Claims
- 1. A flexible insert for installation within a container of generally rectangular configuration having a generally planar floor wall, a pair of generally planar side walls, a generally planar front end wall, and a generally planar closeable rear door wall extending upwardly from said floor wall, said insert comprising:
- insert portions constructed and arranged to fit within said container and to be unfolded into a floor portion facing said floor wall and constructed and arranged to be supported on said floor wall, a pair of side wall portions facing said side walls and extending within said side walls, a front end portion facing said front end wall and extending within said front end wall and a rear end door portion facing said rear door wall and extending upwardly from said floor portion within said rear door wall,
- said insert being constructed and arranged to receive means to secure at least one of said insert portions to a facing container wall to prevent relative movement therebetween,
- insert suspension means comprising suspension means elements carried by said insert and cooperating suspension means elements carried by said container,
- said suspension mean elements carried by said insert including a plurality of obliquely extending reinforcing straps, each having a first end secured to said rear end door portion and a second end secured to at least one of said walls of said container that faces one of said other portions of said insert, said obliquely extending straps being constructed and arranged to be taut to support said rear end door portion against bulging outward when said insert is loaded with a cargo of granular material or a liquid stored in said insert.
- 2. A flexible insert as recited in claim 1 wherein said rear end door portion includes at least one retention loop structured and disposed to receive a free end of at least one of said reinforcing straps therethrough, subsequent to said reinforcing strap being looped through at least one of said cooperating suspension means elements carried by said container, for subsequent securing thereof so as to further support said rear end door portion against bulging outward.
- 3. A flexible insert as recited in claim 1 wherein said reinforcing straps extend into an interior of said insert for subsequent securing to said at least one of said walls of said container.
- 4. A flexible insert as recited in claim 3 wherein said portion of said insert which confronts said at least one of said walls of said container to which said reinforcing strap is secured includes at least one adjustable securing port at which said second end of said reinforcing strap is secured to said wall of said container.
- 5. A flexible insert as recited in claim 4 wherein said adjustable securing port is structured and disposed to facilitate securing of said reinforcing strap to a variably positioned suspension means elements disposed on said wall of said container to which said reinforcing strap is secured.
- 6. A flexible insert as recited in claim 5 wherein said adjustable securing port includes a generally cone shaped configuration and extends outwardly from said portion of said insert such that a point of said generally cone shaped configuration is spaced from said portion of said insert, thereby providing said point of said adjustable securing port, at which said reinforcing strap is secured to said wall, with a considerable range of motion structured to engage said suspension means element of said container at variable positions along said wall of said container.
- 7. A flexible insert as recited in claim 1 wherein said insert portions includes a roof portion.
- 8. A flexible insert for a rigid container having a floor wall, a front end wall, a pair of side walls and a rear door wall extending upward from said floor wall, said flexible insert comprising:
- a flexible end door portion that tends to bulge outward when said rear door wall is opened while said container is loaded with a cargo,
- means attached to said end door portion to resist outward bulging comprising:
- suspension members extending from an upper part of said end door portion and constructed and arranged to cooperate with cooperating suspension members carried by an upper part of said container,
- a bottom part of said end door portion constructed and arranged for connection to a bottom part of said container, and
- obliquely extending reinforcing straps attached at a first end thereof to said end door portion and having a second end constructed and arranged for attachment to a wall of said rigid container other than said rear door wall in such a manner that said interior reinforcing straps extend to be taut to support said flexible end door portion against outward bulging when said end door portion is so suspended and attached.
- 9. A flexible insert as recited in claim 8 wherein said bottom part of said container is secured substantially near a rear of said container.
- 10. A flexible insert as recited in claim 8 wherein said suspension members extending from said upper part of said end door portion, and said bottom part of said end door portion constructed and arranged for connection to said bottom part of said container, include said obliquely extending reinforcing straps.
- 11. A flexible insert as recited in claim 8 wherein said end door portion includes at least one retention loop structured and disposed to receive a free end of at least one of said reinforcing straps therethrough, subsequent to said reinforcing strap being looped through at least one cooperating suspension means element carried by said container, for subsequent securing thereof so as to further support said end door portion against bulging outward.
- 12. A flexible insert for installation within a container of generally rectangular configuration having a generally planar floor wall, a pair of generally planar side walls, a generally planar front end wall, and a generally planar closeable rear door wall extending upwardly from said floor wall, said insert comprising:
- insert portions constructed and arranged to fit within said container and to be unfolded into a floor portion facing said floor wall and constructed and arranged to be supported on said floor wall, a pair of side wall portions facing said side walls and extending within said side walls, a front end portion facing said front end wall and extending within said front end wall and a rear end door portion facing said rear door wall and extending upwardly from said floor portion within said rear door wall,
- said insert being constructed and arranged to receive means to secure at least one of said insert portions to a facing container wall to prevent relative movement therebetween,
- insert suspension means comprising suspension means elements carried by said insert and cooperating suspension means elements carried by said container,
- at least one longitudinal reinforcing strap extending from a lower edge of said insert side walls, said longitudinal reinforcing strap being structured and disposed to prevent sliding movement of said floor portion towards said rear door wall upon elevation of said front end wall of said container for emptying of a cargo from said container, and
- said at least one longitudinal reinforcing strap including at least one obliguely extending reinforcing strap.
- 13. A flexible insert as recited in claim 12 wherein said longitudinal reinforcing strap extends at least partially along said lower edge of said insert.
- 14. A flexible insert as recited in claim 12 including a plurality of said longitudinal reinforcing straps extending from said lower edge of each of said insert side walls.
- 15. A flexible insert as recited in claim 12 wherein said longitudinal reinforcing strap extends beyond said front end portion of said insert.
- 16. A flexible insert as recited in claim 12 wherein said longitudinal reinforcing strap is secured to one of the walls of the container.
- 17. A flexible insert as recited in claim 12 wherein said longitudinal reinforcing strap extends entirely along said lower edge of said insert and beyond said front end portion of said insert.
- 18. A flexible insert as recited in claim 12 wherein said longitudinal reinforcing strap extends from said front end portion of said insert.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/083,445 MODIFIED FLEXIBLE INSERT FOR A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONTAINER filed Jun. 28, 1993 and due to issue Jun. 6, 1995, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/911,722 MODIFIED FLEXIBLE INSERT FOR A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONTAINER filed Jul. 10, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,621, which was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/729,735 of Carlos J. D. Matias, filed Jul. 15, 1991 for FLEXIBLE INSERT AND METHOD OF INSTALLATION WITHIN A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONTAINER, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,170 dated Aug. 11, 1992.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
83445 |
Jun 1993 |
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Parent |
911722 |
Jul 1992 |
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Parent |
729735 |
Jul 1991 |
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