Improvements to apparatus for securing loads

Abstract

A retention means 14, 16, 18 for retaining a load 2 of items can be located with respect to one or more walls of the load. Preferably the retention means is a band for use with a pallet 4. It includes

Description

The invention to which this application relates is to improvements to apparatus of a type which can be used to more securely locate a load of items or goods, and typically, although not necessarily exclusively to place and secure the items in position on a base such as a pallet to form the said load. Thus, there is effectively formed by the base and the said items or goods, a single integral load which can be moved when located on the pallet, with the pallet providing the base support and also acting as the interface between the movement apparatus such as a forldift truck, and the pallet load. The use of pallets to move loads of goods between different locations, for example, within a manufacturing facility and / or from the manufacturing facility to a location of use or sale, is well-known. Also well-known is that if the items which are placed together to form the load on the pallet are unstable, then during storage and / or movement, items can fall from the pallet which means that time then has to be taken to relocate the items as part of the load, can mean that items are missing from the load when it is subsequently delivered to the required location and / or can represent a hazard or risk to other personnel in the vicinity of the pallet load when the same starts to move and items fall. In order to avoid this problem, or at least reduce the risk of the pallet load from being unstable, it is known to provide retaining means which pass round the sidewalls of the pallet load and thereby maintain the sidewalls in respective, substantially vertical planes, perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the pallet base. These retaining means can be temporary in nature such as, for example, in the form of cardboard or thin plastic sheet material wrapped around the same or may be more environmentally friendly and reusable apparatus known as pallet bands. The pallet bands, in one form, can be expanded and placed in position around the pallet sidewalls and then reduced in size and / or are tightened to a required degree to secure the items in the load together. Alien it is required to move the items from the load and / or from the pallet, the pallet bands can be released and then reused on another load. This therefore means that the relatively wasteful use of pallet wrapping sheet material, which is provided for a single use only, is avoided and hence prevents the pallet wrapping material from entering the waste chain. The pallet bands can be made of silicone, rubber or polythene and typically have a degree of elasticity so as to allow the same to be placed in position and, in one embodiment, the elasticity may be sufficient to allow the required retention force to be exerted on the walls of the load when formed so that typically a number of said bands at spaced locations act to retain the items and the load in the required position. In another embodiment, and which allows greater freedom in the materials used to form the band, tightening means such as a ratchet assembly may be provided to allow the pallet band to be tightened around the pallet load sidewalls once placed in position. However, the potential use of reusable bands in certain environments, such as a food environment, can create problems in that the band represents a potential contamination source which is introduced into the food environment in an uncontrolled manner and which, if the same breaks, or is discarded, or is damaged, represents an opportunity for the band, or a fragment thereof, and hence the material from which the band has been formed, to enter the food manufacturing process and / or the foodstuff itself. Thus, at present, while the use of bands of this type is recognised as being environmentally beneficial and can be provided in a form which is suitable for use in a non-contaminating manner in terms of the material from which the pallet band is formed, the applicant has recognised that there is a risk of potential contamination of the food manufacturing process and / or food products. The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a means whereby the presence of a pallet band and / or fragment of a pallet band can be determined and thereby allow the same to be removed from an environment in which the same would represent a potential hazard such as a food manufacturing environment, whilst ensuring that the advantages of use of the pallet bands can still be achieved. In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a reusable elastic band for use in retaining a load of items in a defined position on a pallet, said elastic band provided to be located with respect to walls of the said load, the said elastic band provided in the form of a loop of a flexible and resilient material that has a degree of elasticity such that in use the elastic band is movable from a first condition to a second, extended, condition of a size to allow the same to be positioned around said walls of said load and, when in position, the release of the elastic band allows the band to move to a third condition in which the same has decreased in size and exerts a gripping force on said load of items and said elastic band further includes particles of a metal relatively evenly dispersed at a predetermined density within the flexible and resilient material as an integral part thereof which render the said elastic band detectable by metal detection apparatus when said elastic band is within a predetermined range of said metal detection apparatus so as to allow the presence of the said elastic band, or a fragment thereof greater than a predetermined size present as a result of breaking or damage to the elastic band, to be detected when said band is in the said first condition and when released from said third condition, Typically, the range and sensitivity of the detection apparatus is as defined by Health &Safety Standards and may vary from region-to-region and the elastic band and in particular, the quantity and form of the detectable materials which are provided as part of the elastic band, is selected to meet the detection requirements for that location and / or requirements with regard to the size of a fragment of the elastic band which is required to be detected and at which distance from the detection apparatus. It will therefore be appreciated that the form of the detectable materials in the elastic band and quantity of the same, can be varied to suit particular usage requirements. In one embodiment the detection range is up to 1 metre and the fragment size is greater than 1cm2 Typically, the elastic band is provided to be selectively positioned around the sidewalls of a load of items so as to retain the sidewalls in substantially vertical planes during storage of the said load and the movement of the said load between different locations. Typically the pallet is formed of wood, plastics or cardboard material and which forms the base of the load and provides location means via which movement apparatus, such as a forklift truck, can engage with the load and hence move the same between the required locations. In one embodiment, the band may be provided in a range of different sizes and the particular size of band which is used and / or number of bands used are selected with regard to the particular load size. In a further example, the bands may be provided with a tightening means which, is initially loosened to allow the band to be placed around the load and, when in position, the operation of the tightening means allows the tightening of the band to a sufficient extent so as to exert a gripping force on the sidewalls of the load to maintain the same in the required position. In one embodiment, the elastic band is provided with an indication means to allow different types, uses, or any other feature of the retention means to be distinguished from other pallet bands. In one embodiment, the indication means may be provided to identify the particular uses which are allowable for the particular elastic band. In another embodiment, the indication means is used to indicate whether the elastic band is metal detectable. In one embodiment the indication means may be the selection of one of a range of colours for the pallet bands. The selection of the particular indication means, such as the selection of a colour, allow the elastic band to be colour coded with regard to, for example, the particular location from which the load originates, a particular time at which the load has been formed and / or moved and / or a particular sector of workforce, with each sector being provided with elastic band of different colours to use. In these embodiments, the aim is to allow a forensic analysis to be performed if, for example, an elastic band, or a fragment thereof, is subsequently detected to be present in the foodstuff manufacturing process or foodstuff and thereby allow an indication of the time and / or location from which the contaminating elastic band or fragment thereof, originates and thereby allows action to be taken to prevent a repeat occurrence. In one embodiment the material from which the elastic band is manufactured is or includes an antimicrobial feature. In one embodiment the elastic band is biodegradable, Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 illustrates a pallet load formed using an elastic band in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 illustrates an elastic band in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and Figure 3 illustrates a cross-section along line AA of the elastic band of Figure 2. Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a pallet load 2 formed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the load 2 comprises a base 4, such as a pallet, which forms the base of the load and which includes a series of location means 6 for the receipt of the prongs of a tail lift apparatus in a conventional manner so as to allow the load to be lifted and moved between different locations as and when required. The remainder of the load 2 is formed of a series of items stacked on the base and which in this case are packages of foodstuff containers, and each package 8 is placed in position with respect to the packages so as to form the overall load 2 of the combination of packages 8 and which is typically cuboid in shape. Whilst, at the time of placing the packages in position to form the load the same can appear to be securely in position, it is found that during storage and / or movement, the packages 8 may move and the load 2 become unstable and therefore, in accordance with the invention, three bands 14,16,18, are placed at spaced intervals around the sidewalls of the load and act to provide a gripping force on the sidewalls 20, 22, 24, 26 as indicated by arrows 10 to effectively push opposing sidewalls towards each other and thereby act to maintain the load in position, with the sidewalls 20,22 24,26 being in a substantially vertical plane and perpendicular to the upper surface 28 of the pallet base 4. This therefore allows the load to be maintained as a unitary item during storage and / or movement. It should also be appreciated that bands in accordance with the invention may be used to pass from the top wall of the load and around the pallet base so as to exert a retention force between the top wall of the items and the base and this may be the only use of the bands but more typically will be done in conjunction with the bands provided around the side walls as shown. In the example shown, each band 14, 16, 18 is formed as a continuous band and may for example be formed of a silicone material so as to allow the same to be capable of being used in the food industry. It will be appreciated that at the time of delivery of the load 2 to the end user, it will be necessary to separate the items or packages 8 and provide the same for the required use. It will also be appreciated that at this point, the bands 14, 16, 18 also have to be removed and, whilst the intention is that these bands are reused, it is possible and especially in relatively pressurised, high throughput, environments, that the bands are discarded, or inadvertently lost, or are damaged so that there may be fragments of the band material present at the location of use of the items. It will also be appreciated that if these items, such as containers, are for use in the food industry, then the location at which this occurs, will be close to the food manufacturing process and so the discarding of the bands and / or fragments of the same at this location thereby represents a risk that the same will enter the food manufacturing process and become a hazard to the end consumer of the food products. As a result, and in accordance with the invention, and as illustrated in Figure 3, the band, in addition to being formed of silicone material and / or any other material which is required to provide the effective use of the same in retaining the load in position, also includes one or more materials 20,22 which allow the bands and fragments thereof to be metal detectable with in a predetermined range of the apparatus. In a further example separate from an embodiment of the invention, the fragments may be X-ray detectable with in a predetermined range of the apparatus. Typically, the metal detection will occur using apparatus which is provided on the food production line and most typically, near the end of the same and thereby any band, or fragment thereof, which has inadvertently entered the food production process, or the foodstuff itself, can now be identified as a result of the provision of the material which allows the same to be metal detectable. Typically, the same can be rendered metal detectable by the inclusion therein of a quantity of metal particles 20, with the particular metal which is selected, being one which is found to be particularly effective at being detected and suitable for use with metal detection apparatus. In one embodiment, the material which is detectable by the metal detection apparatus, is a magnetically attractive metal or metal alloy. The particles are typically provided in the material used to form the band at the time of formation of the band so that typically the metal particles are dispersed into the silicone material used to form the band when the same is in a liquid state and thereby ensure relatively even dispersal of the metal particles and at a required density throughout the material. In one embodiment the particles are electro-magnetically detectable and in one embodiment the average particle size of the powder is preferably between 1 and 200 microns. Typically, the average particle size is in the range 50 to 200 microns, preferably between 50 to 100 microns. Alternatively, the material may comprise a bronze alloy of copper with aluminium, manganese, beryllium or chromium. The alloy may be an alloy of copper and tin and may include other metals such as zinc or lead. In the further example, separate from an embodiment of the invention, the X-ray detectable material may be a common contrast agent such as barium sulphate (BaSO4) or iodine compounds. Alternatively, or in addition, the material used to form the retaining band can also include a material therein such as barium and / or iodine 22, which is capable of rendering the pallet band detectable by X-ray apparatus and once again the material is added at the time of formation of the band when the material used to form the band is in a fluid condition so as to form an integral part of the same. In accordance with the invention, the band may be biodegradable and / or include an antimicrobial agent within the wall of the band and / or at the surface thereof. The antimicrobial agent may be added as a powder to the other ingredients when in a fluid condition in a reservoir and prior to forming the band. In one embodiment the antimicrobial agent includes ionic silver particles which are added during the manufacturing process so that the microbial agent is located throughout the wall of the band and thereby provides a substantially continuous reduction of the presence of any potentially contaminating microbes by binding with and damaging microbe cells with which the band comes into contact. Typically, if the colour of the band is important for the use of the same for the purposes as previously described, the selected colour pigment is also added to the material at the time of manufacture of the band so that the same has the required colour. When different colours or other indication means are provided on the band these can be linked to a key or table so as to allow at least one parameter value of the said key or table to be determined and allocated to said band. In one embodiment a predetermined range of colours are defined on the said key or table and allows the matching of the said range of colours to any, or any combination of, the time of use of the band, the particular identity of the person or group of persons who used that colour of band, the location of use of the band and / or a particular status of personnel using the bands. In addition or alternatively the said key or table matches the said indication means with respect to whether the particular band colour and to allow a person to determine whether the band is detectable by a metal detectable apparatus. In a further example, separate from an embodiment of the invention, the person may be allowed to determine whether the band is detectable by X-ray detection apparatus or is detectable by both metal and X-ray detection apparatus.

