A collapsible bulk material container and sleeve configuration thereof are disclosed. The container includes a forming member assembly that provides container rigidity and stability and forms an internal geometric volumetric cavity for containing a bulk material load. A continuously woven sleeve having contiguous woven zones of selectable varied fabric weight and strength engage the forming member and provide the primary containment strength of the container. The sleeve engages the forming member either externally or internally. The sleeve includes a fabric weight zone of greatest strength adjacent the lower portion of the container.

A stitchless highly oriented polypropylene fabric bulk bag of the type that can hold 500 to 5000 pounds (226.7 to 2268 kilograms) of bulk material includes a highly oriented polypropylene fabric top, body and bottom, with a heat fused joint providing an air tight connection between the top and body, and another air tight heat fused joint connecting the body and bottom. A fill spout and discharge tube may also be provided with an air tight heat fused joint connecting the fill spout to the top and another air tight heat fused joint connecting the discharge spout to the bottom. Heat sealing machinery include heat seal bar assemblies that can self-align during heat-sealing to apply even pressure to all areas being heat sealed. A heating element is of single piece construction and can include end coupler portions as part of the single piece construction. Carrier plates used in a heat-sealing assembly line guide parts placement, provide quality checks for parts placement, and tooling set-up for machinery.

A collapsible bulk material container and sleeve configuration thereof are disclosed. The container includes a forming member assembly that provides container rigidity and stability and forms an internal geometric volumetric cavity for containing a bulk material load. A continuously woven sleeve having contiguous woven zones of selectable varied fabric weight and strength engage the forming member and provide the primary containment strength of the container. The sleeve engages the forming member either externally or internally. The sleeve includes a fabric weight zone of greatest strength adjacent the lower portion of the container.

A stitchless highly oriented polypropylene fabric bulk bag of the type that can hold 500 to 5000 pounds (226.7 to 2268 kilograms) of bulk material includes a highly oriented polypropylene fabric top, body and bottom, with a heat fused joint providing an air tight connection between the top and body, and another air tight heat fused joint connecting the body and bottom. A fill spout and discharge tube may also be provided with an air tight heat fused joint connecting the fill spout to the top and another air tight heat fused joint connecting the discharge spout to the bottom. Heat sealing machinery include heat seal bar assemblies that can self-align during heat-sealing to apply even pressure to all areas being heat sealed. A heating element is of single piece construction and can include end coupler portions as part of the single piece construction. Carrier plates used in a heat-sealing assembly line guide parts placement, provide quality checks for parts placement, and tooling set-up for machinery.

Reusable, flexible, lightweight, low cost flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs) for the delivery of granular proppant material for fracing that will allow the transport of higher weights of proppant, such as sand, per truck load. The invention includes a container made of a high strength, flexible material with a top opening for loading and deploying the proppant. The container can be lifted and deployed with a fork truck or crane. Alternatively, proprietary deployment systems, such as a conveyor system, can be used to quickly and efficiently deploy the proppant from the container at a desired site.

The present invention relates to a method for production of bags for the transport and storage of bulk goods or liquids, wherein use is made of tubular fabric cut into several pieces, which are then assembled together, including the steps of: providing a tubular fabric; flattening the tubular fabric to form a first double-thickness fabric having two opposite sides, respectively an internal side and an external side, extending between two flattened edges; folding-in or pleating at least one of the flattened edges of the double-thickness fabric to form a gusset; cutting the tubular fabric into pieces and assembling the pieces to form a bag; wherein the assembly of two of the pieces includes the steps of: assembling the first and second pieces by means of seams formed around or near first to fourth gusset ends.

There is disclosed a bag for the transport and storage of bulk goods or liquids formed by the assembly of several double-thickness pieces of fabric, including first and second pieces of fabric, each having opposite first and second sides extending between first and second folded-in flattened edges. Each piece of fabric includes at least one gusset defined by a first oblique section extending between the first folded-in flattened edge and a first gusset end positioned on the second side of the piece of fabric and a second gusset end positioned on the first side of the piece of fabric. The first and second pieces of fabric are assembled such that the second side of the second piece of fabric is in contact with or close to the first side of the first piece of fabric such that the first and second gusset ends of the first and second pieces of fabric are substantially aligned. The first and second pieces of fabric are assembled by means of seams formed around or near the first and second gusset ends of the first and second pieces of fabric.

The valve comprises a fluid inlet and/or outlet duct (8) comprising a flowrate regulator element (9) and a seating (10) for said fluid inlet and/or outlet duct (8), said seating (10) including a surface (10b) adapted to be attached to a portion of an internal bag (4) made of flexible material in the container (1), and is characterised in that it comprises a cover (11) to protect said seating (10) and comprising a hole for access to said fluid inlet and/or outlet duct (8); said cover (11) comprising means (13, 14) for securing a protective wrapping (5) enveloping the internal bag (4) on said seating (10). The container is characterised in that it includes at least one valve (3a, 3b) for the injection and/or extraction of fluid, and in that a portion of said internal bag (4) made of flexible material is attached to the seating (10) of the inlet duct (8) of said valve (3a, 3b) and that a portion of the protective wrapping (5) for said internal bag (4) is held against said seating (10) by the cover (11).

A collection assembly (10, 10a) for flowable materials includes a central, flexible bag (12, 12a) with a collection skirt (14, 14a) secured to the bag (12, 12a) and extending outwardly from the open top (20, 20a) of the bag (12, 12a). In use, the assembly (10, 10a) is placed at a collection site with the bag (12, 12a) in a collapsed condition and the skirt (14, 14a) is deployed about the bag (12, 12a). Material (36) is then placed on the assembly (10, 10a) over the open top (20, 20a) and, as necessary, the skirt (14, 14a). The skirt is then elevated using marginal gathering apparatus (16, 16a), thereby causing the material (36) to flow into the bag (12, 12a). The skirt (14, 14a) may then be gathered and closed, forming a duffel closure for the assembly (10, 10a).

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to multilayer silo bags that may include a tube comprising at least two layers, a first open end, a second open end, and a first region and a second region disposed between the first and second end. One or more of the at least three layers may comprise an ethylene/alpha-olefin interpolymer having a density of 0.90 g/cc to 0.965 g/cc and an I.sub.2 of 0.1 to 6.0 g/10 minutes, a low density ethylene-based polymer having a density of 0.917 g/cc to 0.935 g/cc and an I.sub.2 of 0.1 to 2.0 g/10 minutes, or combinations thereof. The first region may have a thickness of at least 10% greater than a thickness of the second region. The first region may have a surface area that is at least 50% of an overall surface area of the multilayer silo bag.