U.S. patent number RE33,264 [Application Number 07/369,459] was granted by the patent office on 1990-07-17 for bag pack.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sonoco Products Company. Invention is credited to William H. Baxley, Marion H. Weatherford, Harry B. Wilfong, Jr., Floyd B. Williams.
United States Patent |
RE33,264 |
Baxley , et al. |
July 17, 1990 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Bag pack
Abstract
A bag pack formed of multiple stacked handle bags having aligned
mounting apertures defined through the handles thereof for
reception of mounting rods therethrough. The apertures are formed
by partially severed flaps which are in turn bonded together to
maintain aperture alignment. The flaps are integral with the bags
along minor easily severed areas for a freeing of the bags upon a
severance of the flaps simultaneous with or subsequent to reception
of the mounting rods through the apertures.
Inventors: |
Baxley; William H. (Hartsville,
SC), Weatherford; Marion H. (Hartsville, SC), Wilfong,
Jr.; Harry B. (Hartsville, SC), Williams; Floyd B.
(Hartsville, SC) |
Assignee: |
Sonoco Products Company
(Hartsville, SC)
|
Family
ID: |
27004591 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/369,459 |
Filed: |
June 21, 1989 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
853589 |
Apr 18, 1986 |
04676378 |
Jun 30, 1987 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/554; 206/806;
383/9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
33/001 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
33/00 (20060101); B65D 001/34 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/554,806 ;383/9 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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7946582 |
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Jan 1982 |
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AU |
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2803961 |
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Jan 1978 |
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DE |
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1486210 |
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May 1967 |
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FR |
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Primary Examiner: Moy; Joseph Man-Fu
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bell, Seltzer, Park &
Gibson
Claims
We claim:
1. A bag pack mountable on laterally spaced support rods of a
support rack and comprising multiple stacked handle bags, each
handle bag comprising front and rear bag walls defining an open
top, and a pair of laterally spaced handles projecting upwardly
from the open top of each bag, each handle including overlying
front and rear handle panels projecting upwardly respectively from
the front and rear bag walls; said multiple stacked bags being
positioned with the corresponding handles of the pair of handles of
each bag in stacked aligned overlying relation forming a pair of
handle stacks associated with said stacked bags, aligned mounting
apertures through the handles of each handle stack for simultaneous
reception of each handle stack on a corresponding support rod
receivable through the aligned apertures, bag retaining means on
said bags fixing said handles together in each said handle stack
for maintaining the apertures in alignment, said bag retaining
means comprising a flap within each aperture integral with the
corresponding bag at a minor area on the periphery of the aperture,
said minor area comprising a severance area and defining said
severable means, the flaps of the apertures in each handle stack
being fixedly secured to the adjacent flaps for retention of the
flaps in overlying aligned relation and said apertures in
alignment, said severable means defining a connection between the
retaining means and the bags for severance from the bags in
response to introduction of the support rods through the aligned
apertures and movement of the bags along the rods in supporting
relation to the rods.
2. The bag pack of claim 1 wherein the periphery of each aperture
includes an upper bearing area which directly receives and engages
against a support rod upon the suspension of a bag therefrom, said
severance area being generally directly opposed to said bearing
area.
3. The bag pack of claim 2 wherein said severance area is
positioned inward of the major periphery of the corresponding
aperture.
4. The bag pack of claim 3 wherein each flap, and hence the
periphery of the corresponding aperture, is defined by a circular
cut line having the opposite ends generally inwardly directed
toward the center of the defined circle and in closely spaced
lateral relation to each other with the severance area defined
therebetween.
5. The bag pack of claim 4 including minor areas of releasable
adhesive bonding between the overlying rear wall of each bag in the
stack and the front wall of the bag immediately therebehind.
6. The bag back of claim 5 including detachable tab means
projecting upwardly from the defined open top of each bag between
the laterally spaced handles, said tab means including a mounting
aperture defined therethrough for central support of the pack from
a rack in conjunction with the handle support by rack support rods,
and a readily severable area integrally joining each tab means of
the associated bag.
7. The bag back of claim 1 including detachable tab means
projecting upwardly from the defined open top of each bag between
the laterally spaced handles, said tab means including a mounting
aperture defined therethrough for central support of the pack from
a rack in conjunction with the handle support by rack support rods,
and a readily severable area integrally joining each tab means to
the associated bag.
