U.S. patent number 3,897,884 [Application Number 05/360,457] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-05 for drum closure.
Invention is credited to Richard F. Lankenau.
United States Patent |
3,897,884 |
Lankenau |
August 5, 1975 |
Drum closure
Abstract
At the present time, open-top drums are sealed with a gasket
resting on the top edge of the drum, causing it to be crushed when
the drums are stacked. A more desirable way to seal these drums is
to place the gasket on the side, covering the crack between the top
and the drum, and pull it up against the crack with the lever or
bolt-type ring. The tops of drums used for tallow or tomato paste
or any other products that thicken or solidify upon cooling, must
be cut out to remove the contents. In prior art, these drums are
cut around the inside of the chime or top of drum. To reclaim these
drums it is necessary to roll down the top edge of the drum,
stretch it in a mechanical device to return it to the original
volume, then furnish a new top and ring. A more desirable method to
reclaim these drums is to cut off the tops around the side, about
halfway down the top seam. This makes it possible to use the same
top and a lever or bolt type ring can be used to hold the top on
and the gasket in place. Also, the same capacity is maintained.
Inventors: |
Lankenau; Richard F. (Mt. View,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23418027 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/360,457 |
Filed: |
May 15, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/320; 220/378;
220/321 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
45/345 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
45/00 (20060101); B65D 45/34 (20060101); B65D
045/32 (); B65D 045/34 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/5R,5A,46R,55AN,81R,243,244,315,319-321,378 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Petrakes; John
Claims
What is claimed:
1. An improved closing ring assembly for open top drums in which
the top seam around the perimeter of the drum is cut from the
outside of said drum about halfway down the seam allowing a
substantial portion of said seam to remain both on the drums side
and on its cover, allowing the entire top of the drum to be removed
in one piece, comprising a closing split ring provided to clamp the
cover on the drum, said ring being formed in a channel section with
the top flange being longer to fit over the top chime on the cover
and the lower flange being smaller to fit against the drum under
the portion of the seam remaining on the drum, a closing device for
the ring, the upper flange being tapered downward at its outer
perimeter to provide a downward clamping effect as the ring is
drawn tight around the drum and cover by the closing device, a
space provided in the channel section of the closing ring, a gasket
located in the space which is pulled into the cut in the top seam
of the drum from the side and makes an air tight seal as the split
ring is closed by the closing device.
2. A closing ring assembly as in claim 1 in which all of the weight
placed on top of the drum is transferred to said drum's sidewalls
through the metal to metal contact between the drum's top and
sidewalls leaving the gasket free to perform only the air tight
seal of the cut between the cover and sidewall of the drum, said
closing device comprising a lever type closure in which a lever is
hinged to one end of the split ring and a hinged ring is attached
to the other end of the split ring, the other end of the hinged
ring being attached to the lever at a point above the connection to
the split ring to give a lever action.
3. A closing ring assembly as in claim 1 in which said closing
device comprises a bolt type closure in which a lug is provided on
each end of the split ring and a bolt runs through holes in the
lugs to pull the ring together to provide the clamping action.
Description
This invention relates to a new and better method of closure for
open-top drums; also, a better method of converting regular drums
to open-top drums. At the present time, open-top drums are sealed
with a gasket between the top of the drum and the rolled top edge
of the drum. When drums are stacked on top of each other, the
gaskets are crushed and the seal is destroyed. A more desirable
method to seal open-top drums is to pull the gasket in from the
side, with a specially designed lever or bolt-type ring, to cover
the crack between the cover edge and the drum top, making a seal
that is not affected by stacking or additional weight on top of the
drum.
The tops of ordinary drums used for tallow, tomato paste, and other
products which solidify or thicken, upon cooling, must be cut out
to remove the contents. In prior art the heads are cut out around
the inside of the chime or top edge of the drum. To reclaim these
drums, it is necessary to roll the top edge of the drum down, to
receive the standard open-drum top, and stretch the drum in a
mechanical device to return said drum to its original capacity.
Also, a new top and ring must be furnished.
In accordance with this invention, the drums are opened by cutting
around the outside of the drum about halfway down the seam around
the top of the drum. This makes it possible to use the original
drum top, and is also more sanitary, as well since dirt on top of
the drum cannot contaminate its contents. Also, by cutting around
the side, it is possible to re-seal the drum with a lever or
bolt-type ring and gasket, and also maintain the original contents
of the drum.
In the Drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire drum showing the
relative positions of the top ring band and gasket on the drum.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section view showing the side and cover
of the drum with the ring and gasket in place.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the lever type ring closure in closed
position.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the bolt type ring closure in closed
position .
In prior art, open top drums are sealed with a load bearing gasket
between top of the drum and said drum's sidewall. A more desirable
way of sealing drums is by pulling the gasket in from the side and
allowing all of the weight placed on the drum to pass through the
metal to metal contact between said drum's top and sidewalls.
In the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire drum
showing the relative positions of the top 12, the split ring 16,
the gasket 14 and the drum sidewall 11, a hole and stopper 13 are
provided for inspection and filling of the drum's contents. The
cover 12 is placed on the drum so that it rests on the drum's side
11, the gasket 14 is then placed around the drum covering the cut
made in said drum's top seam to separate the cover from the drum, a
split band closing ring 16 is then placed over the gasket 14 and
around the drum 12 and its side 11.
FIG. 2 shows how the slip ring 16 is shaped so that it provides a
clamping action between the top 12, side 11 and remaining portion
of top seam 17 of said drum, also it has a channel section to hold
the gasket.
The space between the cover 12 and the cut portion of the drum's
sidewall 18 and the side of said drum 11 and the cut portion of the
drum cover 17 is enlarged to show the position of the gasket 14 and
to show how it seals the crack formed by cutting the top seam to
separate the top 12 from the drum's sides, in actual use the top of
the drum 12 and the cut portion of the drum's sidewall 18 will rest
directly on the said drum's sidewall 11 and the cut portion of the
cover 17, this allows all of the weight placed on top of the drum
to be carried by metal to metal contact directly to the drum's
sidewall 11. This direct transfer of weight from the drum top 12
and side of drum 11 allows the gasket 14 to seal the crack between
the top 12 and sidewall 11 without being crushed.
FIG. 3 shows the lever type closure in closed position, the lever
15 is hinged to one end of the split ring 16, the other end of the
split ring 16 is attached to a hinged ring which in turn is hinged
to the lever 15 at a point above said lever's connection to the
split ring 16 -- the lever action provided when the lever 15 is
pulled down against the split ring 16 pulls the ends of the split
ring 16 together with a clamping action against the drum and also
between the drum's top 12 and the top seam 17, the lever 15 is
locked in closed position by the pin 20 which passes through the
channel in the split ring and the channel on the lever 15 through
the holes provided.
FIG. 4 shows the bolt type split ring closure in closed position,
the bolt 21 passes through holes in the lugs attached to each end
of the split ring 16 as the bolt is tightened it pulls the ends of
the split ring together providing a clamping action between the
drum's top 12 and sides, to remove the top the bolt is loosened or
removed to allow the ring 16 to expand so that it can be slipped
off.
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