Reinforced bulk container liner

Abstract

A bulk container liner for use in conjunction with bulk material cargo containers comprises a woven reinforcement sheet integrally secured upon a rear wall surface of the bulk container liner for effectively forming a bulkhead structure therewith in order to provide the rear portion of the bulk container liner with enhanced strength and load resistance within the rear door region of the bulk material cargo container. Support ropes, straps, or cables are also operatively connected to upper regions of the bulk container liner so as to facilitate the erection and support of the bulk container liner within the bulk material cargo container, particularly during cargo unloading operations which conventionally comprise the tilting of the bulk material cargo container around the lower rear edge portion thereof. The unloading or discharge port of the bulk container liner also has operative associated therewith structure which variably constricts or expands the diametrical extent thereof so as to permit the unloading or discharge port of the bulk container liner to be universally useable with different bulk material receiver mechanisms.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the U.S. of America, is:  
     
         1 . A bulk container liner for use within a bulk material cargo container having rear door structures, comprising: 
 a bulk container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped structure when erected for disposition within a bulk material cargo container and therefore comprising a front wall surface, a pair of side wall surfaces, a top wall surface, a bottom wall surface, and a rear wall surface; and    reinforcement structure fixedly secured over substantially the entire expanse of said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner so as to integrally form with said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner a bulkhead structure for reinforcing said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner disposed opposite the rear door structures of the bulk material cargo container.    
     
     
         2 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said reinforcement structure comprises a woven reinforcement sheet bonded to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner.    
     
     
         3 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said woven reinforcement sheet comprises woven polypropylene.    
     
     
         4 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said woven reinforcement sheet comprises woven polyethylene.    
     
     
         5 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said woven reinforcement sheet extends beyond each one of edge regions defined between said rear wall surface and said pair of side wall surfaces, between said rear wall surface and said top wall surface, and between said rear wall surface and said bottom wall surface so as to reinforce seal regions defined between said rear wall surface and said pair of side wall surfaces, between said rear wall surface and said top wall surface, and between said rear wall surface and said bottom wall surface.    
     
     
         6 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 at least one tubular sleeve member fixedly secured upon said bulkhead structure for accommodating a structural member of the bulk container in order to fixedly secure said bulk container liner within the bulk container when the structural member of the bulk container is fixedly disposed within said at least one tubular sleeve member of said bulk container liner.    
     
     
         7 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said at least one tubular sleeve member of said bulk container comprises: 
 a first tubular sleeve member fixedly secured upon said bulkhead structure of said bulk container liner at an elevational level which is interposed between an upper edge region defined between said rear wall surface and said top wall surface, and a lower edge region defined between said rear wall surface and said bottom wall surface; and    a second tubular sleeve member fixedly secured upon said bulk head structure within the vicinity of said lower edge region defined between said rear wall surface and said bottom wall surface.    
     
     
         8 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a third tubular sleeve member fixedly secured upon said lower wall surface of said bulk container liner within the vicinity of a lower edge region defined between said front wall surface and said bottom wall surface.    
     
     
         9 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a woven reinforcement sheet, bonded to said lower wall surface of said bulk container liner and upon which said third tubular sleeve member is attached, for reinforcing a front region of said bulk container liner and for distributing stress forces impressed upon said bulk container liner during bulk material cargo unloading operations.    
     
     
         10 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said bulk container liner having said substantially rectangular parallelepiped has a predetermined longitudinal extent; and    support structure is fixedly secured to upper regions of said bulk container liner within the vicinity of said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner, within the vicinity of said front wall surface of said bulk container liner, and at longitudinally central regions of said bulk container liner so as to facilitate the erection and support of said bulk container liner within the bulk material cargo container so as to enable filling of said bulk container liner with bulk material cargo.    
     
     
         11 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said support structure fixedly secured to said upper regions of said bulk container is selected from the group comprising ropes, straps, and cables.    
     
     
         12 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a reinforcement strip fixedly secured to said bulk container liner at the edge portion defined between said front wall surface and said top wall surface of said bulk container liner for sealing said edge portion defined between said front wall surface and said top wall surface of said bulk container liner.    
     
     
         13 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said reinforcement strip comprises integrally connected side extensions for sealing upper rear edge portions of said bulk container liner as defined between each one of said side wall surfaces rear end portions of said top wall surface.    
     
     
         14 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 each one of said side extensions of said reinforcement strip is provided with a plurality of arrayed grommets to which said support structure for said front wall surface of said bulk container liner can be adjustably connected depending upon the structure of the particular bulk container within which said bulk container liner is to be disposed.    
     
