GB2253838A - Draining containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A drainer has a trough 2 and a stand 6 for supporting the trough 2 over a surface 4. An open end 12 of the trough is lower than the other end 14 and is spaced a distance from the surface 4. In use a vessel is laid partially or completely in the trough 2 to drain into it. Material, eg paint, oil, sauce, drains through the open end 12 of the trough 2 into a collecting vessel placed below it. A filter may be arranged below open end 12 (Figure 5). If the vessel to be drained is large a second stand may be provided to support the upper end of the vessel (Figure 4), at least one of the stands having a telescopically adjustable leg 10. <IMAGE>

Description

DRAINER This invention relates to the draining of vessels.

The complete emptying of a vessel which holds a liquid requires that it is retained in an inverted orientation for a period after the bulk of the liquid has been emptied therefrom. The period which is necessary depends on factors such as the viscosity of the liquid. At a service station when, for example, motor oil is emptied from a standard one litre container, which may be a can or plastics bottle, a significant quantity of oil remains in the container because the motorist usually does not bother to wait for it to drain completely. That could take a minute or so after the bulk of the oil has been emptied from the can or container. The oil left in the container is thrown away and wasted. The problem also exists in other fields. For example, in relation to food, sauce bottles are difficult to drain, as are bottles of cooking oil.

The invention provides a drainer, comprising a trough and a stand for supporting the trough over a surface with an open end of the trough lower than the other end and spaced a distance from the surface, so that a vessel may be laid partially or completely in the trough to drain into it, and so that material may drain through the open end of the trough into a collecting vessel placed below it.

Taking the example described above in relation to a service station, either the used containers can be collected and placed in the trough, open end down, to drain or customers may be asked to place used containers in the trough themselves. If the trough is big enough a plurality of containers may be placed in the trough to drain. The oil drains through the open end of the trough and is collected in a suitable vessel for later use. Where a drainer for use in a service station may be a fairly substantial affair, for example big enough to drain into a 40 gallon drum, a drainer for domestic use in a kitchen, say, would be small enough to stand on a work surface. The open lower end of the trough may be sufficiently spaced from the work surface for a sauce bottle, say, to drain into another.

Thus a nearly empty bottle can be drained into another from which a little of the contents has been used.

As the trough is inclined downwardly, it preferably includes means for restraining the vessel to be drained from sliding off or out of its lower end.

In order to accommodate vessels of different sizes, the trough may be narrower at its lower end than at the other. The trough may be V-shaped in crosssection and the angle included by the V may vary from 90 degrees at the upper end to 45 degrees at the lower end.

The drainer may include means for supporting a filter or strainer between the open end of the trough and the collection vessel.

In order that the drainer need not be inordinately large to drain large vessels, 40 gallon drums for example, it may be used in combination with a second stand for supporting the upward end of a vessel to be drained. So as to be able to accommodate large vessels of different sizes, at least one of the stands is preferably adjustable in height.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, from the lower end of the trough, of a drainer embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view from one side of the drainer of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view, from the higher end of the trough, of the container of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 2, showing the drainer in combination with a second stand; and Figure 5 is a perspective view, again similar to Figure 2, showing the addition of a strainer or filter.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the drainer has a trough 2 which is supported over a surface 4, eg a service station forecourt, by a stand 6. The stand has an H-shaped base 8 from which an upright member 10 extends to the trough 2. The entire structure may be made of welded steel or, for use with food items, stainless steel. Other designs of base or fabricating techniques may be used: for example, the base may be Xshaped or even a plate of round or square shape. Also, the stand could be made from a plastics material.

The upright member 10 supports the trough 2 with an open end 12 lower than its other end 14 (which in the case illustrated is also open). The lower end 12 is a distance above the surface 4 which is sufficient to allow a collection vessel (not shown) to be placed under the end 12. In the case of a drainer for oil to be used on a service station forecourt, the distance of the lower end 12 above the surface 4 is sufficient to place a standard 40 gallon drum beneath it as a collection vessel.

In use a vessel to be drained, eg a used container of motor oil, is placed open end down in the trough 2.

The liquid, eg oil, in the vessel drains into the trough and from there through the open end 12 into the collection vessel. Although the vessel may take several minutes to drain, depending on the size of the vessel and the viscosity of the liquid, for example, it can be left in the trough without attendance until the process is complete.

As the trough slopes downwardly, and as it will be lubricated by whatever liquid is being drained, especially oil, there may be a tendency for the vessel to slide in the trough. In order to prevent the possibility of it sliding out of the trough, a restraint 16 is provided across the upper part of the lower end 12 of the trough. The restraint 16 does not close the end 12, however, since it is necessary for the lower part of the end 12 to be open to permit the liquid to drain therefrom.

The trough illustrated has a constant V-shaped in cross-section. In other versions (not illustrated), especially in the case of small versions for use in domestic kitchens, the angle includes by the V may vary from 90 degrees, at the upper end 14, to 45 degrees at the lower end 12. In another alternative (not illustrated), the trough is U-shaped.

More than one vessel may be placed in the trough for draining provided it is large enough. On the other hand the vessel to be drained may be significantly larger than the trough. For example, it may be desired to drain a used 40 gallon oil drum, and rather than making the trough large enough to accommodate it, a separate auxiliary stand 18 is illustrated in Figure 4. The stand 18 has a base member 20 and an upright member 22 at the top of which is a forked support 24.

The auxiliary stand 18 is tied to the stand 6 by a chain 26 and is so prevented from falling over. In use, the open end of a drum is rested on, or partially in, the trough 2 and the other end of the drum is placed in the fork 24. So that containers of different size may be accommodated, at least one of the upright members 10 and 22 may be telescopically adjustable as shown in Figure 4.

It is often desirable that a liquid being reclaimed, eg paint, should be strained or filtered and to that end a strainer 28 or filter (not shown) may be provided in a holder 30 mounted on the upright member 10 as illustrated in Figure 5.

Claims (8)

1. A drainer, comprising a trough and a stand for supporting the trough over a surface with an open end of the trough lower than the other end and spaced a distance from the surface, so that a vessel may be laid partially or completely in the trough to drain into it, and so that material may drain through the open end of the trough into a collecting vessel placed below it.

2. A drainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trough includes means for restraining the vessel to be drained from sliding off or out of the lower end of the trough.

3. A drainer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the trough is narrower at its lower end than at the other.

4. A drainer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the trough is generally V-shaped or generally U-shaped in cross-section.

5. A drainer as claimed in any preceding claim, including means for supporting a filter or strainer between the open end of the trough and the collection vessel.

6. A drainer as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with a second stand for supporting the upward end of a vessel to be drained which is too large to be supported entirely by the trough.

7. A drainer as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of the stands is adjustable in height.

8. A drainer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.