US3425472A - Flexible cargo container - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 4, 1969 F. J. MARINO 3,425,472

FLEXIBLE CARGO CONTAINER Filed NOV. 27, 1967 INVENTOR. Frank J. Marino ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 6 Claims Int. Cl.B65d 19/06, 33/28 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flexible walled container conformable to varying amounts of contents of the container, together with means for conveniently compacting and retaining unused wall portions of the container.

Background of the invention Containers of the flexible walled type for packaging cargo items of small and intermediate sizes have a wall construction defining a fixed capacity. When such containers are partially filled, the excess unused wall portions thereof present problems in disposition of the same. Further, in such cases, the unused portion of the container interferes with the normal utility of the container including handling, storage and retrieval of the contents of the container.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a flexible walled container having multiple wall sections which may be independently manipulated to reduce the effective volume of the container to the actual volume of the contents of the container; and further, to closely conform the containers walls to the boundary contours of the contents thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container of the character described, which includes a rigid base portion to thereby palletize the container to facilitate the handling thereof by means of conventional pallet handling equipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container of the character described including flexible wall portions which are highly resistant to abrasion, moisture and wear; said wall portions including successive, spaced mouth portions with independent means for constricting the mouth portions whereby to adjust the volume of the enclosure to the actual volume of the contents thereof and to automatically relate the gathered wall portions of the container to the boundary contours of the contents of the container.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved flexible walled cargo container having structural details which facilitates the manufacture thereof in an economical manner; which allows for eflicient filling, closing and emptying operations; allows for convenient transport of the containers and their contents; and permits for simple collapse of empty containers to a minimized bulk and a flat condition to allow for stacking of the empty containers.

Summary of the invention The container of the instant invention comprises essentially a base container portion of fabric, with one or more bottomless peripheral wall sections in telescoped relation to the base container portion, thereby providing multiple independent mouth portions with means for 3,425,472 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 separately constricting each month portion to effect closure of the overall container and to closely conform the walls of the container to the boundary contours of the contents of the container.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the cargo con tainer embodying the invention, in its open form;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, showing the container in its closed condition; 6

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing details of the mouth portion of the lower container section.

' Description of the preferred embodiment The transportation of. cargo has placed great emphasis on containerization for more efficient handling of the same. Such containers vary greatly in size and contours, in accordance with the type of cargo and the particular transportation means for carrying the same. More specifically, air transport has found to its advantage the containerization of cargo of all sizes and contours However, in the case of small or intermediate size items which are to be transported by air, .it is difficult to aggregate such items in a form convenient for handling, except by loading the same into rigid or flexible containers.

Thus, as shown in the drawings, 10 designates a cargo container embodying the invention. The same comprises a rigid base portion 11,; which for the purpose of illustration, is shown as rectangular in shape. 'Upstanding from the peripheral edge portions of base portion 11, is a tubular flexiblelower container section 12 and a tubular flexible uppercontainer extension section 13 extending upwardly fromlower section 12.

The base portion 11 may be formed of molded plastic, wood, metal or the likegand may take pallet form. Thus, base portion 11 comprises abottom wall portion 14 with laterally spaced leg portions 15.;extending downwardly therefrom to raisewall portion 14 above a supporting surface and to allowcontainer 10 to be lifted and transported by suitable devices such as a fork lift truck or the like.

Thecontainer sections 12, 13 may be formed of plastic coated fabric and may be in integral form. The fabric may be of nylon with a vinyl coating, thus providing material which is highly resistant to abrasion, moisture and wear in general.

Thelower container section 12 comprisesside wall portions 16,end wall portions 17; saidportions 16, 17 terminating at their lower edges in inturnedmarginal portions 18 which are fixed between bottom wall portion 14- and a sheet insert 19 of plywood or the like, by staples, rivets, or the like, not shown. Preferably, the peripheral edges ofinsert 19 project slightly beyond the peripheral edges ofbottom wall portion 14.

Aperipheral bumper strip 20 of nylon webbing is stitched to thelower edge portion 21 ofcontainer section 12 on the outer surface thereof.Handles 22 are provided at the corners ofcontainer section 12, the same being formed ofnylon webbing strips 23 with the terminal portions thereof extending diagonally ofside wall portions 16 andend wall portions 17 and stitched thereto, handle formingloop portions 24 projecting from the corners of saidcontainer section 12.

The uppercontainer extension section 13 is formed by first folding a peripheralmarginal portion 25 of thelower container section 12, downwardly about the peripheraltop edge 26 of saidcontainer section 12 and stitched in place as at 27 to form a reinforced-mouth portion 28 forlower container section 12. The plastic coatedfabric forming sections 12, 13 is then folded at the bottom ofmarginal portion 25, as at 29, to provide an upwardly extending walled portion includingside wall portions 16A andend wall portions 17A.

The upper edge portions ofend wall portions 17A are folded inwardly onedge 30 andwall portions 16A are similarly folded onedges 31, to provide a reinforcedmouth portion 32 for the uppercontainer extension portion 13.

Means is provided for independently constricting themouth portions 28, 32 of thecontainer sections 12, 13 respectively. To this end,mouth portion 28 is provided with peripherally spacedgrommet members 33 andmouth portion 32 is similarly provided with spacedgrommet members 34. Elongatedmembers 35, 36, such as cords, cables or the like, are threaded through thegrommet members 33, 34 respectively.

