The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 19, 2004
Randall L. Cary, Battle Creek, MI (US);
David C. Ours, Marshall, MI (US);
Michael Bauman, Battle Creek, MI (US);
Randall L. Cary, Battle Creek, MI (US);
David C. Ours, Marshall, MI (US);
Michael Bauman, Battle Creek, MI (US);
Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, MI (US);
Abstract
A method for filling a flexible container with a flowable material is provided, including the steps of filling the flexible container, suspending the flexible container, transferring the weight of the flexible container from being suspended to being supported by a support surface, and applying a hoop force to the flexible container to substantially maintain a configuration of the flexible container. The flexible container can be a bag-type container for containing flowable material such as chemicals, food products, agricultural products, and plastic pellets. As the container is lowered from the suspended position to a bottom-supported position, the hoop force is applied around the perimeter as the perimeter changes during transfer of the flexible container from being suspend to being bottom-supported. The hoop force can be applied by stretch wrap. Alternatively, the first flexible container can be lowered into a second flexible container. The second flexible container can be formed from a heat shrinkable material and the second flexible container can be shrunk at the perimeter as the perimeter changes. Alternatively, the second flexible container can be a stretchable bag. A stretched portion of the stretchable bag can be released substantially at the perimeter to generate the hoop force.