Opening Keynote: The Advantages of Being There

A pallet for receiving, retaining and facilitating the transportation of pressurized gas cylinders includes three fixed, upstanding fence-like side walls and a pair of upper and lower gate members defining a fourth, openable side wall. The fixed upstanding side walls extend around three sides of the perimeter of a generally rectangular floor structure. Posts are provided at the four corners of the floor structure and extend upwardly above the top surface of the floor structure. The upper gate member is nonreleasably but movably connected to a first one of the posts and is releasably connected to a second one of the posts. The upper gate member is movable between a retaining position extending between the first and second posts, and a loading position nested within the first of the posts. The lower gate member is pivotally connected near its lower edge to the floor structure for movement between an upstanding retaining position and a downwardly extending loading position wherein the lower gate member forms a ramp to facilitate the loading and unloading of gas cylinders onto and off of the top surface of the floor structure. A latching collar is slidably carried on one of the first and second posts for engaging the lower gate member to releasably latch the lower gate member in its retaining position.