초록 ▼

A palletized shipping container for bulk handling of fluid materials has a rigid box-like outer shell within which is positioned a flexible bag and an intermediate corrugated liner sandwiched between the walls of the bag and shell. The bag has flap-like extensions at an upper end attached to the wal

A palletized shipping container for bulk handling of fluid materials has a rigid box-like outer shell within which is positioned a flexible bag and an intermediate corrugated liner sandwiched between the walls of the bag and shell. The bag has flap-like extensions at an upper end attached to the walls of the shell to maintain the bag in an erect uncollapsed configuration, a non-removable bung at its top end, and a non-removable discharge valve adjacent its bottom end. The bung is releasably retained at the top of the liner to maintain the bung in a proper position and prevent sagging of the bag. An inwardly and downwardly angled cushioned surface at the bottom of the shell supports the liner and bag, provides additional cushioning, facilitates emptying of the bag, and reduction of residual material. The pallet allows 4-sided entry of fork lift forks.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A container and supporting pallet-like structure for the container for bulk handling of fluid which minimizes shock and abrasion on a fluid transporting bag within the container wherein the container elements are shaped to maximize the quantity of fluid containable ther

The invention claimed is: 1. A container and supporting pallet-like structure for the container for bulk handling of fluid which minimizes shock and abrasion on a fluid transporting bag within the container wherein the container elements are shaped to maximize the quantity of fluid containable therein and the container elements are structured to withstand the pressure exerted by such fluid and permit easy ingress and egress of the fluid from the container, comprising: a rigid outer shell adapted to withstand shock during transportation, comprising a rectangular top wall having a hole therethrough, and four rectangular side walls, one of said side walls having an opening at a bottom end thereof, the inside of said walls being flat, said shell top wall and shell side walls being made of a material capable of attachment by nails or staples, said shell side walls being in abutting contact but unattached to each other; a pallet-like structure particularly adapted for permitting movement and storage of said shell without contact with said shell top wall, said pallet-like structure comprising a rectangular deck which is permanently attached to said shell side walls and serves as a bottom wall for said shell, said deck having a flat upper surface, said pallet-like structure being made of a material capable of attachment by nails or staples; a flexible multiple ply bag disposed inside said shell, said bag having side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall defining an interior with a capacity of from about 150 gallons to about 400 gallons, and integral outwardly extensible flaps adjacent an upper end thereof, each being attached to an inside top portion of at least two of said shell side walls for securing said bag in an erect uncollapsed configuration within said container; a generally cylindrical bung having a flat circular bottom flange heat sealed around an opening in said bag top wall, a second circular flange of smaller diameter spaced a short distance above said bottom flange, at least two laterally opposed flat surfaces extending between said bottom flange and said second flange, a cylindrical neck portion extending upwardly from said second flange, a passageway in communication with said bag interior for permitting fluid passage into or out of said bag interior through said bag top wall, interior threads in said passageway and an annular O-ring shoulder at its top end in which an O-ring is installed, and a removable closure member threadedly engaged in said passageway; a discharge valve heat sealed to said bag adjacent said bottom wall thereof having a passageway in communication with said bag interior and a valve closure element in said passageway movable between a closed position shutting off fluid flow through said passageway and an open position allowing fluid to flow through said passageway; a corrugated liner disposed between said outer shell and said bag, for protecting said bag against abrasion during transportation of said container, said liner comprising a rectangular top wall having a hole therethrough in alignment with said hole in said shell top wall, and four rectangular side walls, one of said side walls having an opening at a bottom end thereof in alignment with said opening in said shell side wall; reinforcing cleats attached to said shell side walls traversing the horizontal perimeter outer side of said shell; horizontal straps adapted to be positioned about said cleats for holding said shell sidewalls in contact with each other, and vertical straps adapted to be positioned about the vertical perimeter outer side of said shell for holding said shell top wall in contact with said shell sidewalls; said bung and its said closure member protruding through said hole in said corrugated liner top wall and into said hole in said shell top wall and being sufficiently flush with said shell top wall to enable stacking of another container upon said shell top wall, and said discharge valve body protruding through said corrugated liner opening and said shell side wall opening but not protruding further outside said shell side wall than does said cleats; and bung retainer means removably disposed between said corrugated liner top wall and said bung for releasably retaining said bung and its said closure member in said hole in said shell top wall and substantially reducing sagging of said bag top wall. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein said bung retainer means comprises a thin flat retainer member removably positioned between said corrugated liner top wall and said bung second flange, said retainer member having at least two laterally opposed sides with inner facing flat surfaces extending over said hole in said corrugated liner top wall and disposed closely adjacent to said laterally opposed flat surfaces of said bung, and said bung second flange overlapping said retainer member laterally opposed sides such that bung is supported thereon. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein said removable closure member at said bung outer end comprises a plug having external threads engageable with said bung interior threads and a circular flange extending radially outward therefrom to compress said O-ring and form a fluid tight seal in said bung passageway to prevent communication with said bag interior when engaged with said bung. 4. The container according to claim 1, wherein said multiple ply bag outwardly extensible flaps comprise a first pair of outwardly extensible flaps disposed in laterally spaced relation and extending outwardly relative to a first side wall of said bag, and a second pair of outwardly extensible flaps disposed in laterally spaced relation and extending outwardly relative to an opposed side wall of said bag, each of said pair of flaps extending over a top edge of opposed liner side walls and sandwiched between said opposed liner side walls and opposed side walls of said shell. 