GB1597724A - Plastics drum assembly - Google Patents

Description

(54) PLASTICS DRUM ASSEMBLY (71) We, OWENS-ILLINOIS INC., a Corporqtion organised under the laws of the State of Ohio, of Toledo, Ohio, The United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This present invention relates to the art of the materials handling and especially is directed to free-standing plastics drums.

Even more especially the invention relates to two-part assembly of a plastics tight-head drum fabricated of an organic polymer and a fitment assembled to the drum which allows the drum to be handled with conventional steel drum chime-handling devices.

Steel drum were generally the first successful drums utilized for the purposes of handling, storing, and transporting bulk quantities of materials, for example quantities of material, on a volume basis, on the order of at least about 30 gallons and more typically on the order of about 50 to 60 gallons. The drum most commonly employed has a nominal volume of approximately 55 gallons. Because of the long and wide spread usage of steel drums conventional mechanical equipment has been developed to handle them. This equipment for handling steel drums may be divided into two general categories. One of these categories is equipment generally designed to handle steel drums along the rolling hoops which are provided in the sidewalls of the drum.The other category of standard equipment which has been developed is generally referred to as steel drum chimehandling devices; these devices are adapted to handle the drum by gripping the upper chime thereof. These steel drum chimehandling devices generally have a hook or claw which grips the chime for appropriate movement and transportation. In the art these types of chime-handling equipment are variously referred to as parrot-beak devices, or occasionally as a cherry picker, chime grabbers, and hand trucks. The former type of chime-handling device, i.e. a parrot-beak or cherry picker, is represented by the device sold by Little Giant Company under the designation "Grip-O-Matic".

This device, in addition to a lower anti-pivot support surface, includes two opposed movable jaws, or beaks, which when brought into contact with a chime are adapted to open so as to allow them to be positioned with the chime between them and, upon lifting of the drum, the chime is lockingly gripped between the jaws or beaks allowing convenient movement and transportation; these jaws then automatically release as the drum is set down in its desired location. As is the case with a parrot-beak the other steel drum chime-handling devices likewise employ beaks, or jaws, or hooks, to exert a localized force on the chime which allows for the steel drum to be tilted and appropriately moved. Because the steel drum handling devices have been standardized for steel drum movement they generally function well for their intended purposes.

More recently, however, freestanding tight-head plastics drums have been made available but unfortunately these drums have not yet obtained their full potential. It will be appreciated that such drums, and especially those which are molded as a single piece article, offer many highly desirable characteristics. Some of these desirable characteristics include, for example, low price, low shipping costs, a wide scope of product applications without the need for liners, high resistance to the detrimental influence of weather, light weight, rust resistance and dent resistance, and in general they are high aesthetically pleasing.A primary deterrent to the wider acceptance and usage of freestanding plastic drums, and especially tight-head plastic drums which are molded, for example blow molded, as a single piece article has largely been that conventional steel drum chime-handling devices cannot conveniently and interchangeably be employed with plastic drums and steel drums for movement and expeditious handling of both. Thus there is a problem which needs a solution and a need exists in the art for providing a plastics drum having all the desirable characteristics indicated above, which drum can also be handled for movement and transportation with conventional steel drum chime-handling devices.

This need, and the solution of this problem, is especially acute with regard to tight-head plastics drums which are formed by blow molding as a single piece article and are fabricated entirely of the same material.

These tight-head, single piece molded plastics drums have all of the desirable characteristics indicated above and furthermore they are conveniently and economically produced by a blow molding operation, for example, in an operation wherein a tubular member is blown to the desired drum configuration.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tight-head plastics drum, especially one which is molded as a single piece, which can be handled with conventional steel drum chime-handling devices and especially parrot-beak devices. This is accomplished by providing a receptacle assembly, i.e. a receptacle which is assembled from two completed units, namely a prefabricated tight-head drum, especially one molded as a single piece article, and an attachment, or fitment , which is grippable by steel drum chime-handling devices, e.g. parrot-beaks.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention there is provided an assembled receptacle for the storage and handling of bulk quantities of material, said receptacle comprising a freestanding tight-head plastics drum and ring-shaped annular handling means concentrically assembled to said drum by inter-engaging nesting surfaces, wherein the inter-engaging surfaces comprise an array of external indentations aligned at the same height on said drum into which complementary surface portions of the ring-shaped annular handling means are tightly fitted and wherein a plurality of external cavities is interspersed between said indentations on said drum to allow for access to said handling means.

The annular handling means (hereinafter referred to as a "ring" for convenience) is put on the prefabricated tight-head drum in a durable manner concentrically about the drum and is substantially circumferential, thereby distributing the load on the drum over a wide area and alleviating problems with breakage or rupturing of the drum proper. Additionally in passing it should be mentioned that the ring is located on the drum and so arranged and constructed that the strong localized gripping forces exerted by the chime-handling devices, for example the pinching and gripping forces exerted by the edges of opposed beaks of parrot-beak devices, are not localized on the plastics drum proper.This is a highly advantageous feature of the present invention in that, should a weakness develop at the points of contact by the jaws or beaks of the chimehandling devices, the potential puncturing will be of the ring itself and not of the drum with the unacceptable exposure of the contents. This protection against drum puncturing and exposure of the contents is attained by use of handling means which is independent and separate from the plastics drum per se and of any means used to attach a head to a body to form a plastic drum.

