Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
38~79~
~ACKGROUND AND S~MMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to containers and the
manufacture thereof and, more particularly, relates to an improved
flexible container for bulk materials and an improved method of
. .
manufacturing the same. --
The prior art includes systems of-handling bulk
materials utilizing a flexible receptacle having a large capacity.
Such receptacles have, in the past, utilized an outer protective
` covering of flexible sheet material which can be doubled for
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10 additional strength. In one known receptacle, a double walled
~interior bag is provided, and a high strength filament is wound
in a helix about the exterior surface of the double walled bag.
A non-curing mastic adhesive is used to secure the filament
j to the double walled bag, and a sling of flexible webbing is
.~,, i
used to support the receptacle. The bottom of the bag is formed
by gathering and tying the bag to close one end, and a sling
is used to support the bag which includes a plurality of
concentric rings positioned below and supporting the receptacle.
; Straps connect the concentric rings and are used to lift and
support the receptacle.
A method for manufacturing such a flexible receptacle
is disclosed in United States Patent Number 3,962,959; filed
December 16, 1974; and issued June 15, 1976; whereby one edge
of a length of flexible sheet material is affixed to a mandrel,
and the mandrel is rotated to wrap the sheet material about
the mandrel. An adhesive is applied to the exterior of the
sheet material, and the mandrel is rotated to wrap a second
sheet of material about the mandrel to form a second cylindrical
wall. One end of the double walled cylinder, thus formed, is
gathered and tied to for~ a closed end. An adhesive material
, - 2 -
1138~9~.
is then applied to the exterior wall of the double walled
cylinder, and a filament is wound in a helix about the
second wall. A sling is positioned over the helically
wound filament, and an outer cover sheet is adhesively
attached around the exterior of the sling and the
helically wound filament. Although such receptacles and
` methods for making the same have been adequate, they
typically have required substantial amounts of labor in
manufacturing. Manufacturing techniques were often slow
. 10 and required hand labor. Therefore, according to one
; feature of the present invention, an improved method for
making a receptacle results in faster and easier
production, as well as providing a relatively inexpensive
flexible receptacle for bulk materials of outstanding
quality.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention
A~ there is provided a reinforced collapsible receptacle for
handling flowable materials in semi-bulk quantities of the
order of 2,000 pounds or more, comprising: a seamless
multiple-ply tube having an inner ply and an outer ply,
and having upper and lower ends; a reinforced sheet
wrapped about said multiple-ply tube and encompassing said
multiple-ply tube from the lower end at least to a height
to which the receptacle is filled with bulk materials;
said reinforced sheet including a plurality of reinforcing
filaments disposed therein extending circumPerentially
about said multiple-ply tube to reinforce said tube
against bursting and tearing when filled with flowable
bulk materials; said reinforced sheet including a leading
edge and a following edge, with said leading edge being
overlapped with and adhesively secured to said following
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1138791
edge; the lower end of said multiple-ply tube being folded
and adhesively secured together to form a closed, folded
satchel bottom; and the upper end extending above said
reinforced sheet and above the bulk materials contained
within the receptacle a sufficient distance, so that said
multiple-ply tube may be gathered and clamped.
In accordance with the present invention, a
;- reinforced receptacle for containing bulk materials
includes a coextruded plastic multiple-ply tube having at
least an inner and an outer ply and having an upper and a
lower end. A reinforced sheet is wrapped around the
multiple-ply tube and encompasses the tube from the lower
end to the height to which the receptacle is filled with
bulk materials. The reinforcing sheet includes a plurality
of reinforcing filaments disposed circumferentially about
and reinforcing the multiple-ply tube to prevent bursting
and tearing of the multiple-ply tube when filled with bulk
materials. The reinforcing sheet also includes a leading
edge and a following edge with the leading edge overlapping
and adhesively secured to the following edge to form a
closed reinforcing belt or cylinder about the multiple-ply
tube.
The lower end of the multiple-ply cylinder is
folded and adhesively secured together to form a closed
lower end, and the upper end of the multiple-ply tube
extends above the
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reinforced sheet and above the bulk materials contained within
- the receptacle for a sufficient distance, so that the upper
end may be gathered, clamped and used to lift the reinforced
llreceptacle.
