GB2408259A

GB2408259A - Dual closure means for container/storage arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2408259A
Application number: GB0327200A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Douglas
Original assignee: Chemence Ltd
Current assignee: Chemence Ltd
Priority date: 2003-11-22
Filing date: 2003-11-22
Publication date: 2005-05-25
Also published as: GB0327200D0

Abstract

An apparatus for storing a material, such as adhesives and sealants, comprises a storage bottle or flask 7 positioned within a container (not shown) and which may be closed by a polyethylene lid/cap 1 which has a dual screw thread or bayonet arrangement 4, 8, 9, comprising a skirt 3 and collar 6, for sealing both the storage bottle and the container, relative to the neck 10 of the bottle 7 and the rim of the container. The arrangement allows releasable connected of the cap 1 to both the container and storage means.

Description

Apparatus for Storing a Material within a Container The present invention

relates to apparatus for storing a material such as a liquid within a container and to a cap for closing an opening in the container.

After production in the factory, resins to serve as adhesives or sealants are stored in liquid form in containers such as cylindrical drums. For filling and storage purposes, the resins are introduced into the empty drum via a circular opening. Usually a releasable closure means in the form of a cap with an internally threaded depending skirt is provided to close the opening. The opening is formed with an upwardly projecting externally threaded circular flange to receive the cap as conventional.

In use of the resin as an adhesive or sealant, an activator or hardener usually in the form of a liquid is added to and mixed with the resin to cause it to cure. In this case the activator is held in a separate bottle or flask, the contents of which are poured into the drum by way of the opening and the hardener is then mixed with the resin by any suitable method for instance using a stirrer and/or by other suitable mechanical agitation of the contents of the drum.

Conventionally the bottle of hardener is closed by a cap which can be unscrewed to permit the contents to be discharged into the drum when the drum has been transported to site. Before use and in transport the bottle is releasably attached to the outer surface of the drum by any suitable detachable means such as by adhesive tape to ensure that the bottle remains with the drum and the bottle is then detached from the drum at site for use.

Unfortunately during transportation of the drums there is a tendency for the bottle to become detached from its drum during transit if the tape holding the bottle detaches itself from the drum. Apart from the fact that the bottles can then be lost or mislaid, the drums may contain resins of different qualities and composition and so even if the bottles are found they may not contain the appropriate hardener for any particular resin. In this case either the resin cannot be cured and so the contents of the drum may be wasted or if an inappropriate hardener is added to a particular resin the resin may cure too quickly or too slowly.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solution to this problem.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for storing a material within a container, the apparatus comprising closure means for releasably closing an opening in the container and storage means for storing the material, the storage means being releasably connectable to the closure means and being adapted to extend into and be removed from the interior of the chamber by way of the opening in the chamber.

Preferably the releasable closure means is a cap which may be a moulding of a suitable plastics type material.

Suitably the cap has a threaded depending skirt which is releasably connectable to a threaded flange projecting upwardly from the opening in the container.

Conveniently the storage means is a bottle or flask.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bottle or flask has a threaded neck for releasable connection to a corresponding threaded portion on the cap.

In this case the threaded portion of the cap may comprise a collar depending from the underside of the cap.

Alternatively the neck of the bottle or flask may be in the form of a bayonet type fitting for releasable connection to a corresponding bayonet type fitting on the cap.

In this case the bayonet-type f sting on the cap may comprise a collar depending from the underside of the cap.

It will be appreciated however that other types of suitable connection means can be used.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cap for closing an opening in a container, the cap having an underside with means for releasable connection to a storage means for storing material, the storage means being adapted in use to extend into and be removed from the interior of the container by way of the opening in the container.

Preferably the cap has a threaded depending skirt which is releasably connectable to a threaded flange which projects upwardly from the opening in the container.

In one embodiment of the invention the releasable connection means comprises a collar depending from the underside of the cap.

The collar may be threaded for releasable connection to a corresponding threaded portion on the storage means.

Alternatively the collar may be in the form of a bayonet-type fitting for releasable connection to a corresponding bayonet-type fitting on the storage means.

The container itself may be a drum.

