US3680690A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Methods, apparatus, and products for handling brittle materials
Assignee: Kerr McGee Corp
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Filing: 1968-12-11
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Granted: 1972-08-01
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Expires: 1988-12-11
Abstract
Abstract Methods and apparatus for automated packing, shipment, and unpacking of components of brittle material, such as uranium oxide pellets. Enclosures for individual pellets provide support over a substantial portion of a pellet with a minimum of contact on the pellet edges and provide cushioned protection for pellet surfaces and edges. Continuous wide belt packaging of pellets permits subdivision into flat slabs. Shipping containers conforming in length and width to the flat slab length and width dimensions accommodate a plurality of layers of pellets dependent upon safe density requirements of the material. This flat slab packaging method permits single-layer shipment of containers of flat-slab packaged uranium oxide without limitation because of safe density requirements on the area of the single-layer shipment.
Inventors
- 👤 Loring Mills
- 👤 James V Marler
- 👤 Billie J Buntz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 09:56
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B9/00; B65B9/02; B65B9/04; B65D; B65D75/00; B65D75/28; B65D75/30; B65D75/32; B65D75/321; B65D75/322; B65D75/323
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
234 words
Protective encasement for enclosing, supporting and providing cushioned edge protection for a sharp edge configuRation pellet to prevent normal handling and shipping stresses from being transmitted to edge portions of an enclosed pellet comprising a pair of sheets of deformable material having preformed pocket means, the pair of sheets being joined together peripherally of the pocket means with the pocket means in opposed relationship defining an enclosure for receiving and supporting a pellet, the enclosure including main body, end wall, and bubble contour portions, the main body portion of the enclosure having a configuration substantially conforming to the size and shape of the pellet so as to contact and support an enclosed pellet over a substantial portion of its exterior side wall surface in spaced relationship from pellet edge portions, the end wall portions of the enclosure including indenture means for contacting an encased pellet to provide pellet end wall support, such end wall contact being in spaced relationship from pellet edges with remaining surface of the end wall portions being spaced from the pellet end walls to provide end wall cushioning, the main body and end wall portions of the enclosure being joined by the bubble contour portion with the bubble contour portion protruding outwardly from the main body portion of the enclosure defining cavity means within the enclosure, such cavity means preventing contact between edge portions of the pellet and the enclosure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
234 words
Protective encasement for enclosing, supporting and providing cushioned edge protection for a sharp edge configuRation pellet to prevent normal handling and shipping stresses from being transmitted to edge portions of an enclosed pellet comprising a pair of sheets of deformable material having preformed pocket means, the pair of sheets being joined together peripherally of the pocket means with the pocket means in opposed relationship defining an enclosure for receiving and supporting a pellet, the enclosure including main body, end wall, and bubble contour portions, the main body portion of the enclosure having a configuration substantially conforming to the size and shape of the pellet so as to contact and support an enclosed pellet over a substantial portion of its exterior side wall surface in spaced relationship from pellet edge portions, the end wall portions of the enclosure including indenture means for contacting an encased pellet to provide pellet end wall support, such end wall contact being in spaced relationship from pellet edges with remaining surface of the end wall portions being spaced from the pellet end walls to provide end wall cushioning, the main body and end wall portions of the enclosure being joined by the bubble contour portion with the bubble contour portion protruding outwardly from the main body portion of the enclosure defining cavity means within the enclosure, such cavity means preventing contact between edge portions of the pellet and the enclosure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The protective encasement of claim 1 in which the enclosure is elongated and the main body portion includes cushioning means projecting outwardly from the enclosure and located along the side wall portion intermediate end wall portions of the enclosure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The protective encasement of claim 1 further including protrusion means contiguous to end wall portions of the enclosure, such protrusion means inhibiting folding over of sheet material peripheral to the enclosure adjacent to edge portions of an encased pellet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The encasement of claim 2 further including protrusion means extending from end wall portions of the enclosure along its longitudinal axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The encasement of claim 1 in which the pairs of sheets comprise deformable plastic in combination with a uranium oxide pellet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
122 words
