BAG SUPPORT AND ASSOCIATED METHOD, TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND SUPPORT STRUT

[0001] This invention relates to the transport of goods in bulk bags. More particularly, it relates to a bag support for a bulk bag. It further relates to a method of modifying a bag support and to a transport system. It further relates to a support strut.

[0002] The Inventor is aware of a transport system for bulk or big bags. The system includes a bag support which comprises a base or pallet, a top ring, and a plurality of support struts. End portions of the support struts are receivable in complementary holes in the pallet and the top ring such that the support struts extend between the top ring and the pallet and support the top ring and pallet in a desired spatial relationship. The support struts also serve to transmit loads from the top ring to the pallet. The bag is supported in the bag support.

[0003] Bag supports of which the Inventor is aware are collapsible which facilitates transport of the bag supports when not being used. Hence, when in an erect condition, the bag support can be used to transport a bulk bag to a particular destination at which the bulk bag can be removed and emptied or transported to another destination. The bag support can then be displaced to its collapsed condition in which the effective volume of the bag support is greatly reduced thereby permitting a greater number of bag supports to be transported in a given volume thereby decreasing the transport costs of the collapsed bag supports.

[0004] To reduce the risk of the support struts being misplaced when the bag support is in its collapsed condition, the pallet is provided with retaining formations for receiving the support struts and retaining them releasably in position on the pallet and the top ring is placed on top of the pallet. The retaining formations are typically recessed into an upper surface of the pallet within which end portions of the support struts are receivable.

[0005] A disadvantage with this arrangement is that the provision of the recesses in the upper surface of the pallet results in the upper surface being uneven which does not provide optimal support to the bottom of the bag. In addition, dirt can collect in the pallet which could lead to contamination of the bag.

[0006] The bag supports of which the Inventor is aware are configured to be stacked one on top of the other. It will be appreciated that the weight of a bag supported on the bag support is transmitted to the pallet directly by the bag resting on the pallet. When the bag supports are stacked, loads are transmitted from the pallet of one support to the upper ring of a subjacent bag support and through the support struts of the subjacent bag support to the pallet of the subjacent bag support. Accordingly, the load transmitted through the support struts of the bag supports increases towards the bottom of the stack. The pallets are typically formed of a synthetic plastics material and the transmission of the load from a support strut to the pallet can be over a relatively small area which can lead to a very concentrated load which could lead to damage of the pallet.

[0007] It is an object of this invention to provide means which the Inventor believes will at least ameliorate these problems or provide a useful alternative.

[0008] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a bag support for a bulk bag, which bag support includes:

• • [0009] a pallet;
  • [0010] a top ring;
  • [0011] a plurality of support struts;
  • [0012] a plurality of support strut receiving formations provided in the pallet and the top ring within which end portions of the support struts are removably receivable to support the top ring and pallet in an erect condition in which a bulk bag is supportable on the bag support and to transmit loads from the top ring to the pallet; and
  • [0013] a support strut retaining arrangement provided on the top ring for releasably retaining the support struts in position on the top ring when the bag support is in a collapsed condition.
  • [0014] The support strut retaining arrangement may include a plurality of support strut retaining formations.

[0015] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a bag support for a bulk bag, which bag support includes:

• • [0016] a pallet;
  • [0017] a top ring;
  • [0018] a plurality of support struts;
  • [0019] a plurality of support strut receiving formations provided in the pallet and the top ring within which end portions of the support struts are removably receivable to support the top ring and pallet in an erect condition in which a bulk bag is supportable on the bag support and to transmit loads from the top ring to the pallet; and
  • [0020] a load transmission arrangement whereby the area over which a load is transmitted between the ends of the support struts and the pallet and top ring is increased.
  • [0021] According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of modifying a bag support which includes a pallet, a top ring, a plurality of support struts, and a plurality of support strut receiving formations provided in the pallet and the top ring within which end portions of the support struts are removably receivable to support the top ring and pallet in an erect condition in which a bulk bag is supportable on the bag support and to transmit loads from the top ring to the pallet, which method includes providing a load transmission arrangement whereby the area over which a load is transmitted between the ends of the support struts and the pallet and top ring is increased.

