Patent ID: 6374874
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
A sand bag loading system for allowing a user to fill bags with sand in a safe, efficient, and convenient manner, comprising, in combination:a mounting assembly fabricated of a rigid material having two A-framed legs and a connecting member there between, the connecting member having opposed ends including a first dispensing end and a remote second end, both ends being located above the legs with a horizontal surface on the connecting member there above; a loading tube assembly having a loading tube and a hopper, the loading tube having a hollow, round cylindrical configuration with an upper side and a lower side and a first dispensing end extending beyond the dispensing end of the connecting member and a second remote end located above an intermediate extent of the connecting member, the tube being fabricated of a rigid metallic material with an inner surface and an outer surface and a thickness there between and with a hopper aperture formed in the upper side of the loading tube closer to the remote end than to the dispensing end and having a generally rectangular configuration, the aperture width to tube diameter ratio being between about 0.66 to 0.75 and the aperture length to tube length ratio being between about 0.50 and 0.75, the hopper formed of a rigid metallic material with two diverging rectangular sections coupled to the aperture sides and two V-shaped sections coupled to the aperture ends; a bracket hinge assembly having an upper portion coupled to the lower side of the tube above the dispensing end of the connecting member and a lower portion coupled to the connecting member at the dispensing end and a pivotal pin there between, whereby the tube assembly when loaded with sand through the hopper and aperture may be rotatably moved about the hinge to allow the tipping of the tube from a horizontal loading position to a vertical dispensing position whereby the sand may flow from the tube after being shoveled through the hopper and aperture by a user; and a flexible bag holder in a generally inverted L-shaped configuration coupled to the outside surface of the upper side of the tube and located near the first dispensing end of the tube to removably hold a sandbag in place over the dispensing end of the tube while the tube is tipped from the horizontal to the vertical position, with the bag holder having a retention force of moderate strength sufficient to retain a loaded sand bag upon the bag holder while the bag is being loaded with sand.