Abstract:
The present invention relates to reliable, efficient and low cost method and system for reinforcing fabric storage covers, particularly for fabric storage covers used in covering grain piles. The reinforced storage covers target the areas of the fabric storage covers that experience particular high stress and strain during deployment and filling.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    I. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to novel reinforcement systems for storage covers, and more particularly woven polyethylene or string reinforced polyethylene fabric storage covers. 
         [0003]    II. General Background 
         [0004]    Various types of fabric storage covers have been developed for covering piles or mounds of material, such as salt, sand, calcium carbonate, grain, and the like from the effects of weather, sun, air intrusion, water intrusion and/or insect or rodent infestations while said material is in outside storage. In one general type of fabric storage covers, these fabric storage covers consist of a fabric tarp wherein the perimeter of the fabric tarp is secured to a retaining wall extending around the perimeter of the fabric tarp. At the center of the fabric tarp, and connected to the fabric tarp, exists a lifting ring. After the fabric storage cover is deployed and attached to the lifting ring, the lifting ring is raised and the particulate material is deposited through the lifting ring and under the fabric storage cover. 
         [0005]    Previously, fabric storage covers were created using a vinyl material. Using vinyl for the fabric tarp resulted in strong but expensive fabric storage covers, and as a result the fabric storage covers were intended to be reusable year to year and season to season. However, while being stored between uses, the vinyl fabric storage covers were susceptible to destruction by rodents and other causes of degradation of the storage covers. Thus, there existed a need for fabric storage covers that were relatively inexpensive to produce, and thus could be purchased annually or seasonally. This would eliminate the need to store the fabric storage covers between uses. 
         [0006]    As a result of this need, fabric storage covers were created using woven polyethylene fabric or string reinforced polyethylene for the fabric tarp. The woven polyethylene and string reinforced polyethylene storage covers are relatively less expensive to produce. However, woven polyethylene and string reinforced polyethylene storage covers are often not as strong as the vinyl previously used for the storage covers. As a result, a fabric stronger than woven polyethylene or string reinforced polyethylene is often needed in the areas of the fabric storage cover that experience particularly high stress and strain. Such high stress and strain areas include the area around the lifting ring where the fabric storage cover attaches to the lifting ring. Specifically, there is increased stress and strain when the lifting ring is raised during the filling process. As a result, a yoke made of stronger material which is better capable to handle the stress and strain near the lifting ring, such as vinyl, is often used to surround the lifting ring, and the yoke is then attached to the woven polyethylene or string reinforced polyethylene fabric tarp that makes up the remainder of the fabric storage cover. 
         [0007]    Current state of the art fabric storage covers connect a vinyl yoke to the woven polyethylene or string reinforced polyethylene fabric tarp by stitching the yoke to the fabric tarp. However, stitching results in small holes in the fabric storage cover which can allow moisture to permeate the storage cover. 
         [0008]    Additionally, string reinforced polyethylene fabric and thin woven polyethylene fabric is prone to stretching. If stretched, the string reinforced polyethylene fabric and thin woven polyethylene fabric can tear or release from the stitching creating a tear or hole in the fabric storage cover. Thus, there is a need for a reinforced fabric storage cover wherein the yoke is attached to the fabric tarp with the least amount of stitching possible. 
         [0009]    Heat welding is also a method of attaching fabrics together. However, certain types of fabrics and/or certain thicknesses of fabric cannot be attached together via heat welding as an adequate seal will not be formed. Thus, there is a need for a reinforced fabric storage cover wherein the components form an adequate seal to maintain the integrity of the fabric storage cover when heat welding is utilized. 
         [0010]    The present invention provides a reliable, efficient and low cost method and system for reinforcing fabric storage covers, particularly in the areas of the fabric storage covers that experience high stress and strain. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0011]    An aspect of the present invention includes a fabric storage cover comprising a yoke, a transition panel wherein said transition panel is adjacent to and connected to said yoke, a tarp body wherein said tarp body is adjacent to and connected to said transition panel, and a reinforcing band wherein said reinforcing band is connected to said yoke and said tarp body. 
         [0012]    A further aspect of the present invention includes a method of reinforcing a fabric storage cover which comprises the steps of providing a yoke, connecting a transition panel to said yoke, further connecting a tarp body to said transition panel, and securing a plurality of reinforcing bands to said yoke and to said tarp body. 
         [0013]    A further aspect of the present invention includes a method of covering a pile of particulate material comprising the steps of providing a retainng wall surrounding an area of ground, deploying a reinforced fabric storage cover within said area of ground wherein said reinforced fabric storage cover comprises a center opening, a lifting ring circumscribing said center opening, a yoke connected to said lifting ring, a transition panel connected to said yoke, a tarp body connected to said transition panel wherein said tarp body comprises a perimeter, and a plurality of reinforcing bands secured to said yoke and to said tarp body, lifting said lifting ring, deposition said particulate material through said center opening and underneath said fabric storage cover, and securing said perimeter of said tarp body to said retaining wall. 
