COMPOSITE CONTAINER AND METHOD OF HANDLING FLUENT MATERIALS

• US 3,590,888 A
• Filed: 12/05/1966
• Issued: 07/06/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarence B. Coleman
• Original Assignee: Clarence B. Coleman
• Inventors: Coleman, Clarence B.
• Application Number:
  US04/599,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• US Class Current: 141/5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/62 the walls being deformable

Abstract

A composite container is assembled by introducing a flexible bag, in collapsed condition, into a rigid shell through an opening therein and distending the bag for all-around support by the shell by injecting inflation gas through a multipassage conduit extending through the shell and bag openings; fluent material to be confined is thereafter admitted to the bag while simultaneously exhausting displaced gas through the same conduit means. The material can be discharged through the nozzle means by pumping or by forcing gas into the space between the shell and bag to collapse the bag; or a separate opening can be formed in the bottom of the bag. The two passages may end at the conduit means, and at least one communicates directly with an upper part of the bag to discharge displaced gas. The conduit means has a plate or bar to position the bottom of the bag within the shell.

Claims

1. The method of handling fluent, nongaseous material which comprises the steps of:

sealing a flexible bag to a multipassage conduit means, inserting said flexible bag in collapsed condition into a rigid shell through an opening therein, said multipassage conduit means extending through said opening, injecting inflation gas into said bag through said conduit means while exhausting gas from between said bag and said shell and thereby distending the bag into engagement with the interior of said shell, and thereafter introducing said material into the distended bag through one passage of the conduit means while exhausting from an upper part of the bag and through another passage of the conduit means gas which is displaced by the entering material.

2. In combination with the steps defined in claim 1, the step of subsequently effecting movement in said fluent material within the bag.

3. In combination with the steps defined in claim 1, the step of subsequently discharging said fluent material from the bag by exhausting the material from the lower part of the bag.

4. Method as defined in claim 3 wherein said bag is collapsed as said material is discharged.

5. Method as defined in claim 4 wherein said bag is collapsed by forcing a gas under pressure into the space within the shell and outside of the bag.

6. Method as defined in claim 3 wherein said material is discharged from the bottom of the bag upwardly and through the top of the bag and through one of said passageways.

7. Apparatus for handling nongaseous fluent material comprising:

a rigid shell formed with at least one opening in a wall thereof;

a bag having a flexible wall and insertable into said shell in collapsed condition through said opening and being shaped, when distended, to engage the internal surface of said shell for support thereby, said bag being formed with an edge portion defining an inlet opening;

conduit means adapted to be mounted on the shell at an opening therein and having coupling means for connection through a source of inflation gas for distending the bag and, subsequently, for filling said bag, said conduit means providing at least two separate passageways of which one is adapted for connection to a source of said fluent material and the other passageway is in direct communication with an upper part of said bag when distended;

guide means fixed to said conduit means and shaped to engage and position the bottom of said bag within the shell;

means sealing said bag edge to said conduit means; and

means for discharging gas from the space between the shell and said bag.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 which includes means for admitting gas into the space between the shell and the bag while discharging the fluent material from the bag, whereby said bag can be collapsed during said discharge.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said conduit means includes a pair of tubes having different diameters, the larger diameter tube having lateral openings at axially spaced locations and the interior thereof being in communication with one of said passageways and the smaller diameter tube forming at least a part of the other passageway.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said conduit means includes a pair of tubes, one of said tubes being formed so as to be housed within the other, said other tube having axially spaced openings in communication with the interior of the bag.

11. In combination with apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said shell is gastight and in sealed relation to said conduit means:

pressure-responsive means for flowing air between said shell and the ambient atmosphere in response to a pressure differential between said space and the atmosphere.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said conduit means is formed with a passageway shaped for insertion therethrough of a material conditioning device into the bag for contact with said material.

13. In combination with apparatus as defined in claim 7, means for injecting a gas into said material at a lower part of the bag from a source outside of the shell.

14. In combination with apparatus as defined in claim 7, a device for circulating said material, said device including means for continuously withdrawing some of said material from the bag to a point outside of the shell, and means for returning the withdrawn material into the bag.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein one of said passages includes a dip tube and said conduit means comprises a member extending transversely to said dip tube and in sealed relation to said bag edge portion, said dip tube having communication through said member, and the other passageway extends through said member and is in direct communication with an upper part of said bag, whereby the bag may be filled with or exhausted of inflation gas.