In an important embodiment the handling ring is removably attached to the drum; thus should damage result to the handling ring, as for example might occur when it absorbs a strong sudden force, the damaged ring can be easily separated from the assembly and the drum salvaged. This interchangeability of parts of course provides for great enconomic premiums.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view of an assembly according to the invention; and Figures 2 and 3 are repsectively sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a single piece blow molded plastic drum 2 is provided which drum has a circumferential sidewall 45 which merges at its lower margin with a bottom wall 46 and at its upper margin with a top wall generally designated 47. Top wall 47 includes an upwardly extending panel 48 and depressed sections 49. Depressed top section 49 includes at least one and preferably two diametrically opposed tubular projections 50 which serve to define the bung openings into the drum. Sidewall 45 preferably also includes two axially displaced integrally blown projecting ribs 52 which function as rolling hoops for the drum. The drum will most advantageously be formed of high density polyethylene. The upper portions of sidewall 45 is generally of a substantially joggled configuration, i.e. a configuration having a plurality of integral circumferentially disposed outer surface portions 52 interpersed with a plurality of integral inwardly extending cavities 53. These cavities are arranged and constructed to provide hand grips on the drum and also serve to allow drainage of liquids. Substantially circumferentially about the drum, outer surface portions 52 of sidewall 45 are provided with an array of inwardly extending surface portions, or recesses 54 which are aligned at the same height on the drum. The assembled handling means grippable by chimehandling devices is illustrated as a continuous ring 55 tightly, e.g. by a press fit, engaging the recess array 54.In the embodiment illustrated inwardly extending cavities 53, and inwardly extending projecting surfaces 54 along with ring 55 are so proportioned and arranged as to allow a steel drum chime-handling device, such as for example a parrot-beak device, to contact the externally disposed surface of ring 55 and then move into locking and gripping relationship with the ring for movement and transportation of the receptacle. That is, generally the radial distance between the internally disposed surface of ring 55 and the externally disposed surface of cavities 53 will be sufficient to allow the jaws of such devices to enter and grip the ring for movement and transportation of the drum without the jaws exerting any penetrating type pinching force upon the plastic drum itself.

While the handling means of Figures 1 to 3 us shown as a simple ring which is arcuate in cross section it will, of course, be readily apparent that great variation is possible. For example, the ring may the the form of a collar like those described in our copending application No. 39952/77 (Serial No.

1597721) and releasable mechanical means described in that application for tightening the collar may be employed.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An assembled receptacle for the storage and handling of bulk quantities of material, said receptacle comprising a freestanding tight-head plastics drum and ringshaped annular handling means concentrically assembled to said drum by interengaging nesting surfaces, wherein the inter-engaging surfaces comprise an array of external indentations aligned at the same height on said drum into which complementary surface portions of the ring-shaped annular handling means are tightly fitted and wherein a plurality of external cavities is interspersed between said indentations on said drum to allow for access to said handling means.

2. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided on said annular handling means for tightening said handling means around said drum.

3. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   portions, or recesses 54 which are aligned at the same height on the drum. The assembled handling means grippable by chimehandling devices is illustrated as a continuous ring 55 tightly, e.g. by a press fit, engaging the recess array 54. In the embodiment illustrated inwardly extending cavities 53, and inwardly extending projecting surfaces 54 along with ring 55 are so proportioned and arranged as to allow a steel drum chime-handling device, such as for example a parrot-beak device, to contact the externally disposed surface of ring 55 and then move into locking and gripping relationship with the ring for movement and transportation of the receptacle.That is, generally the radial distance between the internally disposed surface of ring 55 and the externally disposed surface of cavities 53 will be sufficient to allow the jaws of such devices to enter and grip the ring for movement and transportation of the drum without the jaws exerting any penetrating type pinching force upon the plastic drum itself.

   While the handling means of Figures 1 to 3 us shown as a simple ring which is arcuate in cross section it will, of course, be readily apparent that great variation is possible. For example, the ring may the the form of a collar like those described in our copending application No. 39952/77 (Serial No.

   1597721) and releasable mechanical means described in that application for tightening the collar may be employed.

   WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An assembled receptacle for the storage and handling of bulk quantities of material, said receptacle comprising a freestanding tight-head plastics drum and ringshaped annular handling means concentrically assembled to said drum by interengaging nesting surfaces, wherein the inter-engaging surfaces comprise an array of external indentations aligned at the same height on said drum into which complementary surface portions of the ring-shaped annular handling means are tightly fitted and wherein a plurality of external cavities is interspersed between said indentations on said drum to allow for access to said handling means.
2. 2. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided on said annular handling means for tightening said handling means around said drum.
3. 3. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.