Aweatherproof flap 37 of plastic coated fabric may be secured along one side edge thereof within one side ofmouth 28; theedge 38 thereof being located adjacent foldededge 29, see FIG. 4.Mouth 28 may also be vented with a series of spaceddrainage openings 40adjacent fold 29, to allow the escape of any water collecting betweensections 12, 13.

It will be apparent that container may be held with itssections 12, 13 in open upright condition, as indicated in FIG. 1, frame means, not shown, being used to hold the container walls in distended relation. Thecontainer 10 may then be filled with small or intermediate size packages, as well as postal material and the like. The volume of such contents may vary up to the maximum capacity ofcontainer 10.

In any case, themouth 32 of theupper section 13 is constricted by drawing cord orcable 36 together, thus bringedges 30, 31 at themouth 32 together. Theflap 37 may then be moved in overlying relation to gatheredmouth 32. Themouth 28 is then constricted by drawing cord orcable 25 together. This will make thecontainer 10 compactly set up in relation to its contents and with the walls thereof in closely conforming relation to the boundary contours of the contents.

The loaded container 10 :lends itself to easy handling via lift trucks and the like, and may also be handled manuall byloops 24. The contents of thecontainer 10 are quic ly removed therefrom by reversing the closing procedure throughuntying cords 35, 36 to openmouths 28, 32.

Whencontainers 10 are empty and not in use, they may be collapsed to a flat folded condition for stacking and storage in a minimum amount of space. Preferably, theside walls 16 ofsection 12 have a height not exceeding one half the width of the bottom wall ofcontainer 10; thus facilitating the folding ofwalls 16 toward each other and downwardly into contact withbottom member 19; the walls ofsection 13 andflap 37 being suitably tucked into place relative tosection 12.

As various changes might be made in the herein disclosed embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described is by way of illustration and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo container comprising a base member and a tubular flexible walled member having the bottom peripheral marginal portions thereof secured to marginal portions of said base member, said tubular member comprising lower and upper sections defined by a reversely folded peripheral zone connecting and integral with said sections, said zone comprising an outwardly disposed top folded peripheral edge portion and an inwardly disposed the bottom folded peripheral edge portion to an opposed peripheral portion of said lower tubular section leaving the top folded peripheral edge portion free of the opposed peripheral portion of said upper tubular section and thereby providing a mouth for said lower tubular section, means for peripherally constricting the mouth of said lower tubular section, and means for constricting the top edge portions of said upper tubular section.

2. A container as inclaim 1 wherein said base member comprises a rigid pallet member having recessed portions therein.

3. A flexible walled container comprising a base container portion having an upstanding peripheral wall portion including a mouth, and a tubular flexible extension having a mouth and in telescoped, offset relation to said base container portion, means for securing a lower peripheral portion of said tubular extension to said upstanding wall portion at a point below the mouth of said base container portion, the mouth of said tubular extension being located above the mouth of said base container portion, means for constricting the mouth of said base container portion, and means for constricting the mouth of said tubular extension, whereby to conform the walls of said base container portion and said tubular extension to the boundary contours of the contents of said container, said base container portion including a rigid bottom wall and means for supporting said container on a surface with portions of said bottom wall in spaced relation to said supporting surface.

4. A container as in claim 3, wherein said bottom wall is of rectangular shape, and said upstanding wall portion has a height not exceeding about one half the width of said bottom wall, whereby to allow said upstanding wall portion and said tubular extension to be compactly folded flat against said bottom wall when said container is not in use.

5. A flexible walled container comprising a base container portion having an upstanding peripheral wall portion including a mouth, and a tubular flexible extension having a mouth and in telescoped, offset relation to said base container portion, means for securing a lower peripheral portion of said tubular extension to said upstanding wall portion at a point below the mouth of said base container portion, the mouth of said tubular extension being located above the mouth of said base container portion, means for constricting the mouth of said base container portion and means for constricting the mouth of said tubular extension, whereby to conform the walls of said base container portion and said tubular extension to the boundary contours of the contents of said container, the bottom peripheral edge of said tubular extension being seamed to a peripheral portion of the upstanding wall portion located intermediate the bottom and top edge portions of said base container portion to thereby provide an upper peripheral portion of said upstanding wall portion in spaced, opposed relation to a lower peripheral portion of said tubular extension; and the upper preripheral portion of said upstanding wall portion is formed along a lower peripheral portion thereof with peripherally spaced vent openings.

6. A flexible walled container comprising a base container portion having an upstanding peripheral wall portion including a mouth, and a tubular flexible extension having a mouth and is telescoped, offset relation to said base container portion, means for securing a lower peripheral portion of said tubular extension to said upstanding wall portion at a point below the mouth of said base container portion, the mouth of said tubular extension being located above the mouth of said base container portion, means for constricting the mouth of said base container portion, and means for constricting the mouth of said tubular extension, whereby to conform the walls of said base container portion and said tubular extension to the boundary contours of the contents of said con- 5 6 tainer, reinforcing means at the mouth of said base 0011- 2,186,384 1/1940 Lester 15011 tainer and said tubular extension, said constricting means 2,500,341 3/ 1950 Burnett 150-1 comprising a series of peripherally spaced grommet means 3,356,120 12/ 1967 Nohmura 150-.5 mounted in the mouth portions of said upstanding Wall FOREIGN PATENTS and said tubular extension, and elongated flexible draw- 5 ing means threaded through the grommet means at said 1,009,624 3/ 1952 France- 0 thort n m P 10 5 References Cited DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS US. or. X.R. 1,207,533 12/1916 Gamble. 10855; 150-11

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