64 provides a surface upon which a second pallet may engage when the pallet 10 is in an unloaded state. The outer vertical surface 66 returns to the top surface 20 of the deck 12. In the illustrated aspect, the outer vertical surface 66 is coplanar with the first side 28 of the deck 12 and the outer leg vertical surface 32. In other aspects, the first shoulder 56 may be offset from the first side 28.

In the illustrated aspect, the first shoulder 56 is a continuous structure that extends from the front side 24 to the rear side 26 and is integral to the deck 12. In other aspects, the first shoulder 56 may be a separate structure joined to the deck 12 (e.g., fastened, affixed, welded, otherwise coupled). In still other aspects, the first shoulder 56 may extend only a portion of the distance between the front side 24 and the rear side 26. For example, the first shoulder 56 may be separated into a plurality of segments separated by one or more gaps.

As discussed above, the second shoulder 58 may include identical structure to that disclosed with respect to the first shoulder 56, mirrored across the center line 42 of the pallet 10. For sake of brevity, a description of this duplicate structure of the second shoulder 58 will not be repeated.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a first pallet 100, a second pallet 200, a third pallet 300, and a fourth pallet 400 are depicted in a loaded stack. That is, four half-barrel kegs 500 are depicted loaded onto each of the first pallet 100, the second pallet 200, the third pallet 300, and the fourth pallet 400. Each of these pallets includes the structure and surfaces described above in reference to the pallet 10 and like reference numbers will be repeated in reference to these figures.

The four half-barrel kegs 500 are arranged in a two-by-two configuration where two kegs 500 are proximate each of the front side 24, the rear side 26, the first side 28, and the second side 30 of each of the pallets. As seen, each of the kegs 500 is positioned between the first shoulder 56 and the second shoulder 58 atop the top surface 20 of the deck 12.

The first pallet 100 is shown engaged with a base surface. For example, the first pallet 100 may be set upon a warehouse floor. The second pallet 200 is set upon the kegs 500 loaded on the first pallet 100. More specifically, the inner support surface 38 of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 and the upper support surface of the third leg 18 of the second pallet 200 are engaged with a top surface 502 of the kegs 500 loaded on the first pallet 100. The third pallet 300 is set upon the top surface 502 of the kegs 500 loaded on the second pallet 200. More specifically, the inner support surface 38 of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 and the upper support surface of the third leg 18 of the third pallet 300 are engaged with the kegs 500 loaded on the second pallet 200. The fourth pallet 400 is set upon the top surface 502 of the kegs 500 loaded on the third pallet 300. More specifically, the inner support surface 38 of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 and the upper support surface of the third leg 18 of the fourth pallet 400 are engaged with the kegs 500 loaded on the third pallet 300. The at least one foot 50 of each of the second pallet 200, third pallet 300, and fourth pallet 400 are nested between the half-barrel kegs 500 loaded on the pallet below.

Turning now to FIGS. 8-10, the first pallet 100, the second pallet 200, the third pallet 300, and the fourth pallet 400 are depicted in an unloaded stack. The first pallet 100 is shown engaged with a base surface. For example, the first pallet 100 may be set upon a warehouse floor, a pallet loading machine proximate a loading station, or the like. The second pallet 200 is set upon the first pallet 100. More specifically, the outer support surface 34 of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 of the second pallet 200 are engaged with the outer upper seating surface 64 of the first shoulder 56 and the second shoulder 58 of first pallet 100.

Likewise, the third pallet 300 is set upon the second pallet 200. More specifically, the outer support surface 34 of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 of the third pallet 300 are engaged with the outer upper seating surface 64 of the first shoulder 56 and the second shoulder 58 of second pallet 200. The fourth pallet 400 is set upon the third pallet 300. More specifically, the outer support surface 34 of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 of the fourth pallet 400 are engaged with the outer upper seating surface 64 of the first shoulder 56 and the second shoulder 58 of third pallet 300.

As best seen in FIG. 10, a width of the outer upper seating surface 64 may be wider than the outer support surface 34. This configuration provides a tolerance for the side-to-side alignment of two stacked, unloaded pallets. For example, the second pallet 200 may be offset a small distance from the first pallet 100 without disengaging one another. In other words, the second pallet 200 does not have to be in perfect alignment with the first pallet 100 to remain engaged therewith. Further, the inner upper seating surface 62 of the first pallet 100 restricts lateral movement of the second pallet 200 relative to the first pallet 100 such that the first leg 14 of the second pallet 200 does not disengage from the first shoulder 56 of the first pallet 100. In addition, the inner upper seating surface 62 of the first pallet 100 guides the first leg 14 of the second pallet 200 into engagement with outer upper seating surface 64 of the first shoulder 56 of the first pallet 100 when the second pallet 200 is being positioned atop the first pallet 100.

In part, the nesting described above may be provided by the relative angles of the seating surfaces of stacked pallets 10. For example, the lower seating surface 36 of the first leg 14 and the inner upper seating surface 62 of the first shoulder 56 may extend at different angles from the outer support surface 34 of the first leg 14 and the outer upper seating surface 64 of the first shoulder 56. As seen in FIG. 10, the lower seating surface 36 extends at an angle α relative to the outer support surface 34 while the inner upper seating surface 62 extends at an angle β relative to the outer upper seating surface 64, as viewed from the front or rear of the pallet 10. In aspects, the angle β may be greater than the angle α in order to provide the alignment and nesting discussed above while permitting ease of stacking of adjacent pallets over minimum clearance.

