Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~051139
LIQUID TRANSPORT DRUM WITH REMOVABLE LINER
BACKGRoUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a container for the
transportation of bulk liquid materials. More particularly,
the present invention is a 55 gallon drum having an inner,
disposable liner which is heat sealed at an aperture in its
upper end to a bung which in turn may be secured to a fill
opening in the top wall of the drum. When filled with a bulk
liquid material, the liner conforms in shape to the shape of
the inner surfaces of the tank and, upon being emptied, the
liner collapses and is easily removed from the drum through
the fill opening.
The most desirable and convenient method of
transporting various liquid materials is in bulk quantities.
While numerous containers may be used for such transportation,
the 55 gallon drum has gained widespread acceptance by
commercial suppliers and industrial consumers. A variety of
materials, including such substances as solvents and grease,
are transported in these 55 gallon drums. Regardless of the
material being transported, if the drum is to be subsequently
used for transporting a differing substance, the inside of the
drum must be cleaned prior to the subsequent use.
U.S. Patent No. 4,044,912, issued August 30, 1977,
assigned to the Assignee of the present application, discloses
a container including a rigid outer tank having a collapsible
~(~5~39
bag liner for retaining viscous substances such as grease. A
vane shaped spacer is disposed within the bag to provide a
skeletal structure about which the bag can collapse as the
viscous substances are removed. The skeletal structure
thereby ensures a more complete evacuation of the viscous
material contained in the tank.
It is'an object of the present invention to provide
a drum which may be used to transport a bulk liquid material
without having to be cleaned prior to such use.
It is also an object of the present invention to
provide a drum having a disposable liner for the
transportation of bulk liquid materials.
It is another object of the present invention to
provide a drum having a liner which is secured to a bung which
is in turn mounted in an opening formed in the top wall of the
drum.
It is an additional object of the the present
invention to provide a drum which allows for easy removal of
the liner through an opening formed in the top wall of the
drum.
The present invention provides for a 55 gallon drum
which may be formed of a plastic or metal and has two openings
formed in its top wall. A plastic liner is disposed within
the drum and has formed therein two apertures which are
substantially aligned with the openings. At one aperture, a
portion of the liner extending therearound is heat sealed to
an outer bung which is then threaded into the appropriate
20 5 1 1 39
or~ni ng. The body of the outer bung extends through the
open;n~ and has a threaded central or~n i ng which provides
access to the interior of the liner. As the liner is filled
with the materials to be transported, it conforms in shape to
the shape of the inside surface of the drum. An inner bung
i8 then positioned in the threaded opening of the outer bung
to seal the drum. As the container is emptied, the liner
collapses and is readily removed from the drum through one of
the or~nings formed in the top wall.
More specifically, there is provided a container for
transporting and storing bulk liquid materials of the type
including a rigid outer drum having a bottom wall, upright
cylindrical side walls, and a top wall defining an enclosed
central cavity of predetermined shape. The top wall includes
a threaded cylindrical extension having an upper surface and
defining at least one port therein. A thin walled removable
liner is positionable in the cavity and is of a shape
substantially conforming to the predetermined shape of the
cavity. The liner is further substantially fully collapsible
enabling its removal through the port. A first bung is
removably engageable with the threaded cylindrical extension
of the top wall. The first bung includes a body having a
cylindrical sleeve ext~n~ing through the cylindrical extension
of the top wall and has an exterior surface which is fixedly
bonded to an interior surface of said liner at an aperture in
in:vs 3
205 1 1 39
the liner so that the liner is permanently attached to the
body. In a collapsed condition the liner is removable through
the port upon disengagement of the first bung from the top
wall. The body also has a threaded portion defining a first
bung opening ext~n~ing therethrough. A cecon~ bung is
removably engageable with the threaded portion defining the
first bung orening. The first bung forms a closure cap having
an integrally formed flange in engagement with the upper
surface of the threaded cylindrical extension of the top wall.
The liner has a cylindrical sleeve defining the aforesaid
aperture, and an interior surface of said sleeve of the liner
is fixedly bonded to the exterior surface of the cylindrical
sleeve of the first bung.