8. A bag pack mountable on laterally spaced support rods and
comprising multiple stacked handle bags, each handle bag comprising
front and rear bag walls defining an open top, and a pair of
laterally spaced handles projecting upward from the open top of
each bag, each handle including overlying front and rear handle
panels projecting upwardly from the front and rear bag walls
respectively, said multiple stacked bags being positioned with the
corresponding handles of the pair of handles of each bag in stacked
aligned overlying relation forming a pair of handle stacks
associated with said stacked bags, aligned mounting apertures
through the handles of each handle stack for simultaneous reception
of each handle stack on a corresponding support rod receivable
through the aligned apertures, each mounting aperture being formed
by a cut line through the corresponding handle, said cut line
having an intermediate portion and opposed end portions, said end
portions being generally arcuately turned inward toward each other
and said intermediate portion, said end portions terminating in
spaced relation to each other to define an unsevered portion
therebetween, said cut line defining a flap in the aperture formed
by said cut line, said flap being selectively displaced away from
said aperture upon introduction of a support rod therethrough, and
means for fixedly securing the flaps of the aligned apertures of
each handle stack together for a retention of said apertures in
alignment prior to engagement of a support rod therethrough.
9. The bag pack of claim 8 wherein said cut line is substantially
circular.
10. The bag pack of claim 8 wherein adjoining flaps in each handle
stack are heat bonded together.
11. The bag back of claim 10 including a releasable adhesive
joinder between the facing walls of adjacent bags of said multiple
stacked bags.
12. The bag pack of 8 including detachable tab means projecting
upwardly from the defined open top of each bag between the
laterally spaced handles, said tab means including a mounting
aperture defined therethrough, and a readily severable area
integrally joining each tab means to the associated bag.
13. The bag pack of claim 8 including an integral laterally
directed tab formed on each bag handle planar therewith and
projecting inwardly toward the second of the pair of handles, each
tab having one of said flap-defined apertures therethrough.
14. A bag dispensing system comprising a bag pack of multiple
stacked handle bags, and a rack for mounting said bag pack and
loading and individually removing bags from said bag pack; said
rack comprising a pair of laterally spaced elongate support rods
having leading ends; said bag pack comprising multiple stacked
handle bags, each handle bag comprising a pair of laterally spaced
upwardly projecting handles, said multiple stacked bags being
positioned with the corresponding handles of the pair of handles of
each bag in stacked aligned overlying relation forming a pair of
handle stacks aligned mounting apertures through the handles of
each handle stack for simultaneous reception of each handle stack
over a corresponding one of said support rods receivable through
the aligned apertures, each said aperture being defined by a flap
partially severed from the associated bag handle, and means bonding
each of said flaps to the adjoining flaps of the aligned apertures
of each handle stack, said flaps being removed from said apertures
upon introduction of a support rod through the aligned apertures of
each handle stack.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein each handle bag comprises front
and rear bag walls defining an open top, said handles projecting
upwardly from said open top and including overlying front and rear
handle panels defining extensions of said front and rear bag walls
respectively, the front and rear handle panels of each handle being
joined at the upper ends thereof remote from said bag mouth, the
aperture through each bag handle being defined through the
corresponding front and rear handle panels.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein a releasable bonding means in
provided between each bag and the adjoining bags of said multiple
stacked bags, said releasable bonding means being provided between
the walls of said bags below the mouth thereof.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein said rack includes hook means
between said support rods and inward of said leading ends, and
detachable tab means projecting upwardly from the defined open top
of each bag between the laterally spaced handles, said tab means
including a mounting aperture defined therethrough for engagement
of the rack hook means therethrough in conjunction with the handle
engagement with the rack support rods, and a readily severable area
integrally joining each tab means to the associated bag.
