Bulk material container with a flexible liner

Claim 2

A bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shell (20a) having an opening at the bottom thereof, said shell (20a) having a bottom wall surrounding said opening (35) in the bottom thereof; (b) a discharge fitting (45) secured to said shell (20a) below the opening (35) thereof, said discharge fitting (45) including a wall (53); and (c) a flexible liner (10) disposed in said shell (20a) for containing bulk material, said flexible liner (10) comprising a bottom outlet fitting (16) having a flange (50) seated on said wall of said discharge fitting (45) in fluid tight relation for forming a seal between said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said discharge fitting (45).

Claim 3

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottom outlet fitting (16) is threaded (49), said container (20) further comprising a threaded sleeve (60) disposed in threaded engagement with said threaded bottom outlet fitting (16), the movement of said threaded sleeve (60) relative to said threaded bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said flange (50) of said bottom outlet fitting (16) against the wall (53) of said discharge fitting (45) to form said seal between said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said discharge fitting (45).

Claim 4

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 2 wherein said bottom outlet fitting (16) includes upright, flat, outer joining walls (47) above said flange (50) adapted to be gripped by a tool (18).

Claim 5

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sleeve (60) comprises a flange (61) disposed below said discharge fitting (45), said container (20) comprising a ring seal (62) disposed between said discharge fitting (45), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), the movement of said sleeve (60) in threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said ring seal (62) into a fluid tight engagement between said sleeve (60), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said discharge fitting (45) for providing a seal.

Claim 6

A bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shell (20a) having an opening (35) at the bottom thereof, said shell (20a) having a bottom wall surrounding said opening (35) in the bottom thereof; (b) a discharge fitting (45) secured to said shell (20a) below the opening (35) thereof; (c) a flexible liner (10) disposed in said shell (20a) for containing bulk material, said flexible liner (10) comprising a threaded bottom outlet fitting (16); (d) a threaded sleeve (60) disposed in threaded engagement with said threaded bottom outlet fitting (16), said threaded sleeve (60) comprising a flange (61) disposed below said discharge fitting (45); (e) a ring seal (62) disposed between said discharge fitting (45), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), the movement of said sleeve (60) in threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said ring seal (62) into sealing engagement between said sleeve (60), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said discharge fitting (45).

Claim 7

A bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shell (20a) having an opening (35) at the bottom thereof, said shell (20a) having a bottom wall surrounding said opening (35) in the bottom thereof; (b) a discharge fitting (45) secured to said shell (20a) below the opening (35) thereof; (c) a flexible liner (10) disposed in said shell (20a) for containing bulk material, said flexible liner (10) comprising a threaded bottom outlet fitting (16); (d) a threaded sleeve (60) disposed in threaded engagement with said threaded bottom outlet fitting (16), said threaded sleeve (60) comprising a flange (61) disposed below said discharge fitting (45); (e) a ring seal (62) disposed between said discharge fitting (45), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), the movement of said sleeve (60) in threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said ring seal (62) into sealing engagement between said sleeve (60), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said discharge fitting (45).

Claim 10

A method of installing a flexible liner (10) into a shell (20a) of a bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 6 wherein the step of disposing the flexible liner (10) on the installing tool (18) includes inserting the installing tool (18) into an open upper end (14) of the flexible liner (10), and moving the installing tool (18) into the flexible liner (10) until the installing tool (18) engages the outlet fitting (16) at an open lower end of the flexible liner (10).

Claim 11

A method of installing a flexible liner (10) into a shell (20a) of a bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 6 wherein the step of disposing the flexible liner (10) on the installing tool (18) includes inserting fingers (30a and 30b) of the installing tool (18) into an open upper end (14) of the flexible liner (10), and moving the installing tool (18) into the flexible liner (10) until the fingers (30a and 30b) of the installing tool (18) engage the outlet fitting (16) at an open end of the flexible liner (10).

Claim 12

A tool (18) for installing a flexible liner (10) into a shell (20a) of a bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shaft (24); and (b) a plurality of fingers (30a and 30b) mounted at one end of said shaft (24), at least one of said fingers (30a and 30b) being movable between a retracted position and an extended position, each of said fingers (30a and 30b) having a distal end, the distal ends of said fingers (30a and 30b) being axially disposed in the extended position.

Claim 13

A tool (18) for installing a flexible liner (10) into a shell (20a) of a bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shaft (24); and (b) a plurality of fingers (30a and 30b) mounted at one end of said shaft (24), at least one of said fingers (30a and 30b) being movable between a retracted position and an extended position, each of said fingers (30a and 30b) having a distal end, the distal ends of said fingers (30a and 30b) being axially disposed in the extended position.

Claim 14

A tool (18) as claimed in claim 9 and comprising a handle (25) mounted at the other end of said shaft (24).

Claim 15

A tool (18) as claimed in claim 9 and comprising a spring (31) urging a movable finger (30a or 30b) toward the extended position.

Claim 16

A tool (18) as claimed in claim 10 and comprising a spring (31) urging a movable finger (30a or 30b) toward the extended position.

Claim 17

A bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shell (20a) having an opening (35) at the bottom thereof; (b) a discharge fitting (45) secured to said shell (20a) below the opening (35) thereof; (c) a flexible liner (10) disposed in said shell (20a) for containing bulk material, said flexible liner (10) comprising a bottom outlet fitting (16) disposable in said discharge fitting (45), said bottom outlet fitting (16) including a threaded section (49); and (d) a threaded sleeve (60) disposed in threaded engagement with the threaded section (49) of said bottom outlet fitting (16).

