JPS6222858B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to equipment for material handling, and more particularly to tanks for the storage and transportation of materials such as liquids and particulate solids.

[Conventional technology]

Currently, most liquids and granular solid materials are manufactured using standard
It is shipped and stored in 55-gallon (208.2) closed-top metal drums. These drums are emptied, usually by attaching a pump to a pair of threaded ports on the top of the drum. This method does not allow all of the contents to be extracted, resulting in wasted material and the associated handling and disposal costs.
Furthermore, due to the relatively small size and cylindrical shape of these standard drums, storage and other handling are particularly common. When handled by ordinary forklift trucks, it is not performed efficiently.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved tank for the storage and transport of substances such as liquids and particulate solids, which can be emptied and emptied more easily and more completely. It is in.

Another object of the invention is to provide an economical tank for the storage and transportation of such materials, the size and shape of which is more convenient to handle than the currently widely used drums.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tank for the storage and transportation of such materials that is particularly suitable for handling by conventional forklift trucks.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention is a monolithic tank for the storage and transportation of materials, particularly suitable for handling on forklift trucks. The tank has its own reinforced side walls, top and bottom walls joining the side walls to form an enclosure, and two opposing recesses on opposing side walls. However, these recesses are shaped so that the forks of the lift truck can engage with them. The tank is equipped with a lower outlet;
The side and bottom walls are positioned so that when the tank is lifted or tilted, the side and bottom walls act to direct the contents toward its outlet. The presence of two opposing recesses makes it easier to lift and tilt the tank by means of a forklift truck, and also makes transportation of the tank convenient.

The invention may be provided with additional features as shown in the preferred embodiments. The container may be provided with a pair of removable threaded plugs on its top wall and a threaded cap that can be screwed into the lower outlet to seal the container. The threaded cap may have internal threads for threading a fitting therein, and the central portion may be removable to permit evacuation of the contents through the fitting. In the preferred embodiment, the container is octagonal with its eight sidewalls having alternating widths, and the tank is generally square prismatic with flattened corners and narrower sidewalls. It is connected to the body. The lower outlet is located in a recessed position in one of the narrower side walls.
That is, it is located inside the flattened corners of the tank for better drainage of the contents. Containers according to the present invention are economically molded from high density polyethylene and are lightweight at approximately 135 pounds in a convenient 440 gallon size.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, claims, and accompanying drawings.

〔Example〕

A container according to the invention is indicated at 10 in FIG. 1 and is illustrated in perspective view. Container 10 is substantially 8-shaped having alternating wide side walls 12 and narrow side walls 14, a top wall generally octagonal and generally indicated at 16, and a similarly shaped bottom wall not shown. Consists of a square tank. The wide sidewall 12 is self-reinforced by a plurality of vertically extending and inwardly projecting ribs 18, which increase the stiffness of the sidewall and reduce bulge of the container. The top wall 16 includes flat triangular sections 20 that are slightly upwardly sloped and shaped by reinforcing folds 22 to increase the stiffness of the top wall.

The two opposing wide side walls 12 include a first
As shown, recesses 24 for lifting containers are formed opposite each other, and these recesses extend into the adjacent narrow side walls 14. These lifting recesses 24 are formed to fit the forks of a conventional lift truck (not shown), so that when the forks of the lift truck engage the recesses 24, the container 1 is lifted by the lift truck.
0 facilitates lifting, tilting and transportation. Applicant's experience has been that the height and depth of the lifting recess 24 should be approximately 3 inches (7.62 cm) each.
and 71/2 inches (19.05 cm) would be appropriate for a 440 gallon (1665.5) tank with width and height of 42 inches (106.68 cm) and 64 inches (162.56 cm), respectively. The lifting recess 24 has upper and lower surfaces 26 that are substantially parallel to each other and a rounded inner surface 28.

