Stress Relief Patents (Class 383/903)
  • Patent number: 5894780
    Abstract: A composting container for holding and composting farming and stock raising waste material including a barrel, and top and bottom lids openable. The circumference of a lower half portion of the said barrel of the container is tightened by bands. This arrangement helps the container efficiently ferment and decompose a manure inside without tedious works such as providing proper moisture and ventilation, which are regularly required in conventional manure storage outdoors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Tanaka Sangyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsunori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 5873655
    Abstract: A bulk container bag of flexible fabric is provided with shape retaining flexible fabric strips at the corners to prevent distortion of the filled bag. Each corner is provided with a plurality of shape retaining rectangular strips anchored at their opposed ends to the adjacent side walls and extending across the corner. The strips are mounted one atop the other and spaced apart sufficiently to enable fill material to flow freely in and out of the corners to have complete filling and packing so that the bags will retain their shape even when stacked. The shape of the strips ensure uniform tensile forces on the walls from top to bottom of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Marino Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Carlos M. Echeverria
  • Patent number: 5791783
    Abstract: An adhesive closure including an adhesive strip affixed transversely across a first inner surface of a front wall of a bag at a preselected distance from the opening of the bag; and a flexible flap member strip affixed transversely across a second inner surface of a rear wall of the bag aligned on the wall opposite from the adhesive strip. The flexible flap member is attached to the inner surface of the wall along one edge of the flexible flap member. The flexible flap member is pressable against and into the adhesive strip, whereby a seal is formed by contacting the adhesive strip with the flexible flap member. The flexible flap member is adapted to provide a shear opening force from the inside of the bag when the flap member is contacting the adhesive strip, and adapted to provide a peel opening force from the outside of the bag when the flap member is contacting the adhesive strip. The peel opening force is smaller than the shear opening force, thereby providing an enhanced burst strength to the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Dowbrands L.P.
    Inventors: Jose Porchia, Brian C. Dais
  • Patent number: 5741077
    Abstract: A carry out bag having a base portion of which opposing two sides are facing each other, first side portions extending from the opposing two sides of the base portion until a middle area of the base portion respectively, and second side portions extending from the first side portions extended until the middle area and toward an opposite direction to that of the first side portions. The other both sides of the first side portions are bonded to the base portion. Putting an article across the both second side portions not to block up the hand grips therewith, and taking out the hand grips to pull out from the article and to separate the second side portions one from the other, so that the article is received in the carry out bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeya Sasaki, Shinji Kobayashi, Shuichi Gotoh
  • Patent number: 5685644
    Abstract: A fabric bag for handling dry bulk cargo is disclosed, of the type in which four sides, a top and bottom are assembled to approximate the shape of a right quadrilateral prism. A continuous fabric liner is provided inside the bag and four corner baffles are sewn into the liner so as to offset a portion of the lateral outward loading due to the dry bulk cargo and thereby reduce bulging of the bag sides. Since the baffles are stitched only to the liner, and not to the outer sides of the bags, this leaves the central portions of the bag sides free of stitching and available for improved display of graphic or textual material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Jumbo Bag Corporation
    Inventor: Jeanne S. Taylor
  • Patent number: 5474383
    Abstract: A flexible, sealable container apparatus having a substantially pinch-bottomed configuration prior to expansion of the bag during cooking. The container apparatus includes substantially quadrilateral regions of adhesive. The shape and positioning of the quadrilateral regions, with diagonals substantially collinear to panel edges of the container apparatus, serves to articulate the container apparatus into a substantially rectangular-bottomed configuration during cooking, while improving the integrity of the bottom region seals against blowout and/or leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: AB Specialty Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Zuege, Dennis E. Stepp
  • Patent number: 5323909
    Abstract: A system for supporting and dispensing thermoplastic, rack-mounted handle bags is disclosed, including an adapter hook, a support rack having a centrally disposed retainer, and laterally spaced, outward protruding suspension arms. The adapter hook includes a base member with a hook extending perpendicular therefrom, and is designed to slip over the retainer. Also disclosed are handle bags, which are suspended by the suspension arms and adapter hook, each bag including a protruding area in a front bag wall and a rear bag wall. A horizontal aperture in each bag wall at the protruding area provides an opening through which the adapter hook passes. To facilitate detachment of the protruding area from the adapter hook, a series of vertical perforations is incorporated into the protruding area extending from the horizontal aperture up to the edge of the protruding area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Orange Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Carmelo Piraneo, Salim S. Bana, Jonathan Karp
