BAG PUNCTURING MEANS

Abstract: A bag puncturing means to couple to a socket outlet (5) of a plastic liner bag (4) of a liquid container where the socket (5) is closed of by a portion (6) of the plastic bag (4). The puncturing means comprises a connector (7) engagable in the socket (5) and movable linearly in the socket (5) and having a liquid passing opening through the connector (7) housing a coiled compression spring (9) which extends from the connector (7) and is longer than the socket (5) and a cutter (16) which is caused to penetrate the socket closing portion (6) of the bag (4) by relative movement between the connector (7) and the socket (5) thereby allowing the spring (9) to enter into the bag (4).

Description: This invention is concerned with method and apparatus used in the discharge of liquid from a container. It is common practice to transport liquids in a rigid container lined with a plastic liquid impervious bag. The container includes a side discharge port near the bottom of one side and a discharge means is mounted in the discharge port and the plastic bag is punctured to allow the contents to flow from the liner bag through the discharge means. It has been found that when the liquid level is close to the bottom of a container during a discharge operation it is not uncommon for the plastic around the puncture in the liner bag to enter the puncture hole and this can interrupt the free flow of liquid from the liner bag. In some instances there is a total interruption of flow making it almost impossible to completely discharge the liquid. The object of this invention is to overcome the above problem by providing means to puncture the plastic liner bag and prevent the plastic bag adjacent the hole therein, through which the liquid discharges, entering the discharge means thereby ensuring that the discharge of the liquid will be continuous and without interruption. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a bag puncturing means for forming a hole in a liquid filled plastic bag which is housed in a rigid container in a manner to prevent the plastic bag obstructing the hole during the discharge of the liquid through the hole, where the plastic bag has a socket means which extends through a wall of the container and a socket means bore providing access to a portion of the bag to be punctured; said puncturing means comprising a connector with a bore extending through said connector, coupling means to couple said connector to said socket means and when coupling occurs to place the bore of the connector in communication with the bore of the socket means; characterised by the coupling means allowing linear relative movement between said connector and the socket means and a compressible coil spring mounted in said connector bore and fixed to and movable with said connector with a portion of said spring extending from said connector bore, the length of said spring portion being such that when in an uncompressed state with the coupling means engaged at least a part of said portion adjacent a free end of said portion extends into the interior of said bag when punctured, and an aperture forming means to penetrate said bag portion as said connector is moved linearly relative to the socket means in a bag puncturing direction. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a hole in a liquid filled plastic bag housed in a rigid container in a manner which will prevent the plastic bag obstructing the hole during the discharge of the liquid through the hole, where the plastic bag has a socket means which extends through a wall of the container and a socket means bore providing access to a portion of the bag to be punctured; said method comprising the steps of providing a bag puncturing means, coupling said connector to the socket by said coupling means, moving said connector relative to said socket means to bring said aperture forming means into engagement with said bag portion with consequential compression of said spring, providing further movement of said connector relative to said socket to cause said aperture forming means to puncture the bag portion and allow said spring to expand and extend through said puncture into the interior of said bag. Two presently preferred forms of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a first form of the puncturing means of the present invention mounted in a container prior to the formation of a liquid releasing aperture in the bag, Figure 2 is an exploded sectional view of the several parts of the puncturing means of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 where the bag has been punctured. In the drawings Figures 1 and 3, there is shown a fragment of a container C having a rigid front wall 1 and a rigid base 2 and an opening 3 in the wall 1. Within the container represented by the wall 1 and the bottom 2 there is a plastic liner bag 4 with an internally threaded socket 5 welded to the bag 4 and aligned with the bore 21 of the socket 5 there is a portion of the bag wall identified 6 which is intended to be punctured to allow the liquid to discharge from the bag. The socket 5 projects through the opening 3 in the container wall 1. The manner of bag construction can be varied according to requirements but the final product is as illustrated, namely, there is a socket adapted to receive a threaded connection piece whereby the socket is coupled to a discharge means, such as a hose or a pipe or a valve. There is a portion 6 intended to be punctured in some manner and the liquid in the bag discharges through the socket. The puncturing means has as essential. components a connector which is, as illustrated, a nipple member 7 threaded at both ends at 23 and 25 which ends are respectively adapted to enter into the threaded part 24 of the bore 21 of the socket 5 and into a valve 8. Housed within the nipple member 7 there is a compressible coil spring 9 which preferably has a particular shape, see Figures 2 and 3. The spring shape includes a parallel portion 10 and a tapered portion 11 at one end. At the other end the spring has an enlarged end coil 12 which, as will be seen from Figure 2, is intended to be retained (or locked if desired) between the end 14 of the nipple 7 and the shoulder 26 at the bottom of the internally threaded connection end 15 of the valve 8. There is a cutter 16, which has a ring or tubular form with a flat end 17 and teeth 18 at the other end. It is to be noted however that the teeth 18 do not extend the whole way around the cutter and there is a non-toothed portion indicated 19 without teeth and at a lower level than the tops of the teeth 18. The outside diameter of the cutter 16 is greater than the diameter of the bore 22 of the nipple but less than the outside diameter of the threaded part 23 of the nipple. From Figure 1 it will be seen that as the connector nipple 7 is threaded into the socket 5 the spring 9 is compressed as it bears against the bag portion 6. Further threading engagement of the connector into the socket brings the teeth 18 of the cutter 16 into engagement with the bag portion 6 and puncturing occurs. The development of the puncture is by the points of the teeth penetrating the bag and as the cutter is forced further into the bag the penetrations extend into slits which eventually join up. Prior to the slits joining up the pressure exerted by the compressed spring will usually overcome the resistance of the uncut plastic bag between the slits, and a flap 20 is forced into the interior of the bag. For convenience the flap 20 is shown at the bottom of the hole, in practice the flap 20 could be anywhere around the circumference of the cutter. As will be seen from Figure 3, the spring, which has a length uncompressed such that it will extend into the bag, prevents the plastic bag and the flap 20 being drawn back into the hole as the liquid discharges and thus the object of the invention is achieved. When the nipple is withdrawn the spring is withdrawn, because of the coil 12 held captive between the nipple and valve. The cutter supported on the spring will be withdrawn at the same time and the cutter will be supported by the spring as it is withdrawn from the bore 21 of the socket 5. In an alternative arrangement, there is no cutter 16 and the spring is substantially the same diameter along its length, except for the enlarged end coil 12 which is, as before, captive between the nipple and the valve. The free end of the spring is a "flattened" coil with an upstanding sharpened spur. As the nipple is threaded into the spout the spring is compressed but at the same time it is forcibly rotated with the nipple. The rotation causes the spur to cut through the bag portion 6 and eventually there is sufficient of the portion 6 slit to allow the compressed spring to burst therethrough to push a flap 20 aside. It will be understood that total severance would not occur because, as before, once there has been sufficient partial severance the spring will push the flap 20 aside and enter the liner bag. The presently preferred two embodiments of the invention as just described are representative of two possible manners of introducing a flap restrainer into a liquid containing bag and are not to be construed as the only ways in which this objective is able to be achieved.