18. A bag pack mountable on support rod means and comprising
multiple stacked bags, each bag of the stacked bags comprising
front and rear bag walls defining an open top, aligned mounting
apertures through the stacked bags for simultaneous reception of
the stacked bags on support rod means receivable through the
aligned apertures, each mounting aperture being formed by a cut
line through the corresponding bag, said cut line having an
intermediate portion and opposed end portions, said end portions
being generally inwardly turned toward each other and said
intermediate portion, said end portions terminating in spaced
relation to each other to define an unsevered portion therebetween,
said cut line defining a flap in the aperture formed by said cut
line, said flap being selectively displaced away from said aperture
upon introduction of support rod means therethrough, and means for
fixedly securing the flaps of the aligned apertures of the stacked
bags together for a retention of said apertures in alignment prior
to engagement of support rod means therethrough.
19. The bag pack of claim 18 wherein adjoining flaps are heat
bonded together.
20. The bag pack of 18 including detachable tab means projecting
upwardly from the defined open top of each bag between the
laterally spaced handles, said tab means including a mounting
aperture defined therethrough, and a readily severable area
integrally joining each tab means to the associated bag. .Iadd.
21. A system for mounting a pack of thermoplastic grocery bags of
the T-shirt type on a rack, for supporting consecutive bags from
said pack on said rack in an open loading position and for
facilitating easy removal of the consecutive loaded bags from said
rack; said system comprising;
a bag pack comprising a plurality of stacked T-shirt type bags
secured together, each of said bags comprising
front and rear wall portions integrally connected at sides thereof
and secured together at the bottom thereof and defining an open top
mouth portion,
laterally spaced handles integral with said wall portions and
extending upwardly from opposed sides of said mouth portion,
a support rod receiving aperture formed through an intermediate
portion of each of said handles,
a detachable mounting tab extending upwardly from each of said
front and rear wall portions at a central area of said mouth
portion,
a mounting aperture in each of said detachable mounting tabs,
and
means bonding said tabs together for maintaining said bags together
in said pack; and
a rack comprising
a generally horizontal base,
generally vertical frame members mounted on and extending from one
side of said base,
two laterally spaced generally horizontal support rod means having
free outer ends and carried by and extending outwardly from the
upper portion of said vertical frame members (1) for slidably
receiving said apertures in said bag handles of said pack, (2) for
supporting consecutive ones of said bags in an open loading
position as said bags are consecutively removed from said pack and
slid along said support rods and (3) for facilitating removal of
loaded bags by sliding said handles off said support rods at said
free outer ends, and
retaining means carried by the upper portion of said vertical frame
members between said support rod means and extending outwardly
therefrom a distance less than the extension of said support rod
means (1) for receiving said apertures in said detachable mounting
tabs, (2) for cooperating with said support rod means to mount said
bag pack on said rack and (3) for allowing consecutive detachment
of said front and rear wall portions of said bags from said
mounting tabs as said bags are slid outwardly along said support
rod means into the open loading position by retaining said mounting
tabs on said retaining means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.
22. A system, as set forth in claim 21, in which each of said bags
in said pack further includes a tab portion integrally connected to
each of said handles at an intermediate portion thereof and
extending generally inwardly from the inner edges of said handles,
and in which said support rod receiving aperture of each of said
handles of each of said bags is formed in said respective tab
portion to preserve maximum strength in said handles. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.23. A system, as set forth in claim 21 or 22, in which said
bag pack further includes disengagable adhesive means connecting
each said rear wall portion to each said front wall below said
mouth portion of each consecutive bag in said bag pack to
facilitate consecutive opening of each of said bags as a loaded bag
is removed from said rack. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention here is generally concerned with thermoplastic
shopping bags and the like, and more particularly packs of such
bags interrelated in a manner which enables the simultaneous
mounting of multiple bags, as a unit, on a rack with the bags, in
turn, being individually opened and loaded while on the rack, and
subsequently removed therefrom.
Bags of the general type involved herein are frequently formed from
flattened tube portions selectively severed from a length of tubing
of appropriate material and subsequently heat sealed along the
lower and upper edges thereof. An appropriate mouth-defining
U-shaped cutout is normally made through the sealed upper edge,
this cutout simultaneously defining both the upper mouth of the bag
and a pair of laterally spaced handles. Such bags can be formed
both with or without side gussets.
In has become increasingly common to provide such bags in packs for
suspension on racks with the individual bags separately dispensed
therefrom. Pursuant thereto, the pack bags have typically included
apertured tear-off tabs with the rack support element received
through the apertured tabs and with the entire tab being severed
from the bag as the bag is removed from the rack for loading.
