Claims
- 1. A collapsible bag which, when collapsed, comprises a flat tubular blank of a flexible material and having a pair of flat overlying panels adapted to form a pair of opposite side walls of the bag and a pair of folded gusset panels extending inwardly between the flat panels from the opposite side edges of the panels and adapted to form two other opposite side walls of the bag, said blank having adjacent one end thereof each flat panel and the adjacent gusset panel connected together along lines extending diagonally inwardly from the opposite side edges of the panels toward said one end of the tubular blank, said diagonal lines of connection terminating at their laterally inner ends in spaced apart relation laterally outwardly of the inner folded edges of the gusset panels at points spaced from said one end of the blank, each flat panel and the adjacent gusset panel also being connected together along a line extending lengthwise of the blank from said points of termination of the diagonal lines to said one end of the blank, each flat panel and the adjacent gusset panel being severed along lines spaced laterally outwardly of and generally co-extensive in length with said lengthwise extending lines of connection to form, when the blank is opened, a spout of rectangular cross section at said end of the bag, each corner of the spout being defined by one of said lengthwise extending connection lines, the portions of the flat and gusset panels lying between said diagonal connection lines forming, when the blank is open, a generally flat rectangular end wall on the bag with said spout at the center thereof, said diagonal lines of connection extending from the corners of the spout to the corners of said end wall and when said tubular blank is open, said panels provide a bag of generally rectangular cross section with said end wall generally transverse to said panels and having a spout therein and when said tubular blank is collapsed it folds into a generally flat and compact bag.
- 2. A bag as called for in claim 1 wherein said blank is formed of a plastic material and said connection lines are heat sealed.
- 3. A bag as called for in claim 1 wherein said blank is formed of a fabric and said connection lines are stitch lines.
- 4. A bag as called for in claim 1 wherein the portions of said flat and gusset panels adjacent said end of the tubular blank which lie laterally outwardly of said lines of severing are connected together along lines generally perpendicular to the opposite side edges of the flat panels.
- 5. A bag as called for in claim 4 wherein at each side of said spout the end portion of one of the flat and gusset panels is folded flatwise over the end portion of the other flat and gusset panel so that said end portions are in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions being connected together substantially throughout the extent of overlap.
- 6. A bag as called for in claim 4 wherein said spout is located at the upper end of the bag, the portions of said flat and gusset panels lying laterally outwardly of and beyond said diagonal connection lines forming double thickness panels which overlie the portions of the gusset panels forming the top wall of the bag.
- 7. A bag as called for in claim 6 wherein said spout is adapted to be collapsed by folding it into the plane of said end wall when the bag is filled with material and including means for closing the spout.
- 8. A bag as called for in claim 6 including a separate tubular member formed of at least a semi-rigid material having an elastic memory extending between said top wall and said double-thickness panels over the collapsed spout, said tubular member having an open end disposed adjacent an outer free edge of said double-thickness panels and being of a size to receive the tine of a forklift truck.
- 9. A bag as called for in claim 8 wherein said open end of the tubular member extends outwardly beyond said outer edge of the double-thickness panel.
- 10. A bag as called for in claim 8 including reinforcing panels on said flat panels extending lengthwise thereof from said one end past said diagonal connection lines, said reinforcing panels being located closely adjacent said lines of severing.
- 11. A bag as called for in claim 8 wherein the open end of said tubular member is of flattened configuration and has upper and lower portions, said upper portions extending outwardly beyond said lower portion.
- 12. A bag as called for in claim 1 wherein the panels at the opposite end of the blank are connected and severed to substantially the same configuration as said one end so that the upper and lower ends of the bag are of the same construction.
- 13. A bag as called for in claim 1 wherein the opposite end of the bag forms the bottom of the bag and is rectangularly shaped, said bottom having two wear resistant panels secured to the underside thereof, each underlying one half of the bag bottom, said last mentioned panels having juxtaposed inner edges extending along the mid line of the bag bottom between the lower edges of the first mentioned end walls of the bag, said wear resistant panels being adapted to be folded over one another at said juxtaposed edges when the bag is collapsed to its flattened condition.
- 14. A bag as called for in claim 3 including a liner for said bag comprising a flat tubular blank having overlying flat panels and inwardly folded gusset panels of the same configuration, but slightly smaller than the corresponding panels of the bag, one end of the liner having the flat and gusset panels connected together along lines corresponding to the diagonal and lengthwise stitch lines on the bag and being severed along lines corresponding to the lines of severing on the bag whereby the flattened liner can be drawn through the flattened bag with the gussets and spouts of the bag and liner in interleaved and interfitting relation.
- 15. A bag as called for in claim 14 wherein the bag is formed with an opening at the opposite end thereof and the liner is formed with a spout at its opposite end adapted to extend through said opening in the bag.
- 16. A bag as called for in claim 15 wherein the last-mentioned spout comprises a discharge spout at the lower end of the bag and is provided with a valve means for controlling discharge of the material.
- 17. A bag as called for in claim 6 wherein said double-thickness panels are each formed with a pair of slits therethrough adjacent each of the four corners of the bag, said slits being oriented to accommodate a pair of spreader bars for vertically supporting the bag and maintaining the said end thereof in an expanded condition to permit filling of the bag through said spout.
- 18. A bag as called for in claim 1 including a panel secured to the inside of the bag in a position to overlie the spout when the bag is filled, said last-mentioned panel being adapted to be displaced from said overlying position to permit discharge of the product through said spout when the bag is oriented so that the spout is at the bottom.
- 19. A bag as called for in claim 4 including a reinforcing strap at said end of the bag extending lengthwise thereof adjacent and laterally outwardly of each of said lines of severing, said reinforcing straps extending from said end of the flat panels to at least slightly beyond said diagonally extending connection lines, said reinforcing straps being connected with said flat panels throughout the length of the straps.
- 20. A bag as called for in claim 1 including a spout extension of rectangular cross section extending outwardly of the bag through said spout, said spout extension comprising a pair of opposite side walls and a pair of folded gusset panels extending inwardly between said side walls from the opposite side edges thereof.
- 21. A bag as called for in claim 20 wherein the inner end of the spout extension is disposed within the spout and is connected thereto inwardly of the free end of the spout so that the extension can be folded into the spout and the spout thereafter folded inwardly over the folded extension to effectively close the end of the bag.
- 22. A bag as called for in claim 21 wherein said spout has a plurality of openings therein disposed outwardly of the connection between the spout and the extension and through which a cord may be laced to close the end of the spout over the folded spout extension.
- 23. A bag as called for in claim 8 wherein said double thickness panels comprise fabric panels.
- 24. A bag as called for in claim 8 wherein said open end of the tubular member extends to an outer free edge of said double thickness panels.
- 25. A bag as called for in claim 8 wherein said tubular member overlies said filling spout.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of applicant's prior application Ser. No. 06/430,809, filed Sept. 30, 1982 and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2161530 |
Jul 1973 |
FRX |
1536237 |
Dec 1978 |
GBX |
1581437 |
Dec 1980 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
430809 |
Sep 1982 |
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