Protective encasement for a plurality of sharp edge configuration pellets comprising a pair of elongated strips having preformed pocket means, the strips being joined together in overlying relationship peripherally of the pocket means to form an elongated belt with the preformed pocket means in one strip being arranged in opposed relationship to preformed pocket means in the remaining strip so as to define a plurality of individual enclosures for receiving and supporting individual pellets, each enclosure having an internal configuration for contacting and supporting an encased pellet along side wall and end wall portions of such pellet, such contact being spaced from sharp edge portions of such pellet with the enclosures defining a cavity surrounding each sharp edge portion of such pellet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
122 words
Protective encasement for a plurality of sharp edge configuration pellets comprising a pair of elongated strips having preformed pocket means, the strips being joined together in overlying relationship peripherally of the pocket means to form an elongated belt with the preformed pocket means in one strip being arranged in opposed relationship to preformed pocket means in the remaining strip so as to define a plurality of individual enclosures for receiving and supporting individual pellets, each enclosure having an internal configuration for contacting and supporting an encased pellet along side wall and end wall portions of such pellet, such contact being spaced from sharp edge portions of such pellet with the enclosures defining a cavity surrounding each sharp edge portion of such pellet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The protective encasement of claim 6 further including means acting intermediate individual enclosures to inhibit folding of the elongated belt along its longitudinal axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The protective encasement of claim 7 in which the means for inhibiting longitudinal folding of the elongated belt comprises protrusions formed in at least one of the elongated strips contiguous to the preformed pocket means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The protective encasement of claim 8 in which the protrusions are elongated and extend transversely of the elongated strip.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The protective encasement of claim 6 in combination with a plurality of sharp edge configuration pellets encased individually in the enclosures defined by the preformed pocket means of the elongated strips.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
The protective encasement of claim 10 in which the enclosures are arranged symmetrically permitting the elongated belt to be subdivided longitudinally into sections of predetermined dimensions containing a plurality of pellets, with the pair Of elongated strips forming the elongated belt being secured together along a continuous-line circumscribing each section.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The protective encasement of claim 11 in which the pair of strips are further secured together at a plurality of locations within the continuous-line circumscribing each such section and distributed intermediate individual enclosures of each such section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
84 words
The protective encasement of claim 10 for protective packaging of and spacing a plurality of pellets of radioactive material within safe density requirements in which the encased pellets comprise elongated pellets of uranium oxide with the enclosures being arranged in substantially parallel relationship with longitudinal axes of the elongated pellets extending transversely of the elongated belt permitting the elongated belt to be subdivided longitudinally into a plurality of sections of predetermined length and width dimensions with each section including a predetermined number of pellets.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
The protective encasement of claim 11 further including circumferential slitting means for each such section located inwardly with relation to the continuous-line securing the elongated strips together and circumscribing the plurality of pellets in each section; the circumferential slitting means permitting that portion of one of the elongated strips overlying the plurality of pellets in a section to be removed from the elongated belt while maintaining the remaining elongated strip longitudinally continuous.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The protective encasement of claim 14 in which the circumferential slitting means comprises a bubble configuration formed in at least one of the elongated strips.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
The combination of claim 13 in which an intermediate length of the elongated belt including a plurality of such sections of predetermined length and width dimensions is combined with receptacle means having substantially planar bottom and side walls, the cross-sectional length and width dimensions of the receptacle means conforming to the length and width dimensions of individual sections of the elongated belt, with the elongated belt being folded transversely of its longitudinal axis between individual sections.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The combination of claim 16 in which the plurality of sections of elongated belt form a plurality of layers within the receptacle means, such layers being disposed in planes substantially parallel to the bottom wall of the receptacle means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
FR982049A
Cited
FR986640A
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FR989154A
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US2502738A
Cited
FR1010631A
Cited
US2975113A
Cited
US3161504A
Cited
US3285405A
Cited
US3443683A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-01 | 1976-01-31 | 1976-08-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-01 | 1980-01-31 | 1980-08-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-01 | 1984-01-31 | 1984-08-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |