Lightweight stackable pallet

Claim 1

A lightweight pallet comprising a substantially horizontally disposed, generally rectangular body member having a core portion, said core being formed to include a plurality of hollow multi-sided columns collectively constituting a honeycomb-like structure, top and bottom walls secured to said core, and side walls located to cooperate with said top and bottom walls to substantially enclose said core, downwardly tapered legs on said body adjacent the corners thereof, said legs being open at their upper ends and being hollow to enable telescoping of the legs on an upper pallet into the legs on a lower pallet such that the body on said upper pallet rests on the body of said lower pallet when the upper pallet legs are telescoped into the lower pallet legs and such that a plurality of said pallets can be stacked in a minimum space, said legs terminating at their upper ends substantially at said top wall, each of said pallet side walls having inwardly inclined upper and lower edge portions so as to provide a wedge-shaped opening between stacked pallets to facilitate insertion of lifting and handling tools between adjacent stacked pallets.