Examples of bag packs of this type will be noted in the following
patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,750, Dancy,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,090, Pilon.
In each of these patents, the forming of the mounting aperture
simultaneously effects a heat sealing of the bags together. This in
turn requires a severing of the bag from the tabs, and hence
releasing the bag from the rack, as a precondition to opening the
bag for loading.
Typical examples of multiple bags mounted on and dispensed from
racks will be seen in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,591-Rosen,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,733-Walitalo,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,734-Walitalo.
In each of the above, the bags include one or more aperture which
receive a rod-like member therethrough.
Typical examples of multiple bags releasably adhesively bonded to
each other in a pack will be seen in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,493-Vogt,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,302-Farrelly et al.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Bags of the present invention are what are commonly referred to as
T-shirt or handle bags, normally formed of a thin, highly flexible
thermoplastic material.
It is a primary intention of the invention to provide such bags in
multiple-bag packs wherein the bags are fixedly positioned relative
to each other for mounting as a unit on a combined holding, loading
and dispensing rack. In conjunction therewith, it is proposed that
the bags of the bag pack be so formed as to receive support rods
through the upstanding handles of the bags, both within the pack
itself and as the bags are individually drawn therefrom and
loaded.
In addition to the mounting of the bag pack at the mounting tabs as
in Pilon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,090, provision is also made for a
direct engagement and continued support of the individual bags on
the rack for a filling of the bag after the individual bags are
drawn from the packs. This basically involves defining of
rod-receiving apertures through the stacked handles. It is of
course essential that the apertures through the individual bags
maintain exact alignment for introduction onto the mounting rods as
a unit. This is inherently difficult primarily because of the
extremely thin highly flexible nature of the material of the bags,
particularly in the handle or handle portions thereof which is the
desired area of support for the bags both as the bags are dispensed
and during the filling of the bags.
In providing for bag handle alignment, or more particularly
mounting aperture alignment, the present invention proposed an
additional direct bonding of the bags to each other at the handle
apertures. However, as can be appreciated, such a bonding or
securing of the bags, while essential in maintaining the alignment
of the apertures for a mounting of the bag pack, must not interfere
with the removal of individual bags from the pack, and the related
spreading of the handles for access thereto as a means for
supporting the individual bag, both on the loading portion of the
rack and by the utlimate carrier of the bag.
To accommodate the apparently conflicting problems of positive
aperture alignment and free handle movement, the present invention
proposes the formation of the apertures by the cutting of
aperture-forming flaps from the handles, which flaps are retained
integral with the corresponding handles by only a minor area. These
minor areas are readily severable upon the application of a force
thereto generated, as an example, either by the rod being
introduced past the flaps and through the apertures, or by an
outward pulling of one bag relative to another. In order to provide
for the desired releasable securing of the bags with the handle
apertures aligned, the flaps themselves are joined, preferably by
heat bonding. Thus, until such time as the flaps are severed from
the bags, the apertures are in fixed alignment with each other.
Inasmuch as the apertures which are to receive the support rods are
to include an area of severance about the periphery thereof, it is
particularly desirable that this area of severance not propagate a
tear in the material when the aperture is subjected to stress from
the support rod under bag-loading conditions. Accordingly, as the
rod will naturally engage the upper periphery of the aperture the
area of severance will be defined at the diammetrically opposed
lower portion of the aperture periphery, the area of least stress.
Further, the manner in which the apertures and flaps are formed
provides for the area of severance inward of the circumference of
the freely cut or severed major periphery of the apertures. In
other words, the ends of each aperture cut line, which follows a
circular path, terminate in inwardly curled spaced relation to each
other whereby any tendency for the cut line to tear at the ends
thereof will result in an inward tearing into the flap itself as
opposed to into the bag or through the periphery of the aperture.
Further, upon a severance of the individual flaps between the
closely spaced ends of the cut line, the resultant material will
comprise a small inwardly extended loose unstressed lip of
material.
