GB2479876A

GB2479876A - Bulk material delivery bag with closable chute

Info

Publication number: GB2479876A
Application number: GB201006962A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Donald Pitchford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-27
Filing date: 2010-04-27
Publication date: 2011-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2030-04-27
Also published as: GB2479876C; GB201006962D0; GB2479876B

Abstract

A bulk material delivery bag 10 with a chute 30 made of the sheet material of the remainder of the bag 10. The chute 30 can extend downwardly from the centre of the bag 10 for emptying the contents thereof, but can also be held closed against the base 18 and one of the side walls 16, 22 of the bag with a retaining loop 36 on the chute 30 engaging with a mounting loop 28 at one of the upper corners of the bag 10. Retaining loop 36 and mounting loops 28 may also engage with the tines of a fork lift truck in use.

Description

Bulk Material Delivery Bag This invention relates to bulk material delivery bags.

Bulk material delivery bags are used in a wide range of fields, including construction, building, the chemical industry, forestry, agriculture and farming.

Such bags may be provided to hold aggregates, chemicals, bark, seeds, crops, animal foodstuffs, or a wide range of other materials.

In many instances such bags are intended for re-use, but this often doesn't happen. A particular problem often encountered is how to satisfactorily empty such bags. Often one or more cuts may be made in the underside of the bag, and particularly when the bag is elevated for instance by a forklift truck. Such cuts may for instance be made roughly with a knife or other tool, rendering the bag subsequently unusable. Furthermore, such a procedure for emptying the bag can be hazardous, or at least messy, as it generally requires a person to come underneath or close to the underside of the bag, and consequently the person may come into contact with material issuing from the bag once opened.

According to the present invention there is provided a bulk material delivery bag, the bag being made of a flexible sheet material with a base and side walls, the bag also including a delivery chute of flexible sheeet material extending from the base of the bag to enable emptying thereof, a retaining formation being provided at or towards the free end of the chute which enables the chute in a closed condition of the bag to be held extending upwardly substantially against the outside of the base and side walls of the bag, to prevent material passing out through the chute.

The retaining formation may be in the form of a loop, which loop may be of a size to fit over a tine of a forklift truck.

Mounting loops may be provided at upper ends of the bag side walls to permit the bag to be suspended thereby, and the retaining formation may be selectively engageable with a one of the mounting loops to maintain the bag in a closed condition.

The length of the chute may be such that when the retaining formation engages with, or is located adjacent to, a one of the mounting loops, the chute will lie substantially flat against the base and side walls of the bay, when the bay is suspended by the mounting loops.

A tie may be provided to provide engagement between the retaining formation and a one of the mounting loops, and the tie may be in the form of a selectively closable smaller loop, perhaps with a fleece and hook fastener.

The bag may be of generally square shape in plan view, and a mounting loop may be provided at each corner of the square.

The chute in one embodiment may be of generally square cross section, whilst in another embodiment the chute may be of generally circular cross section.

The chute may taper outwardly away from the base of the bag.

Side walls of the bag may be made of separate pieces of material, and be joined to adjacent side walls by seams. Strengthening strips may be provided at least over upper ends of the seams, and the strips may extend beyond the side walls of the bag to provide the mounting loops.

The chute may be formed with one or more longitudinal seams, and a strenghtening strip may be provided at least over the free end of the or a one of the seams, and the strengthening strip may extend beyond the end of the chute to provide the retaining loop.

A reinforced seam may be provided around the free end of the chute.

The flexible sheet material may be polypropylene or polyethylene, which may be woven.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a side view of a first bag according to the invention in a closed condition; Fig. 2 is an end view of the bag of Fig.1 again in a closed condition; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bag of Fig. 1 in a closed condition; Fig. 4 is an end view of the bag of Fig. 1 in an open condition; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bag of Fig. 1 in an open condition; and Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 but of a second bag according to the invention.

Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings show a first bulk material delivery bag 10 in use for instance for holding a quantity of material 12 such as an aggregate.

The bag 10 is made of a durable sheet material which may be thick woven polypropylene or polyethylene. The bag 10 has a main piece 14 having a U-shape cross section to provide opposite side walls 16 with a base 18 therebetween. Two side pieces 20 are provided for the bag 10 to provide the other side walls 22. The side pieces 20 are attached to the main piece 14 by seams 24.

Strips of material 26 are provided on an upper part of each corner of the bag 10 to strengthen the respective seam 24. The strips 26 extend above the top of the bag 10 to provide mounting loops 28 which can be engaged for instance by the tines of a forklift truck to suspend the bag 10.

A chute 30 is provided and made from further strips of sheet material joined together by seams 32 to have a square shape cross section. Strips 34 are provided towards free ends of the seams 32 to provide the strengthening thereof1 and a one of the strips 34 extends beyond the end of the chute 30, and provides at the free end of the strip 34 a retaining loop 36. A reinforcing seam 38 is provided around the free end of the chute 30.