         [0014]    Yet another aspect of the present invention is a fabric storage cover comprising means for lifting said fabric storage cover, a means for surrounding said lifting means wherein said surrounding means is attached to said lifting means, a means for covering a volume, and a means for transitioning wherein said transitioning means connects said surrounding means to said covering means. 
         [0015]    Yet another aspect of the present invention is a covering system comprising a lifting ring, a reinforced fabric storage cover comprising a yoke wherein said yoke is attached to said lifting ring, a transition panel wherein said transition panel is connected to said yoke, a tarp body wherein said tarp body is connected to said transition panel wherein said tarp body comprises a perimeter, and a plurality of reinforcing bands wherein said plurality of reinforcing bands are secured to said yoke and to said tarp body, and a retaining wall wherein said perimeter of said tarp body is secured to said retaining wall. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a side view of a particulate pile surrounded by the retaining wall and covered by the fabric storage cover. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows an initial step in joining a yoke, transition panel, tarp body and reinforcing bands. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a subsequent step in joining a yoke, transition panel, tarp body and reinforcing bands. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a planar view of the interior side of a fabric storage cover. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  shows a partial view of the interior side of a fabric storage cover. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a partial view of the interior side of a fabric storage cover. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Fabric storage covers  10  can come in a variety of size and shapes, and often are designed to specific customer specifications.  FIG. 1  shows a side view of a particulate pile surrounded by a retaining wall  14 , secured by braces  15 , and covered by a fabric storage cover  10  of the present invention. The fabric storage cover  10  comprises a yoke  11 , a transition panel  12  and a tarp body  13 . In this embodiment, the fabric storage cover  10  is circular in shape, but in alternative embodiments the fabric storage cover  10  may be oval or of a different shape. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  at the center of the fabric storage cover  10  is a center opening  23 . In alternate embodiments the center opening  23  may be located in alternate locations or comprise multiple center openings  23 . For example, a fabric storage cover  10  that is oval in shape may comprise two center openings  23  at opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the oval shaped fabric storage cover  10 . 
         [0024]    In order to deposit particulate material under the fabric storage cover  10 , a lifting ring  22 , which circumscribes the center opening  23 , must be attached to the fabric storage cover  10  so that the lifting ring  22  may be used to lift the fabric storage cover  10  off of the ground thereby allowing particulate material to be deposited through the center opening  23  and underneath the fabric storage cover  10 . The particulate material is often deposited via a center tower  33  that attaches to the lifting ring  22 . In the present invention the yoke  11  encloses the lifting ring and surrounds the center opening  13 . The method of attaching the yoke  11  to a lifting ring is known in the art. In one embodiment, the yoke  11  has a square perimeter. However, the yoke  11  may alternatively comprise a circular, oval or other shaped perimeter. Attached to and surrounding the yoke  11  is the transition panel  12 . The transition panel  12  of  FIG. 1  has a square perimeter; however, alternatively, the transition panel  13  may comprise a circular, oval or other shaped perimeter. Attached to and surrounding the transition panel is the tarp body  13  which makes up the remainder of the fabric storage cover  10  wherein the outer perimeter of the tarp body  13  is secured to the retaining walls  14 . The yoke  11 , transition panel  12  and the tarp body  13  are used in connection with reinforcing bands  16  ( FIG. 3 ) to form an enhanced reinforcement system for the fabric storage cover  10 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show how the yoke  11 , transition panel  12 , tarp body  13  and reinforcing bands  16  form the enhanced reinforcement system.  FIG. 2  shows the yoke  11 , transition panel  12 , tarp body  13  and reinforcing bands  16  (showing one of multiple reinforcing bands  16 ) separately prior to securing them together. The yoke  11  may be made of one of, or a combination of, a variety of materials, including, but not limited to 22 to 30 oz. vinyl coated fabric (also known as polyvinyl chloride or PVC fabric), 20 to 30 oz. neoprene or urethane fabric or 12 oz. woven polyethylene fabric. The transition panel  12  may be made of one of, or a combination of, a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, 20-24 mil woven polyethylene fabric or 16 to 20 mil string reinforced polyethylene fabric (wherein a mil equals 1/1000 of an inch). The tarp body  13  is chosen based on customer preference and the intended use of the fabric storage cover  10 , and may be made of one of, or a combination of, a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, 9 to 24 mil woven polyethylene fabric or 6 to 16 mil string reinforced polyethylene fabric. The reinforcing bands  16  may also be made of one of, or a combination of, a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, 30 mil linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) with a 7×7 reinforcing scrim. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3 , viewed from the interior of the fabric storage cover  10  (wherein the interior refers to the side of the fabric storage cover facing the particulate being stored and, conversely, the exterior refers to the side of the fabric storage cover facing the outdoors), shows how the yoke  11 , transition panel  12 , tarp body  13  and reinforcing bands  16  are attached together. The following describes one embodiment of the present invention, however, the yoke  11 , transition panel  12 , tarp body  13  and reinforcing bands  16  may be arranged in various other arrangements. The yoke outer edge  18  is attached to the transition panel inner edge  19 . Specifically, the transition panel inner edge  19  is folded over towards the exterior of the fabric storage cover  10  and sewed (using size  207  twisted polyester thread and a Juki brand sewing machine) to the yoke outer edge  18  using stitching  17  to create a stitched seam  24 . Alternatively, the transition panel inner edge  19  may be folded over towards interior of the fabric storage cover  10 . Folding over the transition panel inner edge  19  provides increased strength of the stitched seam  24  and aids in preventing moisture from permeating the fabric storage cover  10 . 
