SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HANDLING OR BULK SOLID MATERIALS USING BIG BAGS OR CONTAINERS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a big bag having a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and a central handle connected to a middle section of the closed bottom of the body, wherein the central handle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system associated with containers or sacks called “big bags,” including the mechanisms for their handling. Bulk solids handling and unloading using special bags or large bags or big bags, for industrial applications, such as in construction, mines, wells, food, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present it is known that big bags are containers or large sacks of textile material in which they receive, transport, and store bulk goods, such as granulates, powders, and other similar types of goods.

The logistics of products from a wide variety of industries, such as food and construction, currently have technology that facilitates operations for big bag handling, transport, and storage. In this sense, the bags or big bag have been widely used for years. Big Bags are made of polypropylene raffia fabric and can have different shapes, such as being square or tubular. Their load capacity is usually from 300 to 2500 kg depending on the product contained. They have in their upper part four handles, firmly sewn to the structure of the bag and that allows them to be elevated, either by a boom, a bridge crane, a car lift, etc.

Normally, the big bag's discharge is done by its base, either by breaking it with a suitable means and then not reusing it, or, more commonly, using the outlet valve that they have in its base so that the material simply discharges due to gravity.

In the case of its industry application, fixed structures are usually built for unloading that allow the bag to be lifted so that it is discharged from the bottom, as indicated above. However, if the material is wet it adheres to each other, and it may happen that the material does not flow as expected, causing the operator to lose time to solve the problem.

The big bags filled with this type of goods can weigh more than a ton, depending on the product content. On the edge of the open top side are several transport links, generally four that are made, generally, of the same textile material as the big bag, and that are strong enough to hang and sustain a full big bag. This happens, preferably, during the filling of big bags.

The handling and transport of sacks or big bags of material or bulk product is observed, in our preferred example this is sand from a mine. (See FIG. 1—Prior art).

In FIG. 2 (Prior art), is observed the steps (S1 to S6) depict the “transport, handling and unloading” of big back sacks for bulk material or product, in our preferred example it is sand.

In FIG. 3 (Prior art), is observed the steps of the “transport, handling and unloading” of big bags filled with material or product in bulk are observed, in our preferred example with sand, in a location of an oil well subjected to the process of stimulation with hydraulic fracture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a Big bag having an additional upper central handle as a holding point for the self-unloading of the bag.

The present invention relates to a big bag having a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and a central handle connected to a middle section of the closed bottom of the body, wherein the central handle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.

In addition, the present invention relates to a big bag having a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and at least one pivot device connected to the closed bottom end on an outer side of the big bag.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a big bag having a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and the closed bottom end is removable.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process of filling, emptying, and unloading sacks, containers, or “big bags,” associated with equipment and handling mechanisms that recover the integrity of these and re-reuse them, by using the big bag and system according to the present invention.

The big bag and system according to the present invention help with the: Optimization of the unloading times of the big bags; the elimination of the necessity for helpers at height; the elimination of the necessity for a Frac Sand Conveyor; Final disposition of the big bag; Use of forklift or telehandler; Special mechanical device; Structure or hopper for pneumatic truck filling; and Integral management of the big bag.

The system is for the handling, transport, and unloading of solid products in bulk using at least one container or “big bag.” This system allows self-unloading, facilitating the unloading process by making it faster and more efficient. Three types of bags were developed, whose technical characteristics are:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows different version of the big bag according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 shows the different steps used by the prior art to load and unload the big bags;

FIG. 3 shows the different steps used by the prior art to handle the bags inside a storage center for grains;

FIG. 4 shows the different steps used by the prior art to handle the bags inside an oil well center;

FIG. 5a shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 5b shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 5c shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 5d shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 5e shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 5f shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention;

FIG. 6a shows the system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6b shows a top view of the system of FIG. 6a;

FIG. 6c shows the big bag of being use with the system of FIG. 6a;

FIG. 6d is an exploited view of the FIG. 6c;

FIG. 7a shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention showing the big bag with hooks attached to the bottom of the big bag;

FIG. 7b shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention showing the big bag with a side pocket attached to the bottom of the big bag;

FIG. 8a shows the system according to an embodiment of the present invention to be use with the big bags of FIGS. 7a and 7b;

FIG. 9 shows a version of the big bag according to the present invention showing the big bag with a lateral discharge panel;

FIG. 10a shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention showing the big bag with a bottom discharge panel;

FIG. 10b shows the system according to an embodiment of the present invention to be use with the big bag of FIG. 10a; and

FIG. 10c shows the big bag of FIG. 10a in an assembling position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now we will give a brief explanation of the different types of bags listed above:

FIGS. 5a-5f show different version of the big bag 1 according to the present invention. The big bag 1 includes a body 2 having a plurality of sidewalls 3, an open top end 4, a closed bottom 5, and a perimeter 6, wherein each one of the sidewalls 3 connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner 7; a plurality of handles 8, each handle 8 is connected to a corresponding corner 7; and a central handle 9 connected to a middle section 10 of the closed bottom 5 of the body, wherein the central handle 9 protrudes from the perimeter 6 of the body 2.