Claim 18

A bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a shell (20a) having an opening (35) at the bottom thereof; (b) a discharge fitting (45) secured to said shell (20a) below the opening (35) thereof; (c) a flexible liner (10) disposed in said shell (20a) for containing bulk material, said flexible liner (10) comprising a bottom outlet fitting (16) disposable in said discharge fitting (45), said bottom outlet fitting (16) including a threaded section (49); and (d) a threaded sleeve (60) disposed in threaded engagement with the threaded section (49) of said bottom outlet fitting (16).

Claim 19

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 13 wherein said bottom outlet fitting (16) includes upright, flat, outer joining walls (47) between axially aligned annular flanges (42 and 50) adapted to be gripped by a tool (18).

Claim 20

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 13 wherein said sleeve (60) comprises a flange (61) disposed below said discharge fitting (45), said container (20) comprising a first ring seal (62) disposed between said discharge fitting (45), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), the movement of said sleeve (60) from threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said first ring seal (61) into sealing engagement between said sleeve (60), said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said discharge fitting (45), said container (20) further comprising an outlet conduit (66) with a flange (67) disposed below said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), said container (20) further comprising a second ring seal (68) disposed between said flange (61) of said sleeve (60) and said flange (67) of said outlet conduit (66), and said container (20) comprising a threaded fastener (70) disposed in threaded engagement with said discharge fitting (45), said threaded fastener (70) comprising a flange (71) disposed below said flange (67) of said outlet conduit (66), said threaded fastener (70) releasably securing said outlet conduit (66) and said sleeve (60) to said discharge fitting (45), and urging said second ring seal (68) in sealing engagement with said sleeve (60) and said outlet conduit (66).

Claim 21

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said discharge fitting (45) has an inner cylindrical wall (52) at the lower end thereof; wherein said bottom outlet fitting (16) has an outer cylindrical wall at the lower end thereof; said container (20) comprises a sleeve (60) with a flange (61) abutting against said discharge fitting (45) and said bottom outlet fitting (16) adjacent said inner cylindrical wall (52) of said discharge fitting (45) and said outer cylindrical wall of said bottom outlet fitting (16), said container (20) comprising a ring seal (62) disposed between said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), said inner cylindrical wall (52) of said discharge fitting (45) and said outer cylindrical wall of said bottom outlet fitting (16) in fluid tight engagement for forming a seal.

Claim 22

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flexible liner (10) comprises an opening (14) at the top section thereof, and a flexible sleeve (17c) on said flexible liner (10) surrounding and communicating with said opening (14) at the top section of said flexible liner (10).

Claim 23

A flexible liner (10) for a bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a flexible vessel with an upper opening and a lower opening; (b) a flexible sleeve (17c) on said flexible liner (10) surrounding and communicating with said upper opening of said vessel; and (c) a generally rigid bottom outlet fitting (16) disposed in the lower opening of said vessel.

Claim 24

A flexible liner (10) for a bulk material container (20) comprising: (a) a flexible vessel with an upper opening and a lower opening; (b) a flexible sleeve (17c) on said flexible liner (10) surrounding and communicating with said upper opening of said vessel; and (c) a generally rigid bottom outlet fitting (16) disposed in the lower opening of said vessel.

Claim 25

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 13 wherein said sleeve (60) comprises a flange (61) disposed below said bottom outlet fitting (16), said container (20) comprising a ring seal (62) disposed above said flange (61) of said sleeve (60) and below the threaded engagement between said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said sleeve (60), the movement of said sleeve (60) in threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said ring seal (62) into a fluid tight engagement between said sleeve (60) and said bottom outlet fitting (16) for providing a seal.

Claim 26

A bulk material container as claimed in claim 13 wherein said bottom outlet fitting (16) comprises a flange (50) and an outer wall, said sleeve (60) comprises a flange (61) disposed below said flange (50) of said bottom outlet fitting (16), said discharge fitting (45) having an inner wall (52) spaced radially from the outer wall of said bottom outlet fitting (16), said container (20) comprising an annular yieldable spacer (62) disposed below said flange (50) of said bottom outlet fitting (16) and disposed above said flange (61) of said sleeve (60) and disposed in the space between the inner wall (52) of said discharge fitting (45) and the outer wall of said bottom outlet fitting (16), the movement of said sleeve (60) in threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said spacer (62) into fluid tight relation between said flange (50) of said bottom outlet fitting (16), said flange (61) of said sleeve (60), said inner wall of said discharge fitting (45) and said outer wall of said bottom outlet fitting (16) for providing a seal.

Claim 27

A bulk material container (20) as claimed in claim 20 wherein said flange (61) of said sleeve (60) is disposed below the threaded engagement between said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said sleeve (60), said container (20) comprising a ring seal (62) disposed above said flange (61) of said sleeve (60) and below the threaded engagement between said bottom outlet fitting (16) and said sleeve (60), the movement of said sleeve (60) in threaded engagement with said bottom outlet fitting (16) urges said ring seal (62) into a fluid tight engagement between said sleeve (60) and said bottom outlet fitting (16) for providing a seal.