         [0027]    Additionally, every 4 to 6 feet, with every 6 feet being suitable for many applications, reinforcing bands  16  are stitched to the yoke outer edge  18  and the transition panel inner edge  19 . When sewing the reinforcing bands  16 , the top edge of the reinforcing bands  16  is folded over approximately  4  inches, as shown in  FIG. 3 , so that the stitching  17  passes through two layers of each reinforcing band  16 . This fold over of the reinforcing bands  16  better secures the reinforcing bands  16  to the yoke  11  and the transition panel  13 . 
         [0028]    When the sewing of the of the yoke  11  to the transition panel  12  and the reinforcing bands  16  is complete and when viewing the stitched seam  24 , the yoke  11  is the exterior most layer of fabric, with the transition panel  12  interior to the yoke  11  and the reinforcing bands  17  interior to the transition panel  12 . 
         [0029]    Further, the transition panel outer edge  20  is overlapped with the tarp body inner edge  21  (so that the tarp body inner edge  21  is interior to the transition panel outer edge  20 ) and heat welded together using a Miller Weldmaster TG3600 or Leister Variant T1 welding machine, or any similar heat welding machine known in the art, to form a heat weld seam  25  of approximately  2  inches in width. Alternatively, the tarp body inner edge  21  may be exterior to the transition panel outer edge  20 . The heat weld seam  25  could also be welded with an extrusion welding machine. Because the transition panel  12  is generally of a weight or thickness greater than the tarp body  13  but less than the yoke  11 , the transition panel  12  allows the connection of the two different materials, such as the vinyl of a yoke  11  and the woven polyethylene or string reinforced polyethylene of a tarp body  13 , that normally could not be directly head welded together. The use of heat welding to create the heat weld seam  25  also reduces the sewing required which aids in preventing moisture from permeating the fabric storage cover  10 . 
         [0030]    Additionally, the length of the reinforcing bands  16  are heat welded (using a Leister Variant T1 welding machine) to the tarp body  13 . The heat welding of the reinforcing bands  16  to the tarp body  13  strengthens and reinforces the connection between the yoke  11  and the tarp body  13 , and prevents rips and tears in the fabric storage cover  10  that would otherwise occur due to a high amount of stress and strain placed on the fabric storage cover  10 , especially near the lifting ring  22 . The reinforcing bands  16  could also be heat welded to the tarp body  13  using an extrustion welding machine. As an optional step, tape may be applied to seams and/or other locations (such as the exterior side of the tarp body  13 ) to further water-proof the fabric storage cover  10 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  shows a plan view of the interior of one embodiment of a fabric storage cover  10  of the present invention, and further depicts a lifting ring  22  attached to the yoke  11 , by bolting or other similar means known in the art. The complete fabric storage cover  10  may be assembled from multiple sections. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the fabric storage cover  10  is assembled from four sections, a first section  26 , a second section  27 , a third section  28  and a fourth section  29 . In this configuration, the edges of each section  26 ,  27 ,  28  and  29 , are secured to the adjacent sections using opposing grommets and plastic tie wraps, cords, cable, chains, carabineers or other closing mechanisms known in the art. 
         [0032]    The diameter of the tarp body  30  varies depending on customer specifications and its intended use, but generally ranges from 90-500 feet. The width of the transition panel  31  also varies depending on the size of the tarp body, but generally is approximately 12 inches in width. The width of the yoke  32  varies depending on the size of the tarp body  13  and the lifting ring  22 , but generally is approximately 48 feet in width, but can also range from 12 feet to 60 feet in width. The reinforcing bands  16  are generally 2 inches in width and four feet in length. The reinforcing bands  16  can be longer if additional reinforcement is required or shortened if less reinforcement is required. 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  shows a close-up view of the interior of one section of a fabric storage cover  10  of one embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 6  shows a close-up view of the exterior of one section of a fabric storage cover  10  of one embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen in the figures, the reinforcing bands  16  can only been seen from the interior of the fabric storage cover  10 .