[0022] The pallet may include an upper bag support surface which is substantially flat. This results in an even support to a bottom of a bulk bag supported on the pallet and also facilitates cleaning of the support surface.

[0023] The support strut receiving formations may be in the form of complementary aligned pairs of holes in the pallet and the top ring. The holes may be shaped and/or dimensioned to receive ends of the support struts therein.

[0024] The load transmission arrangement may include an intermediate member of a relatively hard material, typically a metal such as steel, which, when the bag support is in its erect condition is positioned between an end of a support strut and a bottom of the hole in which the end of the support strut is received thereby ensuring the transmission of a load between the end of the support strut and the pallet or top ring is transmitted over the entire area of the intermediate member.

[0025] The support struts typically include an elongate tubular support element and the intermediate member may be a disk which has a diameter which is greater than an inner diameter of the associated support element. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the disk may have a diameter which is approximately equal to an outer diameter of the associated support element.

[0026] The bag support may include a locating arrangement for locating the disk in alignment with the end of the support element. The locating arrangement may include a cap which is mountable over the end of the support element and which holds the disk captive in alignment with and in abutment against the end of the support element. The disk may be constructed of a harder material than the cap. In particular, the disk may be constructed from metal and the cap may be constructed from a plastic and/or polymer material. The disk may be a circular steel disk.

[0027] The cap may comprise:

• • [0028] a top; and
  • [0029] a skirt extending from the top, wherein the skirt comprises three contiguous portions:
    • [0030] a first portion;
    • [0031] a second portion; and
    • [0032] a third portion, wherein an outer surface of the first portion tapers towards the top, wherein an outer surface of the third portion flares outwardly towards an end of the skirt, and wherein an outer surface of the second portion extends along an axis which is parallel to a central axis of the cap.

[0033] The skirt may be cylindrical, and wherein the first and third portions sandwich the second portion of the skirt.

[0034] It will be understood that the cap described herein, particularly the first and third portions thereof, provides a firm grip at free ends of the cap when placed in the pallet. As alluded to herein, the pallet and/or top ring may define holes which are shaped and/or dimensioned to receive at least the cap snugly therein. In particular, the pallet and/or top ring may define holes which have interior surfaces which is mated to the exterior surface of the cap, particularly providing an interior surface which is mated to receive the first and third portion therein. In this way, at least the first and third portions of the cap of the support strut may frictionally engage the interior of the holes defined by the pallet and/or top ring. The firm grip provided between the holes of the pallet and/or top ring and the support struts located therein, particularly adjacent the first and third portions of the cap of the support struts, typically provides good resistance to bending of the support strut, in use.

[0035] It will be understood that next to compression forces the support struts may also have a good resistance to bending forces. Bending forces may occur, for example, in a stack of bag supports when the ground is not completely horizontal or level. This is why, the support struts must not only transfer vertical loads but also bending forces. This may be realised by making the first and third portions of the caps of the support struts have outer surfaces as described herein (which taper and flare from the longitudinal axis of the cap/support member, respectively) which matingly engage with holes in the base/pallet, so the support struts have no horizontal play when place in the holes in the pallet. Moreover, the support struts with the end caps may be placed in and taken out of the holes of the pallet without too much force due at least to its tapering first portions and flaring third portions.

[0036] The straight second portion is necessary in one example embodiment as the tapered height difference between the first and third portions may be undesirably too great without same.

[0037] According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a transport

[0038] system which includes:

• • [0039] at least one bag support of the type described above; and
  • [0040] at least one bag which is supportable on the bag support when the bag support is in an erect condition.
  • [0041] According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a support strut which includes:
  • [0042] an elongate support element having opposed ends; and
  • [0043] a load transmission arrangement provided at each end of the support element whereby the area over which a load is transmitted between the ends of the support strut is increased, in use.

