TRANSPORTATION OF FLUENT MATERIAL

Abstract: A method of and a means for use in packaging bulk quantities of a fluent material for the ready transportation thereof is proposed which involves the provision of cardboard container (11) having dividers (12) therein separating the container into individual and adjacent compartments (13) each containing a respective filled, flexible bag (14) of said material, the bags (14) substantially filling the respective compartments (13), and the dividers (12) and container (11) being such as to sustain the dynamic and static loads applied thereto during transportation.

Description: TRANSPORTATION OF FLUENT MATERIAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention concerns the transportation of fluent materials, and has more particular reference to a method 5. of packaging such materials for transportation and pack¬ aging for use in connection therewith. BACKGROUND ART Much attention has been directed in recent years to the provision of• a means whereby liquids in bulk might 10. be carried in containerised transport. It has been proposed, for example, to provide a bag of rubber or the like within a container of the kind used in the containerised transport of goods, and to fill such bag with the liquid to be transported. Despite 15. a high level of expenditure and effort, no wholly satisfactory system has been developed, a particular problem being that which arises in the event of leakage of the bag having regard to the volume of liquid involved. _ ■ It has also been suggested, in order to provide a 20. unit of manageable proportions, to use one metre boxes of corrugated cardboard having a bag of synthetic plastics, material therein to receive a liquid, such proposal being particularly attractive in that the packaging is suffic¬ iently inexpensive as to be disposable after use thus . 25. avoiding the freight costs involved in returning more substantial, and hence more expensive, containers, for ΪUREΛT / * OMPI wipo example, drums, when empty. However, difficulties have arisen in connection with such units due to the static loads to which the boxes are subjected, particularly when stacked one upon another, and due to the dynamic loads 5. arising during transportation, movement of the liquid consequent upon the dynamic forces frequently giving rise to rupture of the liner at folds in the upper regions thereof. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 10. The object of the present invention is to provide a method of and a means for the transportation of fluent materials, especially liquids, which is of particular application in the context of containerised transportatio According to one aspect of the present invention 15. there is proposed a method of packaging fluent materials for the bulk transportation thereof, to provide a trans¬ portable module, which comprises the steps of providing a self-supporting outer container of external dimensions consistent with those of the intended module, dividing 20. the interior of such container into a plurality of individual and adjacent compartments, locating a respect¬ ive flexible bag within each such compartment, and charging each such bag in situ with the material to be transported, the dimension of each compartment, in the 25. axial direction thereof, exceeding the transverse dimen¬ sion of such compartment and the bags, when filled, fitting tightly within the respective compartments. According to another aspect of the invention, a transportable module for use in the bulk transportation 30. of fluent materials comprises a self-supporting outer container, one or more dividers within the outer container and defining a plurality of individual and adjacent compartments in the said container, and a filled flex¬ ible bag within each respective compartment and existing as a tight fit therein, each compartment and the bag therein having a dimension in the axial direction of the compartment in excess of the transverse dimension of such compartmen . 5. According to a still further aspect of the invention, means for practising the method of providing a trans¬ portable module as aforesaid comprises a self-supporting outer container, at least one divider within such container and dividing the same into a plurality of 10. individual and adjacent compartments, and a plurality of flexible bags corresponding in number to the number of compartments, the axial dimension of each compartment exceeding the dimension of such compartment in at least one transverse direction thereof, and the flexible bags 15. being of such dimensions as, when charged with material to be transported, to be a tight fit within the respective dimension. Preferably, the axial dimension of each compartment is not less than one and one half times the said trans- 20. verse dimension. According to a further preferred feature the outer container is rectangular and measures approximately one metre in each direction, and is divided into four individual compartments. 25. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment and in whic :- Fig. 1 is a broken away perspective view of a * 30. transportation module constructed in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part of an alternative divider to that shown in Fig. 1. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, a transportation module for use in the transportation, in bulk, of fluent materials, 5. particularly liquids, comprises an outer container 11 of rectangular form, a plurality of dividers 12 within such container and defining side-by-side compartments 13 therein, and a respective flexible bag 14 within each compartment. 10. The outer container comprises a cardboard box of on metre side constructed from five-ply corrugated board, the box having closure flaps 11a, of which two are shown cut away, in conventional manner. Each divider, there being four dividers in the 15. embodiment illustrated, is in the form of an open-ended tube of square cross-section and of a length equal to the height of the box, the transverse dimension being equal to one half of the corresponding dimension of the box. As with the box, so too are the dividers 12 20. fabricated from five-ply corrugated board, the corrugations of the material of the box and of the dividers being mutually inclined at an angle of 90 . When positioned in the box 11, the dividers 12 are a close fit therein and such dividers extend to the plane 25. of the open-end of the box. The flexible bags 14 are of conventional, form and are produced ' from extruded plastics tube by transversely seaming a flat tube at spaced intervals and severing the tube to provide discrete bags, there being an inlet 30. spout 14a ^ applied to the outer surface of the bag through which the bag is filled. In the arrangement illustrated the bag is typically thirty-four inches wide and fifty- four inches long, and is fabricated from polythene. The outer container is supported on a pallet 15, an is preferably secured thereto as by a metal band extending about the container and pallet. In the embodiment illustrated the weight of each bag, when filled, will be approximately 250 kgs, thus to 5. give a total weight for the container of approximately 1000 kgs. The dimensions of the container are such that the container can readily be packed in a standard transport¬ ation container to effect maximum utilisation of the 10. capacity thereof. We have found that by limiting the transverse dimen¬ sions of the compartment it is possible to provide a structure of sufficient strength to sustain the loads, both static and dynamic, to which the same will be 15. subjected during normal transportation of the liquid, the strength being derived partly from the material of the outer container and partly from that of the dividers, the material between adjacent bags, in the embodiment shown, being of like thickness to that of the peripheral 20. walls supporting the bag. The limited transverse dimen- " sions of each compartment further restrict the dynamic forces acting on the bag, and thus reduce the possibility of mechanical damage and rupture of the bag due to continued flexing thereof in any regions of fold which 25. occur. Whilst the provision of dividers in the form of open-ended tubes is convenient, in that it readily provides for a like wall thickness as between adjacent bags and outwardly of each bag, a divider of cruciform 30. shape may be preferred in some circumstances. In addition to defining separate compartments in the outer container, which container may have the walls thereof formed as mesh-like structures rather than the imperforate surfaces shown, the dividers fulfil the further function of constituting load bearing elements to support modules arranged one upon another. The dividers, whether of the tubular form herein- disclosed or otherwise, may be of rectangular transverse 5. cross-section, as in Fig. 2, the dimensional limitations of the compartment arising from a small thickness dimension of the divider ensuring satisfactory support of the filled bag. As will be appreciated, the arrangement as herein- 10. proposed does allow of the transportation of liquids in bulk by conventional containerised transport, the containers of the invention being inexpensive in manufacture and generally disposable having regard to the materials from which such containers are fabricated. 15. The complete isolation of the material being transported from contact with the interior of the containerised transport unit allowing of the immediate use of such unit for other products, for a return journey. The plastics bags proposed to be used are, by virtue 20. of their method of manner, sterile, and thus, the system and means hereinproposed is of application in contexts where sterility is of importance. A typical context in which the invention is of application is in the transportation of liquid chemicals, although liquids 25. might advantageously be transported in the manner pro¬ posed. Indeed, it is not thought that the invention is limited in its application to the context of liquids, since some powders or particulate materials may advant¬ ageously be transported in the manner proposed, espec- 30. ially if the maintaining of sterilised conditions is of paramount importance. If further strengthening of the container is desirab especially for stacking purposes, this can be effected by means of wooden struts provided internally or exter- OM . - WIp nally of the box, such struts, in the latter case, being located within the dimensions of the pallet.

