Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
'l`he presellt invelltion relates to a blow-moulded plastic
drum havinq a lid suitable for containing fish and like products.
The plastic drum has an outwardly directed flange disposed below
the drum opening and spaced therefrom and formed integrally with
the drum wall. In the presence of external axial stresses
the outwardiy bent flange of the lid mounted on the neck of the
lid rests on the flange, while an inner rim of the lid, which
protrudes beyond the deep drawn lid bottom, rests on the neck
of the drum. A ~sealing ring inserted between the inner rim of
the lid and the outer rim is pressed against the upper edge of
the neck by means of a tensioning ring encompassing the flange
of the drum and the outer rim of the lid.
In the filled state drums of the described can be
stacked upright one above the other in columns without having to
be concerned about deformations and leaks in the drum-lid seal.
Furthermore, the sealing ring between lid and drum cannot be
crushed or displaced from its seat in case of intense externally
increasing axial loads since the lid is limited in axial move-
ment by the flange of the drum, the flanged ring being opposite
the outer rim flange of the lid. The tensioning ring which
holds the lid on the flange of the drum prevents the lid from
being lifted from its sealing position when the internal pressure
of the drum increases.
However,ifdrums ofthis kind are stored horizontally
or stacked horizontally in several layers, one above the other,
leaks occur in the closed position of the lid since the wall
region, which is reinforced by the solid flange, and the ad-
joining neck are deformed as a result of non-uniform radial
stresses.
However, for certain contents the drum has to be stored
in the horizontal position for the drum preservation purposes.
For example, fish is stored with brine in shipping casks. The
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cas~s~ w}1ich are made of wood, must ~e stored in the horizon-tal
position, so that the ~ish remains submerged in the brine. For
this purpose each cas~ must be rota-ted about its longitudinal
a~is at specific intervals.
Two planks are inserted in each row of casks between
each layer of casks stacked horizontally one above the other.
The planks cross the longitudinal axis of the cask in the region
of both the top and the bottom. In order to turn the casks to
keep the fish submerged, the cask layers are rotated,rearranged
from the top to the bottom and stacked again. ~
Since metal drums cannot be used for storing and ship-
ping fish, wood casks are used. Wood casks can withstand the
non-uniform radial pressure when stored and stacked horizontally
and do not affect the contents. The production of this kind of
wood cask is costly and so is the preparatory work required for
filling the casks since they must first be soaked in water to
make them watertight. Furthermore the fact that they can be
used only once is also a disadvantage. The risk of breakage
when filled wood casks crash from the stack or in the case of
rough operating conditions is particularly great.
Therefore-, it is the aim of the present invention to
so design plastic drums of the kind described at the outset that
a horizontal storage is possible without the risk of leaks in
the event of non-uniform pressures acting laterally on the drum
wall. Moreover the horizontal stacking of filled drums in several
layers one above the other with the aid of inserted planks is
desirable even at high specific loads per unit surface. In
this manner the re-use of conventional plastic drums which are
favourable for storing food and have a capacity in excess of
120 litres is utilized.
It is in-tended to stack at least four layers of filled
drums one above the other over lengthy periods.
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~ ccordill~3 to the present invention there is provided
a blow-moulded plastic drum having a drum opening and a lid adap-
ted to be mounted thereon, an outwardly directed flange moulded
directly from the drum wall and mating with a corresponding flange
on the lid, said outwardly directed flange being spaced below
the rim of the drum opening, said lid having an inner wall for
insertion into the drum opening to a point below the outwardly
extending flange on the drum wall and an outer wall carrying said
corresponding flange, said lid defining between said inner and
outer walls and with the rim of the drum opening a space for
receiving a sealing ring when said flanges are held in mating
engagement by means of a tensioning ring, and radially extending
stiffening ribsbetween theinside ofsaid inner wall and a ~ottom recessed
wall ofthe lid,said innerwall ofthe lidextending alongsidethe drum
wall whenthe lidis insertedwhereby theinner wallof thelid actsas a
reinforcing memberto preventdeformation ofthe dr~imopening.
For a particularly resistant reinforcement of the lid
a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the inner
rim of the lid is extended downwards beyond the lid bottom and that
a second ring projection is moulded to the lid bottom concen-
trically to the extension. The two ring projections are connected
to eachother via radial ribs protruding from the lid bottom so
as to form a circular box support.
In cases of long-term stresses of large-volume drums the
stiffening ribs can be distorted so that the lid loses some of its
stability, but these are exceptional cases.
In order to counteract this, the inner rim of the lid
abuts against a rigid insert panel, whose outer rim, in the
inserted state, extends to the inside surface of the inner lid
rim. On the outer periphery of the insert panel notches are
provided as openings for the stiffening ribs.
The insert panel can be designed, for example, as a
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?OO~1 ~'~111~` 1 .
The in~elltion will now be described in more detail, by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in ~hich:-
Figure 1 shows a drum with the lid mounted thereon inlateral view partially cut away;
Figure 2 shows the cut-out portion of Figure 1 on an
enlarged scale with the insert panel in the inserted position.
The drum 1 shown in the Figures is closed by means of
lid 2. The flange 5 extends radially outwardly and is moulded
integrally with and directly from the drum wall below the drum
opening and spaced therefrom. The drum neck 9 rises above the
flange 5 (Fig. 2).
When the lid 2 is in place the outwardly directly flanye
4 of the outer lid rim 14 faces the drum flange 5. A sealing
ring 7 is inserted in the space between the outer lid rim 14
and the inner lid rim 6. By means of the tightening ring~ the
lid 2 is sealingly pressed via the sealing ring 7 against the
upper edge of the drum neck 9. The tightening ring 8 encompasses
the conical bottom side of the flange 5 and the upper side of the
outer rim flange 4, which also is conical. In the pressure of
external axial stresses, the lid 2 above the flange 5 is limited
in axial movement so that the sealing ring 7 can neither slip
nor be damaged.
The deep-drawn lid bottom 3 extends into the drum
opening to a point below the surface of the flange 5. The inner
rim 6 of the lid is rigid and thus forms a non-flexible support
for the flange 5 so that in the event of radial stress of the
drum 1 the position of the seal cannot be changed. Lid bottom 3
and inner lid rim 6 are connected to each other by means of radial
reinforcing ribs 10.
The inner lid rim 6 extends downwardly from the lid
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~ottom ' to a ring projection 12. A second ring projection 13
havillg a smaller diameter is disposed concentrically with res-
pect to the projection 12. The two ring projections 12 and 13 are
connected to each other by radial ribs 11, which are moulded
from the iid bottom so as to form a box support, thus providing
additional circular stiffening of the lid bottom and of the inner
rim 6 of the lid.
As is also evident from ~igure 2, the lid 2 is rein-
forced by means of a rigid insert panel 15. The outer rim 16
extends to the inner surface of the inner rim 6 of the lid. On
the outer circumference of the insert panel 15 notches 17 are
provided as openings to receive the stiffening ribs 10.
