the different elements of the gantry kit 22 in order to allow the different elements to be fitted together (by sliding at least one stud of a first element into at least one longitudinal groove 16 of another element), so as to store and / or transport the disassembled gantry kit 22 in the storage position shown in the Figure 13 .

[0111] In particular, studs can be fixed in the longitudinal grooves 16 of the inner face of one of the two uprights 8, and be configured to slide in the longitudinal grooves of the inner face of the other of the two uprights 8, so as to allow the first upright 8 to be fixed head-to-tail by sliding onto the second upright 8. In addition, studs can be fixed in the longitudinal grooves 16 of the upper face of the upper cross member 9', and be configured to slide in the longitudinal grooves 16 of the first two adjacent lateral faces of the two uprights 8, so as to allow the upper cross member 9' to be fixed by sliding onto the two uprights 8.Finally, studs can be fixed in the longitudinal groove 16 of one of the faces of the crossbar 24, and configured to slide in the longitudinal groove 16 of one of the second lateral faces of the two uprights 8, so as to allow the sliding fixing of the crossbar 24 on one of the two uprights 8.

[0112] Thus, the gantry kit 22 according to the invention can be disassembled and then reassembled in its storage position to facilitate its storage and transport. Furthermore, the handle 21 on one of the two uprights 8 makes it easier for an operator to grasp and transport the disassembled gantry kit 22.

[0113] If we refer to the Figure 14 , we can see that a variant of the gantry kit 22 is represented there according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0114] In this variant, the interlocking locking element 14 does not have horizontal projections 15, but is instead connected to the upright 8 by means of two upper horizontal screws 27a and two lower horizontal screws 27b whose screw heads are arranged in a sliding manner in the two longitudinal grooves 16 of the inner face of the upright 8.The screws 27a and 27b thus allow a spacing to be created between the upright 8 and the interlocking locking element 14, this spacing being adjustable (by screwing or unscrewing the screws 27a and 27b) so that, when the interlocking locking element 14 is inserted into the gap 7 between the two adjacent floorboards 3, the face of the interlocking locking element 14 which is opposite to that bearing the screws 27a and 27b comes against the floorboard 3 opposite to that above which the upright 8 is installed, which allows the interlocking of the interlocking device 10 to be locked onto the pallet 2.

[0115] It is understood that the particular embodiments which have just been described have been given by way of indication and not limitation, and that modifications may be made without departing from the present invention.

Claims

1. Demountable gantry kit (1; 22) for vertical transport on pallet (2), characterized by the fact thatIt comprises two uprights (8) and a top cross member (9; 9') configured to be fixed to the upper ends of the two uprights (8), each of the two uprights (8) comprising, at its lower end, a snap-fit ​​device (10) configured to snap into the thickness of a floorboard (3) of a pallet (2), each of the two uprights (8) further comprising a snap-fit ​​locking element (14) mounted to slide on the lower part of the upright (8), said snap-fit ​​locking element (14) being movable by sliding vertically on the associated upright (8) so as to assume: - either a raised, non-locking position in which the snap-fit ​​device (10) of the associated upright (8) is configured, when the associated upright (8) is positioned vertically above a cross member (4) of the pallet (2), to fit into a gap (7) between two adjacent floorboards (3) of the pallet (2),then to fit onto the thickness of one of the two floorboards (3) adjacent to at least one location not above said cross member (4) of the pallet (2); - or a lowered locking position in which, once the associated interlocking device (10) is fitted onto a floorboard (3), the lower end of the interlocking locking element (14) is configured to fit into said gap (7) between the two adjacent floorboards (3) of the pallet (2) so as to abut against said cross member (4) of the pallet (2) while being in contact with the two opposite lateral edges of the two adjacent floorboards (3) of the pallet (2), so as to removably lock the fitting of the associated upright (8) onto the pallet (2).

2. Gantry kit (1; 22) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact thatthe interlocking device (10) includes a support bar (11) fixed perpendicularly to the lower end of the upright (8) and at least one C-shaped hook (12) fixed to the support bar (11) and configured to interlock with the thickness of a pallet floorboard (3) when the support bar (11) rests longitudinally on said pallet floorboard (3).

3. Gantry kit (1; 22) according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the interlocking device (10) includes two C-shaped hooks (12) fixed to the support bar (11) on either side of the upright (8).

4. Gantry kit (1; 22) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the fact that it further includes a crossbar (24) configured to be fixed between the two uprights (8) at a height lower than that of the upper crossbar (9; 9').

5. Gantry kit (22) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the fact thatthe upper cross member (9') is configured to be removably fixed by fitting onto the upper ends of the two uprights (8).

6. Gantry kit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the fact that the upper cross member (9) is configured to be fixed removably by interlocking between the upper ends of the two uprights (8).

7. Gantry kit (1) according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that it further includes a first crossbar extension (18) configured to be removably attached by fitting to one of the two uprights (8) opposite the upper crossbar (9) and in line with the latter, and a second crossbar extension (19) configured to be removably attached by fitting to the other of the two uprights (8) opposite the upper crossbar (9) and in line with the latter.

8. Gantry kit (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by the fact thatIt further includes, for each of the two uprights (8), a pair of fixing eyelets (20) fixed on the upper end of the upright (8) and in which an axle is mounted, so as to allow winching of the gantry kit (1) mounted on pallet (2).

9. Gantry kit (1; 22) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by the fact that the uprights (8), the top rail (9; 9') and, where applicable, the crossbar (24) are made of metal such as aluminium or stainless steel.

10. Gantry kit (1; 22) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by the fact thatthe uprights (8), the upper cross member (9; 9') and, where applicable, the cross member (24) each have longitudinal grooves (16) and studs, such that, in a storage position of the disassembled gantry kit (1; 22), the different elements of the gantry kit (1; 22) are able to be fitted together by sliding the studs of one element of the gantry kit (1; 22) into a longitudinal groove (16) of another element of the gantry kit (1; 22), at least one of the two uprights (8) optionally including a gripping handle (21).

11. Pallet (2) on which is mounted at least one gantry kit (1; 22) according to one of claims 1 to 10, so as to allow the vertical transport of goods such as joinery.

12. Pallet (2) according to claim 11 in dependence on claim 8, characterized by the fact that, for each upright (8) of at least one gantry kit (1), the length of the support bar (11) of the interlocking device (10) is identical to that of the floorboards (3) of the pallet (2).

13. Method of installing a gantry kit (1; 22) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 on a pallet (2), characterized by the fact thatit includes the following steps: - for the first of the two uprights (8) of the gantry kit (1; 22): place the interlocking locking element (14) in the raised non-locking position, insert the interlocking device (10) into a first gap (7) between two adjacent floorboards (3) of the pallet (2), fit the interlocking device (10) onto the thickness of one of the two adjacent floorboards (3), then place the interlocking locking element (14) in the lowered locking position; - for the second of the two uprights (8) of the gantry kit (1;22): place the interlocking locking element (14) in the raised non-locking position, insert the interlocking device (10) into a second gap (7) between two other adjacent floorboards (3) of the pallet (2), fit the interlocking device (10) onto the thickness of one of the two other adjacent floorboards (3), then place the interlocking locking element (14) in the lowered locking position; and - fix the upper cross member (9; 9') of the gantry kit (1; 22) to the upper ends of the two uprights (8).;

Images