The big bag 1 may be made of a flexible material, for example, polypropylene raffia fabric. The big bag 1 may have a cubic, rectangular, or conical shape. The sidewalls 3 may be may be sewn among themselves and to the closed bottom 5. The lifting handles 8 may be sewn in the vertices of said mouth of said container pocket, and also includes at least one central device of complementary mooring, of longform characteristics arranged in the inside of said bag, defined by at least one upper handle integrally linked to a first end of a sling and at the other distal end is associated with at least one pivot point adhered to the bottom of the base of said bag.

The Big bag 1 with the additional upper central handle 9 provides a holding point for the self-unloading of the bag.

FIGS. 6a-6d show the system 20 is used in combination with the big bag 1 according to the present invention. The system 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body 22 having a central point 26 and four arms 24, each one of the arms 24 includes a first end 24a connected to the central point 26 and a second end 24b projecting away from the central point 26, the body 22 has a cross shape. A hook 28 is connected to each one of the second ends 24b of the body 22. A main hook 30 is connected to the central point 26 of the body 22.

The system 20 holds the big bag 1 using five hooks, one in each of the four corners and a central one. When the bag is unloaded, the four hooks retract or open abruptly. The fifth hook remains closed holding the bag and allowing the immediate discharge of the bag by gravity. The activation of the hooks and rotation can be hydraulic, mechanical, magnetic, etc.

FIG. 7 shows the big bag according to an embodiment of the present invention, the big bag 30 includes a body 32 having a plurality of sidewalls 34, an open top end 36, a closed bottom 38, wherein each one of the sidewalls 34 connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner 40; a plurality of handles 42, each handle 42 is connected to a corresponding corner 7; and at least one pivot 44 that allows self-unloading of the bag. The incorporation of at least one pivot point (lateral or central) in the pocket at the bottom, and at least two attachment points at the top will allow self-discharge. The characteristic that determines the new bag is the use of at least two handles in the upper part, and one or more handles (including an extended handle) (central or lateral) in the lower part that facilitate the 180 degrees turn and the abrupt unloading of the bag.

FIG. 8 shows the mechanism of handling and unloading a reusable big bag of FIG. 7. This mechanism allows self-unloading of the bag. The mechanism 46 includes: a frame 47, two arms 48 (one in the inferior part and other in the superior part), and an activation mechanism 49. The upper arm has two hooks 48a that hold the bag 30 by the handles and it rotates 180 degrees to release the handles by using an activation mechanism 49 that allows the immediate unloading of the bag by gravity. The lower arm is fixed to the attachment. 12 degrees slewing action on both sides, facilitating the clamping and hooking.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment according to the present invention. The big bag 40 includes a side discharge 42. The big bag requires a structure similar to that of a container (with or without wall) and a side discharge hopper 42 with an inflatable wedge 44. The wedge is fill with air or water. The shape of the bag copies the shape of the structure and the inflatable wedge. The discharge of the bag may be in the form of a hopper or not.

FIG. 10a shows an embodiment according to the present invention. The big bag 50 includes a central removable panel 52. The big bag 50 requires a structure similar to that of a container (without a wall) and a lower central discharge hopper. The shape of the bag copies the shape of the structure and the hopper. The “wall-less” structure of the bag refers to the fact that it can be folded, or the supporting columns of the structure can be removed. it requires a structure similar to that of a container (with or without wall) and a side discharge hopper with a folding mobile tilt floor. The shape of the bag copies the shape of the structure and the folding mobile tilt floor. The discharge of the bag may be in the form of a hopper or not.

At present, the methods of unloading for the sand use maritime ISO containers modified with a lower hopper, making it difficult to transport the empty containers by the volume that they occupy during the return to be filled again. Therefore, the big bag 50 was designed that can be used as a wall, in a foldable manner, using a container and/or a similar structure of smaller size for the transport of the sand.

In order to manipulate the big bag 50, it is necessary to design devices that adequately allow performing or complementing the functions for which the bags were created. For this we have designed equipment that achieve an immediate unloading of the bags, in which the bags can be reused or destroyed. These devices were created to be used in conjunction with the new designs of the bags, in forklifts, telehandlers, cranes, or similar lifting equipment.

FIG. 10b shows the mechanism that is use for the big bag 50. FIG. 10c shows the big bag 50 in a working position.

Claims

1. A big bag comprising: a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner;a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner;a central handle connected to a middle section of the closed bottom end of the body; and wherein the central handle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.

2. A big bag comprising: a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner;a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; andat least one pivot device connected to the closed bottom end on an outer side of the big bag.

3. A big bag comprising: a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner;a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; andwherein the closed bottom end is removable.

4. The big bag according to claim 1, wherein the big bag is reusable.

5. The big bag according to claim 2, wherein the big bag is reusable.

6. The big bag according to claim 3, wherein the big bag is reusable.