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Abstract

A method and apparatus for manufacturing recyclable paper pallets utilizes spool-shaped laminated supports which are wound on a spool-shaped mandrel utilizing adhesive coated paper strips. In one aspect of the invention, the spool-shaped laminated supports can be glued to conventional upper and lower pallet skin sheets also made of paper material, such as corrugated paperboard. In another aspect of the invention, the spool-shaped pallet supports are utilized in a system in which the pallet is integrated directly into a pre-strapped load. In this system, a slip sheet is strapped directly to the bottom of a load and the slip sheet is glued directly to the upper faces of an array of pallet supports, sufficient to support the load and to provide the spacers or standoffs for subsequent insertion of lifting equipment, such as a lifting fork, beneath the load. The inherent rigidity of the strapped load may be sufficient to compensate for the lack of rigidity of the thin paper slip sheet. If the supported load does not have adequate structural rigidity, a lower structural skin sheet may be glued to the lower faces of the pallet support array to provide the strength in compression needed to lift the palletized load. The system of the present invention provides wide flexibility allowing pallet systems to be utilized which are adequate to support the intended load with a minimum use of materials. The spool-shaped supports may be manufactured on-site and the pallets formed on the in-line system processing the material loads. An alternate pallet-support is made from a strip cut from a continuous web of single face corrugated paperboard.

First Claim