Apparatus for Securing Loads

Abstract

The invention to which this application relates to improvements to a retaining band which can be used to securely locate, form and retain a load of items or goods, in one embodiment on a pallet, and thereby retain the said items or goods as a single integral package. The invention allows for the adaptation of the retaining bands to be detectable when with a predetermined range of detection apparatus such as X-ray and/or metal detection apparatus so that should the retaining band or fragments thereof be discarded or dislodged, the presence of the same is detectable and therefore prevented from becoming a potential contaminant or safety hazard.

Claims

1. A retention means for use in retaining a load of items in a defined position, said retention means provided to be located with respect to one or more walls of the said formed load and wherein the said retention means include one or more materials as an integral part thereof which render the said retention means detectable by X-ray and/or metal detection apparatus when within a predetermined range of said apparatus so as to allow the presence of said retention means, or a fragment thereof greater than a predetermined size, to be detected.

2. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the said material includes particles of a metal or a metal alloy of a form which is detectable by metal detection apparatus.

3. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein said material includes barium to render the retention means capable of detection by X-ray detection apparatus.

4. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the said X-ray and/or metal detectable materials are located and mixed within the said retention means at the time of forming the said retention means.

5. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the density of said metal and/or X-ray detectable material which is included in the retention means is selected with respect to the predetermined size of fragment of the retention means which is desired to be detectable when within a predetermined size when in a predetermined range of detection apparatus.

6. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the said predetermined size of the fragment is 1 cm.sup.2 and the detection range is up to 1 metre from the detection means of the apparatus.

7. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the retention means are provided in the form of a band of a flexible material and selectively positioned with respect to a plurality of walls of the said load so as to exert a retaining force on said walls.

8. A retention means according to claim 7 wherein the said walls are side walls of the load such that the retaining means act to retain the sidewalls in substantially vertical planes during storage of the said load and/or movement of the said load between different locations.

9. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the load of items is located on a pallet.

10. A retention means according to claim 7 wherein the retention means engage with the pallet and at least one wall of the load.

11. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein a range of retention means sizes are available for selection and use to retain a load of a particular dimension.

12. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the said retention means have a degree of elasticity and resilience such that the same can be extended to a size to allow the same to be positioned with respect to said load and, when in position, the release of the retention means allows the band to decrease in size and exert a retaining force on the load.

13. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the retention means includes a tightening means which is initially loosened to allow the retention means to be positioned with respect to 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 retaining force on the load.

14. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the retention means include an indication means, and the selection of the particular indication means used on a particular retention means is made with reference to any or any combination of type of retention means, use of the retention means, user of the retention means, level of detectability of the retention means and/or any other feature of the retention means such that the indication means selected distinguishes the said retention means from other retention means.

15. A retention means according to claim 14 wherein the indication means is used to indicate whether the retention means or said fragment thereof is detectable by metal detection apparatus, X-ray detection apparatus or by X-ray and metal detection apparatus.

16. A retention means according to claim 14 wherein the indication means are in the form of one of a range of colours or a mixture of colours which are matched to a table indicating the characteristic attributed to each colour or mixture of colours.

17. A retention means according to claim 14 wherein the indication means are matched to a particular worker, workforce or shift of workers so as to allow forensic analysis to be performed to identify the origin of a detected retention means or fragment thereof.

18. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the retention means are manufactured from or include an antimicrobial material.

19. A retention means according to claim 1 wherein the retention means is formed from a biodegradable material.

20. A load of items, said load including a pallet base on which the items are stacked to define a load with a top wall, sidewalls and at least one retention means retains the said load of items in a defined position, said retention means provided to be located with respect to one or more walls of the said load of items and wherein the said at least one retention means include one or more materials as an integral part thereof which render the said retention means detectable by X-ray and/or metal detection apparatus when within a predetermined range of said apparatus so as to allow the presence of said retention means, or a fragment thereof greater than a predetermined size, to be detected.

Description

[0025] Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a pallet load formed using a retention means in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a retention means in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section along line AA of the retention means of FIG. 2.

[0029] Referring firstly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a pallet load 2 formed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

[0030] In this embodiment, the pallet load 2 comprises a pallet 4 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.

[0031] The remainder of the pallet 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 pallet load 2 of the combination of packages 8 and which is typically cuboid in shape.

[0032] Whilst, at the time of placing the packages in position to form the pallet 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 pallet load 2 become unstable and therefore in accordance with the invention, retention means, in this case in the form of three pallet 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 pallet 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.

[0033] In the example shown, each pallet 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 pallet load 2 to the end user, it will be necessary to separate the packages 8 and provide the same for the required use. It will also be appreciated that at this point, the pallet 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 containers. It will also be appreciated that if these 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.

[0034] As a result, and in accordance with the invention, and as illustrated in FIG. 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 include one or more materials 20,22 which allow the bands and fragments thereof to be metal detectable and/or X-ray detectable.

[0035] Typically, the X-ray and 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 of foodstuff itself, can now be identified as a result of the provision of the material which allows the same to be metal and/or X-ray detectable.

[0036] 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 and 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.

[0037] Alternatively, or in addition, the material used to form the retaining band can also include a material therein such as barium 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 so as to form an integral part of the same.

[0038] 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.