  • Patent number: 5219220
    Abstract: A gusseted thermoplastic bag has two four-film diagonal seals each extending from the gusset points to the edge of the bag. The diagonal seals extend at an angle of less than 45.degree. with respect to the bottom seal. Diagonal seals with an angle between 25.degree.-35.degree. are shown to be superior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Rod A. Kucera, Norman R. Youngjohn
  • Patent number: 5205650
    Abstract: Orientable thermoplastic polymeric film material is provided with at least one stretched zone in which the material has been stretched in a first direction and, adjacent to the opposite sides of the zone, unstretched zones in which the material is substantially unstretched. The material is of particular value for preventing rupture of bags containing the material, especially when the zones are adjacent a seam in a filled sack and/or in the gusset of a gusset bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Inventor: Ole-Bendt Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 5149201
    Abstract: A bag structure of a thermoplastic film material comprising front and rear bag walls connected by side walls and having an open mouth top portion, said open mouth portion being characterized by having handles located at opposite end regions thereof, said handles being of two films as a result of being integral extensions of said front rear and gusseted side walls, said bag having a bottom wall planarly extensible so as to form a rectangle with at least no substantial excess film outside of the bulk volumetric capacity of said bottom region of said bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Inventor: Gordon L. Benoit
  • Patent number: 5108194
    Abstract: A closure system for a plactic security bag comprises an access opening with an adhesive laden cellophane carrier film regulating access thereto. The film is affixed to the bag below the lower edge of the access opening and has a band of "hot melt" therealong. Upon removal of the releasable liner the carrier film is positioned such that the "hot melt" spans the access opening and closes the same. Lacquer coating at the ends of the opening preclude undesirable sticking of the releasable liner to the security bag. The ends of the access opening are "heat sealed" and cooperate with the adhesive to preclude leakage of liquid through the closed opening. Entry of the bag is accomplished by tearing the carrier film and/or bag proper which is evident to an observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Inventor: David T. Raden
  • Patent number: 5086970
    Abstract: An envelope includes a face and a base having a side edge integrally formed together and having a bottom edge welded together. A slot is formed in an upper edge portion of the face. A flap is integrally formed on an upper edge portion of the base and an ear is formed in the flap. The ear is insertable through the slot of the face when the flap is folded and superposed upon the face so that the upper edge portions of the face and of the base can be clamped together and so that papers disposed within the envelope can be safely and stably retained in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Inventor: Ken J. Su
  • Patent number: 4989993
    Abstract: A bottom filled, top gusset plastic bag (10, 106) includes a pair of flexible ear handles (24, 26 or 130, 132). The handles include circular hand-receiving openings (76 or 134) and have circular outlines and circular transition regions (78, 80 or 136, 138) are provided between the ear handles (24, 26 or 130, 132) and attached base portions of the handles. The circular hand-receiving openings (76 or 134) and the curved transition regions (78, 80 or 136, 138) function to distribute weight forces substantially across the full width of each side of a filled bag (10, 106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Inventor: Delbert J. Barnard
  • Patent number: 4989732
    Abstract: A pack of thermoplastic film bags, which are in at least approximate registration, each bag having a bottom, front and rear bag walls connected by way of gussetted side walls, a bag mouth, double film loop handles at opposite ends of the bag mouth, the handles being integral extensions of the walls; the pack having pack suspension and dispensing means in association with the handles about intermediate between the top and the base of the handles; and the area of the film of each of the handles of the pack adjacent to suspension means being releasably-pressure bonded together, in the absence of an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Graham Smith
  • Patent number: 4981374
    Abstract: A machine for automatically filling plastic bags with liquid or particulate material moves a continuous web of such bags through a number of serially positioned work stations. The bags are completely sealed when they enter the machine. As each bag passes through a slitting work station, a specially shaped opening is cut into the bag near an end of it which will become its top. When the bag proceeds to a filling work station, it is held vertically and a specially shaped fill nozzle is moved downward and rotated for entry into the bag through the slit opening. A valve is provided within the fill nozzle for controlling entry of the material into the bag. The valve and fill nozzle are cooperatively controlled by a single mechanism. The bags are transported through the various work stations by a positive toothed belt drive that preferably holds the bags flat until the filling station, wherein the belts are then moveable toward and away from each other in order to allow filling of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Rapak, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher C. Rutter, Robert A. Bilbrey, Bruce R. Koball
  • Patent number: 4978055