~ The folded bottom of the multiple-ply tube is folded
to form a satchel bottom in the receptacle. Opposing lateral
sides of the bottom end of the receptacle are folded inwardly,
one towards the other. Then, the remaining front and rear
l1opposing sides are folded inwardly, one towards the other, in
ia direction perpendicular to the fold direction of the first
ilateral opposing sides. Glue is applied _~Wff~ the overlapping
surfaces of the folded material to adhesively secure the
bottom of the multiple-ply tube in the folded satchel
configuration. `
1l In the preferred method of manufacturing the reinforced
receptacle for bulk material, a plastic multiple-ply tube is
coextruded and positioned in a flat position to form a flat
collapsed tube. Two plastic sheets are formed having a length
exceeding the circumference of the mult1ple-ply tube by a
jspecified amount, and a plurality of substantially parallel
!,filaments are positioned between the two plastic sheets extending j
! along the length of the sheets. The two plastic sheets are
'I adhesively secured together with the parallel filaments adhesively
l secured between the sheets forming a multiple-ply reinforced
¦,sheet. An adhesive is applied to the midregion of the
¦ multiple-ply tube, and the reinforced sheet is wrapped and
i I '
¦' adhesively secured about the midregion of the flat, collapsed,
- Il multiple-ply tube with the filaments disposed concentrically
3879~
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and leaving an upper and lower portion of the multiple-ply tube
extending beyond the reinforced sheet. A leading edge of the
- reinforced sheet is overlapped and adhesively secured to the
trailing edge of the reinforced sheet to form a closed reinforcing
5 - collapsed cylinder about~t-he flat tube.
' ; The lower portion of the multiple-ply tube extending
beyond the reinforced sheet is folded and glued together to
form a folded satchel bottom on the receptacle. Folding and
adhesively securing together one end of the multiple-ply tube
eliminates the knot of material formed when the end of a
,receptacle is gathered and tied, as well as providing a
,reliable, inexpensive means of closing one end of the
11
, receptacle.
When the reinforced receptacle is filled with bulk
materials, the upper portion of the multiple-ply tube is gathered
and clamped by a clamp means that uniformly distributes the
clamping force on the upper portion. A lifting force applied
through the clamp means is uniformly distributed about the
circumference of the multiple-ply tube to lift without tearing
the receptacle.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, a reinforced polyethylene two-ply receptacle is
manufactured by coextruding a polyethylene two-ply cylinder
having inner and outer cylindrical walls. The two-ply cylinder
is positioned on a mandrel leaving a portion of the two-ply
cylinder having a length greater than the radius of the mandrel
overhanging the end of the mandrel. This overhanging portion
of the two-ply cylinder is folded and adhesively secured
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. ~1387~1
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; together to form a satchel bottom to close one end of the
two~ply cylinder. The mandrel is rotated, and a ma~ic is applied
- to the exterior of the two-ply cylinder. A reinforcing sheet
having concentrically disposed filaments is wrapped about the
two-ply cylinder. The trailing edge of the reinforcing sheet
is overlapped and adhesively secured to the leading edge of
the polyester sheet. While the mandrel is again rotated, mastic
~material is applied to the exterior of the reinforcing sheet,
and a cover sheet of polyethylene is wrapped about the reinforcing
sheet 'o prevent damage by abrasion. The two-ply cylinder is
Ithen removed from the mandrel.
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li3879~,
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~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS -
~I The ad~antages of the present invention may be best
-~ i,appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art by
, reference to the following Detailed Description in
, conjunction with the Drawings in which:
. FIGURE l shows a-receptacle embodying the present
.invention for containing flowable bulk materials;
; FIGURE 2 diagrammatically illustrates coextrusion
lof a two-ply plastic tube used in constructing the receptacle
.: 10 "of the present invention;
,, .i :
i FIGURE 3 diayrammatically discloses the method of
¦~constructing a reinforced sheet used in constructing the
lIreceptacle; Z
' FIGURE 4 shows a detailed view of the reinforced
,'sheet;
FIGURE 5 shows a flat, collapsed, two-ply plastic
tube with the reinforced sheet positioned adjacent the
midregion of the tube;
FIGURE 6 shows the reinforced sheet wrapped and
overlapped about the two-ply tube;
FIGURE 7 shows an intermediate step in folding the
lower end of the two-ply tube to form a closed bottom
, ~ .
for the two-ply receptacle;
~ FIGURE 8 shows the completed folding of the lower end
of the two-ply tube to form a folded satchel bottom for
the receptacle;
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!i
j FIGURE 9 shows a completed receptacle having its
upper end gathered and secured together by a bar clamp with
cables extending from the bar clamp for lifting the receptacle;
FIGURE 10 discloses a receptacle having its upper
,lend gathered, turned back on its.elf, and clamped by a clamp.