Thus, the present invention facilitates the removal of
the transported materials, the disposal of residue after
~i~chArge and the elimination of cleaning prior to reuse. In
that the liner may be disposed of through burial, incineration
or recycling, no large quantities of water are needed for
cleaning purposes.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to
which this invention relates from the subsequent description
of the preferred embodiments and the Apr~n~e~ claims, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
3a
i~:~.
Z05~39
~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a plan view of a bulk liquid material
transportation container incorporating the principles of the
present invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially
along line 2-2 in Figure 1 illustrating the positi~n of the
liner within the drum when filled with a bulk liquid material.
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion
of Figure 2 detailing one embodiment the liner and bung
construction of the present invention.
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion
of Figure 2 illustrating a second embodiment of the liner and
bung construction of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Now with reference to the drawing, Figure
illustrates a plan view of a container 10 embodying the
principles of the present invention. An outer drum 12, in the
shape of a standard 55 gallon drum, is formed of metal,
plastic or other material and includes a base 14, upright side
walls 16 and a top wall 18 which combine to define a central
cavity 19. Formed in the top wall 18 and rising thereabove
are two ports or openings 20 and 22. In the event of an
object falling on top of the container 10 or the container 10
- 2(~5~
being toppled onto its side, the top wall is further provided
with a rim 24 designed to prevent damage to the openings 20
and 22.
Disposed within the central cavity 19 of the drum 12
is a liner 26. The liner 26 is constructed of a thin plastic
material having a thickness approximately three times that of
a common household garbage bag. Two apertures 28 and 30 are
formed in the top of the liner 26 and are substantially
aligned with the openings 20 and 22 of the drum 12.
While the container 10 is illustrated as having two
openings 20 and 22, the present invention could also be
constructed with a single opening. However, a 55 gallon drum
provided with two openings is standard within the industry and
permits all of the normal operations required of the drum 12.
The larger 20 of the two openings 20 and 22 is generally used
for filling and emptying the container 10 while the smaller of
the openings 22 is typically used as a vent opening.
When the liner 26 of the present invention is to be
incorporated into a drum 12 having two openings 20 and 22, a
portion 27 of the liner 26 defining one of the two apertures
28 and 30 is fixably secured to an outer bung 32. The outer
bung 32 may be formed of rigid plastic or similar material.
In that the outer bung 32 is also formed of plastic, this
securement can be achieved by heat sealing or welding the
liner 26 to the outer bung 32.
Two embodiments of a bung structure constructed in
accordance with the principles of the present invention are
Z051~39
disclosed. While both embodiments are simultaneously shown
in Figure 2~ only one of the openings 20 or 22 will
incorporate an embodiment at a given time. The present
invention may be incorporated into either of the two openings
20 or 22, however, for the sake of clarity, only one opening
20 will be discussed in the following description. Where
appropriate, corresponding features of the embodiments will be
given like designations in Figures 3 and 4.
As seen in Figure 3, in the bung structure 31 of the
first embodiment, the portion 27 of the liner 26 forming the
larger aperture 28 is heat sealed to a lower portion 34 of the
outer bung 32. The outer bung 32 includes a cylindrical body
40 which extends downward through the opening 20 thereby
constricting the opening-20. However, outer bung 32 does not
fully constrict the opening 20 in that a threaded portion 41
of the cylindrical body 40 defines an access opening 39 to the
interior of the liner 26. Integrally formed with the
cylindrical body 40 is an outwardly extending flange 36 which
engages an upper portion 38 of the opening 20. The resting
engagement of the flange 36 with the upper surface 38 of the
opening 20 thus supports and prevents the outer bung 32 and
attached liner 26 from passing through the opening 20 and into
the cavity 19 of the drum 12.
The liner 26 is installed in the drum 12 by
inserting it through the opening 20. When the liner 26 is
fully inserted, the flange 36 of the outer bung 32 will engage
the upper surface 38 of the opening 20 and support the liner
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26 hanging therebelow in the central cavity 19. To align the
second aperture 30 with the remaining opening 22, the liner
26, along with the outer bung 32, is rotated. The second
aperture 30 may be secured to the drum 12 by various methods.