Claims

1. A reusable elastic band for use in retaining a load of items in a defined position on a pallet, said elastic band provided to be located with respect to walls of the said load, the said elastic band provided in the form of a loop of a flexible and resilient material that has a degree of elasticity such that in use the elastic band is movable from a first condition to a second, extended, condition of a size to allow the same to be positioned around said walls of said load and, when in position, the release of the elastic band allows the band to move to a third condition in which the same has decreased in size and exerts a gripping force on said load of items and said elastic band further includes particles of a metal relatively evenly dispersed at a predetermined density within the flexible and resilient material as an integral part thereof which render the said elastic band detectable by metal detection apparatus when said elastic band is within a predetermined range of said metal detection apparatus so as to allow the presence of the said elastic band, or a fragment thereof greater than a predetermined size present as a result of breaking or damage to the elastic band, to be detected when said band is in the said first condition and when released from said third condition.

2. An elastic band according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said predetermined size of the fragment is 1cm2 and the detection range is up to 1 metre from the metal detection means of the apparatus.

3. An elastic band according to any of the preceding claims wherein the elastic band is manufactured from or includes an antimicrobial material.

4. An elastic band according to any of the preceding claims wherein the flexible and resilient material is a biodegradable material.

5. A pallet with a load of items in a defined position thereon, wherein the elastic band of claim 1 is engaged with the pallet and at least one wall of the load of items.

6. A table and an elastic band according to claim 1, wherein the table indicates the characteristics attributed to a matched indication means of the elastic band in the form of one of a range of colours or a mixture of colours.

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