This invention relates to molded plastic drums, and more particularly, to a blow molded plastic drum.
This invention incorporates a number of desirable structural features in the molded drum to not only enhance and prolong the life of the drum, but to also permit ease of mechanical and manual handling and lifting of the drum. Also, the drum has further features incorporated therein to provide protection against spillage of contents on the ground and to facilitate emptying or draining residual contents from the drum when inverted. Further, the molded drum of this invention has its inherent protruding molding parting line extending across the bottom of the drum so located as to avoid interference with the drum resting flat on its bottom. This latter feature is accomplished without prior practices of filing or shaving away the protruding plastic material from the periphery of the drum.
It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a molded drum having the foregoing features incorporated therein so as to present a drum that is of long lasting use and easier to handle as compared to conventional molded drums.
It is a more specific feature of this invention to construct the bottom wall of the drum so that the molding parting line is recessed across the bottom of the drum to avoid interference with the drum resting flat on its bottom.
It is a further more specific feature of this invention to provide a discreet hand engageable lifting indentation or recess positioned directly below the filling spout of the drum and of such size as to be easily grasped by one's hand for manual lifting of the drum. This location of the hand engageable lifting indentation positions the same in the ideal location for grasping and effectively pouring the contents out of the drum pouring spout which is located diametrically across from the filling spout.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plastic drum according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view thereof.
FIG. 8 is an interior cross sectional view taken along line 8--8 in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the plastic drum taken along line 9--9 in FIG. 6.
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the bottom wall taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 11--11 and looking in the opposite direction from FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the bottom of the plastic drum.
FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 13--13 of FIG. 12.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.
An integrally molded plastic drum 30 according to the invention, illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a cylindrical body 31, a top wall 32, and a bottom wall 33. A pair of spaced apart upstanding bungholes 34, 35 are formed in the top wall and extend upwardly from the top wall and serve as spouts with each of the bungholes having respective internal threads 36, 37 which receive the bungs (not shown). As seen more clearly in FIG. 4, bunghole 34 has coarser internal threads 36 surrounding it than the threads 37 surrounding bunghole 35. The coarser threads 36 make it easier for an individual working with the drum 30 to remove the bung from the bunghole 34 which defines a pouring spout. The finer threads 37, therefore, define a filling spout bunghole.
The spacing between the pair of bungholes 35 36 is greater than the spacing from each of the bungholes to an adjacent periphery of the top wall 32 Essentially, the bungholes 35, 36 are in diametrically opposing relation, with a concave portion 38 between and partially surrounding portions of each of the bungholes 35, 36. The concave portion 38 in the top wall 32 is preferably dish-like and slopes from all directions toward the middle of the top wall. The concave portion 38 thereby defines central portions of the top wall 32 and serves as a collection well or dish in the event of spillage of the contents of the drum. As will be apparent, any spills are easily collected in the concave dish between the bungholes 35, 36. The dish-like shape also facilitates drainage of residual contents of the drum 30 when the drum is inverted. Preferably, the concave portion 38 is of such large extent as to extend from a distal portion of one bunghole to a distal portion of the other bunghole. A generally flat annular horizontal top wall portion 40 surrounds the pair of bungholes 35, 36.
An annular chime 39 is integrally formed with the upper end of the cylindrical body 31 and terminates above the height of the pair of bungholes 35, 36. The chime 39 is thus able to shield and protect the bungholes 35, 36 against damage from an overlying drum, for example. The principal role of the chime however, is that it provides a strong lifting member for drum lifting equipment. The chime 39 as illustrated, is thicker than the cylindrical body 31 so as to provide sufficient strength for the lifting of the drum 30 thereby when filled.
The drum 30 has a molding parting line 41 (best shown in FIG. 12) which circumscribes the entire drum 30 and protrudes outwardly from the top wall 32, bottom wall 33, and the cylindrical body 31 of the drum 30 and defines a ridge that bisects the molded drum 30 in longitudinal halves. Molding parting lines, which are an inherent feature of a molding process are formed when the two halves of a mold come together and plastic is blown or injected into the mold. Any gap left where the two mold halves come together results in a molding parting line defined by a ridge of the plastic material.
As shown in FIGS. 7-13, the bottom wall 33 has a central recessed portion 42 and an annular generally flat horizontal bottom wall portion 43 surrounding the central recessed portion 42. The annular bottom wall portion 43 has a first recess 44, a second recess 45, and a discrete hand engageable lifting indentation 46 therein. The discrete hand engageable lifting indentation 46 is of such a size as to be easily grasped manually by a plurality of fingers of one's hand for manual lifting of the drum 30. The central recessed portion 42, the first and second recesses 44, 45, and the discrete lifting indentation 46 collectively define a continuous recess to contain the molding parting line 41 extending across the bottom wall 33 of the drum 30 so that the molding parting line 41 is entirely recessed and will not interfere with the drum 30 resting flat on its bottom wall.
By recessing the molding parting line 41, a manufacturer may avoid expensive high precision alterations to drum molds. Further, it is unnecessary to shave or remove a molding parting line from a drum. The end product of this invention is thus more stable, less expensive to manufacture, and can be manufactured more quickly.
The lifting indentation 46 is recessed to a greater depth than the central recessed portion 42 or the first or second recesses 44, 45, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 6 and 12. This deeper cavity allows one's fingers to get a secure grip. The position of the lifting indentation 46 in the bottom wall 33 is directly below the filling spout 35 to thus be in the ideal location for grasping and effectively pouring the contents from the drum 30 out of the diametrically disposed pouring spout 36. The first and second recesses 44, 45, generally of an inverted trough shape, only need to be deep enough to receive the molding parting line 41. Any additional depth would unnecessarily waste production material. The central recessed portion 42 is somewhat deeper than the first or second recesses 44, 45 to take into account irregularities in the surface upon which the drum 30 rests, yet still provide a sturdy resting surface by way of the flat annular bottom wall portion 43 of the drum 30. The central recessed portion 42 in the bottom wall 33 is preferably generally circular and as shown encompasses over half of the area of the bottom wall 33.
The cylindrical body 31 has a plurality of integrally formed spaced apart annular reinforcing bands 47 extending outwardly from a medial portion of the cylindrical body 31. The reinforcing bands 47 serve as ground engaging areas in the event someone desires to transport the drum 30 by rolling. Strength and drum integrity are also enhanced by providing the reinforcing bands 47. The medial portion of the drum's cylindrical body 31 on which the reinforcing bands 47 are placed preferably has an outward bulge so that any wearing or depletion of the rolling surface occurs first on the reinforcing bands 47 which are much thicker than the wall of the cylindrical body.
It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed, and that many modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.