US3117606A

US3117606A - Free fall container

Info

Publication number: US3117606A
Application number: US232913A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dwight F Hastings
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-24
Filing date: 1962-10-24
Publication date: 1964-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1981-01-14

Description

Jan. 14, 1964 D. F. HASTINGS FREE'FALL CONTAINER INVENTOR Dwig'hz Ffiasting's 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1962 Hz/M v ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1964 D. F. HASTINGS FREE FALL CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 24, 1962 INVENTOR l'fiastimg' Dwight Haw M United States Patent 3,117,666 FREE FA'LL CONTAINER Dwight F. Hastings, 14} Princeton Road, Wellesley, Mass. Filed Oct. 24, 1%2, Ser. No. 232,913 14 Claims. (Cl. 150-1) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to containers and method of packaging and delivering materials. More particularly the invention relates to containers for flowable materials which will remain intact after the shock or impact of a free fall and methods for packaging and delivering such materials by free fall techniques.

Air drop delivery of supplies is employed by the military to supply units that have become isolated from the main body or that have rapidly outdistanced existing supply lines. Additionally, in many areas of the globe, the terrain is such that it becomes more expedient to supply by air than by the more conventional modes of transport. It is essential in air drop delivery that the supplies be (1) accurately placed or dropped within a relatively small area and (2) that the supplies be delivered intact and undamaged. Low altitude free fall drops satisfy the requirement for pin point accuracy and possess the added advantage of being diflicult to detect. Parachute delivery, on the other hand, is not practical at low altitudes and tends to disperse the supplies over a wide area under the influence of the prevailing wind currents.

To survive a free fall, i.e., a fall not employing means to slow the rate of descent, a container must be designed or engineered to withstand the abrupt and extreme force of impact. The prior art has developed complex, sophis ticated and somewhat cumbersome containers that are able to survive a free fall impact, however, such containers aside from being unwieldly are also expensive and do not satisfy the need for a lightweight, inexpensive and expendable free fall container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel container for flowable materials capable of resisting failure resulting from the impact of a free fall. *It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, lightweight, easy to manufacture and easy to handle container for flowable materials that is adapted to resist impact forces.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a container 0 having novel means to absorb or dissipate the shock of impact.

Another object is to provide a method of packaging and delivering a quantity of flowable materials by free fall from an elevated point to a lower surface.

Various other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the empty container.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the container of the present invention partially filled with flowable material and shown in free fall attitude.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the container of FIGURE 2 at impact and showing the progressive failure of the shock cushioning elements.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section of the container of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the container at rest after a free fall impact.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 4 there is shown an empty, collapsed, flexible container or 3,li'"i,6fl Patented Jan. 14,

enclosure designated generally by numeral 19, which is circular in outline. The container is readily constructed by placing one circular sheet 11 of flexible material, e.g., Mylar (a polyester film) having a thickness of approximately 6 mils and approximately 37 inches in diameter, upon a second similar sheet 12 and sealing together the peripheral edge portions 13 and 14.

A suitable closure device 15 communicating with the interior of the container is located on the top central portion thereof. As shown in detail in FIGURE 4 the cylindrical closure body 16 has a circular flange base 17 which extends radially outwardly of the upright body portion and is positioned superadjacent the outer surface of upper sheet 11. A reinforcing washer 18 is placed over the flange base 17 and the washer, flange base and upper sheet are sealed together. The outer wall of the closure body has external threads which mate with the internal threads of a suitable cap 19 which completes the closure.

In the filling operation, the container is grasped near the open closure and a flowable material, e.g., water, is poured into the container partially filling the container. A container of the size described can adequately accommodate 5 gallons of fluid. While it is preferred that the container have not more than half its maximum volume occupied by the flowable contents it is possible by the use of either low density contents or stronger container materials to load the container to more than half its maximum volume and still have it successfully Withstand the impact of a free fall. The partially filled container supported from the closure assumes more or less a pearshaped outline with the fluid occupying the base of the container and an empty tail portion 22 extending above the fluid. The loose flexible material forming the tail is gathered together in a more or less straight line extending upwardly from the base thereby restricting or decreasing the volume of the container.

