U.S. patent application number 10/988866 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-09 for re-closable long term storage / preservation bag (rcltsp bag); for the prevention of corrosion on military and / or commercial weaponry.
Invention is credited to Smith, William Stuart.
Application Number | 20050123220 10/988866 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34636643 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050123220 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith, William Stuart |
June 9, 2005 |
Re-closable Long Term Storage / Preservation Bag (RCLTSP bag); for
the prevention of corrosion on military and / or commercial
weaponry
Abstract
This invention is a pre-made, re-closable, three-ply bag that
has a clear serial number viewing window and is made from flexible
packaging materials that collectively prevent corrosion from
occurring on assets packaged within the bag while in transport or
long-term storage. A VCI chemistry emitting film is used as the
inner ply which surrounds the asset with corrosion preventive
vapors. The center-play; provides ample cushioning and puncture
resistance. The outer ply provides a strong puncture resistant
vapor barrier which keeps corrosion causing elements from entering
the bag and prevents corrosion inhibiting chemistry from escaping
the bag. The use of a re-closable fastener enables asset packaging
by un-skilled laborers as well as future asset inspection without
compromising package integrity. Packing speed is forty times faster
with this invention than previous methods. The invention also
allows serial number verification without opening the package.
Significant cost savings are achieved through its use.
Inventors: |
Smith, William Stuart;
(Fairport, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Heritage Packaging
400 Mason Road
Fairport
NY
14450
US
|
Family ID: |
34636643 |
Appl. No.: |
10/988866 |
Filed: |
November 15, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60527642 |
Dec 8, 2003 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/106 ;
383/109; 383/63; 383/72; 383/86 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 31/02 20130101;
Y02W 30/806 20150501; Y02W 30/80 20150501; B65D 2313/02 20130101;
B65D 2565/387 20130101; F41C 33/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/106 ;
383/109; 383/063; 383/086; 383/072 |
International
Class: |
B65D 033/04 |
Claims
What I claim as my invention is:
1. A re-closable bag that is fabricated from flexible packaging
materials which provide long-term anti-corrosion protection to both
ferrous and non-ferrous metal assets such as M16 rifles and/or
other weapons, allow convenient asset packing with no need of
heat-sealing equipment due to the use of a hook & loop
assembly, a zipper, mechanical snaps, pressure sensitive adhesive
or a drawstring as the method of bag closure, and provide a method
of visual verification of the enclosed asset serial number without
having to remove the asset from the bag, by viewing the number
through the clear barrier window material heat-sealed into the side
of the bag.
2. The re-closable bag of claim 1 provides superior puncture, tear
and abrasion resistance over traditionally utilized MIL-PRF-131J
flexible packaging materials due to the 3-ply construction of the
bag wherein the outer ply is a flexible packaging material that
provides barrier properties capable of minimizing the permeation of
corrosion causing gaseous vapors and or contaminants in the
environment through the material while at the same time preventing
the escape of the corrosion inhibiting chemistry from within the
interior of the bag, while a center ply provides cushioning and
additional puncture resistance and is made from polyethylene flat
sheet netting, polyethylene or urethane foam, bubble pack, woven or
non-woven flexible materials, and an inner ply of linear low
density polyethylene that is impregnated with Vapor Phase Corrosion
Inhibitors such as VpCI.RTM.-126 Film from Cortec Corporation, or
any equivalent film or material which prevents corrosion from
occurring on any metal surface of any asset placed inside the bag
while the bag is exposed to myriad environmental conditions.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This specification is now being filed (during the pendency)
of the earlier filed Provisional Application having a filing date
of Dec. 8, 2003 and which was assigned Application No. 60/527,642
with Confirmation Number 1225 and Filing Receipt
#OC000000013563766. It is my intention to take benefit from said
earlier filing.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The field of endeavor to which this invention pertains is
the prevention of rust, corrosion or oxidation from occurring on
the metal parts of a weapon while said weapon is in storage or
during transport. The traditional method(s) of preventing corrosion
on weapons involved costly labor intensive procedures, required the
use of heat-sealing equipment, and required the purchase, inventory
management and use of numerous different materials to accomplish
the task (i.e. oils, desiccants, corrosion inhibiting papers etc).
