Drum-Like Fiberboard Container for Bulk Material With Frangible Bottom Closure for Dispensing

Large fiberboard drum-like containers for shipping and storing bulk loose material have been provided in the past. However, in most cases these containers are difficult to handle to pour the contents therefrom and usually it is necessary to have special equipment to tilt them or to suck out the contents.

To facilitate emptying fiberboard drum-like containers of the type indicated, the present invention provides a lower closure wall or bottom which is scored and perforated to provide a frangible wall with flaps that are normally joined together in a flat plane to provide the bottom but which are so arranged that the wall can be ruptured to permit swinging of the flaps downwardly to provide a dispensing opening. Tear-strips are provided on the bottom wall and include tab-portions which can be gripped to rupture the wall to provide the dispensing opening.

The present invention is particularly applicable to a drum-like container structure of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,448 and will be described in this application with specific reference to that structure by way of example.

The best mode contemplated in carrying out this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shipping and dispensing container embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the assembled container and supporting pallet, with the bottom flaps in normal closed condition.

FIG. 3 is a similar fragmentary sectional view but showing the bottom opened for dispensing.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outer tray used in the bottom closure according to this invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an inner bottom wall or liner used in the bottom closure according to this invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 4 or 5.

FIGS. 7 to 9 are similar to FIG. 2 but show additional bottom closure arrangements.

As indicated, this invention is shown as being incorporated in a drum-like container of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,448. This drum is of the type which is supplied in flat knocked-down form for setting up into a substantially cylindrical form which, however, has a tubular body of horizontal polygonal cross-section due to the fact that it is composed of a series of vertical panels hinged together. Thus, in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the body is shown generally at 10 and consists of the joined vertical panels 11 with depending flanges 14 at the lower ends of the respective panels. The top closure may be of any suitable type but in the drawings is shown as a cap 20a which can be formed exactly as disclosed in said patent and can be held in place by a suitable retaining band 31a. The lower closure structure is of special form according to this invention and is indicated generally by the numeral 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3). It cooperates with the in-turned flanges 14 at the lower end of the body 10. A suitable retaining band 31 aids in connecting the assembly 20 to the tubular body 10. As will be explained later, the bottom closure includes the inner flat bottom wall or liner 21a and the outer cap 21b which has a flat bottom wall. These various parts are shown in disassembled relationship in FIG. 1 along with a skid 60 which is of a type suitable to support the container assembly during shipping and dispensing.

As indicated above, the bottom closure assembly includes the outer or bottom tray 21b which is mainly of disc-like form and the inner disc-like wall 21a. The overall construction of the outer bottom or tray 21b is like the container end structure disclosed specifically in said patent. It comprises (FIG. 4) a flat, substantially disc-like wall 21, but which has an outer peripheral edge of polygonal outline where the score or hinge lines 22 connect to the attaching flanges 25.

Each flange 25 at one of its lateral edges is provided with a triangular tab 26 which is hinged to that edge along a scoreline 27 and which on its other free angularly disposed edge 29 is provided with a lateral extension ear 28. The opposite lateral edge 29 of each flange is provided with a band-receiving notch 30 spaced outwardly from the scoreline 22.

The flanges 25 are folded successively inwardly or upwardly relative to the disc-like wall 21, as indicated in FIGS. 1 to 3, so that the triangular tab 26 of the one flange will be inwardly of the edge 29 of the next flange. This will expose the notches 30 on the edges 29 of successive flanges. These notches are spaced from the free outer edges 32 of the flanges 25. The area of the wall 21 will be slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of the tubular body 10 so that the lower end of the body 10 can be inserted within the upward flanges 25 which will be disposed just outside the planes of the side panels 11 and in flat contact with the exterior surfaces of those panels (FIGS. 2 and 3).