     
         15 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a view port defined through said woven reinforcement sheet for viewing the depth to which bulk material cargo has been loaded into said bulk material liner.    
     
     
         16 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a bulk material tubular loading port operatively connected to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner;    a bulk material tubular unloading port operatively connected to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner; and    reinforcement sleeves respectively secured around each one of said bulk material tubular loading and unloading ports in an enveloped manner for respectively reinforcing each one of said bulk material tubular loading and unloading ports.    
     
     
         17 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein: 
 each one of said bulk material tubular loading and unloading ports is axially collapsible and extensible; and    a manually-operable member is operatively secured to an interior surface portion of said each one of said bulk material tubular loading and unloading ports so as to permit an operator to move said each one of said bulk material tubular loading and unloading ports from its axially collapsed position to its axially extended position.    
     
     
         18 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 an axially collapsible and extensible bulk material tubular unloading port; and    means operatively associated with said bulk material tubular unloading port for adjusting the diametrical extent of said bulk material tubular unloading port such that said bulk material tubular unloading port can be universally useable with different bulk material receiver structures.    
     
     
         19 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said means for adjusting said diametrical extent of said bulk material tubular unloading port comprises: 
 loop regions defined within said woven reinforcement sheet and defining an axial open region through which said bulk material tubular unloading port can be disposed when said bulk material tubular unloading port is disposed in its axially extended state whereby said loop regions surround said extended bulk material tubular unloading port;    means disposed within said loop regions for achieving variable diametrical constriction and expansion of said loop regions around said bulk material tubular unloading port.    
     
     
         20 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein: 
 a region of said woven reinforcement sheet surrounding said bulk material tubular unloading port comprises a plurality of flap members; and    said loop regions comprise portions of said flap members folded back upon and secured to themselves.    
     
     
         21 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said means disposed within said loop regions for constricting and expanding said loop regions comprises a member selected from the group comprising ropes, straps, and cables.    
     
     
         22 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a reinforcement flap member fixedly attached to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner and interposed between said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner and said woven reinforcement sheet for closing said axial open region when said bulk material tubular unloading port is disposed in its axially collapsed state.    
     
     
         23 . A bulk container liner for use within a bulk material cargo container having rear door structures, comprising: 
 a bulk container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped structure when erected for disposition within a bulk material cargo container and therefore comprising a front wall surface, a pair of side wall surfaces, a top wall surface, a bottom wall surface, and a rear wall surface;    an axially collapsible and extensible bulk material tubular unloading port operatively connected to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner; and    means operatively associated with said bulk material tubular unloading port for adjusting the diametrical extent of said bulk material tubular unloading port such that said bulk material tubular unloading port can be universally useable with different bulk material receiver structures.    
     
     
         24 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 a woven reinforcement sheet bonded to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner so as to integrally form with said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner a bulkhead structure for reinforcing said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner disposed opposite the rear door structures of the bulk material cargo container.    
     
     
         25 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein said means for adjusting said diametrical extent of said bulk material tubular unloading port comprises: 
 loop regions defined within said woven reinforcement sheet and defining an axial open region through which said bulk material tubular unloading port can be disposed when said bulk material tubular unloading port is disposed in its axially extended state whereby said loop regions surround said extended bulk material tubular unloading port; and    means disposed within said loop regions for achieving variable diametrical constriction and expansion of said loop regions around said bulk material tubular unloading port.    
     
     
         26 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 a region of said woven reinforcement sheet surrounding said bulk material tubular unloading port comprises a plurality of flap members; and    said loop regions comprise portions of said flap members folded back upon and secured to themselves.    
     
     
         27 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said means disposed within said loop regions for constricting and expanding said loop regions comprises a member selected from the group comprising ropes, straps, and cables.    
     
     
         28 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 a reinforcement flap member fixedly attached to said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner and interposed between said rear wall surface of said bulk container liner and said woven reinforcement sheet for closing said axial open region when said bulk material tubular unloading port is disposed in its axially collapsed state.    
     
     
         29 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 a manually-operable member is operatively secured to an interior surface portion of said bulk material tubular unloading port so as to permit an operator to move said bulk material tubular unloading port from its axially collapsed position to its axially extended position.    
     
     
         30 . The bulk container liner as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein: 
 a reinforcement sleeve is secured around said bulk material tubular unloading port in an enveloped manner for respectively reinforcing said bulk material tubular unloading port.