US 7,921,624 B2Granted

Unitary transporter base and shaper and slip frame former for forming a transportable container

AssigneeKellogg Company

InventorsDave Ours, Sharon Juntunen

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of producing a transportable container for bulk goods. A bag is placed through a former opening of a slip frame former which surrounds a portion of the bag. The bag receives the bulk goods from a feed source. A stretch wrap is disposed radially about a bottom support and a portion of the slip frame former to initially form the transportable container. At least one of the slip frame former and the bottom support moves relative to other in response to the fill level of the bulk goods in the bag. During filling, the slip frame former is maintained at a position surrounding the fill level of the bulk goods in the bag. As the fill level increases in the bag, previously disposed portions of stretch wrap are disengaged from the slip frame former to squeeze the filled portions of the bag and lock together the bulk goods as additional portions of stretch wrap are disposed around the slip frame former.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of producing a transportable container for bulk goods comprising the steps of:

placing a bag with an open top and a closed base through a former opening defined by a slip frame former having at least one wall, the slip frame former surrounding a portion of the bag with the closed base being disposed adjacent a bottom support and the open top being vertically spaced from the closed base and disposed adjacent a feed source;
filling the bag with bulk goods from the feed source through the open top;
disposing a stretch wrap from a stretch wrapping device radially about the bottom support and a portion of the at least one former wall of the slip frame former to initially form the transportable container;
monitoring a fill level of the bulk goods in the bag with a fill sensor while filling the bag;
vertically moving at least one of the slip frame former and the bottom support relative to other of the slip frame former and the bottom support in response to the fill level of the bulk goods in the bag to expose the filled portion of the bag therebetween as the bag is filled with bulk goods, the slip frame former being maintained in a position to surround the fill level of the bulk goods in the bag;
disengaging previously disposed portions of stretch wrap from the slip frame former to squeeze the filled portions of the bag and lock together the bulk goods disposed in the bag as the at least one of the slip frame former and the bottom support moves relative to the other of the slip frame former and the bottom support;
and
disposing additional portions of stretch wrap around a portion of the at least one wall of the slip frame former to maintain the transportable container for receiving bulk goods as previously disposed portions of stretch wrap disengage the at least one wall of the slip frame former.

5 more elements

A method of forming a transportable container for bulk goods with a transporter base having a periphery and a wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the transporter base to wall end with a radially extending lip, the inner surfaces of the upwardly extending wall defining a shaping area and further having at least one pair of recesses extending upwardly from the bottom of the transporter base to permit the entry of the tines of a lifting and transporting device, comprising the steps of:

placing the transporter base below a feed source;
placing a bag with an open top and a closed base between the transporter base and the feed source, the closed bottom being disposed within the shaping area of the transporter base and the open top being disposed adjacent the feed source;
filling the bag through the open top from the feed source with bulk goods that conform to the shape of the shaping area;
monitoring a fill level of the bulk goods in the bag while filling the bag;
disposing a portion of stretch wrap around the wall and the radially extending lip of the transporter base and a portion of the bag at a level below the fill level of bulk goods in the bag to initially form the transportable container;
vertically moving the transporter base relative to the feed source in response to the fill level of the bulk goods in the bag as the bag is filled with bulk goods;
and
disposing additional portions of stretch wrap around the bag while filling the bag, the stretch wrap being maintained at a level below the fill level of the bulk goods to maintain the shape of the transporter base and to squeeze the bag and lock together the bulk goods disposed in the bag as fill level of the bulk goods in the bag increases.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/478,800Filed 5 Jun 2009 · us provisional application
Priority: 5 Jun 2008
Published: US 2009/0301036 A110 Dec 2009
Granted: 12 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B65B 1/02
Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or…:…
B65B 43/58
Movable stepwise to position container or receptacle for the reception of successive increments of contents: vertically movable
B65B 43/62
Rotatable: about an axis located at the filling position, e.g. the axis of the container or receptacle
B65B 53/02
Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging: by heat