[0044] The support strut may be for a bag support having a pallet and a top ring, wherein the load transmission arrangement increases the area over which the loaded is transmitted between the ends of the support struts and the pallet and top ring, in use.

[0045] The load transmission arrangement may include an intermediate member of a relatively hard material, typically a metal such as steel disk, and a locating arrangement for locating the intermediate member in alignment with the end of the support element.

[0046] The locating arrangement may include a cap which is mountable over the end of the support element and which holds the intermediate member captive in alignment with and in abutment against the end of the support element such that when a bag support is in its erect condition the intermediate member is positioned between an end of a support element and a bottom of the hole in which the end of the support strut is received thereby ensuring the transmission of a load between the end of the support strut and the pallet or top ring is transmitted over the entire area of the intermediate member.

[0047] It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the description of one aspect of the invention may be extended to other aspects of the invention described herein, mutatis mutandis.

[0048] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

[0061] The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognise that many changes can be made to the embodiment described, while still attaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be attained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilising other features.

[0062] Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognise that modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible, and may even be desirable in certain circumstances, and are a part of the present invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not a limitation thereof.

[0063] It will be appreciated that the phrase “for example,” “such as”, and variants thereof describe non-limiting embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter. Reference in the specification to “one example embodiment”, “another example embodiment”, “some example embodiment”, or variants thereof means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment(s) is included in at least one embodiment of the presently disclosed subject matter. Thus, the use of the phrase “one example embodiment”, “another example embodiment”, “some example embodiment”, or variants thereof does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s).

[0064] Unless otherwise stated, some features of the subject matter described herein, which are, described in the context of separate embodiments for purposes of clarity, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Similarly, various features of the subject matter disclosed herein which are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0065] The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. For brevity, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning “having the potential to”), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning “must”).

[0066] The words “include,” “including,” and “includes” and the words “comprises”, “comprising”, and “comprises” mean including and comprising, but not limited to, respectively. Additionally, as used herein, the term “coupled” or “attached” or “connected” may refer to two or more components connected together, whether that connection is permanent (e.g., welded, cast, moulded, carved) or temporary (e.g., bolted, screwed, adhered via an adhesive).

[0067] In FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a bag support for a bulk bag in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention. The bag support 10 includes a base or pallet 12, a top ring 14 and a plurality of support struts 16. A plurality of spaced apart support strut receiving formations in the form of holes 18 are provided in the pallet 12 and open upwardly out of a top or operatively upper surface 12.1 thereof. Similarly, a plurality of support strut receiving formations in the form of spaced apart holes 20 are provided in the top ring 14 and open out of an operatively lower or bottom surface 14.2 of the top ring 14, wherein the bottom surface 14.2 is opposite an operatively upper or top surface 14.1 of the top ring 14.

[0068] A support strut retaining arrangement, generally indicated by reference numeral 22, is provided on the top ring 14. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5 of the drawings, the support strut retaining arrangement 22 includes a plurality of support strut retaining formations 24. The support strut retaining formations 24 are in the form of concave recesses which are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the top ring 14 such that end portions of the support struts are receivable in the pairs of recesses. The depth of the recesses 24 is such that when positioned therein, the support struts are positioned level with or below an upper surface 14.1 of the top ring 14 to facilitate stacking of the bag supports as illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings.

[0069] Hence, in use, when it is desired to transport a bulk or big bag, end portions of the support struts 16 are positioned in the holes 18, 20 which support the top ring 14 at a desired position from the pallet 12 such that the top ring 14, support struts 16 and upper surface of the pallet 12 form a bag receiving volume, generally indicated by reference numeral 26 within which a bulk bag is receivable. The bag support 10 can then be transported in a conventional manner, e.g., by way of a forklift, to a desired location. Further, protrusions 28 protrude upwardly from an upper surface of the top ring 14 and are receivable in complementary recesses (not shown) in a lower surface of the pallet 12 to facilitate stacking of the bag supports 10, one on top of the other. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the complementary recesses in the lower surface of the pallet 12 may be shaped and/or dimensioned to receive the protrusions 28 in a mating fashion. The stack of bag supports can be transported by means of a forklift engaging the lowermost pallet in the stack.

