US3077262A - Novel container - Google Patents

Description

Feb 1963 M. GASTE 3,077,262

NOVEL CONTAINER Filed March 22, 1961 INVENTOR MICHAEL GASTE W ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,977,262 NQVEL MENTAINE:

Michael Gaste, llicheyviile, Pih, assignor to Poly-fill, Inc, Richeyviiie, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 97,567 4 Claims. (Cl. Edd-47} This invention relates to a novel container for a twocomponent, curable composition and more particularly to a novel container for holding a curable composition and a curing catalyst, in separate, non-communicating parts of said container and to containers filled with such curable compositions and curing catalysts.

Heretofore, many attempts have been made to package two-component systems of curable compositions wherein both components must be separated until just prior to mixing and use. There are many two package combinations presently known in the art where the two components are separately packaged and, just prior to use, are mixed together in a third container. Such combinations are unwieldly and difficult to handle because of the necessity of accurately measuring each component prior to mixing, of providing a third container for mixing and of, providing a mixing tool or stirrer. Also, after sufficiently mixing the components, it is sometimes difficult to transfer the mixture onto the site of application.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel container which will enclose two materials separated in different compartments and which will permit intermixing of said materials without the need for a third mixing receptacle or a mixing tool.

it is a further object to provide such a container wherein after the mixing of said materials the resulting mixture can be easily applied directly onto the site of application.

A further object is the provision of a package having two or more compartments each containing a material separated from a material in any other compartment and means for permitting the intermixing of, said materials within said package at a predetermined subsequent time.

The novel container of the present invention comprises at least two normally communicating compartments which are separated by doubling folds of said container which folds are retained by a releasable retaining means. More specifically, the novel container comprises a bag of substantially liquid-impervious material and having a bottom at one end and a mouth at the other end. The bag is folded double or more at an intermediate point between the bottom and mouth thereof to form a closed compartment between the bottom and the doubling fold or folds and a closeable compartment between the doubling fold or folds and the mouth, which, of course, can be closed to form a second closed compartment. The doubling fold or folds are secured by a releasable retaining means, which preferably is separable from the bag, to maintain the two compartments non-communicative. At the time of use the retarding means is released and the doubling folds are unfolded, whereby the previously separated compartments become communicative. The material in each compartment can then be squeezed into the material of another compartment and mixed by kneading the entire ba The bag is preferably constructed of a heat-sealable, liquid impervious material, e.g., polyvinylchloride iilrn, polyester film and the like, and, of course must be inert with regard to the contained materials so as not to react with or catalyze a chemical reaction involving said materials.

The retaining means employed for retaining the compartment-separating, doubling folds can be of any suitable type which is releasable and also separable from the bag after release. One particularly superior retaining means is a length of deformable member which when bent will remain in its bent disposition. Such member can be entirely of the same deformable material, e.g., a wire, strip or band of, malleable metal, or the deformable material can be laminated with pa; er or plastic or other sheet material. A particularly advantageous deformable member comprises one length, or more than one length in parallel, of a malleable metal wire laminated with paper, cardboard or plastic sheets to provide a band having width and, thereby, ease of handling.

The novel containers of this invention are well-suited for packaging resin catalyst systems, such as, unsaturated polyester resin-peroxide catalyst systems; epoxy resinamine catalyst systems; or systems of polyester resin and/or epoxy resins with other types of catalysts there for, wherein the resin must be maintained separate from the catalyst until the time of use. The catalysts are available and useable herein in various forms, e.g. liquid, paste or solid. The paste form is preferred from the standpoint of ease of handling in loading and ease of mixing just prior to use.

in packaging such resin-catalyst systems in accordance with this invention, the resin preferably is first loaded into the bag in a measured amount. The doubling fold is then applied to the bag above the resin, e.g., by folding the portions of the bag above the resin on a length of deformable member. Generally, one fold is sutlicient, although more than one is preferred for insurance. An especially effective arrangement is to employ two lengths of deformable member parallel to and overlying each other with the bag in between. The length of deformable mem. her is larger than the width of. the bag and those portions of said length extending beyond the bag are doubled back over the bag after the fold has been made, thereby retaining said fold.

The fold or folds produced and retained as described above completely encloses the resin in the bag and forms the bottom of a second compartment for the catalyst which is then introduced in a measured amount. The mouth of the bag is then closed as by heat-sealing and the package is complete. A weakened tear line can be provided just below the heat-seal at the mouth so as to permit easy opening of the bag after mixing the contents. Such weakened tear lines and means for providing them are well-known and include minute perforations which permit easy tearing but prevent escape of contained material. 05 course, if desired, the catalyst can be added first and the resin last.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bag, as a component of the novel container, being filled partially, e.g., with a resin;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the application of a deformable member to the bag shown in FIG. I;

3 is a perspective view illustrating the doubling folds on the deformable member shown in PEG. 2, the retaining action of said member being shown, and the upper compartment formed by the doubling fold being filled, e.g., with a catalyst;

PEG. 4 is a perspective view 'llustrating the filled and sealed container of this invention;

Phil. 5 is a perspective view showing the novel filled and sealed container with the deformable member removed just prior to mixing, .55., by kneading;

MG. 6 is a perspective view showing the novel filled container shown in FIG. 5 being kneaded to mix the contents;

PEG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the novel container after the cont nts have been mixed and as it is being opened prior to application to the desired site;

MG. 3 is a cross-section on line 88 of FIG. 4 showing the folded bag and retaining means in detail; and

PEG. 9 is a similar cross-section of another type of folded bag showing the fold and retaining means in detail.

