The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 17, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 01, 1996
Richard Alan Jordan, Clinton Township, MI (US);
James William Jacoby, Jr, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Raymond Harold Gosnell, Plymouth, MI (US);
Cadillac Products, Inc., Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed for distributing a load applied thereto, such as by a shipping pallet. The apparatus comprises first and second thermoformed plastic sheets. The first sheet has a generally planar surface, a central indentation and a plurality of symmetrical peripheral indentations disposed around the central indentation, and a plurality of first ribs extending radially from the central indentation. The second sheet is joined with the first sheet and has a series of adjacent first channels which form a generally diamond-shaped patten. Each pair of adjacent first channels is separated by a raised portion including a groove and a pair of second ribs flanking the groove. Both the first channels and the grooves of the second sheet are recessed below a plane defined by the raised portions, the grooves being recessed to a depth less than the first channels. The first ribs are flanked by second channels recessed below the surface of the first sheet, and at least portions of the second channels are joined with the first channels of the second sheet.