[0070] When a bulk bag has been transported to a desired location, it is removed from the bag support 10. If it is desired to store the bag support 10 and/or transport it to a location where it can be loaded with a fresh bulk bag, it is displaced to the collapsed condition, shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. In particular, the support struts 16 are removed from the holes or sockets 18, 20 and positioned in the support strut retaining formations 24. The top ring 14 can then be placed directly on top of the upper surface 12.1 of the pallet 12. In this way, the bottom surface 14.2 of the top ring 14 faces, and is adjacent to, the upper surface 12.1 of the pallet 12 when the bag support is in its collapsed condition as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

[0071] In the collapsed condition, the bag support 10 occupies a substantially smaller volume than when its erect condition, thereby facilitating storage and/or cost-effective transportation of the bag support 10.

[0072] The pallet 12 and top ring 14 comprise engaging formations to facilitate engagement of the pallet 12 and top ring 14 when the top ring 14 is placed on the pallet 12 in the collapsed condition as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The engaging formations may assist in locating the top ring 14 on the pallet 12 in the collapsed condition. Instead, or in addition, the engaging formations facilitate locking of the top ring 14 to the pallet 12 in at least a manner which prevents the top ring 14 from sliding laterally off the pallet 12 in the collapsed condition. In this regard, the pallet 12 comprises engaging formations in the form of spaced apart projections 27 which project from the lateral edges of the pallet along axes which are transverse to a plane of the upper surface 12.1 of pallet; and the top ring 14 comprises engaging formations in the form of a lateral slots 29 which are shaped and/or dimensioned and/or aligned to receive the projections 27 of the pallet 12 therein, in the collapsed condition. It will be understood that the engaging formations may be useful as the upper surface 12.1 is generally smooth as described herein and without same, the propensity of the top ring 14 to slide off the upper surface 12.1 of the pallet when placed thereon, in use, may be high.

[0073] Reference is now made to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings in which reference numeral 30 refers generally to another bag support in accordance with the invention and, unless otherwise indicated, the reference numerals used above are used to designate similar parts. The only difference between the bag support 30 and the bag support 10 is that, in the case of the bag support 30, more support struts 22 extend between the pallet 12 and the top ring 14. This permits the transmission of greater loads between the top ring and the pallet permitting the bag support to be used with heavier bags.

[0074] Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, reference numeral 16 refers generally to a support strut 16 in accordance with the invention.

[0075] The support strut 16 extends along a longitudinal axis L and includes an elongate tubular support element 35 having opposed ends and a load transmission arrangement, generally indicated by reference numeral 36, is associated with each end of each support element 35. It will be understood that only one end tubular support element 35 is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0076] Each load transmission arrangement 36 includes a metal disk 38, the diameter of which corresponds substantially with an outer diameter of the associated support element 35. The load transmission arrangement further includes a cap 40 which includes a top 42 and a skirt 44 which protrudes from the top 42. The cap 40 is dimensioned such that the skirt 44 fits snugly over an end portion of the associated support element 35 so that the disk 38 is held captive between and in abutment with an inner surface of the top 42 and an end of the associated support element 35.

[0077] The cap 40 may be constructed from a different material than the tubular support element. Typically, the cap 40 may be constructed from a material which better resistant against compression forces than tensile forces. In this regard, the tubular support element 35 may be constructed from metal. It follows that the tubular support element 35 may be a right cylindrical metal pipe. The cap 40 on the other hand may be constructed from a plastic and/or polymer material which is generally better resistant to compression forces than tensile forces.

[0078] The skirt 44 of cap 40 is typically comprised of three contiguous portions, viz. a first portion P1, a second portion P2, and a third portion P3. The second portion P2 typically has a longer length than the first portion P1 and the third portion P3.