5. The container according to claim 1, wherein each cleat on a first opposing pair of said shell side walls has about the same length as each side wall of said first opposing pair and each cleat of a remaining opposing pair of said shell side walls have a greater length than each side wall of said remaining opposing pair and having a slot formed in opposed outer ends; said first opposing pair of side walls and its cleats being between said cleats of said remaining opposing pair of side walls; said remaining opposing pair of side walls being between said first opposing pair of side walls, thereby preventing collapse of said shell sidewalls due to the force of said horizontal straps; and said slots of said cleats of said remaining pair of opposing side walls providing slotted corners for aligning said horizontal straps. 6. The container according to claim 1, wherein said pallet-like structure is configured to provide openings on four sides capable of receiving the forks of a fork lift. 7. The container according to claim 6, wherein said pallet-like structure comprises a plurality of elongate rectangular wooden skids having a top edge secured to the underside of said deck in parallel equally spaced relation, and a plurality of horizontally disposed wooden bottom boards secured to a bottom edge of said skids and extending transversely relative thereto. 8. The container according to claim 1, wherein said shell top wall and shell side walls are made of a material selected from the group consisting of plywood, medium density fiberboard, wood, particle board, flake board and oriented strand board. 9. The container according to claim 1, wherein said corrugated liner is made of corrugated fiberboard. 10. The container according to claim 1, wherein said bag is heat sealed to have a generally rectangular cube shape. 11. The container according to claim 1, wherein said bag has a volume from about 250 gallons to about 350 gallons. 12. A container and supporting pallet-like structure for the container for bulk handling of fluid which minimizes shock and abrasion on a fluid transporting bag within the container wherein the container elements are shaped to maximize the quantity of fluid containable therein and the container elements are structured to withstand the pressure exerted by such fluid and permit easy ingress and egress of the fluid from the container, comprising: a rigid outer shell adapted to withstand shock during transportation, comprising a rectangular top wall having a hole therethrough, and four rectangular side walls, one of said side walls having an opening at a bottom end thereof, the inside of said walls being flat, said shell top wall and shell side walls being made of a material capable of attachment by nails or staples, said shell side walls being in abutting contact but unattached to each other; a pallet-like structure particularly adapted for permitting movement and storage of said shell without contact with said shell top wall, said pallet-like structure comprising a rectangular deck which is permanently attached to said shell side walls and serves as a bottom wall for said shell, said deck having a flat upper surface, said pallet-like structure being made of a material capable of attachment by nails or staples; a flexible multiple ply bag disposed inside said shell, said bag having side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall defining an interior with a capacity of from about 150 gallons to about 400 gallons, and integral outwardly extensible flaps adjacent an upper end thereof, each being attached to an inside top portion of at least two of said shell side walls for securing said bag in an erect uncollapsed configuration within said container; a generally cylindrical bung heat sealed to said bag top wall having a passageway in communication with said bag interior for permitting fluid passage into or out of said bag interior through said bag top wall, and a removable closure member at an outer end of said bung; a discharge valve heat sealed to said bag adjacent said bottom wall thereof having a passageway in communication with said bag interior and a valve closure element in said passageway movable between a closed position shutting off fluid flow through said passageway and an open position allowing fluid to flow through said passageway; a corrugated liner disposed between said outer shell and said bag, for protecting said bag against abrasion during transportation of said container, said liner comprising a bottom wall, a rectangular top wall having a hole therethrough in alignment with said hole in said shell top wall, and four rectangular side walls, one of said side walls having an opening at a bottom end thereof in alignment with said opening in said shell side wall; a cushioning drain surface disposed in said outer shell between said corrugated liner bottom wall and said rectangular deck that serves as said bottom wall for said shell, said drain surface formed of cushioning material having a top surface extending angularly inward and downward from laterally opposed side walls of said shell to form a valley extending in the same direction as an axis through said discharge valve to channel contents of said bag to the center of said bag bottom wall and thereby facilitate optimal emptying of the bag, significantly reduce the amount of residual material remaining in said bag, and provide an additional cushioning support surface for said bag; reinforcing cleats attached to said shell side walls traversing the horizontal perimeter outer side of said shell; horizontal straps adapted to be positioned about said cleats for holding said shell sidewalls in contact with each other, and vertical straps adapted to be positioned about the vertical perimeter outer side of said shell for holding said shell top wall in contact with said shell sidewalls; said bung and its said closure member protruding through said hole in said corrugated liner top wall and into said hole in said shell top wall and being sufficiently flush with said shell top wall to enable stacking of another container upon said shell top wall, and said discharge valve body protruding through said corrugated liner opening and said shell side wall opening but not protruding further outside said shell side wall than does said cleats. 13. The container according to claim 12, wherein said cushioning drain surface is made of expanded polystyrene foam material. 14. The container according to claim 12, wherein said cushioning drain surface comprises a pair of wedge members, each having a flat bottom surface, a short longitudinal side at one end, a taller longitudinal side at an opposed end and, and an angular top surface that extends between the shorter and taller sides, said wedge members disposed in laterally opposed relation with their said shorter longitudinal sides facing each other and their said angular top surfaces extending downwardly from opposed side walls of said outer shell.