From a point above the level 2d of the liquid an adhesively coated tape 21, approximately /2 inch wide, e.g., a cellophane pressure sensitive adhesive tape, is tightly wound in an upward spiral about the tail. The tape serves initially to restrain or hold together the gathered folds of the tail. The cap is tightly closed and the partially filled container has an oppearance substantially as is shown in FIGURE 2.

The tape winding serves as a shock cushioning means and acts to reduce the pressures that are rapidly built up in the container at the moment of impact. The container is now ready for free fall delivery.

At the desired height, the loaded container of the present invention is released and in free fall the base portion containing the fluid assumes or maintains a forward position with respect to the tail portion in the flight trajectory. As the base portion of the container strikes the ground the energy of the free fall of the liquid is converted into laterally acting component forces which exert pressure on the walls of the container. The pressure, which otherwise would have been suificient to rupture the container with a resulting loss of the contents, stresses and breaks the tape at intervals along its upward spiral path. With each stepwise break of the tape shown in FIGURE 3 the effective volume of the container increases stepwise permitting the liquid to flatten out and the forces tending to rupture the container are rapidly diminished or dissipated. The tape will continue to break progressively as long as the forces exerted on the walls of the container are greater than the tensile strength of the tape. Each rupture or break of the tape absorbs or overcomes part of the pressure exerted by the liquid. It is important that for each loaded container, the tail length and ability of the shock absorbing means to absorb the energy of the fall be 3 suflicient to insure that the forces being transmitted do not travel all the way to the closure.

FIGURE 2 represents an embodiment of a container of the present invention as it would appear in a free fall. In FIGURE 3, the container is shown as it strikes the surface. It may be observed that the liquid contents and the walls of the container tend to flatten and that the tape binding, in response to pressure, breaks at rather close intervals to permit the tail to open increasing the volume of the inclosure to accommodate the flattening liquid. The container is finally shown at rest in FIGURE 5 after surviving a free fall.

While in the above described embodiment of this invention the shock absorbing means is applied subsequent to the filling of the container, it is also contemplated that the shock absorbing means may be applied to the container prior to the filling operation. If it is desired to practice the invention in this manner, it is only necessary to insure that the restraining means only partially constricts the gathered tail portion such as by the use of a rigid tube or pipe inserted therein during the application of the restraining means so that the later filling of the container will not be impeded.

The tail of the container serves not only to carry the shock cushioning means but also functions as a handle for carrying the container and as a stabilizer to orient the container in flight so that it will land on its base.

While the shock absorbing means has been particularly described as an adhesive cellophane tape material other tape materials, e.g., thermoplastic solid tapes, fabric tapes, having a suitable adhesive base, may be employed. The preferred shock absorbing materials are tapes having an adhesive thereon but other non-adhesive materials such as tape, cord, or string may be employed if there are suitable retaining means located on the tail of the container such as loops through which the materials may be attached. The loops may constitute the shock absorbing means if their breaking point is below that of the container and the tape or cord.

It is important for successful operation that the shock absorbing means be the weak link of the container, i.e., that the latter have a resistance to rupture greater than the former. In place of the continuous spiral wound shock absorbing means one may wrap or bind a number of spaced apart individual bands or segments about the tail.

The container may be formed of solid sheets of thermoplastic materials, e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, etc., which may be single or multiple plies. Rather than solid sheets, fabric sheets may be employed in some instances. Where rugged or jagged terrain is to be encountered an inexpensive reinforcing sole of similar or puncture resisting material may be attached to the base of the container. While a preferred embodiment of the container has been described in detail above, other shapes and types of construction of the container are possible.

The term flowable materials as used herein refers not only to liquids but also to finely divided solid materials.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container for fiowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall comprising a flexible enclosure partially filled with flowable material, the remaining empty portion of said enclosure gathered forming a tail thereby reducing the volume of the enclosure, means circumferentially restraining the gathered tail portion along at least a portion of its length, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure whereby the forces of impact ending to flatten and rupture the enclosure are spent in stressing and rupturing i the restraining means sequentially along the length of the tail.

2. A container for flowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall comprising a flexible enclosure f led to not more than about half s maximum volume with flowable material, the unfilled portion of the enclosure is gathered in a line forming a tail and reducing the volume of the enclosure, means encircling and restraining the gathered ta stepwise along a portion of its length, said means havgrg a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure whereby the forces of impact tending to flatten and rupture the enclosure are spent stressing and rupturing the restraining means.