. 'jto form a loop for lifting the receptacle
FIGURE 11 shows a receptacle having its upper end
gathered and looped for receiving a hook for lifting the
l!recePtacle;
!1 FIGURE 12 shows an alternate embodiment of the
¦present invention in which the reinforced sheet and a ¦
. ¦cover sheet extend to the upper end of the two-ply tube;
¦ FIGURE 13 discloses a two-ply tube disposed on a
mandrel for manufacturing a receptacle in accordance
¦!with an alternate method of the present invention;
FIGU~E 14 diagrammatical1y shows the mandrel being
jused to wrap a reinforcing sheet and a cover sheet about
~Ithe two-ply tube; and
,I FIG~RE 15 shows the folded satchel bottom of a
,11 receptacle representing an alternate embodiment of the
lpresent invention. ,
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138791
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA~INGS
Referring now to the Drawings in ~hich like
reference characters designate like or corresponding parts
throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGVRE 1 a
receptacle 20 embodying the present invention. The receptacle
20 is dimensioned for containing flowable bulk materials 22
that may be introduced into the receptacle by conveying
structures such as nozzle 24.
In the preferred embodiment, the interior of
receptacle 20 is formed by a coextruded plastic tube 26 that
- includes an inner-ply 28 and an outer-ply 30. Typically, the
coextruded tube 26 is constructed from polyethylene or poly-
butylene. A reinforcing sheet 32 extends from the bottom of
the receptacle 20 towards the top of the receptacle to the
approximate fill height of the flowable bulk materials 22 in
the receptacle. The reinforcing sheet 32 includes reinforcing
filaments 34 disposed concentrically about the receptacle 20
for providing additional strength to resist bulging and
bursting of the receptacle 20.
The leading edge 36 of the reinforcing sheet 32
overlaps the trailing edge 38 of the reinforcing sheet and
is secured thereto by an adhesive. The lower corner 40 of the
reinforcing sheet 32 is shown pulled back from the receptacle
20 to reveal the overlap portion 42 that is coated with an
adhesive for securing together the leading edge 36 and the
trailing edge 38 of the reinforcing sheet 32. Overlap portion
42 is dimensioned sufficiently large to provide the required
strength to resist pulling apart when the receptacle 20 is
filled with flowable bulk materials 22. Thus, the size of
overlap portion 42 is
:113879~
"
determined by the load parameters for which receptacle 20 is
,designed and by the adhering strength of the adhesive used on
the overlap portion 42. The bottom 44 of the receptacle 20 is
~folded and adhesively secured together to form a closed end
; 5 'as will be hereinafter described in greater detail.
Referriny now to FIGURE 2, there is diagrammatically
¦Ishown the coextrusion of the two-ply tube 26. A die 46 includes
an outer annular nozzle 48 and an inner annular nozzle 50 through
which an extrudable plastic such as polyethylene or polybutylene
lis extruded to form an inner tubular-ply 28 and an outer
¦tubular-ply 30. A tube 52 extends through the die 46 into the
lenclosed area within the inner-ply 28 of the two-ply tube 26.
¦AS the tube 26 is extruded~ air is forced into the interior
¦of the tube as generally indicated by arrow 54. The air pressure
3 created within the tube 26 causes it to uniformly expand to
the desired circumference. ~y regulating the thickness of plys
28 and 30 as they are extrucled from nozzles 48 and 50, and by
regulating the air pressure created by forcing air through the
t~be 52, the circumerence and the thickness of the tube 26
llmay be controlled. In the preferred embodiment, tube 26 is
japproximately 44 inches in diameter and has a thickness of 1,
~approximately 8 mils.
Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is shown a
l'diagrammatical representation of the method for manufacturing
Ithe reinforcing sheets 32. An extruder 56 is used to extrude
a single-ply, plastic film tube 5~ that is flattened around
a roller 60 to form a flat, collapsed tube 62. A constant air
,pressure is maintained within tube 58 to control the circumference
Ijof the tube 58. ~y controlling the circumference of tube 58,
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138!791
;" .` '.
,Ithe width of.the collapsed tube 62 is determined.
The co11apsed tube 62 moves in the direction indicated
by arrow 64 through a slitter 66 that cuts the tube 62 along
`its outer edges to form two plastic sheets 68 and 70. After
. 5 ~jpassing through rollers 72, the sheets 68 and 70 are separated
and are directed, respectiyely, in the directions indicated
by arrows 74 and 76. Sheets 68 and 70 travel.around guide rollers,
78 and ~0 and then travel in the direction indicated by arrows
~82 and 84 to be reunited between the roller pair 81.
. , I
,, A spool 86 containing a plurality of filaments 34
. lis disposed for rotation to allow the insertion of the filaments
: l34 between the plastic sheets 68 and 70. As the sheets 68 and
~70 pass between the roller pair 81, the filaments 34 are inserted !
between the sheets, and an adhesive is applied to the filaments
1¦ 34 and between the sheets 68 and 70 by a structure, such as a '.
~ , nozzle 88. -In this manner, the sheets 68 and 70 are adhesively
Isecured together, and the filaments 34 are adhesively secured
between and to the sheets 68 and 70. The laminated sheets 68
Ijand 70 then pass through a cutter 90 that cuts the laminated
sheets 68 and 70 and the filamehts 34 into individual reinforcing
sheets 32.
Referring now to FIGURE 4, a completed reinforcing
!l sheet 32 is shown partially broken away to reveal filaments 34.
The width 92 of the reinforcing sheet 32 is equal to or greater
25~than the fill height of the flowable bulk. materials 22 as shown .;
: .in FIGURE 1. The length 94 of the reinforcing sheet 32 is ec,ual
to the circumference of the receptacle 20 plus the additional
distance of the overlap portion 42 as shown in FIGURE 1. The
reinforcing filaments 34 extend along the entire length 94 of
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i 1138791
the reinforcing sheet 32 and are typically constructed from
!la monofilament polyester. However, it will be understood that
! a large number of filament materials may be used in the present
invention for providing additional tensile strength for the
reinforcing sheet 32.
Referring now to FIGURE 5, there is shown the two- !
~iply tube 26 in a collapsed flat position with the reinforcing
sheet 32 disposed beneath and adjacent the midregion of the
tube 26. An adhesive is applied between the reinforcing sheet
~32 and the tube 26 to secure the reinforcing sheet thereto.
Referring now to FIGURE 6, there is shown the tube
26 with the reinforcing sheet 32 wrapped and overlapped about
the tube 26. An adhesive secures the reinforcing sheet 32 to
!the tube 26, and also the leading edge 36 is secured to the
1 15 trailing edge 38 of the reinforcing sheet by an adhesive as
also shown in FIGURE 1. At this step in construction, both
the tube 26 and the reinforcing sheet 32 are collapsed in a
flat position, and the upper end 96 and the lower end 98 of
j~tube 26 extend beyond the reinforcing sheet 32. If it is desired
to make the receptacle 20 cylindrical, the upper end 96 and
,
the lower end 98 should extend beyond the reinforcing sheet ,
for a distance exceeding the radius of the receptacle 20.
Referring now to FIGURE 7, the lateral sidewalls 100
I~and 102 of the lower tube end 98 have been folded inwardly
jjtowards one another. The lateral sidewalls 100 and 102 have
~a generally triangular folded configuration and leave a front
wall portion 104 and a rear wall portion 106.
Referring now to FIGUR~ 8, the rear wall portion 106
!1 of the lower tube end 98 has been folded inwardly, and the front
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1~38791
Ij ' ' . I .
