Dispensing – Plural sources – compartment – containers and/or spaced jacket – Packing or stacking arrangements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-08
2001-11-20
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Plural sources, compartment, containers and/or spaced jacket
Packing or stacking arrangements
C222S185100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318598
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is in the field of stackable containers for storage and dispensing of bulk liquid, such as lubricants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Previously 55-gallon drums have been used to store bulk liquids and fluid materials. The drums are cylindrical members having generally flat top and bottom walls. The top has an opening. A pump mounted on the top is used to pump the fluid out of the drum. Leaks and spills create messy drum tops and drum storage areas. Also, transferring the pump from one drum to another drum allows dripping of fluid from the pump. The drums cannot be stacked on top of each other which takes up space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a stackable container for storing and dispensing of liquid in bulk quantities, such as lubricants. The container has upright walls joined to top and bottom walls to form a chamber accommodating a liquid. Adjacent upright walls are joined to corners that extend between the top and bottom walls. One corner has a bottom portion located above the bottom of the container to provide a space below the corner. A fill opening closed with a cap is formed in the top wall at the top of the one corner. When a first container is stacked on top of a second container the space below the corner is above the fill opening of the second container. Liquid can be placed in the first and second containers without separating the containers as the space allows the cap to be removed from the second container and permits liquid to be poured through the fill opening into the chamber. The upright walls have upright parallel ribs to increase the strength of the walls and enhance the appearance of the container.
The stacked containers are maintained in alignment with each other with complementary ribs and grooves in the top and bottom walls. The top wall has a plurality of linear ribs. Grooves in the bottom wall complement the size and shape of the ribs so that identical containers nested together have mating ribs and grooves that prevent relative movement between the stacked containers. A conventional ON-OFF drain valve attached to the bottom of one side wall is used to drain liquid from the chamber. The bottom of the side wall can have a recess of a size to accommodate the drain valve.
A modification of the invention is a stackable combined container and pallet for storing and dispensing of liquid in bulk quantities, such as lubricants. The container has upright walls joined to top and bottom walls to form a chamber accommodating a liquid. Adjacent upright walls are joined to corners that extend between the top and bottom walls. A pallet accommodates the bottom of the container. The pallet spaces the bottom of the container above the support surface. The bottom of the pallet has a pair of transversely spaced recesses or pockets to accommodate the tines of a forklift machine. One corner of the pallet has a concave curved recess to provide a space below a corner of the bottom of the container. A fill opening closed with a cap is formed in the top wall at the top of one corner of the container. When a first container and pallet are stacked on top of a second container the bottom wall of the first container is spaced above the fill opening of the second container. Liquid can be placed in the first and second containers without separating the containers and pallets as the space allows the cap to be removed from the second container and permits liquid to be poured through the fill opening into the chamber. The upright walls have upright parallel ribs to increase the strength of the walls and enhance the appearance of the container.
The stacked containers and pallets are maintained in alignment with each other with complementary ribs and grooves in the top wall of the container and the bottom wall of an adjacent pallet. The top wall has a plurality of linear ribs. Grooves in the bottom wall of the pallet complement the size and shape of the ribs of the container so that identical containers and pallets nested together have mating ribs and grooves that prevent relative movement between the stacked containers and pallets. A conventional ON-OFF drain valve attached to the bottom of one side wall is used to drain liquid from the chamber. The bottom of the container side wall has a recess of a size to accommodate the drain valve.
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