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.

The present invention relates to a big bag having a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and a central handle connected to a middle section of the closed bottom of the body, wherein the central handle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.

A system, method and apparatus for transferring bulk material for transport, the method includes placing a first quantity of bulk material in a soft-sided bulk material container, extending a first hold-in across the container from a first side of the container to a second location, the second location being substantially toward a second side of the container, wherein the first hold-in is secured to the first side of the container, securing the first hold-in to the second location and placing a second quantity of bulk material in the container, the second quantity covering the first hold-in and securing the first hold-in to the second location with a weight of the second quantity of bulk material.

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).

Various embodiments of a flexible bulk container are disclosed having a number of innovative features. In one embodiment, the flexible bulk container includes an enclosure defining an interior volume in which a support sling is located. The support sling helps prevent the shape of the container from deforming as it is filled with bulk material. In another embodiment, the flexible bulk container includes an opening in the top through which it can be filled with material. A cord is coupled to the top around the opening and can operate as a drawstring to close the opening.

A lifting assembly and method for a flexible bag includes one or more lift members, wherein each lift member is coupled to a layer of material, e.g., a fabric layer. The fabric layer can be coupled to a flexible bag wherein the fabric layer is an intermediate layer between the lift member and the flexible bag. The fabric layer can be heat fused or otherwise coupled to a bag without stitching or sewing, which eliminates the creation of sew or stitch holes that breach a containment area of the bag and which can weaken the bag fabric. The one or more lift members, however, can be sewn or stitched to one or more intermediate layers.

A flexible tank has one or more inner layers and one or more outer layers enclosing the inner layers. It has an improved structure to prevent leakage and rupture when making a long multi-modal shipment of large quantities of a liquid, including when the flexible tank is not supported by the end or side walls of a shipping container.

Systems and methods are provided for safely and efficiently transporting granular material. In one embodiment, a container for granular material is provided. The container can have a top plate and a bottom plate that are coupled to one another via one or more high-strength fabric sleeves. The bottom plate can include a discharge valve for discharging the granular material in the container. The container can also include a discharge bladder that, when inflated, biases granular material within the container toward the discharge valve. The container can also include at least one barrier positioned proximate the discharge valve such that the barrier prevents at least a portion of the discharge bladder from entering the discharge valve. The barrier can allow sand or other granular material to pass through the barrier and exit through the discharge valve.

A hand-held lift loop assembly tester apparatus and method tests peel strength of a heat seal connection between a lift loop patch and a bulk bag body as an indicator of shear strength of the connection and whether the bag will pass industry safety lifting requirements. A lifting platform of the hand loop tester is inserted between the patch and the bag body in an unsealed area and measures the amount of peel and thus the peel strength of the heat seal bond or connection at the edges or sides of the unsealed area. If the peel strength is adequate, this is a reliable indicator that the shear strength of the bond or connection is also adequate and that the bag will meet the current industry required 5 to 1 safety lifting requirements.