Iwall portion 104 has been folded inwardly to overlap the rear I l;
jwall portion 106 to form a folded satchel bottom. As the lower
Itube end 98 is folded, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the
- lloverlapping portions of the lower tube end 98 are adhesively
Isecured together. Thuisi~ when the folding steps are completed
las shown in FIGURE 8, the folded satchel bottom is adhesively
¦secured in the folded position. It has been found that the fGlded
~and adhesively secured together satchel bottom provides a
llreliable and inexpensive closed end or bottom for the
Ireceptacle 20.
Referring now to FIGURE 9~ there is shown a completed
Ireceptacle 20 in which the upper tube end 96 has been gathered
~together and claimped by a bar clamp 108. The finished receptacle
,20 will normally be handled on a pallet until it is to be emptied. !
The bar clarnp 108 is used to uniformly clamp the gathered upper
jtube end 96, and an upward liftiny force may be applied to the
i;bar clamp through the cables 110. The upward lifting force is
,distributed evenly about the circumference of tube 26. In this
limanner, the receptacle 20 may be lifted wit~out tearing and
'moved to a position for emptying.
il i
i Referring now to FIGURES 10 and 11, alternate structure
- is shown for liftins the receptacle 20. In FIGURE 10, the upper
tube end 96 is gathered, folded back on itself and clamped by
'a bar clamp 108 to form a loop portion 112. A bar 114 is inserted
,through the loop portion 112, and cables 116 apply a lifting
~force to the bar 114. In FIGURE 11, the upper tube end 96 is
i I
gathered, twisted into a rope, folded back on itself and clamped
~by clamp 108 to form a twisted, ropelike loop 118. A hook 120
¦lis inserted through the 'loop 118, and an upward lifting force
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lll 1138~91
¦ iS appl1ed to the hook through a cable 122.
¦ It will be understood that any lifting device may be
¦ used that will clamp the material firmly without cutting and
I,that will evenly distribute the load throughout the perimeter
¦lof the receptacle 20. The thlckness of the upper tube end 96,
which is a part of the two-ply plastic tube 26, must be chosen
~in view of the size of the receptacle 20 and the load for which
¦it is designed. For instance, if a receptacle 20 is designed
~to carry an approximate load of 2,000 pounds having a 44 inch
¦¦diameter with a loading of 14.5 pounds per inch of circumference,
¦~theoretically, this weight can be handled by a two-ply plastic
tube 26 constructed from polybutylene having a thickness of
6 1/2 mils. Therefore, an 8 mil bag should have a 28% margin
of safety over the yield strength of the tube 26 when used with
the load for which the bag was designed. The dimensions of the
receptacle 20 necessary for different loads may be determined
~by conventional desiyn techniques takiny into consideration
Ithe weight and density of the bul} material load, the size of
jthe receptacle 20 and the strength of the materials used to
!construct the receptacle 20.
, Referring now to FIGURE 12, there is shown a
,jreceptacle 130 representing an alternate e~bodiment of the present !
j ~invention. Receptacle 130 includes a two-ply coextruded plastic
Ijtube 26 having an inner-ply 23 and an outer-ply 30 of a
1I construction similar to the receptacle 20 shown in FIGURE 1.
A reinforciny sheet 32 is wrapped about the tube 26 and extends
to the upper end of tube 26. Also, a cover sheet 132 is wrapped
~about the reinforcing sheet 32 to form the outer layer of
receptacle 130.
38'79
The receptacle 130 may be used in the same manner
- llas receptacle 20. ~lowever, since the reinforcing sheet 32 and
il i
the cover sheet 132 extend to the top of the receptacle 130,
'it is acceptable to completely fill receptacle 130 with flowable
1I bulk materials 22. Thus, receptacle 130 may be used for storing
j,bulk materials when there is no necessity to cover the bulk
!. materials, and there is no need to lift the receptacle 130 by
the methods shown in FIGURES 9~
Referring now to FIGUP.E 13, there is shown an alternate
method for constructing either receptacle 20 shown in FIGURE 1
or receptacle 130 shown in FIGURE 12. It will be understood
that either receptacle 20 or receptacle 130 may also be
constructed in the previously described preferred method. In
this alternate method, the two-ply plastic tube 26 is fitted
¦ over a mandrel 134 leaving an overhanging portion 136 of the
j~tube 26 extending ~eyond the end 13~ of the mAndrel. The mandrel
¦¦134 is mounted on a shaft 140 which is connected to an electric
~r~otor 142 through pulleys 144 and 146, and belt 148. In this
lconstruction, the motor 142 may be energized to rotate the mandrel
l 134 in the direction indicated by arrow 150.
