GB2388830A

GB2388830A - Bag filling funnel

Info

Publication number: GB2388830A
Application number: GB0203218A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Eccleston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-12
Filing date: 2002-02-12
Publication date: 2003-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 2022-02-12
Also published as: GB2388830B; GB0203218D0

Abstract

In filling a bag (B) with material, a bag-filling aid is used, which comprises a tubular body (10) tapering toward its lower end. The lower end of this tubular body is inserted into the open top of the bag (B) and the top edge of the bag is pulled up around the outside of the body (10) and retained to the body (10), using retaining means (e.g. clips as shown) provided on the outside of the body (10) adjacent its top: material is then introduced into the body (10) through its top to fill or partially fill the body, then the body is lifted to extend the bag and allow the material to fall into the bag. There may be two clips disposed diametrically opposite to one another and each comprising a spring-biased pair of jaws, Figure 5.

Description

! 2388830

Ban Filling The present invention relates to an aid for use in filling plastics or similar bags with loose material, and also to a method of filling bags.

There are many situations where it is required to fill 5 plastics or similar bags with loose material. For example gardners often need to fill plastic bags with soil, compost or other loose material, typically using a spade. This leads to difficulties because the bag is unsupported and tends to lie flat on the ground.

10 I have now devised an aid for use in filling a bag with material, and a method of doing so, which overcome these difficulties. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bag-filling aid which comprises a tubular body 15 tapering towards its lower end, arranged for insertion of its lower end into the open top of a bag to be filled, and having means provided on its outside, adjacent its top, for retaining the top edge of the bag when pulled up around the outside of said body.

20 Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of filling a bag using the above-defined aid, comprising the steps of inserting the lower end of said body into the open top of the bag, pulling the top edge of the bag up around the outside of said body and retaining said top edge 25 to said body, introducing material into said body through its top to fill or partially fill said body, and lifting said body to extend the bag and allow the material to fall into the bag.

The procedure of filling (or partially filling) the bag-filling aid, then lifting it to allow the material to fall 30 into the bag, may be repeated until the bag is filled to the required level. The top edge of the bag is then released from the bag-filling aid and this is removed.

Preferably the bag-filling aid is substantially smaller in crosssectional size than the bag.

35 Preferably the bag-retaining means of the bag-filling aid comprises a number of clips spaced-apart around the outside

of the aid, adjacent it top. Preferably each clip comprises a pair of jaws, directed downwardly, which close together to grip the top edge of the bag. Preferably the jaws are spring biassed together.

5 An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a view of a bag to be filled, in association with a bagfilling aid in accordance with the 10 invention; FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the bag-filling aid; FIGURE 3 is a side view of the bag-filling aid; FIGURE 4 is a section through the bag-filling aid; and FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, part-sectional view showing a 15 bagretaining clip of the bag-filling aid.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an aid 10 for use in filling a plastics bag B with loose material, e.g. soil, compost, whippings, sand etc. The bag-filling aid 10 comprises a tubular body, generally in the form of a bucket with no 20 bottom. Thus, the aid 10 comprises a main section 11 which tapers towards the bottom of the body and a top or rim section 12 of relatively short height and flaring outwards, i.e. having a greater angle of taper than the main section 11.

The aid 10 is provided, on its outer surface, with 25 clips 14 for gripping the top edge of the bag B. In the example shown, the aid 10 has two such clips 14, at diametrically opposite positions and adjacent the top of its main section 11. As shown in Figure 5, each clip 14 comprises a first part 15 mounted to the side of the aid 10 and a second 30 part 16 pivoted to the first part 15, the two parts forming toothed jaws which face downwardly and are spring-biassed towards each other to grip the edge of the bag B: the outer or upper end of the pivoted part 16 is arranged to be depressed manually in order to open the jaws for insertion or removal of 35 the bag.

In use of the bag-filling aid lo, and referring to Figure 1, the bag B is laid on the ground and arranged so that

( its top is open and directed generally upwardly. The lower end of the aid 10 is then rested into the open top of the bag B. as shown. Next the top edge of the bag is pulled upwards, around the outside of the aid 10, and engaged into the 5 respective clips 14.

Next the required loose material is introduced into the bag B. through the aid 10, typically using a spade, Because initially the aid 10 is rested more or less at ground level, and the aid 10 is substantially smaller in volume than the bag 10 B. then the aid 10 will itself become filled quite quickly: before the aid 10 is completely filled, it is lifted in order to extend the bag B and allow the contents of the aid 10 to fall into the bag B. This procedure is repeated until the bag B is filled to the required extent, then the clips 14 are 15 released to enable the aid 10 to be removed from the filled bag. It will be appreciated that the bag-filling aid 10 is of simple construction yet easy and effective to use, thus providing an improved method for filling bags with loose 20 material.

Claims

( Claims

1) A bag-filling aid which comprises a tubular body tapering towards its lower end, arranged for insertion of its lower end into the open top of a bag to be filled, and having 5 means provided on its outside, adjacent its top, for retaining the top edge of the bag when pulled up around the outside of said body.

2) An aid as claimed in claim 1, in which said retaining means comprises a plurality of clips spaced-apart around the 10 outside of said body, adjacent its top.

3) An aid as claimed in claim 2, in which each said clip comprises a pair of jaws which are directed downwardly and arranged to close together to grip the top edge of the bag.

4) An aid as claimed in claim 3, in which said jaws of each 15 clip are spring-biassed together.

5) A bag-filling aid substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6) A method of filling a bag using an aid as claimed in any preceding claim, the method comprising the steps of inserting 20 the lower end of said body into the open top of the bag to be filled, pulling the top edge of the bag up around the outside of said body and retaining said top edge to said body, introducing material into said body through its top to fill or partially fill said body, and lifting said body to extend the 25 bag and allow the material to fall into the bag.

7) A method as claimed in claim 5, in which said steps of filling or partially filling said body, then lifting said body

l l l f to allow the material to fall into the bag, are repeated until the bag is filled to a desired level.

8) A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which after the bag is filled to the desired level, the top edge of the bag is 5 released from said body and said aid is removed.

9) A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, in which said body is substantially smaller in cross-sectional size than the bag being filled.

10) A method of filling a bag, the method being 10 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.