AU2004100560A4 - Bag for Multiple Lifting Modes - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

INNOVATION

PATENT

"Bag for Multiple Lifting Modes" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: BAG FOR MULTIPLE LIFTING MODES Field of the Invention This invention relates to bag-type containers for transport and storage of bulk solid materials such as powdered, granular, particulate, pelletised or briquetted materials. It is particularly applicable to containers having a capacity in the range of 500 to 1,500 litres used in the transportation and storage of agricultural fertilizers.

Background to the Invention Bulk bags are sometimes used for transportation and storage of granular or powdered agricultural fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals. They also provide a convenient means for a fannrmer, by using a lifting attachment on a tractor, to load the fertilizer into farm machinery. Such bulk bags typically have a capacity of about 1000 to 1300 litres.

Some users of such bags wish to lift the bags by loops at the top corners of the bag.

However such loops are conveniently made of a webbing fabric which is not selfsupporting and so the loops flop down on the sides of the bag so making it difficult for drivers of forklift trucks to insert the tines into the loops. This requires the tractor driver to halt the vehicle, get down and slide a first pair of loops onto the tines, edge the tractor forward, get off again and slip the second pair of loops on, get on the tractor again and drive forward to fully engage all the loops before lifting the bag.

Some users would therefore prefer self-supporting loops or a handle with which to engage the lifting mechanism of a forklift truck, crane, single point hay-bale-lifter, or the like.

The present invention provides a container with such multiple lifting modes.

Summary of the Invention In one aspect the invention provides a container for transport and storage of bulk solids material, said container comprising a bag made of woven fabric and containing a removable inner liner formed from a flexible sheet material, said bag having: four side walls, a base and an upper face which together form a compartment within which the solids material is held; four vertical edges where adjacent pairs of the walls meet; four upper corners in said compartment, located where said upper face meets each respective vertical edge; an upper closable opening in said upper face for loading the bulk solids material into the container; a lower closable opening in said base for discharging the solids material from the container; at each said upper corner, a respective lifting loop sewn onto the bag; and the side walls extending above the lifting loops and joined above and clear of said upper face to form at least one self supporting handle.

Preferably the side walls extending above the lifting loops are joined across the top of the bag to form a single self supporting handle.

Preferably a sleeve of fabric is fastened around the central section of said handle.

Preferably the upper closable opening has its centre offset from the centre of the top face by at least 10% of the width of the top face.

In another aspect the invention provides a method of delivering granular or powdered agricultural fertilizer, said method including: assembling a container comprising a bag and removable liner according to any one of the previous claims; at a filling station, loading fertilizer through said upper closable opening into the liner in the bag, transporting said fertilizer in said container to a discharge point where said lower closable opening is opened, said liner is punctured, and the fertilizer discharged through the lower closable opening; discarding the punctured liner; fitting a new liner within the bag; returning the bag to the filling station and loading further fertilizer through said upper closable opening into said new liner in the bag.

Brief Description of the Drawings In order that the invention may be more fully understood there will now be described, by way of example only, preferred embodiments and other elements of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is a view showing a container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a view showing a container according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In Figure 2, features are identified using numbers that are exactly 100 greater than the number used for an equivalent feature in Figure 1.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment and Other Examples of the Invention Referring to Figure 1, a container 6 for carrying granular fertiliser is comprised of an outer bag 8 and a liner 10. The bag 8 has four side walls 12-15, a square base 16, and an upper face 20 which together define a compartment 9 within which the fertiliser is carried in the liner 10. Side walls 14 and 15 are hidden in Figure 1. The upper face is sewn to the walls 12-15 at respective top edges 24-27 of the compartment.

Each adjacent pair of side walls 12-15 meet at a respective vertical edge 18 which extends from the base 16 up to the top edges 24-27. Where each vertical edge 18 meets the upper face 20, an upper corner 36 is formed in the compartment 9 and a lifting loop 30 is sewn to the bag.

The compartment 9 has a horizontal cross-section which is square, and a vertical cross-section which is rectangular and elongated vertically.

A fabric panel 21 sewn into the top edges 24-27 forms the main portion of the upper face 20 of the bag 8. Towards the centre of the panel 21, a circular opening 32 provides a means for lodging the bulk material into the bag. Sewn around the opening 32 is a fabric collar which forms a circular inlet spout 34.

At the top of the container 6 when in use, the top 11 of the liner 10 and the spout 34 are gathered together and tied by a tie tape 42 which is sewn at its centre to the inlet spout 34.

The outer bag 8 has a 950mm square cross-section horizontally and the vertical edges extend for 1450mm between the base 16 and the top edges 24-27. This is the fill height of the container. Above the top edges 24-27 the walls 12-15 extend upward for about 350mm.

The liner 10 is a simple gusseted bag formed of 70 micron LDPE and having a base measuring 1100 x 1000 mm and a height of 3600mm. It is thus substantially longer than the height of the outer bag 8. The liner 10 is closed at its top by bunching it in with the inlet spout 34 which is then tied off with tapes 42.

The fabric forming one pair of opposite walls 12 and 14 continues upwards as portions 44 and 45 respectively, and these are sewn to each other above the upper face so as to form a handle 50. The fabric forming the other pair of opposed walls 13 and 15 is centrally bifuircated from about 350mm above the edges 25 and 27 respectively. The fabric extending from wall 13 is bifurcated into portions 13a and 13b, which are sewn at one of their edges to the adjoining portions 44 and respectively. Similarly, the fabric extending from wall 15 is bifurcated into portions and 15b of which one edge of portion 15a is sewn to the fabric portion 44 and one edge of portion 15b is sewn to the fabric portion A sleeve 51 of 310gsm weight woven polypropylene fabric is wrapped around the central (uppermost) portion of the handle 50. This provides substantial stiffening and protection of the handle from abrasion from lifting operations.

