FORM-2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
PROVISIONAL
(See section 10 and rule 13)
FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS
FLEXITUFF INTERNATIONAL LTD.,
an Indian Company
of C-41-50, SEZ, Sector-3, Pithampur 454 775,
Dist. Dhar, (MP), India
THE FOLLOWING SPEC IFICATION DESCRIBES THE INVENTION.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates to flexible containers.
More particularly, this invention relates to bags used for storage and transportation of building materials like sand, gravel and cement.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:
Maintaining inventory of materials required to sustain and continue an industrial activity led to the development of on premises storage and handling facilities. The method of storage and handling differ widely depending on the type of material, quantum of material, cost of the material and nature of the material. Costly materials would be stored in safe area and kept locked and issued against proper and valid authorization. Low cost bulk materials on the other hand may be stored in open yards with minimal amount of protection against weather conditions and issued for consumption freely.
In a manufacturing unit it is possible to build specific handling and storage facilities like conveyor belts, bucket elevators and storage silos to receive and store bulk materials as the quantum of consumption is clearly known and remains constant for a known rate of production. The situation however is very different in a building site. It is not feasible to provide permanent storage and handling facilities as the same would be of no use once the construction activities are completed and would have to be uprooted and shifted to another site, involving prohibitive cost. Also the quantum of storage of materials like
2

sand, gravel and cement and the like vary widely through the various stages of completion of the building.
This has lead to the use of cheaper and flexible storage means and use of standard handling facilities like mobile cranes and fork-lift trucks. Builder bags are typically used for filling sand, aggregates and gravel. In some countries, typically, the U.K. these materials can not be dumped on ground and hence they are stored and transported in these bags. Each bag is typically of 1000 Kg. The use of flexible bags made of woven fabric with some reinforcement material PP/HDPE/LDPE/Metallic wires are known in the prior art.
Sling bags are extensively used for handling of bulk materials like cement sand gravel and the like. Cement is traditionally packed in 50 Kgs bag made of polypropylene or paper materials. Handling of large quantity of cement or such materials, without suitable container would be labour intensive and time consuming. For quick and easy loading, unloading or shifting operations sling bags are extensively used.
A sling bag has four cross corner slings running down the base of the bag, and is stitched across the bottom of the bag. These bags are made of polypropylene woven fabric. The fabric material does not bear the load of the material placed inside the bag. The weight of the loaded material is transferred to the slings and the side walls of the bag just prevent slippage and spilling of the materials inside.
3

Traditionally sling bag of prior art is provided with slings that are stitched only at the top of the bag and remaining portion of the sling at the base and the side walls of the bag are not stitched to the bag. In this design there is a possibility that the unstitched sling could shift more towards one of the side walls of the bag causing uneven and unbalanced lifting. This causes dis-proportionate load on the slings making them elongate differently causing further uneven load sharing. This meant that a part load would be borne by the fabric materials causing bursting failure over a period usage. Also as these bags are meant to be used for both crane and fork lift truck handling and the lift characteristics of both differ, a traditional sling bag have a high rate of failures.
To overcome these and other shortcomings of these traditional sling bags a non slip sling bag of this invention was developed after various trials and testing.
OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION:
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that does not require a pallet for storing and handling.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that has a set of lifting slings suitable for use either with a crane or a fork lift truck.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that has a set of slings which are easily hooked to a crane hook and to a fork lift tine.
4

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that is simple in construction.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that is robust.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that is easily storable when empty.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a non slip sling bag that reduces the turn around time of a truck by improving the efficiency of loading and unloading operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
According to the present invention there is provided a non slip sling bag for carrying building material said bag comprising
four side wall panels, a base panel, a top panel provided with a central opening of woven polymeric fabric, elected from polypropylene, high density polyethylene or a combination thereof defining a hollow having an approximate rectangular mouth opening; at least four slings made of reinforced fabric having eight point attachment and restrain provided on the base panel and further eight point arresters in the form of webbing patches provided near the top edge of the side panels.
Typically the two of the side panels and the base are integral in the form of a U and two side panels are stitched to the U to form the bag.
5

Typically the slings are made of strips of polymeric fabric reinforced with strands of selected from a group of material consisting of Polypropylene High density polyethylene, Low density polyethylene DPE / Linear Low Density Polyethylene and Metallic Wires.
Typically the slings are reinforced with 40 to 100 strands of reinforcing elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
All the aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with the
description of the preferred, non-limiting embodiment, when read together
with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is the side perspective view of the non slip sling bag in accordance
with this invention;
Figure 2 is the top perspective view of the non slip sling bag in accordance
with this invention; and
Figure 3 is the bottom perspective view of the non slip sling bag in accordance
with this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Referring to the accompanying drawings the non slip sling bag of this invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 as seen in figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
6

Referring to figure 1 the non slip sling bag consists of four side wall panels 12, a top panel 14 defining a substantially rectangular opening 16,(refer Figure-2) and abase panel 18. In a assembled operative configuration said side wall panels 12, top panel 14 and base panel 18 are assembled together by stitching to form the non slip sling bag. At least four slings 20 made of reinforced fabric material, are provided at predetermined locations on the said side wall panels extending from above the top panel 14 to the base panel 18 and going around to the opposite side wall panel and extending to the top panel from the other side and extending further above the top level of the panel to form a endless sling; each of said four slings 20 in the operative assembled configuration are rigidly attached to the base panel 18 at two points 24 on opposite sides at edge of base panel and side wall panel; at least eight sling arresters 22 in the form of loops made of rein forced fabric materials provided on the side panels near the top edge of the side wall panel. The slings 20 are cross connected at the base panel (refer figure 3) by connectors 26. By providing cross connecters at the base panel, sling arrestors in the form of loops made of rein forced fabric materials near the top edge and by rigidly attaching the sling at eight points with the base panel the dead weight of a loaded non slip sling bag is equally shared by the four slings.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the particular features of "non slip sling bag" and the improvisation with regards to it, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made, and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiment without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other modifications in the nature of the invention or the preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the
7

foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.
Dated this 24th day of August 2007.


8