[0079] The first portion P1 of the skirt 44, particularly an outer surface thereof, tapers towards the top 42. The third portion P3 of the skirt 44, particularly an outer surface thereof, flares outwardly towards an end of the skirt 44. The second portion P2 of the skirt 44, particularly an outer surface thereof, extends along an axis which is substantially straight in that it extends along a central axis of the cap 40. It will be noted that the central axis of the cap 40 may be and/or may be aligned with and/or is parallel with the longitudinal axis L.

[0080] Differently stated: the outer surface of the first portion P1 tapers along, or tapers obliquely towards, the longitudinal axis L towards the top 42 of the cap 40; the outer surface of the second portion P2 extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis L between the first and second portions P1, P2; and the outer surface of the third portion P3 flares obliquely from, or flares outwardly along, the longitudinal axis L towards the end of the skirt 44. In this way, a firm grip or snug location of the cap 40 can be realized between the cap 40 and the pallet 12 and/or the top ring 14 when the support struts 16 are located in the respective hole/s 18, 20 of the pallet 12 and/or top ring 14. The firm grip/or snug location of the cap 40 and the pallet 12/top ring 14 gives a strong resistance to the bending of the support strut 16, in use.

[0081] It will be understood that next to compression forces, the construction of the support struts 16 must also give good resistance to bending forces, which occurs as the ground is not totally horizontal. This is at least part of the rationale for the support struts 16 being located firmly into the holes defined by the pallet 12 and/or top ring 14.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the cap 40 may comprise a plurality of groove and/or apertures provided on at least the outer surface thereof.

[0083] As can be seen in FIG. 8 of the drawings, a plurality of the bag supports 10 can be arranged in a stack such that the pallet 12 of one bag support rests on top of the top ring 14 of a subjacent bag support. Accordingly, the weight of a bag support 10 will be transmitted from the pallet 12 to the top ring 14 of the subjacent bag support and then through the support struts 16 of the subjacent bag support to the pallet 12 of the subjacent bag support. Accordingly, the load transmitted from one bag support 10 to a subjacent bag support will increase downwardly in the stack such that the weight of all the bag supports 10 supported on the lowest bag support will be transmitted through the support struts 16 of the lowest bag support to the pallet 12 of the lowest bag support.

[0084] As can be seen in FIGS. 10 and 11 of the drawings, the support struts 16 of the stack of bag supports 10 are vertically aligned. The provision of the disks 38 ensures that the load transmitted from a lower end of a support strut to an upper end of a support strut 16 in the subjacent pallet is transmitted through the area of plastic sandwiched between the disks 38. Accordingly, instead of the area through which the load is transmitted corresponding to the annular end face of the support element 35, the load is transmitted through the whole area of the disk 38 which is substantially larger than the area of the end face of the support element 35 and thereby reduces the risk of damage to the pallet 12 and top ring 14. Similarly, as illustrated in FIG. 12 of the drawings, with the lowermost bag support 10, the load comprising the entire weight of the bag supports 10 supported on top of the lowermost bag support is transmitted through the disks 38 and the portion of the pallet 12 sandwiched between the disks 38 and the ground 46.

[0085] It will be noted that the metal disk 28 spreads compression forces over the total, or a majority, of a horizontal surface of an inner face of the top 42 of the cap 40 abutting said metal disk 28. 5 By exploiting the transference of the compressive forces from the annular end of the element 35 to the disk 28 and through to the top 42, in use, as described above, the thickness of the top 42 may advantageously be reduced.

[0086] The inventor believes that a bag support 10 in accordance with the invention has the advantage that the risk that the support struts will be lost when the bag support is in its collapsed condition is reduced and that by providing support strut retaining formations 24 on the top ring 14, the support surface of the pallet can be substantially flat. This has the advantage that a relatively even load distribution is applied to the bottom of the bag. In addition, the flat surface of the pallet 12 facilitates cleaning thereof which improves hygiene thereof, for example, for subsequent use. In addition, instead of loads being transmitted through the annular edge of the steel tube which forms the support element 35, by making use of the support struts 16 the load is transmitted through the disks 38 to the pallet 12 and top ring thereby increasing the area through which the loads are transmitted and reducing the risk of damage.