The most current method of preventing weapon corrosion utilized by
the U.S. Armed Forces is as follows. A laborer measures and cuts
two sheets of a flexible packaging material compliant with
MIL-PRF-131-J from a large roll. Then he/she cuts multiple sheets
of a VCI impregnated paper compliant with MIL-PRF-3420-G from
another roll. The weapon is wrapped in one sheet of the paper and
the remaining sheets of paper are crumpled and used as cushioning
around the weapon. The paper wrapped weapon and cushioning are
placed onto one of the MIL-PRF-131-J sheets and the second sheet of
packaging material is placed over them. The laborer then manually
heat-seals around all four sides of the two sheets of material
which forms an airtight enclosure around the weapon. This process
takes approximately twenty minutes per weapon and; results in
inconsistent levels of protection from one weapon to the next due
to the human factor (i.e. how much paper is utilized, how crumpled
was it, how was it positioned, are all heat seals of acceptable
quality, etc.). Additionally; this method of preservation disallows
the inspection of the weapon without having to destroy the package
by cutting it open and there is no way of verifying the serial
number of an enclosed weapon without again compromising the
package. The materials utilized and methods in which they are
configured leave the finished pack susceptible to easily being
punctured and/or torn which reduces the effectiveness of the
package.
[0005] This invention was produced in response to an inquiry from
the U.S. Marine Corps for a pre-made weapon cover that would
prevent corrosion as well as or better than the existing method (as
outlined above) and at the same time allow for simplified
inspection of the weapon through use of a re-closable feature while
also providing a method to visually verify the weapon's serial
number without removing it from the package. With a shortage of
available trained personnel to carry out traditional preservation
operations on large quantities of weapons the Corps was also
interested in a design that would not require heat-sealing
equipment and that would reduce the time required to preserve one
weapon substantially. This invention was tested and found to be
successful by USAMC LOGSA PSCC in Tobyhanna, Pa. The objective of
the testing performed was to compare this invention to a
traditionally preserved weapon package (as outlined above). The
criteria used to determine success was that the test specimen (this
invention) needed to perform equally to or better than the
traditional configuration at preventing rust/corrosion of enclosed
M16 rifles under varying environmental exposures.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of this invention is to provide the military or
commercial user with an effective corrosion preventive storage
and/or shipping enclosure that offers the following features:
re-closability, high degrees of puncture and tear resistance, easy
and rapid packing of the weapon, consistent factory produced
quality, clear observation of weapon's serial number through window
port and excellent anti-corrosion protection. This is all achieved
by the invention. No heat-sealing equipment is required and
therefore un-trained personnel can be used to carry out weapon
preservation. Pack-out time is approximately 20-25 seconds per M16
rifle vs. 20 minutes previously. The inventions 3-ply construction
provides a very robust package that is highly puncture and tear
resistant resulting in greatly minimized re-work operations. The
invention also greatly simplifies the task of routine weapon
inspection due to the re-closable feature and the clear view port.
Most importantly; use of the invention results in superior
corrosion prevention over previous methods due to two factors. One;
the use of Vapor Phase Corrosion Inhibitors which migrate to all
metal surfaces inside the package (including on the inside of the
weapon) and two; the use of a foil clad Barrier packaging material
as the outside layer which traps the VpCI chemistry inside the bag
where it remains effective for long periods of time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0007] FIG. 1A depicts the 3-Ply lay-up utilized in the fabrication
of the invention where the outer ply is a flexible packaging
material that provides barrier properties; the center ply is a
material that provides cushioning and additional puncture
resistance and the inner ply which provides anti-corrosion
protection through the use of VpCI chemistry.
[0008] FIG. 1B depicts the invention as it would be configured if
intended for use in the preservation of an M16 rifle. The hook
& loop assembly (Velcro) at the opening demonstrates the
re-closable feature of the invention. The serial number viewing
widow is shown; as are the "factory applied" heat sealed edges
which form the pre-made re-closable package.
[0009] FIG. 2A depicts how the hook & loop assembly is sewn
onto a strip of heat-sealable material leaving enough space on each
side of either the hook or loop to seal the resultant flange to the
body of the bag.
[0010] FIG. 2B depicts how the hook and loop parts that have been
previously sewn onto a heat-sealable strip are positioned at the
opening of the bag. The loop strip is heat-sealed to the face of
the bag while the hook strip is heat-sealed to the lip extension of
the bag thereby allowing the lip to be folded over the face and
closure to occur.
[0011] FIG. 3A depicts a Single Panel Style bag blank which
demonstrates the shape that the three plies of material would be
cut in if the finished bag were to have one folded edge and the
remaining edges heat-sealed.
[0012] FIG. 3B depicts a Double Panel Style bag blanks which
demonstrates the shapes that the three plies of material would be
cut in if the finished bag were to have all its edges heat-sealed.
(Note that depending upon the available widths of raw materials
available, either the Single Panel or Double Panel style can be
utilized).
[0013] FIG. 3C depicts a pictorial view of a typical Center Ply
material (in this case being flat sheet plastic netting). This
material was utilized as the Center Ply on the preservation bag
designed for M16 rifles. Other materials such as PE foam or air-cap
could be substituted for the plastic netting in bags designed to
protect other assets.
[0014] FIG. 4 depicts the M16 Long Term Storage/Preservation Bag
that was designed in response to the inquiry from the Marine Corps.
