Louisiana Patent of the Month – October 2023

When it comes to transporting bulk materials, the humble bulk bag, has been a reliable workhorse for decades. Traditionally, bulk bags have been designed with manufacturing efficiency in mind, often featuring square or rectangular bottoms and vertical walls. However, these designs have inherent stability issues, especially when filled with loose materials.

AmeriGlobe LLC has set their sights on improving these bags and ultimately improving your bottom line. Through their extensive prototyping, the company has found that even small improvements add up, leading to multiple dollars saved per bag. Recently, the company has patented their design for a multi-sided bulk bag.

The traditional square bottom bulk bags, when filled, tend to shift and lean due to the natural forces at play when loose materials are poured into them. This instability not only affects the appearance of the bags but also makes stacking and transportation more challenging.

AmeriGlobe’s design replaces the square bottoms with octagonal ones. This innovative bottom shape results in several remarkable improvements:

• Enhanced Stability: The octagonal shape provides a larger footprint, allowing the bag to stand more upright when filled with bulk materials. Unlike traditional bags, these bags do not lean or sag, even when stacked.
• Optimized Manufacturing: The octagonal shape reduces manufacturing time compared to round bottom bags, as sewing a straight seam along each of the eight sides is more efficient.
• Waste Reduction: By using less fabric than square bags for the bottom, and less side wall fabric than square bags, the design minimizes material waste.
• Flexibility: The octagonal shape is not limited to a unilateral design and can be adjusted to match various pallet sizes, making it adaptable to different needs.

This design combines the stability advantages of round bottom bags with the manufacturing efficiency of square bags, creating a new standard in bulk bag design. These bags provide secure support for your materials, reducing the risk of damage or spillage during transportation.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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