Liner outlet seal and tool

• US 5,385,268 A
• Filed: 05/25/1993
• Issued: 01/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scholle Custom Packaging Incorporated (Scholle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Custom Packaging Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: LaFleur, Lee, LaFleur, Arthur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US08/067,702
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 222/105, 222/181, 222/185, 222/542, 222/325, 285/351, 277/206 A, 277/910
• US Class Current: 222/105
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1222 comprising at least a lapped joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1224 comprising at least a butt joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1312 Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53247 said spouts comprising flanges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/06 Liquids or semi-liquids or other materials or articles enclosed in flexible containers disposed within rigid containers
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/088 fixed using an elastic grommet between the extremity of the tube and the wall

Abstract

A sealing spout and tools for inserting a spout of a flexible bag liner into fluid-tight sealing and anchoring engagement with a discharge outlet of a container and for removing the spout from the outlet. The spout has at least two seal rings, each having a pair of axially spaced and radially outwardly extending lobes for firmly frictionally engaging the container discharge outlet to provide a fluid-tight seal between the spout and outlet and to anchor the liner within the container. The tool has a shaft with a handle at one end for manual engagement to manipulate the tool within the container. A hydraulic or pneumatic drive is attached to the other end of the shaft for supplying force to insert or remove the spout. Carried by the drive is a collet for releasably engaging the spout to apply force to the spout during operation. Preferably, a brace is carried by the tool when inserting the spout for supporting the tool against an inner wall of the container to drive the spout into the container discharge outlet. To remove the spout, a rod is extended from the drive for securing the collet to the spout and bearing against the container discharge outlet to pull the spout from the outlet.

Claims

1. For use in a bulk container having sidewalls, rigid end walls and a discharge outlet tube, and wherein a bag can be received in and supported by the container, a bag comprising:

(a) a collapsible container liner of a flexible material having a bottom wall and a sidewall, and a discharge outlet opening in one of said walls;

(b) a self supporting rigid spout having a generally cylindrical discharge tube extending through said liner discharge outlet opening and being open at opposite ends thereof, one of said tube ends being disposed interiorly of said one liner wall and the other of said tube ends being disposed exteriorly of said one liner wall, said spout also having an external rigid flange adjacent said one interiorly disposed tube end extending radially outwardly in encircling relation to said tube, said spout being permanently affixed and sealed at said one end to said collapsible container liner by a circumferentially continuous seal formed between a surface of said flange facing toward said other tube end and an interior surface of said liner and encompassing said discharge outlet opening of said liner thereof, said tube being constructed and arranged to be telescopically forcibly driven into and received within the discharge outlet tube of the generally rigid bulk container;

(c) at least two discrete axially spaced apart circumferentially continuous and radially outwardly extending annular elastomeric flexible seals carried on said tube and dimensioned to have a sliding, sealing friction force fit engagement against a radially inner peripheral surface in the container discharge outlet tube when said spout tube is inserted into the container outlet to provide a fluid-tight seal between a radially outer peripheral surface of said tube and the container discharge outlet and to firmly releasably secure the spout to the discharge outlet to anchor the bag liner within the container, and

(d) said tube having at least two discrete circumferentially continuous grooves axially spaced apart in said outer peripheral surface thereof, each of said grooves individually receiving one of said at least two seals therein.

2. The bag of claim 1 wherein each of said seals also comprise at least two radially outwardly projecting axially spaced annular lobes for firmly frictionally engaging against the inner surface of the discharge outlet of the rigid container.

3. The bag of claim 1 wherein said at least two seals each comprise a ring of a flexible, resilient elastomeric material having a first and a second axially spaced radially inwardly extending lobe for providing a seal between said ring and the radially outer peripheral surface of said tube of said spout and a first and second axially spaced radially outwardly extending lobe for providing a seal between said ring and the radially inner peripheral surface of the discharge spout of the container.