As a variation to the provision of the apertures directly through
the bag handles, should it be desirable to maintain the handle
integrity in order to preserve the maximum strength thereof while
at the same time providing the desired support of the bags at the
handles, the handles may be provided with inwardly directed
integral tabs which constitute a permanent extension of the bag
handles. These tabs in turn will have the aforedescribed
flap-defined apertures therethrough.
The invention also contemplates a unique interaction between the
individual bags of the pack as the bags are sequentially drawn from
the rack-mounted pack, first for loading and subsequently for a
removal from the rack for transportation. Basically, a readily
severable adhesive engagement between the rear or inner face of
each bag and the forward face of the big inwardly or immediately
rearward thereof enables a forward drawing of a bag and a spreading
of the wall thereof into the loading position as a previously
loaded bag is removed from the rack. The rack itself is so
configured so as to allow for a substantially automatic
disengagement of the loaded bag from the subsequent bag as the
subsequent bag reaches the loading position in a fully opened
handle supported orientation.
It will be appreciated that the central mounting tabs, in addition
to providing a support for the intermediate section of the pack,
also facilitate an opening of the mouth of the individual bags as
they are sequentially moved into loading or filling position.
Basically, each bag tab includes front and rear panels which are,
respectively, extensions of the front and rear bag walls. Thus, as
the front wall of a bag is drawn forward, it will sever from the
associated tab panel while the corresponding rear wall is retained
by its tab panel, resulting in a complete opening of the bag mouth.
The rear wall will, in turn, sever from its tab panel during
loading or filling of the bag. Alternatively, removal of the loaded
bag will readily sever the rear wall of the bag from its tab
panel.
Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the
details of construction and manner of use as more fully hereinafter
described and claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a bag pack formed in accord
with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a rack-mounted bag pack with
selected bags drawn forwardly therefrom;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a bag handle with a flap-defined
mounting aperture therein;
FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view illustrating a bag pack
mounted on a rack with the handles engaged with the pair of
mounting rods and the tabs engaged with the central hook
element;
FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a variation of the bags and
pack wherein no central tab is provided;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional detail, in perspective, taken
substantially on a plane passing along line 6--6 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional detail similar to FIG. 6 illustrating
the severance of the flaps as the pack mounts on a rod;
FIG. 8 is a plan detail of a rod-mounted pack detailing the rod and
aperture relationship;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional detail similar to FIG. 7 illustrating a
variation wherein the flaps, rather than being severed upon the
introduction of the mounting rod, will sever upon the selected
dispensing of the individual bags from the pack;
FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view illustrating a bag forwardly
drawn from the pack and maintained on a support rod in its loading
position; and
FIG. 11 is a partial perspective detail of a variation with regard
to location of the flap-defined mounting apertures.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral
10 designates a bag pack formed, in accord with the present
invention, of multiple individual bags 12.
The bags 12 are preferably of a lightweight, highly flexible and
strong thermoplastic material, and are conventionally fabricated
from a continuous plastic tube gusseted, flattened and heat sealed
at opposed upper and lower ends. The mouth 14 of the bag 12 is
formed by a cutout inwardly and centrally through the upper portion
of the bag. This cutout defines a central mounting tab 15 and a
pair of laterally spaced upwardly extending handles 16 formed of
upwardly extending portions of the front and rear panels 18 and 20
of the bag 12 respectively as well as similarly upwardly extending
portions of the side gussets 22. A cutline or slit 23, formed
between the tab 15 and bag 12 provides, in a known manner, reduced
force severable joinder areas for a ready severance of the bag from
the tab. The multiple individual bags are in turn maintained in the
pack 10 by a direct heat bonding of the tabs together. Such bag
construction, as thus far described, is generally known in the art
as will be appreciated from Pilon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,090.