jl Referring now to FIGURE 14, there is diagrammatically
'Ishown an alternate method of constructing either receptacle 20
or receptacle 130 shown in FIGURES 1 and 12, respectively. An
end view of mandrel 134 is shown with the two-ply plastic tube
1' 26 mounted thereon. A roller 152 is spring biased towards the ~i
: !~ mandrel 134, and a nozzle 154 applies an adhesive between the
1 roller 152 and the mandrel 13~. As the mandrel 134 ls rotated
¦l in the direction indicated by arrow 150, the adhesive from nozzle ¦
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; 11~8791
154 is applied to the exterior of plastic tube 26 and is spread
!evenly by the roller 152.
I After an adhesive has been applied to a portion of
¦the exterior of tube 22, a reinforcing sheet 32 such as described
iin conjunction with FIGURES 3 and 4 is wrapped about the plastic
tube 26 as the mandrel 134 rotates. The reinforcing sheet 32
¦is fed from a rotatable spool 156 of reinforcing sheet material.
As the reinforcing sheet 32 travels towards the mandrel 134 from
~ ~ the spool 156, the ~r~nd~xrn~rsheet ~-passes between a roller
pair 158. The cover sheet 132 is fed from a spool 160 and also
passes between the roller pair 158 and is positioned on the
outside of the cover sheet 132. An adhesive is applied between
; the cover sheet 132 and the reinforcing sheet 32 by a nozzle 161,and the adhesive is spread evenly by the roller pair 158. In this
manner, the reinforcing sheet 32 and the cover sheet 132 form
a laminate construction. The leading edge of the reinforcing
sheet 32 is started on its wrap around tube 26 ahead of the
; leading edge of the cover sheet 132. The reinforcing sheet isIthen cut in a length sufficient to overlap itself, and the cover
~sheet 132 is also cut in the length sufficient to overlap itself.
In this manner, the leading edge of the reinforcing sheet 32 is
directly adhered to the trailing edge of the reinforcing sheet
resulting in an efficient and strong structure. If desired, the
reinforcing sheet 32 may be completely wrapped and overlapped
~25 ¦about plastic tube 26 before the cover sheet 132 is wrapped about
¦the reinforcing sheet 32.
I Optionally, spool 160 and cover sheet 132 shown in FIGUR
¦14 may be omitted to produce the receptacle 20 shown in FIGUR~ 1.
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Also, it will be understood that filaments 34 described in
Iconjunction with FIGURES 3 and 4 may be loaded on spool 156
to apply the reinforcing filaments directly to the tube 26. Any
~ ~number of ply of reinforcing filaments 34 and plastic sheets such
; 5 as sheet 132 may be wrapped around mandrel 134 to produce a wide
variety of mult:iple-ply receptacles.
l~ FIGURE 15, shows a perspective view of the receptacle
¦l130 showing the folded bottom 162 which is folded in a satchel
configuration substantially as described above with respect
0 llto FI~URES 7 and 8. Referring to FIGURES 13 and 15, the
i,overhanginy portion 136 of the plastic tube 26 i5 folded while
Ithe tube 26 is on the mandrel 134. Lateral portions 164 and
¦166 of the overhanying portion 136 are first folded inwardly.
!INext, an upper por~.ion 168 is folded downwardly and a lower
lportion 170 is folded upwardly. As the lower portion 170 is
~folded upwardly, a triangular t.ab 172 of upuer portion 168 is
j,folded back on itself. During the folding process, an adhesive
is applied to all overlapping areas of the overhanging portion
'136 to adhesively secure the bottom 162 in the folded
'0 Iconfiguration.
li The present invention provides an inexpensive receptacle ¦
¦having adequate reinforcement and strength to handle flowable
,!bulk materials and includes improved constructions for closing
; Ithe lower end of the receptacle and for lifting the receptacle.
~ Although particular embodiments of the present invention
have been described in the foregoin~ Detailed Description, it
will be understood that the present invention is capable of
,~ numerous modifications, rearrangements and substitutions of
I,parts without departing from the scope of the invention.
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