Referring to P16. 1, there is shown a bag 1 formed of a heat-scalable, liquid-impervious sheet material, folded and sealed along two margins 2 and 3 leaving an open mouth 4. Material 5, such as, a polyester resin, is being poured in a measured amount from a filling device 6 to partially fill the bag 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, a deformable member 7 comprising two deformable strips 8 and 9 stapled together with staples It) being disposed on bag 1 such that strip 3 is on one side and strip 9 is on the other side of said bag. As shown, each strip S or 9 comprises two laminated bands with a wire 11 of deformable, malleable metal enclosed between said bands. The length of strips 8 and 9 is greater than the width of bag 1. and extend beyond said bag to provide ears i2 and 13.

instead of preforming the deformable member 7 prior to disposing it on bag 1; as shown in FIG. 2 the strips 8 and 9 can be parallelly disposed on both sides of the bag 1 and then stapled together. Also, the deformable member 7, if desired, could comprise just one strip 8 or 9 folded on the bag 1 as will be described hereinafter.

In FIG. 3, the bag 1 has been folded around the deformable member 7 and the ears i2 and 13 have been folded back over the folds of said bag. This can be done by holding the deformable member 7 substantially stationary and rotating the bag 1 around said member as the axis of rotation or by holding said bag stationary and rotating said member about its longitudinal axis or by any combination of such steps of holding and rotating. The type of fold obtained by the relative rotation of the bag 1 and member 7 as above-described is best shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the lower portion of the bag 1 containing the resin is closed and a separate compartment 14 is formed in the upper portion of said bag.

Another way of providing the upper and lower compartments in bag 1 is to dispose the deformable member 7 on intermediate portions of said bag with strips 8 and 9 respectively on each side of said bag and then double a relatively narrow portion of the bag just above or just below said strips to form a doubling fold 19 followed by folding the doubling fold over said strips as best shown in FIG. 9. The ears 12 and 13 of member 7 are then folded over the doubling fold to hold it in place. If desired, the member 7 can comprise strip 9 only without strip 3; however, the resulting container is somewhat less stable and unfolding is more apt to occur. In the type of fold shown in FIG. 9, the two compartments are easily rendered communicative by strongly pulling the ends of the bag 1 to release and straighten the doubling fold 19.

As shown in FIG. 3 the compartment 14 is being loaded with a second material 15, e.g., curing catalyst, from a second filling device 16.

The open mouth 4- is then closed and heat-scaled to form a closure 17 as shown in FIG. 4. if desired, and it is usually preferred, a weakened tear line can be provided across the bag 1 just below the closure 17. The completed, filled, novel container as shown in FIG. 4 can be stored for months and even years, and can be subjected to severe handling and extreme abuse short of rupturing the plastic sheet from which the bag is made, without danger of the materials 5 and 15 intermingling.

When the time has come to mix the materials 5 and 15, the cars 12 and 13 of deformable member 7 are unfolded and bag 1 is unfolded from around said member which is then slipped ofi of said bag or otherwise removed. FIG. 5 illustrates the filled bag 1 just prior to kneading to mix the contained materials 5 and 15 and FIG. 6 shows the filled bag 1 being kneaded. FIG. 7 shows the filled bag 1 containing the mixed materials 18 and the top being torn off to permit removal of the mixed materials .18 on to the site of application.

What is claimed is:

1. A novel container for two or more separated materials, comprising, a closed bag, having a flattened intermediate portion and flattened parts adjacent to said intermediate portion, in combination with a length of a relatively rigid, deformable member disposed across said fiattened intermediate portion, said adjacent, flattened parts of said bag being doubled over said length to form at least one doubling fold dividing said bag into a compartment on each side of said doubling fold, the end portions of said length normally extending beyond said bag and being doubled back over and retaining said doubling field.

2. A novel container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said length of a relatively rigid, deformable member is a single, relatively rigid, deformable strip.

3. A novel container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said length comprises two overlying, relatively rigid, deformable strips each disposed across opposite faces of said intermediate portion.

4. A novel container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the respective overlying end portions of said strips are secured together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,566,122 Denison Aug. 28, 1951 2,756,874 Erickson et al luly 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,054,170 France Oct. 7, 1953 762,697 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1956

Claims (1)

1. A NOVEL CONTAINER FOR TWO OR MORE SEPARATED MATERIALS, COMPRISING, A CLOSED BAG, HAVING A FLATTENED INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND FLATTENED PARTS ADJACENT TO SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION, IN COMBINATION WITH A LENGTH OF A RELATIVELY RIGID, DEFORMABLE MEMBER DISPOSED ACROSS SAID FLATTENED INTERMEDIATE PORTION, SAID ADJACENT, FLATTENED PARTS OF SAID BAG BEING DOUBLED OVER SAID LENGTH TO FORM AT LEAST ONE DOUBLING FOLD DIVIDING SAID BAG INTO A COMPARTMENT ON EACH SIDE OF SAID DOUBLING FOLD, THE END PORTIONS OF SAID LENGTH NORMALLY EXTENDING BEYOND SAID BAG AND BEING DOUBLED BACK OVER AND RETAINING SAID DOUBLING FOLD.

Images