It shows the Velcro closure in place at the bag opening and
provides dimensions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] This invention is a pre-made, re-closable, barrier
providing, anti-corrosion protective bag which may, or may not,
have a clear viewing port(s) or window(s) installed into the bag
wall(s) (see FIG. 1B). The bag shall be of a 3-ply construction
utilizing three separate materials that each individually provides
certain performance aspects which collectively produce an optimally
protective package for whatever metal bearing asset the bag is
configured for (see FIG. 1A). Both the outer and inner plies of
material must be heat-sealable to one another while the center ply
may, or may not be.
[0016] The outer ply is to be a flexible packaging material that
provides barrier properties that are equal to or greater than those
specified in MIL-PRF-131 J. Typically a film/foil/poly lamination
would be utilized, however; any heat-sealable flexible material
that exhibits barrier capacity as noted above may be utilized as
the outer ply. Examples of possible substitute materials for the
tri-laminate would include but not be limited to metalized films
and laminations, coated films, co-extruded films, ceramic
impregnated films etc.
[0017] The center ply serves the purpose of cushioning the enclosed
asset and enhancing the over-all puncture resistance of the bag.
The material utilized is referred to as "flat sheet plastic
netting" and is manufactured from Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
that is produced in a configuration having crisscrossing strands
that measure 0.07 inches in thickness (+/-0.01") and that occur at
four strands per inch (see FIG. 3C). Alternative flexible or
semi-rigid materials could be substituted for the netting which
include but are not limited to polyethylene or urethane foam,
bubble pack, air-cap, HDPE netting, woven or non-woven materials
etc. Choice of material to be utilized for the center ply is based
upon the size and shape of the asset to be protected as well as the
conditions of the project application (such as amount of handling
after packaging, use or non-use of additional outer packaging such
as cartons or cases, etc.).
[0018] The inner ply (weapon/asset contact ply) is produced by
Cortec Corporation of St. Paul, Minn. It is referred to as Cortec.
VpCI.RTM.-126 Film. It is a 0.004" thick (4 mil) Vapor Phase
Corrosion Inhibiting polyethylene film. This film (or any film that
contains VpCI, or VCI chemistry as part of its make-up; either in
coating form or impregnated within the film) must be utilized as
the inner ply. A VCI is a volatile corrosive gas inhibitor. VpCI
refers to those inhibitors that, migrate out of a carrier substrate
(such as polyethylene film) and form a gaseous vapor from which the
VCI molecules are attracted to and adsorb onto metal surfaces. This
is known as Vapor Phase corrosion protection. The inner ply of the
bag comprising this invention is made from either VpCI film or VCI
film. VCI molecules make their way from the inner ply into the
interior of the bag and surround the weapon or other asset that is
enclosed. The molecules then attach to all metal surfaces forming a
microscopic coating over the entire metal surface area which
prevents oxygen, moisture and other contaminants present in the
environment from making contact with the metal which thereby
prevents the occurrence of rust or corrosion. The interrelationship
of all three plies working collectively to provide the optimum
level of protection is described thusly; the barrier properties of
the outer ply keep the corrosion preventive molecules from the
inner ply trapped inside the package while the center ply provides
cushioning properties all of which result in an effective method of
long term preservation. In severe environmental conditions the VCI
protection provided by the inner ply can be supplemented through
the introduction of additional VCI emitting devices/materials into
the bag at the time that the weapon/asset is packaged. An emitter
will provide even more VCI molecules to the package thereby
extending preservation effectiveness.
[0019] In the three-ply lay-up; all three plies of material are
die-cut to shapes that are conducive to packaging any given weapon
or asset. (Note that the materials could also be template-cut,
laser-cut, or manually cut as well). During the cutting process a
series of small holes are punched around the perimeter of the inner
ply (i.e. a 0.125" diameter hole, positioned 1" in from any given
edge and spaced every three inches apart), to prevent air from
being trapped between it and the outer ply and thereby creating a
ballooning effect. If the window option is utilized all three plies
of material also have a hole cut in them to accommodate the window.
The holes are to be situated concentric to one another and in a
location in the bag wall that is coincident with the location of
the serial number on the packaged weapon/asset. To fasten the three
plies together; first the center ply is heat-sealed to the inner
ply around their respective perimeters. Then, the outer ply is
aligned with the other two and heat-sealed around the perimeters.
Sealing the three plies together in this fashion creates a panel
which has the center ply "sandwiched" between the outer and inner
plies.
[0020] The invention can be fabricated using two different methods.
The first involves the utilization of just one three-ply panel (see
FIG. 3A). Once a panel has been constructed it is folded in half
along its centerline such that inner ply faces inward and makes
contact with itself. All of the un-folded edges are then
heat-sealed except for one which is left as the bag opening. The
second method involves the utilization of two separate three-ply
panels (see FIG. 3B). Each of the two separate panels is to be of
the same shape and dimensions as the other except that one panel
shall have a lip extension on the edge which is to be left as the
bag opening. The two panels are placed in alignment with the inner
plies facing each-other. All edges are then heat-sealed together
except for those which will form the bag opening.
