Shock absorbent dunnage device

Claim 2

An improved dunnage bag device for filling void areas between articles being packed for shipment comprising: (a) an outer sealed envelope of thin flexible material, defining an internal cavity; and (b) particulate shock absorption filler material comprising wooden by-products such as sawdust or wood shavings loosely packed within and filling at least 70 percent of said internal cavity, said filler material having a moisture content of less than or equal to 20 percent; wherein said bag is resiliently responsive to impact forces applied thereto regardless of extended exposure of the bag to freezing temperatures.

Claim 3

The dunnage device as described in claim 1, wherein the pressure within said internal cavity is substantially equal to or less than that atmospheric pressure external of said envelope.

Claim 4

The dunnage device as described in claim 1, wherein the moisture content of said particulate filler material is less than or equal to 15 percent.

Claim 5

The dunnage device as described in claim 3, wherein said particulate filler material fills approximately 80 to 90 percent of the volume of said internal cavity.

Claim 6

An improved dunnage bag of the type particularly suitable for use in tightly packing loads having multiple irregular void areas between items of the load, for shipment within railroad box cars, comprising: (a) an elongate tube-like outer envelope of thin flexible material; (b) means for sealing longitudinally opposing ends of said envelope, defining a sealed internal cavity within said envelope; and (c) a loosely packed mass of particulate wood filler material confined within said internal cavity and filling approximately 70 to 90 percent of said internal cavity, said particulate material having a moisture content of less than 15 percent; wherein said filler material freely moves within said internal cavity so as to allow for slight deformation of said envelope for packing purposes, but has sufficient confined mass to absorb distributed impact forces applied to said envelope without permitting flattening collapse of said envelope even when said bag and filler material are exposed to freezing temperatures for extended periods of time.

Claim 7

An improved dunnage bag of the type particularly suitable for use in tightly packing loads having multiple irregular void areas between items of the load, for shipment within railroad box cars, comprising: (a) an elongate tube-like outer envelope of thin flexible material; (b) means for sealing longitudinally opposing ends of said envelope, defining a sealed internal cavity within said envelope; and (c) a loosely packed mass of particulate wood filler material confined within said internal cavity and filling approximately 70 to 90 percent of said internal cavity, said particulate material having a moisture content of less than 15 percent; wherein said filler material freely moves within said internal cavity so as to allow for slight deformation of said envelope for packing purposes, but has sufficient confined mass to absorb distributed impact forces applied to said envelope without permitting flattening collapse of said envelope even when said bag and filler material are exposed to freezing temperatures for extended periods of time.

Claim 8

A dunnage bag as recited in claim 5, wherein the pressure within said internal cavity is substantially equal to or less than that atmospheric pressure external of said outer envelope.

Claim 9

The dunnage bag as recited in claim 6, wherein said outer envelope comprises a tube-like polyethylene material.

Claim 10

The dunnage bag as recited in claim 6, wherein said particulate wooden filler material comprises sawdust.