    Abstract: A reinforcing weld structure for thermo-adhesive sheets joined by high frequency welding methods. The invention is particularly concerned with a photo finisher wallet fabricated of flexible thermoplastic sheet material and including the reinforcing weld of the present invention at each corner of each of the wallet's pockets. The photo finisher wallet includes a first flexible thermoplastic sheet foldable to form front and rear covers, one of which is substantially rectangular and has a welded seam along three of its edges. A second substantially rectangular thermoplastic sheet is sealed along its three edges to the rectangular cover by the seam, the second sheet having an unsealed edge to form a pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Rembrandt Photo Services
    Inventor: William R. Miller
  • Patent number: 4943167
    Abstract: Disclosed is a bag including a front wall and a rear wall and having an open mouth portion in which the front wall and rear wall are joined by pleated portions or gussets. The bag is manufactured so that a longitudinal, thermally welded seam is placed inside a portion of at least one of the gussets at a point other than the central fold. The bag preferably includes handles which are integral extensions of the front and rear walls and the gussets. The bag manufactured according to the principles of the present invention thus eliminates or minimizes failure of thermally welded seams.Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing the bags and an apparatus for manufacturing the bags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Hilex Poly Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Gelbard
  • Patent number: 4923436
    Abstract: Disclosed is a bag including a front wall and a rear wall and having an open mouth portion in which the front wall and rear wall are joined by pleated portions or gussets. The bag is manufactured so that a longitudinal, thermally welded seam is placed inside a portion of at least one of the gussets at a point other than the central fold. The bag preferably includes handles which are integral extensions of the front and rear walls and the gussets. The bag manufactured according to the principles of the present invention thus eliminates or minimizes failure of thermally welded seams.Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing the bags and an apparatus for manufacturing the bags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Sonoco Products Company
    Inventor: Edward Gelbard
  • Patent number: 4912616
    Abstract: A bag structure and the method of forming wherein the bag is formed of a thin film material with wall panels and an openable bag top having pressure closable rib and groove profile fasteners at the top and upwardly extending pull flanges with a fold formed at the top of one of the wall panels and extending downwardly to attach to one of the fasteners and the flange of that fastener attached directly to the fastener so that the pull flange can apply an opening force directly to the fastener and so that the side wall and the fold can expand and move outwardly without applying a direct force to the fastener which would tend to open the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald L. Van Erden
  • Patent number: 4904093
    Abstract: A disposable or reusable and reclosable gussetted plastic bag capable of being compactly stored as a food container in freezers, yet capable of standing with an upright spout in a microwave oven for non-spill thawing and cooking of food contained in the bag. The bag is formed of two wing-shaped pouches on either side of the upright spout. The bag preferably has inner and outer skin layers of different heat sealing temperatures so that peripheral sealing is effected only with the inner skin layers, allowing the wing-shaped pouches to be formed out of a gussetted bottom without sealing of the outer skin layers of the gusset walls facing one another. Two pairs of relief seals are located adjacent each gusset joint at both edges of the bag. Each seal is positioned 45.degree. off the gusset joint and preferably has a rounded peak shape. The heat seals are formed by applying heat adjacent each gusset joint with a hot bar or other heat sealing device following formation of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Comapny
    Inventors: Timothy R. Woods, Fred Stevenson, R. Douglas Behr
  • Patent number: 4819806
    Abstract: A thermoplastic bag structure having, in its lay-flat condition, a front and rear bag wall, two-film heat seal bottom; the outer side margins of the full length of said bag being folded toward but spaced from each other. The top most edge of each fold is heat sealed through the four films thereof along lines corresponding to the width of the folds. An open mouth top portion being characterized by having double film handle loops at opposite ends of said mouth, said double film loops being extensions of the folded regions of said bags and the corresponding regions of said front and rear walls. The bag structures can be unitized by providing a detachable tab at the bag mouth opening and unitizing the bag structures through this tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy W. Pistner
  • Patent number: 4812055
    Abstract: A thermal plastic film bag structure having front and rear walls, gusseted side walls and a sealed bottom. This bag which has a tendency to form holes in the bottom at the seal transition point between the four layers of the gusset and the two layers of the central region of the bag is improved by providing seal areas, e.g. circular seals which are located slightly above the bottom seal line and slightly inside of the vertical line formed by the innermost reach of the gussets on both sides of the bag. The seal areas relieve strain at the weak regions in the bottom of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Randolph D. Prader, Gordon L. Benoit
  • Patent number: 4790437
    Abstract: A method for forming a thermoplastic film handled bag comprising: forming a continuous collapsed thermoplastic tube having heat seal lines across the width of said tube at bag length intervals, longitudinally folding opposite sides of the heat sealed tube equally towards each other until they meet at a common center line, folding the structure once again in the same direction along said center line and removing eight film layers in one of the corner regions defined by a heat seal line and the spine of the common center line fold, the film removal yielding a bag mouth opening and single loop handles at near the opposite ends of said bag mouth opening. Interconnected bags can be formed into a roll pack or individually severed bags can be unitized into a bag pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy W. Pistner
  • Patent number: 4613988
    Abstract: A plastic film sack having gussetted side walls, and in the bottom of said sack, a heat-seal stripe welding together the four film layers in the gusseted regions of the sack and a heat seal stripe welding together the two film layers between said gusseted regions; and between the heat-seal stripes of the four film layers and the heat-seal stripe of the two film layers are unsealed, arcuate stress-relief regions and the method of forming the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Robert T. Maddock
  • Patent number: 4588392
    Abstract: A plastic film sack having gussetted side walls, and in the bottom of said sack, a heat-seal stripe welding together the four film layers in the gusseted regions of the sack and a heat seal stripe welding together the two film layers between said gusseted regions; and between the heat-seal stripes of the four film layers and the heat-seal stripe of the two film layers are unsealed, arcuate stress-relief regions and the method of forming the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1986
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Robert T. Maddock
  • Patent number: 4562925
    Abstract: A thermoplastic bag structure comprising a front and rear bag wall, a bottom and an open mouth top portion, said open mouth portion being characterized by having two pairs of single film handle loops each of which are located at opposite ends of said open mouth portion, the handles of each pair being side-by-side and each handle is an integral single film loop extension of said front and rear bag walls. The bag structures can be unitized by providing a detachable tab at the bag mouth opening and unitizing the bag structures through this tab. The method of forming said bags involves providing an end sealed collapsed thermoplastic film tube and removing plastic to form a bag mouth opening and handles at one end thereof. The resulting bag is an ungussetted bag which can be unitized into a pack by providing a detachable, unitizing tab at the bag mouth opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy W. Pistner
  • Patent number: 4529090
    Abstract: A plastic bag having front and rear walls, an open bag mouth, and a detachable tab upwardly projecting from the front and rear walls centrally along the bag mouth. The tab is integral with the bag walls at a pair of opposed readily severable areas below the bag mouth, and non-integral with the bag walls between the severable areas. The bags are provided in packs with the bag secured at the tabs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1985
    Assignee: Sonoco Products Company
    Inventor: Terry C. Pilon
  • Patent number: 4505310
    Abstract: A liquid storage and delivery system for protective masks has a hand-operable bulb siphon pump in line with conduits extending from a canteen assembly to the drinking mouthpiece of a protective mask. The canteen assembly includes structure adapted to flex in response to the partial vacuum created within the canteen assembly as liquid is withdrawn. An adapter may be used to enable use of the present system with prior art protective masks. A protective sheath covers at least a portion of the conduit to protect it against freezing, dirt, condensation, or physical damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1985
    Inventor: Wesley Schneider
  • Patent number: 4476979
    Abstract: A bag pack and individual bags characterized by having handles which are integral extensions of the front and rear of said bag. The bags have a bag mouth which includes stress relief curves on both sides of an upwardly extending tab. The tab includes at least one orifice which is positioned to create comparatively narrow webs which serve to be the tear-off points severing individual bags from the pack. The bags are bonded together via said tab at areas adjacent said orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: George J. Reimann, Gordon L. Benoit, James R. Gavin, Michael A. Schneider
  • Patent number: 4434712
    Abstract: A breather bag having a partial torus or weiner-like configuration is fabricated from four panels of flexible material. One of the panels is a side panel extending from one end of the bag to the other end along the inner concave curvature of the bag. The side panel also defines, at each end of the bag, a generally convex end surface. An offset dart seam may be provided in each convex end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: Fabrico Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Ashley M. Ross, James A. McKee
  • Patent number: RE34019
    Abstract: The present invention relates to thermoplastic bag structures which are characterized by having a pair of carrying handles which are formed integrally with the bag walls, and extend upwardly from the open mouth portion of the bag. The configuration of the individual bag handles is such that there is reduced tendency for that portion of the handle which is in the user's palm, when such bags are loaded are carried, to curl into a small cross sectional area, commonly known as roping. Additionally, the individual bags are constructed so that when the bags are loaded and being carried by the user, the stress points around the bag mouth are distributed to areas which are less likely to rupture and tear as a result of stress concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Milton C. Kuklies, William G. Orem