GB2076362A - Flexible containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A container comprises a pliant casing (1) having a first gathered end portion (2); a second gathered end portion (3); a first opening (4) adjacent the end portion (2) a second opening (5) adjacent the end portion (3), and a flexible elongate member (6) which extends through the opening (4), through a container space defined by the casing and through the opening (5). The member (6) has a length such as to permit a lifting loop to be formed externally of the casing at both ends thereof and its ends are fastened to a respective one of said gathered end portions in a manner to hold said end portions together. Such a container can be lifted from both ends thereof, or from either end, with the load evenly distributed on the end portions of the casing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to containers The present invention relates to a container of the kind comprising a pliant casing and a flexible elongate member which extends through the container space and the ends of which are secured respectively to gathered end portions of the casing, so as to hold said gathered end portions together.

A container of this kind is known from, for example, United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1 477 578.

Although this known container has been found relatively satisfactory in practice, one disadvantage of these is that it can only be lifted from one end, so that it is impossible to turn the container upside down if desired.

Further, it may be desirable to empty the container from the middle thereof, which is not readily possible with the known container. Also, it is possible that one end of the container has been stood on dirty ground, causing said end to become heavy soiled, with the subsequent risk of dirtying the goods in the container as the container is emptied. In such cases, it is desirable that the container can be lifted from either end, thereby enabling the less soiled end of the container to be opened, to empty the container.

Consequently, an object of the invention is to provide a container of the above mentioned kind with which these and other disadvantages of said known container are at least substantially eliminated.

Accordingly, this invention consists in a container comprising a pliant casing having a first gathered end portion; a second gathered end portion; a first opening adjacent said first end portion; a second opening adjacent said second end portion; a flexible elongate member which extends through said first opening, through a container space defined by said casing and through said second opening, and which has a length such as to permit a lifting loop to be formed externally of the casing at both ends thereof, and the ends of which flexible elongate member are fastened to a respective one of said gathered end portions, in a manner to hold said end portions together. Thus, the elongate member can be drawn out to form a lifting loop at any selected end or can be drawn out so that a lifting loop can be formed at both ends.

Conveniently, one end of the flexible elongate member, which may be a rope, is first fastened to its respective, gathered casing end portion and the casing then turned inside-out before fastening the other end of the elongate member to the other casing end portion, so that said one end of said member is located inwardly of the casing, thereby strengthening the casing at said end.

The strength of the gathered end portions, or necks, can be improved, by gathering the casing portions in a pleat-like fashion.

To ensure that the elongate member will not slip from an end portion of the casing to which it is fastened, said member is suitably fastened to respective casing end portions by self-tightening knots, such as a sheet-bend.

In containers of the kind described, moisture and water may tend to move along the elongate member, through the uppermost of said first and second openings, and down into the container space, thereby moistening any goods contained therein. To prevent this, the container preferably further comprises a protective, pliant tubular member extending through the container space in a manner such as to shield in liquid-tight fashion, the container space from that part of the elongate member extending through said container space.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of a container constructed in accordance with the invention, Figure2 illustrates a variant of the container illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 3 illustrates the container shown in Figure 2 provided with a tubular, protective member for shielding against moisture, and Figure 4 illustrates a preferred method of gathering the first and second end portions of the casing.

In the drawings, like elements have been identified with like references.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a container comprising a casing 1 having a first end portion 2 and a second end portion 3. It will be understood that the casing is formed from a hose of pliant material which is gathered at both ends thereof to form a closed casing. Located adjacent a respective gathered end portion 2,3 is an opening 4 and 5, said openings being located on a respective side of the vertical centre line of the illustrated casing. Extending through the casing 1 and the openings 4 and 5 is an elongate flexible member 6, which in the illustrated embodiments is assumed to be a rope. The length of the rope 6 is such as to permit a lifting loop 9 to be formed at both ends of the casing 1, if desired, and respective ends of the rope are tied to the first and second end portions of the casing, to hold said end portions gathered together.In order to safeguard against slipping, the ends of the rope are tied to the end portions 2, 3 of the casing 1 with self-tightening knots, such as the illustrated sheet bends7and8.

So that the goods in the container are distributed evenly therein when the container is lifted, e.g. by the loop 9 formed by pulling the rope 6 through the opening 4, each of the openings 4, 5 is located on a respective opposite side of the vertical centre line (not shown) of the illustrated casing 1.

If it is desired to strengthen the casing 1 at one end thereof, this can be done by causing one tied end portion 2 or 3 of the casing 1 to be located within the casing. Such an embodiment is shown in Figure 2, in which the end portion 2 and the knot 8 are shown to be arranged inwardly of said casing. In this embodiment, one end of the rope 6 is first tied to the end portion 2 of the casing 1, whereafter the casing is then turned inside out, so that the end portion 2 lies inside the casing. The other end of the rope is then passed through the opening 4, through the container space defined by the casing 1, and out through the end 5, whereafter said end of the rope 6 is tied to the end portion 3 in the manner shown.

It will be understood that the size of the openings 4 and 5 in this embodiment and in the other illustrated embodiments is only fractionally greater than the diameter of the rope.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, there is arranged in the casing 1 an inner receptacle 10 having the form of a pliant hose gathered at the ends thereof in the illustrated manner. The hose forming the casing 1 suitably has a diameter which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the hose forming the receptacle 10. The receptacle of the illustrated embodiment is provided with a so-called filling valve 11 which can be pulled through a slot 12 in the casing 1, to facilitate filling of the receptacle and which can be closed-off from outside the container and then inserted into the casing 1, to protect the valve.

In order to protect the goods contained in the receptacle 10 against any water or moisture which might migrate along the rope 6, that part of the rope which extends through the container space, e.g. in this case the space defined by the receptacle 10, is enclosed in a tubular member 13 of soft, pliant and watertight material. The two ends of member 13 and receptacle 10 are secured to the rope 6, as shown at 14 and 15, by means which permit movement of the receptacle 10 relative to the rope 6, e.g. by such means as those described in United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2026981 A.

In order to strengthen the gathered end portions of the hose forming the casing 1, said end portions are suitably gathered in a pleat-like manner, i.e. by doubling the material at said end portions on itself, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Claims (8)

1. Acontainercomprising a pliant casing having a first gathered end portion; a second gathered end portion; a first opening adjacent said first end portion; a second opening adjacent said second end portion; a flexible elongated member which extends through said first opening, through a container space defined by said casing and through said second opening, and which has a length such as to permit a lifting loop to be formed externally of the casing at both ends thereof and the ends of which flexible elongate member are fastened to a respective one of said gathered end portions in a manner to hold said end portions together.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of the elongate member is fastened to its respective end portion of the casing inwardly of the casing.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein said end portions are gathered in a substantially pleated fashion.

4. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said ends of the flexible elongate member are fastened to respective end portions of said casing by self-tightening knots.

5. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing encloses an inner receptacle of pliant material having an inlet means for goods to be introduced into the container.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein said elongate member extends through said receptacle and is arranged for relative movement thereto.

7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container further comprises a protective, pliant tubular member extending through the container space in a manner such as to shield in liquid-tight fashion, the container space from that part of the elongate member extending through the container space.

8. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.