Claims: A bag puncturing means for forming a hole in a liquid filled plastic bag (4) which is housed in a rigid container (C) in a manner to prevent the plastic bag obstructing the hole during the discharge of the liquid through the hole, where the plastic bag has a socket means (5) which extends through a wall (1) of the container (C) and a socket means bore (21) providing access to a portion (6) of the bag (4) to be punctured; said puncturing means comprising a connector (7) with a bore (22) extending through said connector (7), coupling means (23) to couple said connector (7) to said socket means (5) and when coupling occurs to place the bore (22) of the connector (7) in communication with the bore (21) of the socket means (5); characterised by the coupling means (23) allowing linear relative movement between said connector (7) and the socket means (5) and a compressible coil spring (9) mounted in said connector bore (22) and fixed to and movable with said connector (7) with a portion of said spring (9) extending from said connector bore (22), the length of said spring portion being such that when in an uncompressed state with the coupling means (23) engaged at least a part of said portion adjacent a free end of said portion extends into the interior of said bag (4) when punctured, and an aperture forming means (16) to penetrate said bag portion (6) as said connector (7) is moved linearly relative to the socket means (5) in a bag puncturing direction. Puncturing means as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said aperture forming means (16) comprises a ring with said portion of said spring passing therethrough, bag puncturing teeth (18) on one end surface of said ring (16) extending in the axial direction of the bore (22) of said connector (7) and the other end surface (17) of said ring (16) being adapted to be engaged by said connector (7) to provide the bag penetrating movement of said aperture forming means (16) as said connector (7) is moved relative to said socket means (5). Puncturing means as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said connector (7) is rotated relative to said socket means (5) to provide the relative linear movement of said connector (7) relative to said socket means (5), and said aperture forming means comprises a cutting spur on said free end of said spring portion. Puncturing means as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said connector (7) includes a valve (8) to control the flow of liquid from said bag (4) after puncturing. Puncturing means as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said connector (7) comprises a nipple member with end portions of the nipple respectively threaded (23,25) to engage in said socket means (5) and in said valve (8) and wherein said spring (9) has an end coil (12) which is clamped between an end face (14) of said nipple and a shoulder (26) of said valve to lock said spring (9) to said connector (7). Puncturing means as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said bag puncturing teeth (18) do not extend completely around said one end surface of said ring (16) but leave a portion (19) of said one end surface of said ring (16) without teeth and at a level lower than the tops of said teeth (18). A method of forming a hole in a liquid filled plastic bag (4) housed in a rigid container (C) in a manner which will prevent the plastic bag obstructing the hole during the discharge of the liquid through the hole, where the plastic bag has a socket means (5) which extends through a wall (1) of the container (C) and a socket means bore (21) providing access to a portion (6) of the bag (4) to be punctured; said method comprising the steps of providing a bag puncturing means as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, coupling said connector (7) to the socket (5) by said coupling means (23), moving said connector (7) relative to said socket means (5) to bring said aperture forming means (16) into engagement with said bag portion (6) with consequential compression of said spring (9), providing further movement of said connector (7) relative to said socket (5) to cause said aperture forming means (16) to puncture the bag portion (6) and allow said spring (9) to expand and extend through said puncture into the interior of said bag (4).

Inventors: KARPISEK, LADISLAV STEPHAN
Applicants: KARPISEK, LADISLAV STEPHAN
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B67B7
IPC codes: A61J1, B65D47, B65D77, B67B7