One possible method is to draw the portion defining the
- aperture 30 up through the second opening 22 and securing it
therearound by means of a threaded engagement with a cap or
conventional bung.
For safe operation of the drum 12, the outer bung 32
of the first embodiment is secured to the opening 20 formed in
the top wall 18. In so doing, the present embodiment provides
an interiorly threaded closure cap 42 which engages the
exterior threads of the opening 20. Upon full engagement, the
flange 36 of the outer bung 32 is securely retained between
the upper surface 38 of the opening 20 and the cap 42. -~
The closure cap 42 is also provided with an central
opening 44. The opening 44 permits the contents of the
container 10 to be accessed while the outer bung 32 is
retained securely in position. To seal the opening 20 for
transportation of the drum 12, an inner bung 46 is provided
which engages the threaded portion 41 of the cylindrical body
40.
As described above,iwhen two openings 20 and 22 are
incorporated into the top wall 18, filling of the container 10
is easily achieved by providing two points from which the
liner 26 may hang. The side walls 16 or top wall 18 of the
drum 12 may be further provided with vent openings (not shown)
`- zos~
to allow air contained between the drum 12 and the liner 26 to
evacuate during filling and expansion of the liner 26. To
further assist in the filing of the liner 26, the cap securing
the second aperture 30 in position may be provided with a vent
opening which permits the evacuation of air from the liner 26
itself.
As previously mentioned, the container 10 can be
constructed without a second opening 22. When constructed in
this manner, the liner 26 may be provided with a tab (not
shown) designed to fit into a corresponding tab opening (not
shown) and thereby secure the liner 26 during filling of the
container 10.
When being transported, both bung openings 20 and 22
of the container 10 may be completely sealed or provided with
a vent opening 48. One such vent opening 48 is illustrated on
the inner bung 46 of Figure 3 and another is further described
below in the description of the second embodiment.
The embodiment shown in Figure 4 illustrates a bung
structure 50 where the cap, flange and cylindrical body are
integrally formed to produce an outer bung or bulkhead 52. In
the second embodiment, the portion 27 of the liner 26 forming
the aperture 28 is heat sealed to the outer surface of an
inner cylindrical body 54 having an access opening 55 with
internal threads 56. The cylindrical body 54 is integrally
formed with an overhang structure 58 having internal threads
60. Prior to the engagement of the threads 60 with those of
the opening 20, the liner 26 must be oriented so that, upon
-~ 205~
full engagement of the overhang structure 58 and the opening
20, the second aperture 30 will be in alignment with the
second opening 22. Again, if it is desired that a single
opening be incorporated into the container 10, the liner 26
may be provided with a tab (not shown) for securing the liner
26 during filling.
To enable sealing of the container 10, an inner bung
62 is provided which engages the inner cylindrical body 54 and
restricts the access opening 55. To provide for venting, the
inner bung 62 may be further provided with an interiorly
threaded opening 64 capable of acceptance of a threaded vent
means 66 to further restrict the opening 20. The vent means
66 is opened by rotating a vent plug 68 some amount until the
container 10 vents through the engagement of the threaded
opening 64 and the vent plug 68.
After delivery of the container 10 to an industrial
consumer, the materials contained therein may be extracted by
removing the inner bung 46 (or 62) and engaging a suction pump
(not shown) with the outer bung 32 (or 52). Once the contents
have been consumed and the liner 26 is empty, the second
aperture 30 may be released from the second opening 22 and the
outer bung 32 (or 52) disengaged from the first opening 20.
The liner 26 may then be removed through the first opening 20
and disposed of properly. The insertion of a new liner 26
immediately enables the container 10 for reuse.
With a removable liner 26, the necessity of cleaning
the interior of the drum 12 has been eliminated. By removing
Z05~ 9
the liner 26 through an opening 20 in the top wall 18, the
detailed procedure of removing the top wall 18 or lid of the
drum 10 is also eliminated. Additiqnally, the present
invention also prevents a plastic drum 12 from becoming
permeated with the transported liquid materials or cleaning
materials. The final result is a drum 12 which experiences no
down time for cleaning purposes.
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