초록 ▼

A plastic pallet assembly is formed from plastic lumber by melting sections of runners and cross members and contacting them to join said runners and said cross members to form a pallet. A machine having an assembly table, cross members for supporting and moving pallet runners in a vertical directio

A plastic pallet assembly is formed from plastic lumber by melting sections of runners and cross members and contacting them to join said runners and said cross members to form a pallet. A machine having an assembly table, cross members for supporting and moving pallet runners in a vertical direction, a support table for a pallet cross member, hot plates moveable in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction for insertion between the runners and the cross member, and a force bar moveable in a vertical direction for applying a force to the runners, hot plates and cross member. A process for producing a plastic lumber pallet in which the runners are placed on a support bar and raised in a vertical direction, a cross member is placed on a support table, hot plates are inserted between the runners and cross member, pressure is applied by means of a force bar and a portion of the runners and cross member is melted after which the hot plate is withdrawn by raising the runners and hot plate and the molten section of the runners and cross member are brought in contact to join the runners and cross member.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A process for welding a plastic lumber runner to a plastic lumber cross-member used in forming a plastic lumber pallet comprising: a. loading a solid, plastic-lumber runner on a runner support member; b. placing a solid, plastic-lumber cross-member on a cross-member support; c. separating sa

1. A process for welding a plastic lumber runner to a plastic lumber cross-member used in forming a plastic lumber pallet comprising: a. loading a solid, plastic-lumber runner on a runner support member; b. placing a solid, plastic-lumber cross-member on a cross-member support; c. separating said runner from said cross-member so as to produce a gap between said runner and said cross member; d. inserting a hot plate in said gap between said runner and said cross member; e. contacting said runner with a first side of said hot plate and simultaneously contacting said cross member with a second, opposite side of said hot plate; f. heating said hot plate to a temperature sufficient to form a molten portion of at least one of said cross member and said runner; g. separating said runner from said hot plate to form a space between said hot plate and said runner; h. separating said hot plate from said cross-member; i. withdrawing said hot plate; j. contacting said cross member substantially transversely with said runner in the region of said molten portion to form a weld between said cross member and said runner of said plastic-lumber pallet in which said cross-member and said runner are positioned one on top of the other. 2. The process for welding a plastic lumber runner to a plastic lumber cross-member according to claim 1 wherein said heating step forms a molten portion on both said cross member and said runner. 3. The process for welding a plastic lumber runner to a plastic lumber cross-member according to claim 1 further comprising the step of applying a force to said runner, said hot plate, and said cross-member during said heating step sufficient for excess melted plastic to come out from around said hot plate. 4. The process for welding a plastic lumber runner to a plastic lumber cross-member according to claim 1 further comprising the step of applying a force to said runner and said cross-member during said contacting step of said cross member and said runner to form a weld between said runner and said cross-member and sufficient to form a flash bead of said molten plastic around said weld.