Receptacles – Receptacle having flexible – removable inner liner
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-25
2001-10-30
Mancene, Gene (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Receptacle having flexible, removable inner liner
C200S00100B, C222S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308855
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a method of securing a flexible plastics material liner within a container, and also to a liner adapted for securing within a container. The invention further relates to the combination of a container and such a liner secured therewithin.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cargo containers, typically 7 m or 14 m long, are very widely used for the transport of goods by road, rail and sea. Such containers can be used for the transport of flowable solid products, such as powders, granules or other pulverulent materials. For this purpose, it is known to provide a flexible plastics material bag of a shape and size generally corresponding to the container interior, which bag is suspended in the container to serve as a liner. The products to be transported are then loaded into the bag, the container itself providing the required strength to permit the transportation, while the liner prevents leakage of the product. The liner may have an outlet opening which is held closed until the products are to be discharged, or the liner may simply be cut open, over a discharge hopper.
The fitting of a liner to the interior of a container must be performed carefully in order to avoid areas of high stress which could lead to tearing of the liner when the container is being used for the transport of goods. It is thus time consuming to suspend a liner appropriately within a container and subsequently to release a liner after use from a container, and in order to minimise the time required, various suspension techniques have been developed. Many of these techniques need the use of various hand or even power tools and require considerable care, in order to ensure the liner is not punctured or torn during installation, and will remain intact during loading of the product and the transportation thereof. However, during emptying, the liner should remain in its installed position and not tear or leak, other than at the discharge opening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a method whereby a flexible plastics material liner may relatively easily and quickly be secured within a cargo container, and also a liner suitable for securing within a cargo container by this method.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of securing a flexible plastics material liner within a cargo container using a plurality of retaining cords each associated with a respective self-jamming cleat, which method comprises the performance in any order of the following steps:
locating the liner within the cargo container;
coupling each cord to a respective predefined position on the liner;
coupling each cord to a respective attachment member provided within the container; and
engaging each cord with its associated self-jamming cleat for locking thereby;
whereafter each self-jamming cleat is moved along its respective cord so that the cord comes under tension so as thereby to secure the liner within the container.
It will be appreciated that by the method of this invention, a liner may be suspended and secured within a cargo container using a plurality of retaining cords each of which is secured in position by means of a self-jamming cleat locked on to the cord. The method may be performed in a number of different ways, each having its own advantages. These ways include the following.
1. The cords may be coupled to the liner at the appropriate positions during the manufacture thereof and self-jamming cleats engaged with the cords. Then, when the liner is opened out and secured within a container, the cords are ready for use, to be coupled to appropriate members within the container.
2. The cords and cleats may be supplied separately from the liner to the liner installer, who may connect the cores at appropriate positions on the liner having regard to the container configuration immediately before installing the liner in a container.
3. During the manufacture of the liner, it may be provided with suitable receptors such as plastics material loops, through which the cords may subsequently be passed. The cords may then be coupled to members within the container, before the liner is installed, the cords being passed through the receptors on the finer as the liner is opened out. In this case, the self-jamming cleats may be pre-positioned on the cords, or may be fitted to the cords at the time of installing the liner in the container.
The method of this invention, using cords and self-jamming cleats, allows a liner to be secured to a container in a simple and efficient manner without the need for any hand tools. Thus, an operator is most unlikely to attempt to secure the liner in position other than in the pre-determined manner, using the cords, so reducing the likelihood of the liner tearing in use. Following the transport and unloading of products from the liner, it is a relatively easy matter to release the self-jamming cleats and so free the liner from the container, for disposal or recycling.
A particular advantage of the third possibility mentioned above is that on removing a used liner from a container, the cords may be left in the container ready for re-use with a fresh liner. In addition, the used liner will consist only of the plastic material from which it was originally made and this significantly enhances the recycling value of the liner.
In a case where the cords are attached to appropriate sites of a liner, during the manufacture thereof, or receptors for the cords are similarly attached, reinforcement may be added to those sites in order to minimise the likelihood of the liner tearing during use.
In a case where the cords are attached to a liner during the manufacture thereof, one end of each cord may be secured to the liner, with a self-jamming cleat provided at or adjacent the other end of the cord. In this case, to install a liner in a container, the cords may be passed through respective holes formed in members within the container, whereafter the self-jamming cleats are moved along the cords to engage a face of the respective member remote from the liner and thus suspend the liner from that member. Each hole may be large enough to allow the cord and cleat to be passed therethrough. Alternatively, the cord alone may be passed through the hole and the cleat then re-engaged with the cord.
Another possibility is for the cord to be secured to the liner part way between its ends, with the self-jamming cleat provided on one of the end portions, ready for engagement by the other end portion. In this case, the two cord portions may be passed round a member within the container whereafter the self-jamming cleat is used to lock together the two end portions. This technique may also be used when the liner is provided during manufacture with a receptor for a cord, which is passed through the receptor at the time of installing the liner.
In the methods of this invention, at least some, but possibly all, of the cords are elastic. In this case, the application of tension to a cord during the installation of a liner as the self-jamming cleat is fastened in the required position on that cord will have the effect of exerting a pre-load on the liner. This will help to ensure the liner stays in the correct position, particularly prior to and during loading with products.
It is preferred that the cleat is retained adjacent one end of the cord for example by means of a stopper furnished on the free end of the cord. This helps to ensure the cord and cleat are ready for use, irrespective of whichever technique is employed to install the liner within a container, and also facilitates re-use of the cords, in a case where they are not permanently attached to a liner.
The arrangements described above allow a liner to be fitted particularly easily into a cargo container with the liner in the correct position, since the container may be furnished with attachment members at suitable locations, and the liner having predefined sites for the cords. In this way, one may be assured that the liner has properly been fitted with a minimum like
Mancene Gene
Merek Joseph C.
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
Tisi Antony Luigi Paul
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