In use in a closed condition as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the chute 30 is held against the base 18 of the bag and a one of the side walls 16, 22. The retaining loop 36 engages with a one of the mounting loops 28 to retain the chute 30 in this closed position. A tie 40 may engage around the retaining loop 36 and respective mounting loop 28 to' hold these together, and the tie 40, may for instance include a strip with a fleece and hook fastener at each end to enable the tie 40 to be open and closed as a loop.

The bag in this closed position, could for instance be carried on the tines of a forklift truck or otherwise, with all of the mounting loops 28 and also the retaining loop 36 extending around the tines of the forklift truck. The engagement of the retaining loop 36 around a tine provides extra security in preventing accidental opening of the bag 10, and for greatest security the retaining loop 36 should engage with a one of the loops 28 nearest the body of the truck.

To open the bag to move to a condition shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the retaining loop 36 is released from a tine when appropriate, and also disengaged by opening the tie 40 from the respective mounting loop 28. The chute 30 can then extend freely downwards as shown to enable the material 12 to be dispensed from the bag 10. If required by holding the retaining loop 36, the contents of the bag 10 can be directed to a particular position beneath the bag 10.

There is thus described a bulk material delivery bag which enables material therein to be securely transported, but when required can readily permit emptying of the bag. As indicated some directing of the contents of the bag during emptying is also possible by a person engaging with the loop 36.

A person emptying the bag 10 does not otherwise though have to move underneath the bag 10. Once empty the bag 10 can readily be re-used, and no damage should have been caused thereto during emptying of its contents.

Accordingly the bag 10 can potentially be re-used on a significant number of occasions, in contrast to general practice with existing bags which tend to only be used once, or for a few occasions.

Fig. 6 shows a further bag 50 which is similar to the bag 10 except that the chute 52 is circular in cross section. This means that only a single seam 54 is required in the chute 52. Again a strip 56 may be provided towards the free end of the seam 54, which strip 56 extends beyond the end of the chute 52 and provides the retaining loop 58. The bag 50 can be used in an identical manner to the bag 10.

Whilst providing enhanced performance relative to previous bags, the bag is still of a relatively simple and conventional configuration, and can thus be made using standard manufacturing techniques. The bag should also provide long term use.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The chute could taper outwardly away from the base, to reduce the chance of the chute becoming blocked with material. A different retaining formation may be provided rather than the retaining loop, and the retaining loop could engage with one of the mounting loops in a different manner. The bag could have a different form, and could for instance have a different shape.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bulk material delivery bag, the bag being made of a flexible sheet material with a base and side walls, the bag also including a delivery chute of flexible sheet material extending from the base of the bag to enable emptying thereof, a retaining formation being provided at or towards the free end of the chute which enables the chute in a closed condition of the bag to be held extending upwardly substantially against the outside of the base and side walls of the bag, to prevent material passing out through the chute.
2. A bag according to claim 1, in which the retaining formation is in the form of a loop.
3. A bag according to claim 2, in which the loop is of a size to fit over a tine of aforklifttruck.
4. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which mounting loops are provided at upper ends of the bag side walls to permit the bag to be suspended thereby.
5. A bag according to claim 4, in which the retaining formation is selectively engageable with a one of the mounting loops to maintain the bag in a closed I. condition.

*0**** * * *:*. 25
6. A bag according to claims 4 or 5, in which the length of the chute is such that when the retaining formation engages with, or is located adjacent to, a S I.* * one of the mounting loops, the chute will lie substantially flat against the base and side walls of the bay, when the bay is suspended by the mounting loops. ** * * I I * I,
7. A bag according to any of claims 4 to 6, in which a tie is provided to provide engagement between the retaining formation and a one of the mounting loops. yr.
8. A bag according to claim 7, in which the tie is in the form of a selectively closable smaller loop.
9. A bag according to claim 8, in which the tie is in the form of a fleece and hook fastener.
10. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which the bag is of generally square shape in plan view.
11. A bag according to claim 10 when dependent on claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon, in which a mounting loop is provided at each corner of the square.
12. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which the chute is of generally square cross section.
13. A bag according to any of claims 1 to 11, in which the chute is of generally circular cross section.
14. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which the chute tapers outwardly away from the base of the bag. * * S...
15. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which side walls of the bag are made of separate pieces of material, and are joined to adjacent side walls by seams.

*SS SS S *
16. A bag according to claim 15, in which strengthening strips are provided at IS..least over upper ends of the seams.
17. A bag according to claim 16 when dependent on claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon, in which the strips extend beyond the side walls of the bag to provide the mounting loops.
18. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which the chute is formed with one or more longitudinal seams.
19. A bag according to claim 18, in which a strengthening strip is provided at least over the free end of the or a one of the seams.
20. A bag according to claim 19, in which the strengthening strip may extend beyond the end of the chute to provide the retaining loop.
21. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which a reinforced seam is provided around the free end of the chute.
22. A bag according to any of the preceding claims, in which the flexible sheet material is polypropylene.
23. A bag according to any of claims 1 to 21, in which the flexible sheet material is polyethylene.
24. A bag according to claims 22 or 23, in which the flexible sheet material is * * woven. *
25 * * S* 25. A bulk material delivery bag substantially as hereinbefore described and ** S...

* with reference to the accompanying drawings. S...
26. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.