Charles A Vatcher

US Patent:

7258231, Aug 21, 2007

Filed:

May 17, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/147711

Inventors:

Robert O. Wertz - Mountain Home ID, US
Charles A. Vatcher - Victorville CA, US
Charles M. Mann - Quartz Hill CA, US
Udo Kaltenthaler - California CA, US

Assignee:

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force - Washington DC

International Classification:

B65D 19/00
B65D 19/38

US Classification:

206386, 108 535

Abstract:

Provided is a bi-level pallet assembly wherein a pallet is mounted over another on posts supported by corner braces or on posts supported by panels therebetween so that the two pallets are married bunk-bed style together. Cargo is stored on each of the upper and lower pallets and driven by a forklift onto a cargo aircraft to double the normal cargo carrying capacity of such aircraft by utilizing formerly unused space above the first level of cargo. The bi-level pallet assembly of the invention can potentially double the cargo capacity of such aircraft and free up cargo aircraft to meet other demands with a considerable savings of dollars over traditional deployment costs.