The pallet illustrated in FIGS. 11-22 may be similar to the pallet illustrated in FIGS. 1-10. For example, as seen in FIG. 11, the pallet 1010 may include a deck and a plurality of legs extending downwardly from the deck. Unlike the aspects discussed above, however, the pallet 1010 may comprise one or more alignment members for providing a connection between pallets that are in a stacked condition (e.g., stacked atop another). Further, the plurality of legs are a different shape than aspects discussed above. As previously stated, although described herein in reference to half-barrel kegs, this disclosure also applies to any cylindrical cargo loaded on a pallet.

Turning now to the figures generally, a pallet 1010 is depicted from different perspectives in an unloaded state. The pallet 1010 is configured to be loaded with up to four half-barrel kegs in a two-by-two configuration. Once loaded, a second pallet (see FIG. 6) may be positioned atop the half-barrel keys where it, too, may be loaded with up to four half-barrel kegs. Thus, a bottom structure of the pallet 1010 must include portions adapted to cooperate with half-barrel kegs in a way that the second pallet can also be loaded with additional half-barrel kegs. As more fully described below, the pallet 1010 may include a plurality of legs having multiple support surfaces (e.g., a ground contacting surface and a keg lip contacting surface). As previously noted, the pallet 1010 positioned on the bottom of the stack must be strong enough to withstand the weight of the entire stack. Thus, each leg may have multiple support surfaces to inhibit the pallet from bowing.

The pallet 1010 includes a deck 1012, a first leg 1014 positioned on a first side 1028 of the pallet 1010, a second leg 1016 position on a second side 1030 of the pallet 1010, and a third leg 1018, which may be positioned proximate a center line 1042 of the pallet 1010 in a front-to-back direction. In aspects, the second leg 1016 is a mirror image of the first leg 1014. Additionally, the pallet 1010 further includes a fourth leg 1036 and a fifth leg 1038, which are positioned on the first side 1028 with the first leg 1014 and a sixth leg 1048 and a seventh leg 1050, which are positioned on the second side 1030 with the second leg 1016. Additionally, an eighth leg 1052 and a ninth leg 1054 are provided proximate the center line 1042 along with the third leg 1018.

The deck includes a top surface 1020 opposite a bottom surface 1022 and extends from the top surface 1020 to the bottom surface 1022 in a vertical direction, from a front side 1024 to a rear side 1026 in a front-to-back direction, and from a first side 1028 to a second side 1030 in a side-to-side direction. As described above, some illustrated aspects depict the deck 1012 as being solid. In other aspects, as shown in FIG. 12, the bottom surface 1022 may not be solid (e.g., a continuous structure) and may include structures that provide an effective bottom surface in order to save material (e.g., as shown in FIG. 12 where the bottom surface 1022 includes a plurality of recesses or grooves such as recess 1088a and recess 1088b). Alternatively, the deck 1012 could include apertures, channels, slots, perforations, etc.

Further, the deck 1012 may include one or more channels, shown as a first channel 1056 and a second channel 1058, extending through at least a portion of the deck 1012, such that liquid may be encouraged to drain off of portions of the top surface 1020 (previously mentioned as drain ports). As shown in FIG. 11, the first channel 1056 and the second channel 1058 may be proximate the center line 1042.

The deck 1012 includes a plurality of legs for support. The first leg 1014 extends downwardly from the bottom surface 1022 of the deck 1012. In the illustrated aspect, the first leg 1014 includes a front outer leg vertical surface 1032a extending downwardly to a lower support surface 1034. The lower support surface 1034 is configured to engage a surface upon which the pallet 1010 is placed upon when not atop half-barrel kegs (e.g., a warehouse floor). Extending upwardly from the lower support surface 1034 is an inner leg vertical surface 1040 that returns to the bottom surface 1022 of the deck 1012.

The second leg 1016 may include an identical structure to that disclosed with respect to the first leg 1014, mirrored across the center line 1042 of the pallet 1010. For sake of brevity, a description of this duplicate structure of the second leg 1016 will not be repeated. Additionally, the same can be said of the fifth leg 1038 and the seventh leg 1050 of the pallet 1010. The fourth leg 1036 and the sixth leg 1048 are situated between the first leg 1014 and the fifth leg 1038 and the second leg 1016 and the seventh leg 1050, respectively. The fourth leg 1036 and the sixth leg 1048 also extend downwardly from the bottom surface 1022 of the deck 1012.

While previous aspects of FIGS. 1-10 illustrated the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 as a solid structure extending from the front side 24 to the rear side 26 and integral to the deck 12, additional aspects described herein and shown in FIGS. 11-22 depict the first leg 1014 and the second leg 1016 extending only a portion of the distance between the front side 1024 and the rear side 1026. The fifth leg 1038 and the seventh leg 1050 are similarly configured to extend only a portion of the distance between the front side 1024 and the rear side 1026 at a distance that is equal to the distance extended by the first leg 1014 and the second leg 1016. Similarly, the fourth leg 1036 and the sixth leg 1048 extend only a portion of the distance between the front side 1024 and the rear side 1026. The fourth leg 1036 and the sixth leg 1048 can extend a distance equal to or larger than the distance extended by the first leg 1014, second leg 1016, fifth leg 1038, and the seventh leg 1050.

By extending only a portion of the distance between the front side 1024 and the rear side 1026, the pallet 1010 is configured as a 4-way entry pallet, meaning that a forklift or hand truck (or any other relevant machinery for moving pallets) can engage, or get under to lift, a pallet from all four sides. In other words, a forklift could lift pallet 1010 by entry from any one of the front side 1024, the rear side 1026, the first side 1028, and the second side 1030.

Similarly, the third leg 1018, the eighth leg 1052, and the ninth leg 1054 also extend downwardly from the bottom surface 1022 of the deck 1012. The third leg 1018 may be generally centered on pallet 1010. As described with respect to the first leg 1014, the third leg