3. A container as in claim 2 wherein said means is a tape having an adhesive coating.

4. A container for flowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall formed of a flexible material impervious to said flowable materials, said container partially filled with said flowable materials, the empty portion of the container extended forming a tail above the filled portion of the container, means encircling and partially constricting and binding the tail from a point above and adiacent to the filled portion to the opposite end of said tail, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the container whereby the forces of impact tending to flatten and rupture the container are spent in sequentially stressing and rupturing said means along the tail.

5. A container according to claim 4 wherein said means comprises tape having a coating that will adhere to the container.

6. A container for flowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall formed of a flexible material impervious to said flowable materials, said container filled to less than about half its maximum volume with said flowable materials, the remaining unfilled portion of the container is extended forming a tail above the filled portion, tape having a coating that adheres to the container circumferentially binding and partially constricting the tall from a point above the filled portion to the opposite end of the tail, said tape having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the container so that the forces of impact tending to flatten and rupture the conainer are spent in sequentially stressing and rupturing the tape binding along the length of the tail.

7. A container according to claim 6 wherein said container is formed of two circular sheets of flexible material sealed together along their peripheral edges and having a closure located therein.

8. A container according to claim 6 wherein said tape is spirally wound about said tail.

9. A container for flowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall comprising a flexible enclosure, a portion of said enclosure gathered forming a tail thereby reducing the volume of said enclosure, means circumferentially restraining the gathered tail along at least a portion of its length, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure whereby the forces of impact tending to flatten and rupture the enclosure are spent in stressing and rupturing the restraining means sequentially along the length of the tail.

10. A container for flowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall comprising a flexible enclosure, about half of said enclosure gathered forming a tail thereby reducing the volume of said enclosure, means circumferentially restraining the gathered tail along at least a portion of its length, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure whereby the forces of impact tending to flatten and rupture the enclosure are spent in stressing and rupturing the restraining means sequentially along the length of the tail.

11. A container for fiowable materials capable of withstanding the impact of a free fall comprising a spherical flexible enclosure impervious to said flowable materials,

s,117,eoe

about half of said enclosure gathered forming a tail thereby reducing the volume of said enclosure, means circumferentially restraining the gathered tail along at least a portion of its length, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure whereby the forces of impact tending to flatten and rupture the enclosure are spent in stressing and rupturing the restraining means sequentially aiong the length of the tail, and a cleseable opening through which said fiowable materials be introduced or emptied located on the Wall of said enclosure.

12. A container according to claim 11 wherein said means is an adhesively coated tape spirally wound about said tail.

13. A method of packaging a quantity of fiowable material for free fall delivery comprising partially titling a flexible enclosure with said fiowable material, gathering the unfilled portion of said enclosure to form a tail thereby reducing the volume of the enclosure, applying restraining means cireumierentially along at ieast a portion of the length of the tail, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure whereby the forces on impact tending to flatten and rupture the enclosure are spent in stressing and rupturing the restraining means sequentially along the length of the tail.

ii. A method of delivering a quantity of flowaole material from a height to the surface below by free fall which comprises placing said flowahle material in a container formed or" a flexible enclosure, a portion of said enclosure gathered forming a tail thereby reducing the volume thereof, means circumferentiaily restraining the gathered taii along at least a portion of its length, said means having a tensile strength less than the tensile strength of the enclosure, releasing the loaded container from the desired height and permitting it to fall and strike the surface below whereupon the forces of the impact which would otherwise flatten and rupture the container are spent in stressing and rupturing the restraining means sequentially along the length of the tail.

No references cited.

Claims

1. A CONTAINER FOR FLOWABLE MATERIALS CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING THE IMPACT OF A FREE FALL COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE ENCLOSURE PARTIALLY FILLED WITH FLOWABLE MATERIAL, THE REMAINING EMPTY PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE GATHERED FORMING A TAIL THEREBY REDUCING THE VOLUME OF THE ENCLOSURE, MEANS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY RESTRAINING THE GATHERED TAIL PORTION ALONG AT LEAST A PORTION OF ITS LENGTH, SAID MEANS HAVING A