The lower evacuation mechanism, indicated generally at 32, is located in a recessed flat portion 32 of one of the narrow side walls 14 of the container 10, near the bottom wall. By doing so, the lower discharge mechanism 3
0 is aligned with or retracted from the external contour of the container. The inclined portion 34 of the side wall extends so that the lower part is inward,
A connection is formed between the narrow side wall 14 and the recessed flat portion 32, which facilitates the flow of the contents towards the lower ejection mechanism 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, the recessed flat portion 32
curves outwardly at point 36 and extends outwardly to form an externally threaded nipple 38 which surrounds the lower outlet 40. A cap 42 completes the lower outlet mechanism 30 and is threadedly connected to the lower outlet 40 by an asymmetrical screw 44, thereby providing a removable seal of the lower outlet. The cap 42 is formed with four equally spaced sockets 46 for turning it with a spanner wrench.
Further, an O-ring 48 is placed on the seat 50 and comes into contact with the end surface of the nipple 38.

The cap 42 extends inwardly by its sleeve portion 52, which has a tapered or parallel internal thread 54 into which a standard type fitting, not shown, may be threaded. A central disk portion 56 at the inner end of sleeve portion 52 is reduced in thickness to facilitate cutting and removal or drilling into this portion. It should be noted that the contents can be discharged directly into standard size piping by removing or drilling a hole in this central disc portion 56 and inserting a standard fitting by screwing into the internal threads 54. I want to keep it.

The container 10 has a pair of screw-in sockets 60 each having a pair of spanner wrench sockets 60 in its top wall 16 to permit filling and removal of the contents from the top of the container in the conventional manner. bung 58
can be provided. Additionally, applicants have discovered that the container 10 and cap 42 may be economically molded using high density polyethylene, such as Philips CL50, with suitable pigments and UV inhibitors. I got it. With these materials, the wall thickness can be reduced for a 440 gallon (1665.5) tank.
At 0.260 inches (0.66 cm), it weighs approximately 135 pounds (61.2 kg), but it creates a tank with sufficient strength and durability.

〔Effect of the invention〕

From the above description of the preferred embodiment, it can be seen that the present invention provides a method for storing and transporting liquids and particulate solid materials that can be conveniently lifted, tilted, and transported by conventional forklift trucks. It will be appreciated that improved containers can be provided. The contents can be conveniently and relatively completely drained by tilting the container and opening the drain mechanism in the lower corner. Moreover, the size, shape and weight of the containers according to the invention improve storage and handling efficiency.

Although the preferred embodiments have been described in considerable detail, the invention is not limited to such detail except as provided in the claims below.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container of a preferred embodiment;
Indicates that the bottom outlet is located in a recessed area in a flattened corner of the container. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the lifting recesses in the preferred embodiment taken at 2--2 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lower outlet of the preferred embodiment, ie, at 3--3 of FIG. 1, showing a threaded cap sealing the lower outlet. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Tank, 12...Wide side wall, 14...Narrow side wall, 16...Top wall (whole), 18...Reinforcement rib, 24...Lifting recess, 30...Lower discharge mechanism (whole), 32...Lower discharge Mechanism attachment part, 34... Inclined portion of side wall, 38... Nipple, 40... Lower discharge port, 42... Cap, 44... Cap mounting screw, 52... Sleeve portion of cap, 54... Pipe joint coupling screw, 56... Cap central disk part.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A container for the storage and transportation of liquids and particulate matter, the container having dimensions to be carried by a forklift truck, formed of a rigid material, and comprising a plurality of upright A monolithic tank having a side wall and a top wall and a bottom wall joined to the side wall, the side wall having a flat corner formed by alternating wide and narrow side walls. arranged to form a generally square column shape, the wide side wall forming a side wall of the column;
said narrow side walls forming a flat corner of said column and having means for forming a lower discharge opening located in an adjacent portion of said bottom wall of one of said narrow portions; When the container is tilted in a direction for discharging the substance in the tank, the wide side wall opposite the narrow side wall having the discharge opening cooperates with the bottom wall so that the substance is discharged from the opening. A container that faces towards the department. 2 a nipple integrally formed with the tank at a position surrounding the discharge opening and having an external thread extending outwardly from the tank; and a cap threadedly engaged with the nipple for sealing the lower discharge opening; further comprising: the cap having an internally threaded sleeve portion within the nipple at a position threadedly engaged with the nipple of the cap such that a pipe fitting is threadedly engaged with the sleeve portion; 2. A container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a removable central portion for allowing said material to be discharged through said cap and into said fitting. 3. The container of claim 1 further comprising inwardly projecting vertical ribs on said wide side walls to provide self-reinforcing to said tank.