The circular opening 32 and top spout 34 are each 500mm diameter and the top spout is 500mm long. The centre of opening 32 is displaced (from the centre of the upper face 20) by 100mm towards top edge 25. This provides greater access to the spout 34 for filling through the aperture formed by the handle 50 between portions 13a and 13b.

A 150mm long slit 38 is provided in fabric portion 13a, and the top 11 of the liner is pushed through this in order to conveniently retain the top 11.

A clear pocket 52 is sewn onto the side wall 13 adjacent an edge 18. This pocket is used to insert an identification card or some other indication of the product in the container. The pocket 52 has drain holes 54.

The base 16 of the outer bag 8 has a centrally located circular opening 58 of 450mm diameter which includes a cylindrical spout 70 about 500mm long of textile fabric sewn around the perimeter of the opening 58. Surrounding the spout 70 is a fabric spout cover 76 which has a tie tape 72 threaded pyjama style into the periphery of the cover 76. The spout 70 may therefore be rolled or folded up to close the opening 58, and then pushed into the compartment 9 before tightening the tape 72 to prevent the spout 70 from re-opening.

The side walls 12-15 and base 16 of the outer bag 8 are sewn from 210gsm woven polypropylene fabric which has a waterproof polyethylene film laminated onto its inner surface. The inlet spout 34 and discharge spout 70 are made of 100gsm woven polyethylene which has a waterproof polyethylene film laminated onto its inner surface. The spout cover 76 is made of uncoated woven polyethylene. The lifting loops 30 are 300mm long and made from polypropylene monofilament webbing wide which is attached by sewing into the seams at the vertical edges 18.

The seams formed at the edges 18 are an overlocked construction without additional reinforcement components. That seam construction continues up at the handle to join the wall extensions 13a and 15a to wall extension 44 and joining wall extensions 13b and 15b to wall extensions To discharge the product, the container 6 is lifted by using either the loops 30 or the handle 50. The spout cover 76 is then untied and the spout 70 allowed to drop. The bottom of the liner 10 is then cut so that the contents of the container can discharge through the discharge spout 70. The spout 70 may be manipulated to direct the material into relatively small openings, such as might be found on machinery for spreading agricultural fertilizer. The discharge may be slowed or ceased at any time by rolling or folding up the spout 70 and retightening the tapes 72.

The liner 10 is conveniently discarded after emptying, but the outer bag 8 may be reused with a fresh liner bag fitted within it.

The container 6 in Figure 1 is particularly adapted for a farmer to use many times over, say, a 12-month period. The container 106 shown in Figure 2 is very similar to the container 6 in Figure 1, but it is modified to be tougher so that it is particularly adapted for multiple use over, say, a 3-year period.

The container 106 in Figure 2 is a strengthened form of that in Figure 1. The side walls 112-115 and base 116 of the outer bag 108 are sewn from 310gsm woven polypropylene fabric which has a waterproof polyethylene film laminated onto its inner surface. The inlet spout 134 and discharge spout 170 are made of 100gsm woven polyethylene which has a waterproof polyethylene film laminated onto its inner surface. The spout cover 176 is made of uncoated woven polyethylene.

The lifting loops 130 are 300mm long and made from polypropylene monofilament webbing 50mm wide which is sewn along the outside of the bag 108 for the full height of the vertical edges 118 onto the outside of previously formed overlocked seams.

The edges 160 created by the bifurcation, which separates side wall extension 13a from side wall extension 113b, are bound with webbing to improve abrasion resistance of the handle 150.

The liner used in the container 106 in Figure 2 is identical to that used in the container 6 shown in Figure 1.

Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention.

It will be also understood that where the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (4)

1. A container for transport and storage of bulk solids material, said container comprising a bag made of woven fabric and containing a removable inner liner formed from a flexible sheet material, said bag having: four side walls, a base and an upper face which together form a compartment within which the solids material is held; four vertical edges where adjacent pairs of the walls meet; four upper corners in said compartment, located where said upper face meets each respective vertical edge; an upper closable opening in said upper face for loading the bulk solids material into the container; a lower closable opening in said base for discharging the solids material from the container; at each said upper corner, a respective lifting loop sewn onto the bag; and the side walls extending above the lifting loops and joined above and clear of said upper face to form at least one self supporting handle.

2. A container according claim 1 wherein a sleeve of fabric is fastened around the central section of said handle.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the upper closable opening has its centre offset from the centre of the top face by at least 10% of the width of the top face.

4. A method of delivering granular or powdered agricultural fertilizer, said method including: assembling a container comprising a bag and removable liner according to any one of the previous claims; at a filling station, loading fertilizer through said upper closable opening into the liner in the bag, transporting said fertilizer in said container to a discharge point where said lower closable opening is opened, said liner is punctured, and the fertilizer discharged through the lower closable opening; discarding the punctured liner; fitting a new liner within the bag; returning the bag to the filling station and loading further fertilizer through said upper closable opening into said new liner in the bag. A container substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures. Dated this 13th day of July 2004 Bulk Handling Australia Pty Ltd by their patent attorneys Morcom Pernat