The disc-like wall 21a also forms part of the bottom closure assembly 20 and is substantially like the disc-like wall 21 of the cap 21b. However, it is of slightly less area so that it can be inserted within the upturned flanges 25 of bottom tray 21b and it has a polygonal outer edge 25a which will snugly engage the inner faces of the flanges 25 when it is inserted in the bottom tray so as to rest on the outer bottom wall 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

As previously indicated, the bottom closure assembly 20 is made frangible so that it can be readily ruptured to form a dispensing opening. It will be apparent that since the bottom assembly includes an outer or lower bottom wall 21 and an overlying upper wall 21a, both walls must be made frangible so that the lowermost wall can first be ruptured and then the upper wall can be ruptured to provide, successively, aligning openings which will, together, constitute the dispensing opening in the bottom of the drum. The arrangement which makes this possible for the bottom tray 21b is illustrated in FIG. 4 and the arrangement which makes this possible for the inner wall 21a is illustrated in FIG. 5.

With reference to FIG. 4 which shows the cap blank flat, the frangible arrangement in wall 21 is shown as including score lines 40, in the form of a square, which will serve as hinge lines for downwardly swinging flaps to be subsequently formed. Inwardly-extending from each corner of the square 40 are angular perforated lines or joints 41. The lines 41 converge towards a diametrically extending tear-line indicated at 42 which bisects the square but there is no actual score or weakened line at this point. At this tear-line, on the inner or upper surface of the wall 21, a tear tape 42 is provided which may be filament-containing tear-tape of a common type. The strip 42 may extend completely across the cap 21b. Tab-forming diecuts 46 are provided downwardly through the tape strip 42 and the underlying disc 21 to form pull-tabs 45. These tabs are at each side of the square 40, at the tear line 42, and extend radially outwardly from the square, being provided with lateral hinge cuts 48 at their inner ends. Tearing the wall 21 at the tear-line 42, by tabs 48 and at the perforated lines 41 would obviously produce the six flaps 51, 52, 53, 53, 55 and 56 hinged at the respective sides of the scored square 40. Orienting notches 49 are provided in the peripheral edge of the flat blank at opposed points along a diametric line at a right angle to the diametrically extending tear line 42.

With reference to FIG. 5, which shows the inner or liner bottom wall 21a, the frangible arrangement is shown similar to that of bottom tray 21b, and comprises the square score line 40a, the perforated angular lines 41a, the diametrically extending tear-strip 42a, and the pull tabs 45a. Orienting notches 49a are provided in the peripheral edge of wall 21a at diametrically opposed points at the tear-line 42a. When the wall 21a is inserted in lower tray 21b and the notches 49a are aligned with the notches 49, the tear line 42a of liner wall 21a will cross the tear-line 42 of the bottom tray 21b and be at a right angle thereto. Tearing the disc 21a by the tabs 45a and at the perforated line 41a will obviously produce the six flaps 51a, 52a, 53a, 54a, 55a and 56a hinged at the respective sides of the scored square 40a. If desired, bottom wall 21a could be made smaller and inserted into body 10 to rest on the upper surfaces of attaching flanges 14, as shown in FIG. 7.

For shipping and storage, the drum-like containers will preferably be supported by a pallet which is indicated generally by the numeral 60 in FIGS. 1 to 3 and which is preferably made of wood. It may be formed in various ways but is shown as including four main parallel longitudinally extending supports 61 having the four main transverse parallel upper slats 62 secured to the upper surface thereof along with the short slats 63 secured in parallel relationship to and between the innermost slats 62. The slats are all in the same plane to support the bottom of the container and are arranged to provide a central opening or space 64 which is slightly larger than the square 40 at the bottom closure tray 21b. Parallel skids 64 are secured to the lower sides of the supports 61 at right angles thereto and at opposite sides of opening 65 to provide for insertion of forks of a lift below the platform of the pallet.

Thus, the container consists mainly of the tubular body 10 composed of the hinged panels 11, the bottom closure consisting of lower cap 21b having the hinged flanges 25 and the flat wall 21, and the inner or liner wall 21a. Also, the container may have the upper cap 20a. The container may be supplied in knocked-down form and all of the parts including the body 10, cap 20a, tray 21b and wall 21a may be in flat condition but will be ready for setting up of the container when desired, the tubular body 10 being almost circular when set up. The pallet 60 will also usually be supplied with the flat container parts for assembly.