Thus in use, by screwing the bottle containing the hardener to the collar of the cap or at any rate by suitably connecting the bottle to the collar of the cap and then screwing the cap onto the drum with the bottle located within the drum by way of the opening, the bottle will be safely and securely transported to site with the appropriate drum. There is therefore no danger of the bottle being lost or misplaced by becoming detached from its drum during transit. Once at site the cap can be unscrewed to remove the bottle from the drum by way of the opening, the bottle can be removed from the cap and its contents can be poured into the drum and mixed with the resin to cure it.

An embodiment of the invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a longitudinal section of a closure means for closing an opening in a bulk container such as a liquid storage drum, the closure means being in the form of a cap as well as a storage means in the form of an associated bottle connected to the cap.

The cap I is a moulding of a suitable plastic type material such as polyethylene, the cap I having a disc-like central portion 2 to engage with a flange (not shown) projecting upwardly from an opening in the container (not shown) as conventional. As is also conventional, the central portion 2 of the cap 1 is provided with a depending peripheral skirt 3 which is internally threaded 4 to engage with corresponding external threads (not shown) on the flange of the container so that the cap I can be screwed into position to close the opening in the container. As shown in the drawing, a resilient circular seal 5 of a suitable elastomer is positioned between the central portion 2 of the cap 1 and the depending skirt 3 so that when the cap I is in position on the flange an air-tight seal is formed between the cap 1 and the flange to prevent accidental leakage of the fluid from the container.

Depending from the underside of the central portion 2 is a releasable connection means in the form of a cylindrical collar 6 for connection to a storage bottle 7, the collar 6 being moulded to the portion 2 and having internal threads 8. l he collar 6 is located centrally within the skirt 3 and as shown in the drawing is adapted to engage with a corresponding externally threaded inner portion 9 provided on the neck 10 of the storage bottle 7 which is also a moulding of a suitable plastic such as polyethylene.

In use, the container such as a drum will contain a resin such as an anaerobic monomer while the bottle will contain a suitable liquid hardener for mixing with the resin on site to effect curing of the resin. The bottle with hardener is connected to the cap by screwing the neck into the collar. Then the cap is connected to the drum by screwing the cap onto the flange surrounding the opening while having first ensured that the bottle has passed through the opening so that after the connection of the cap to the flange the bottle is safely and securely situated within the container. Then the container and associated bottle can be transported to site for use when the cap is unscrewed from the container and the bottle is unscrewed from the cap so that the contents of the bottle can be poured into the container by way of the opening and mixed with the resin by any conventional suitable mixing method to cure the resin.

It will be appreciated that the bottle can be connected to the cap by other suitable connection means. For instance the neck of the bottle and the collar can be provided with corresponding bayonet-type f stings by means of which the bottle can be releasably connected to the cap.

Claims

Claims 1. Apparatus for storing a material within a container comprising

closure means for releasably closing an opening in the container and storage means for storing the material, the storage means being relcasably connectable to the closure means and being adapted to extend into and be removed from the interior of the container by way of the opening in the container.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the releasable closure means is a cap.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the cap has a threaded depending skirt which is releasably connectable to a threaded flange projecting upwardly from the opening in the container.
4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claim I to 3 in which the storage means is a bottle or flask.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the bottle or flask has a threaded neck for releasable connection to a corresponding threaded portion on the cap.
6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the threaded portion of the cap comprises a collar depending from the underside of the cap.
7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which bottle or flask has a neck in the form of a bayonet-type fitting for releasable connection to a corresponding bayonet-type fitting on the cap.
8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which the bayonet-type fitting on the cap comprises a collar depending from the underside of the cap.
9. A cap for closing an opening in a container has an underside with means for releasable connection to a storage means for storing material, the storage means being adapted in use to extend into and be removed from the interior of the container by way of the opening in the container.
10. A cap as claimed in claim 9 in which the cap has a threaded depending skirt which is releasably connectable to a threaded flange which projects upwardly from the opening in the container.
11. A cap as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 in which the releasable connection means comprises a collar depending from the underside of the cap.
12. A cap as claimed in claim 11 in which the collar is threaded for connection to a corresponding threaded portion on the storage means.
13. A cap as claimed in claim I I in which the collar is in the form of a bayonet-type fitting for connection to a corresponding bayonet-type fitting on the storage means.
14. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims I to 8 in which the container is a drum.
15. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A cap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.