It is a principal purpose of the invention to provide for the
mounting of a pack 10 of the bags 12 on a support rack 24 for both
the selective dispensing of the individual bags 12 and the support
and suspension of the individual bags by the handles and with the
open mouth upwardly directed for a loading of the bag. The rack 24
will basically consist of a flat base or support panel 26 and a
pair of laterally spaced supporting arms 28 positioned vertically
above the base panel 26 a distance sufficient to accommodate a
fully expanded bag with the handles 16 engaged with support arms 28
and the bottom of the bag on the panel 26. A transverse member 29,
extending between the support arms 28, will support a tab receiving
hook element 30 for engagement through the tab apertures 31 as
illustrated. The support arms 28 and transverse member 29 may be
rigid with a vertical member which in turn has the lower end
thereof appropriately rigidly affixed to the panel 26 toward the
rear thereof. The bag pack 10 will normally be accommodated
generally rearward on the rack 24 toward the upright, or vertical
member, allowing for the forward extent of the support panel 26 and
overlying support rods 28 to accommodate an opened bag for loading
purposes. The rack 24 will also normally include upturned forward
ends 32 on the laterally spaced horizontal support rods 28, for
purposes which will be described subsequently.
As will be appreciated for FIGS. 2 and 4, it is specifically
intended that the bag pack 10 be suspended from the support rods 28
by handles 16 in a manner whereby each individual bag 12, as it is
moved forward from the pack 10, is retained in an upright open
position, also by the handle engaged support rods 28, for a loading
thereof prior to removal from the rack 24 and normally prior to a
complete disengagement of the bag from the remainder of the pack.
Accordingly, specific provision is made, in the present invention,
for the engagement of the handles 16 with the support rods 28.
The engagement of the bag handles 16 is achieved by the provision
of rod receiving aperture 34, one through each bag handle 16, at a
central point slightly below mid-height thereof. However, in order
for the bags to be loaded on the support arms 28 as a pack, it is
essential that the formed mounting holes or apertures 34 be
maintained in alignment. In order to achieve this alignment, each
of the apertures is defined by a flap 36 severed from the
corresponding handle 16 along a substantially circular cut line 38
which terminates in a pair of inwardly and upwardly curled ends 40
in close laterally spaced relation to each other at the bottom of
the aperture 34, that is that portion of the aperture 34 directed
to the bottom of the bag 12. These laterally spaced ends 40 define
an integral joinder area 42 between the flap 36 and the bag handle
16 with this joinder are 42 being in the nature of a readily
severable portion capable of being easily torn upon the
introduction of a force thereto.
It is particularly significant that the ends 40 of the cut 38 be
inwardly directed in that any tendency for these ends to propagate
a tearing beyond the length thereof will result in an inward
tearing into the flap itself, rather than a disruption of the bag,
or more particularly the bag handle as might affect its carrying
capability. Further, inasmuch as the flap 36 is to ultimately be
severed between the ends 40, it is particularly desirable that this
area of severance be slightly inward of the periphery of the
aperture as defined by the major circular portion of the cut 38,
again to effectively prevent any tendency for the tear area to
propagate a tearing of the handle beyond the small severance area
or portion. In conjunction therewith, it will also be appreciated
that the area of severance, located at the bottom of the rod
receiving aperture 34, is at the point of least stress upon a
suspension of the bag from the rods 28 in that the rods 28 will
engage the upper periphery of the apertures 34, centrally within
the area of the smooth circular cut 38.
Incidentally, as should be readily apparent, reference to an
aperture or hole 34 through a corresponding handle 16, in
conjunction with the aperature defining flap 36, actually entails a
forming of flaps and apertures through all layers of the
corresponding handle 16, including the handle extensions of the
front and rear bag panels and the extensions of the interposed side
gusset 22.
As a practical expedient, the partially severed flaps 36, and
apertures 34 defined thereby, will normally be cut through the
stacked handles after an assembly of multiple bags in a pack.
Either prior to or simultaneously with the forming of the cut line
38 through the stacked bag handles, the flaps 36, or those areas
which are to define the flaps 36, are bonded together throughout
the full stack, including the multiple layers thereof. This may be
effected by the use of a heated pin or rod extended centrally
through the flaps 36 to directly heat seal the flaps together as
indicated by the flap traversing central bore 44.
The heat bonding of the flap 36 together, in both stacks of handles
16, bonds the bags of the bag pack together in a manner whereby the
mounting apertures 34 are fixed in alignment for a simplified and
expedient mounting of the handles on the support rods 28 of the
rack 24. One need merely grasp the two handle stacks of each bag
pack and slide the handles over the support rods 28 with the rods
28 moving easily through the aligned apertures 34. As the pack is
moved to the rear of the rack, the bonded together tabs 15 are in
turn engaged with the hook element 30.
Noting FIG. 6, it is contemplated that as the bags move onto the
support rods 28, the rods will sever the aligning flaps 36 which,
in the mounted bags, are no longer necessary. The actual severing
of the flaps will take place at the severance point 42 of the
individual flaps which, as previously described, is so located as
to be in the area of least stress to both preclude tear propagation
and maintain structural integrity. As suggested in FIG. 8, should
the introduction of the rods 28 not effect a complete severing of
the flaps 36, the flap 36 will be folded downward with the actual
severing thereof, and hence the releasing of the individual bags,
being effected during the movement of the individual bags,
forwardly to the loading position. In other words, a slight forward
pulling on the leading bag, and particularly the forward portions
of the handles thereof, will readily sever the flaps at the
severance areas 42 if such a severance has not in fact occurred
upon the initial introduction of the rods 28.
In order to facilitate an automatic following and opening of the
bags during the loading operation, the rear panel 20 of each bag
12, centrally thereof and in slightly spaced relation below the bag
mouth 14, is provided with a minor area of readily disengageable
adhesive 46 which adhesively bonds to the forward panel 18 of a
following or underlying bag 12. Noting FIG. 2 in particular, after
the loading of a first bag 12, the handles 16 thereof are grasped
and the bag moved off of the upturned ends 32 of the support arms
28. This results in a simultaneous forward drawing, through the
adhesively bonded area 46, of the front wall of a following bag.
The front wall will sever from its tab panel and forward progress
of the following bag will be resisted by the leading portion of the
handles engaging the upturned ends 32 on the support arms 28. This
reaction is greater than the bonding force of the adhesive 46
whereby the adhesive bonding between the loading bag and the
following bag is severed, leaving the following bag in an open
upwardly directed position for loading. As will be appreciated, the
adhesive bonding need only be sufficient to sever the following
front wall from its tab panel and move the extremely lightweight
flexible bag. Inasmuch as there is no adhesive between the front
and rear walls or panels of the single bags, the following bag will
open as the rear wall thereof is retained by the adhesive bonding
to the front wall of the bag therebehind.
Noting FIG. 10, as a variation, the flap-formed handle mounting
apertures can be defined through tabs 48 integrally formed on the
inner vertical edges of the handles 16, the flaps and apertures
formed in the tabs 48 duplicating the flaps and apertures 36 and 34
previously described. The particular advantage in such an
arrangement is that the actual integrity of the handle 16 need not
be violated. The tabs 48, as an integral portion of the
corresponding handles 16, remain therewith after a severance of the
flaps.
The preferred flap and aperture configuration has been illustrated
and described in detail, however, other configurations are possible
within the scope of the invention. In each instance, the
aperture-defining cut lines are to so configured whereby any
tendency for the bag to tear beyond the cut lines will be inwardly
directed toward the removable flap and will not affect the
integrity of the handle. Similarly, the severance point or area
should also not affect bag integrity, and thus should be located in
the area of minimum stress and within what might be considered the
periphery of the flap itself. The flaps, regardless of their
particular configuration, will be bonded together to define the
temporary means for aligning the apertures and stabilizing the
stacked bag handles for simultaneous mounting on the support rods
28 of an appropriate rack 24. Noting FIG. 5, while the bags have
been presented and detailed above as including central mounting
tabs, a variation wherein the bags are formed without these tabs is
also contemplated. In such a case, the bags 12 will be mounted, as
a pack 10, only on the support arms 28 received through the bag
handle apertures 34. The manner of moving the individual bags to a
loading position will remain substantially the same as above
described, with the leading bag opening the immediately following
bag by means of the adhesively bonded area 46.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the unique
aperture-defining flaps, which function as a means to align and
interengage the handles of the individual bags of a bag pack,
provide for a mounting of the pack as a unit with the individual
bags, simultaneously with the mounting thereof, being sufficiently
disengaged from the remainder of the bags in the pack to enable a
sequential forward drawing of the bags, while maintaining the full
support thereof, to an open loading position. There is no necessity
for removal of the individual bags from the support arms or rack
for a loading thereof. Further, the bags, notwithstanding the thin
and highly flexible nature of the material thereof, are readily
handable as a pack:
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