In use, the container bottom assembly 20 is first assembled as indicated and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the liner wall 25a inserted within the lower tray 21b which has its flanges 25 upturned. The wall 21a will be positioned angularly 90.degree. relative to the wall 21 and this orientation will be facilitated by the notches 49a and 49 on the respective members. The wall 21a will rest on the wall 21. Before the liner wall 21a is inserted in the lower cap 21b, the tabs 45a are bent downwardly and tucked between the inner wall 21a and the outer wall 21. The set up multi-sided polygonal tubular container body 10 with its flanges 14 inwardly-turned is then inserted within the upstanding flanges 25 of the lower tray 21b and the retaining band 31 is applied to hold the closure assembly 20 and body 10 together. The container body with its bottom closure thus positioned thereon, is rested on the platform of the pallet 60 with the square 40 located over the opening 65 thereof but before this is done the tabs 45 are pulled downwardly so that they will project through the opening 65 in a depending position where they can be reached from below the pallet. The container body and lower closure parts may be fastened to the pallet by staples or large-head nails 66 which pass down through the flanges 14, wall 21a, wall 21 and into the slats 62 to hold the assembled container on the pallet in proper relationship to the dispensing opening 65 in the pallet. After filling, the upper cap 20a may be positioned on the upper end of the body 10 and be held in place by the hand 31a. The frangible areas of the overlying bottom walls 21a and 21 are not covered by flanges 14 or any other walls. Thus, the inner surface of such areas is exposed to the weight of the container contents.

To dispense the contents of the contaner, it is merely necessary to support the pallet at a suitable level and open the bottom by rupturing the frangible walls. This is done by first pulling on the depending tabs 45 to tear the disc 21 along the line 42, tear the flaps 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 apart at the perforated lines 41, and then pulling the flaps downwardly into the pallet opening 65. This will expose the tabs 45a of the liner wall 21a and by pulling downwardly on these tabs, the wall 21a is torn at the tear-line 42a, and then the flaps 51a, 52a, 53a, 54a, 55a and 56a are separated at the perforated lines 41a, this being aided by the weight of the bulk material in the container. These latter flaps will swing downwardly into position in the opening 60 over the flaps 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 and will cooperate therewith to provide a downwardly directed dispensing spout on the bottom of the container and positioned within the pallet opening 65. Thus, the frangible double bottom wall arangement at the bottom of the container normally adequately supports the load of the contents but permits successive tearing of the walls 21 and 21a, to form a completely-exposed bottom dispensing opening for discharge of the contents of the container. The inner surface of the frangible area of bottom wall 21a is exposed to the weight of the container contents which will aid in rupturing that wall when tear strip 42a is actuated.

The frangible areas referred to in the previous description have been referred to as square but they could be of other rectangular form. For example, they could be of rectangular form where the length is greater than the width (not shown). In such a case, the opening in the pallet would be of corresponding rectangular form. However, so that the rectangular areas of the two superimposed bottom members would align, even when the tear strips thereof were disposed at right angles, the tear strip in one member would extend along the length of the rectangle and the tear strip in the other would extend across the width of the rectangle.

In FIG. 8, a bottom closure arrangement similar to that described is shown except that the bottom cap or tray 21c is modified slightly, as compared to tray 21b, so that it can be used as both the liner and the outer tray of the bottom. For this purpose, the member 21c is provided with additional scored hinge lines 22c, inwardly of the previously mentioned score lines 22 of member 21b, so that when the flanges 25 are folded upwardly along these score lines, the resulting tray 21d will be slightly smaller and can be inserted within the body 10 over the inturned flanges 14 thereof.

In FIG. 9, the bottom closure arrangement is the same except that the flanges 25 of the member 21b are turned inwardly about the score lines 22c so that they will lie beneath the bottom of member 21d and will rest on the flanges 14. Thus, in this figure the flanges 25 are tucked beneath the inner liner wall member over the flanges 14 and in FIG. 8 they are upstanding within the body 10. With the arrangements of FIGS. 8 and 9, the scored frangible areas in both bottom members would be square.

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides a drum-like container assembly for shipping, storage and dispensing. The various parts of the assembly are preferably of such structures that it can be supplied in flat knocked-down form but can be set up readily. The bottom closure provides frangible bottoms which can be readily opened by tear-strips to provide a dispensing opening with a dispensing spout.