Claims: Claims; 1. A method of packaging fluent materials for the bulk transportation thereof, to provide a transportable module, which comprises the steps of providing a self- 5. supporting outer container (11) of external dimensions consistent with those of the intended module, dividing the interior of such container into a plurality of individual and adjacent compartments (13) , locating a respective flexible bag (14) within each such 10. compartment, and charging each such bag in situ with the material to be transported, the dimension of each compartment (13) , in the axial direction thereof, exceeding the transverse dimension of such compartment and the bags (14) when filled, fitting tightly within 15. the respective compartments (13) . 2. A transportable module for the bulk transportation of fluent materials comprising a self-supporting outer container (11) , one or more dividers (12) within the outer container and defining a plurality of individual 20. and adjacent compartments (13) in the said container, and a filled flexible bag (14) within each respective compartment and existing as a tight fit therein, each compartment and the bag therein having a dimension in the axial direction of the compartment in excess of the 25. transverse dimension of such compartment. 3. A transportable module as claimed in claim 2, wherein each 'divider (12) is of tubular form. 4. A transportable module as claimed in claim 3, wherein each divider (12) is of rectangular form when 30. viewed in transverse cross-section. 5. A transportable module as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein adjacent compartments (13) are separated by walls of a thickness not less than the OMPI thickness of the walls existing between a compartment (13) and the exterior of the outer container (11) . 6. A transportable module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the walls separating adjacent compartments are 5. of a thickness substantially equal to the walls existing between a compartment (13) and the exterior of the outer container (11) . 7. A transportable module as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the outer container (11) comprises 10. a cube of one metre side. 8. A transportable module as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the container (11) is divided into four compartments (13) all of equal transverse dimensions. 15. 9. A transportable module as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the dividers (12) extend through¬ out substantially the full height of the outer container (11). 10. A transportable module as claimed in any one of 20. claims 2 to 9, wherein the outer container (11) is fabricated from corrugated board. 11. A-transportable module as claimed in claim 10, wherein each divider (12) is fabricated from corrugated board. 25. 12. A transportable module as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the said corrugated board is five-ply corrugated board. 13. A transportable module as claimed in claim 11 or 12 when dependent on claim 11, wherein the corrugations of 30. the material forming the outer casing (11) and the dividers (12) are mutually inclined at an angle of 90 . 14. A transportable module as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 13, wherein each compartment (13) has a dimension in the axial direction thereof not less than one and one half times the transverse dimensions of the compartment (13) . 15. Container means for use in practising the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a self-supporting 5. outer container (11) , at least one divider (12) within such container and dividing the same into a plurality of individual and adjacent compartments (13) and a plurality of flexible bags (14) corresponding in number to the number of compartments (13) , the 10. axial dimension of each compartment (13) exceeding the dimension of such compartment in at least, one transverse direction thereof, and the flexible bags (14) being of such dimensions as,' when charged with material to be transported, to be a tight fit within the respective 15. compartment. 16. Container means as claimed in claim 15, wherein each divider (12) is of tubular form. 17. Container means as claimed in claim 16, wherein each divider (12) is of rectangular form when viewed in 20. transverse cross-section. 18. Container means as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein adjacent compartments (13) are separated by walls of a thickness not less than the thickness of the walls existing between a compartment (13) 25. and the exterior of the outer container (11) . 19. Container means as claimed in claim 18, wherein the walls separating adjacent compartments (13) are of a thickness substantially equal to the walls existing between a compartment (13) and the exterior of the outer 30. container (11) . 20. Container means as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the outer container (11) comprises a cube of one metre side. 21. Container means as claimed in any one of claims OMPI ty WIPO 15 to 20, wherein the container (11) is divided into four compartments (13) all of equal transverse dimensions. ' 22. Container means as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the dividers (12) extend throughout 5. substantially the full height of the outer container (11). 23. Container means as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein the outer container (11) is fabricated from corrugated board. 24. Container means as claimed in claim 23, wherein 10. each divider (12) is fabricated from corrugated board. 25. Container means as claimed in claim 23 or 24, wherein the said corrugated board is five-ply corrugated board. 26. Container means as claimed in claim 24 or in claim 15. 25 when dependent on claim 24, wherein the corrugations of the material forming the outer casing (11) and the dividers (12) are mutually inclined ' at an angle of 90°. 27. Container means as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 26, wherein each compartment (13) has a dimension 20. in the axial direction thereof not less than one and one half times the transverse dimension of the compartment (13)

Inventors: PORTER H
Applicants: PORTER CHADBURN LTD, PORTER H
Application year: 1979
Main classification: B65D77
IPC codes: B65B7, B65D5, B65D77