[0021] The serial number viewing window may, or may not be
installed, depending upon the application. If utilized; the window
material is cut in an identical shape to the hole(s) in the bag
wall(s). The dimensions of the cut-out window material are to be
greater (i.e. 0.25"-0.625") than those of the hole(s). The window
material, with its sealant layer facing the bag wall inner ply, is
heat-sealed (in concentric registration) to the bag wall such that
the hole(s) is/are completely covered and no gaps occur between the
window material and the bag wall. The window shall be constructed
from a clear flexible material that remains clear regardless of
environmental conditions, has a polyethylene based sealant layer
and is capable of minimizing the permeation of moisture vapor,
oxygen and other contaminants through its surface into the bag
interior. Typical materials to be utilized as additional layers of
the window material include but are not limited to: nylon,
polyester, EVOH, PVDC, aluminum oxide etc.
[0022] The bag opening shall be fitted with a closure system that
allows for multiple opening and closing cycles. This "re-closable"
feature shall be achieved primarily through the use of a hook &
loop assembly. First both the hook and the loop are cut to the
exact same length dimension as that of the bag opening.
Additionally; one strip of a heavy duty, heat-sealable flexible
material for both the hook and loop pieces is cut such that its
length dimension is the same as that of the hook or loop piece and
its width dimension exceeds that of the hook or loop piece by
0.75". The hook & loop pieces are then sewn onto the
heat-sealable strips such that the ends of each are matched and the
hook and loop pieces are centered on the heat-sealable strips
(which leaves a 0.375" wide heat-seal flange area on each side of
the hook and loop pieces) (see FIG. 2A). After sewing has taken
place; the hook assembly is heat-sealed to the inner ply of the bag
wall lip extension area at the opening. The face of the
heat-sealable strip on which the hook is sewn must contact the
inner ply of the bag wall and leave the hook material facing
upwards. The loop/heat-sealable strip assembly is heat-sealed to
the outer ply of the bag wall, immediately adjacent to and parallel
with the edge of the bag opening and in alignment with the lip.
Again; the face of the heat-sealable strip onto which the loop is
sewn must make contact with the outer ply of the bag wall and leave
the loop material facing upwards. Once the bag is finished being
fabricated, the lip; with the hook assembly attached, is folded
down onto the loop assembly which is heat-sealed to the bag face,
in order to complete closure of the bag (see FIG. 2B). Note that
depending upon applications and the environmental conditions that
effect each varying application, alternative methods of closure may
be utilized. Those alternatives include, but are not limited to:
zippers, pressure sensitive adhesives, mechanical snaps,
draw-string, magnets and etc.
[0023] The re-closable, long-term, storage/preservation bags can be
fabricated in an un-limited number of shapes and sizes (see FIG. 4
for an example of a bag designed for the preservation of M16
rifles). Simple rectangles, compound contours, multi-angled or even
circular configurations can be produced. The bags can be either two
or three dimensional and utilize any one of the numerous closure
methods as described above. Regardless of the choice(s) of
materials to be utilized as the outer and center plies; the inner
ply shall always be some form of VCI coated or impregnated
heat-sealable film. The concept of the invention relies upon each
of the three plies of the bag wall to perform as described above
and collectively create an "inner atmosphere" within the bag that
is rich in VCI molecular activity that is prevented from escape
from the bag by the outer ply and thereby maintains a
corrosion-preventive environment within the bag for extended
periods of time.
[0024] This invention offers significant improvement over previous
methods of asset preservation. Time to pack-out assets and amount
of personnel training required are both reduced significantly. The
previous method required an individual skilled in the use and
handling of MIL-PRF-131J materials and heat-sealing equipment. Use
of this invention requires the packaging laborer only to view a
sixty second demonstration of how to load the asset into a pre-made
bag, effect the closure and place the packaged asset into its
storage location. The previous method of packaging took roughly
twenty minutes per weapon, where use of this invention results in a
pack-out time of less than sixty seconds per weapon. Another
improvement that my invention offers over the previous packaging
method is the ability to visually verify the serial number of the
enclosed weapon without opening the package; thereby eliminating
the time consuming and costly task of re-packaging after number
verification. The re-closability feature of my invention also
offers significant improvement over the previous method with regard
to time and expense saved after periodic weapon inspection.
Previously a package would need to be cut open to remove the weapon
and then re-worked after inspection took place. This invention
allows simplified removal and replacement into the same package
through the re-closable opening.
DRAWINGS
[0025] There are four pages of drawings included herewith with
views described above.
SEQUENCE LISTING
[0026] Not applicable.
* * * * *