US3261053A

US3261053A - Wire handle for metal chime on fibre drum

Info

Publication number: US3261053A
Application number: US261458A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry E Lesher
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1963-02-27
Filing date: 1963-02-27
Publication date: 1966-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1983-07-19

Description

July 19, 1966 H. E. LESHER 3,261,053

WIRE HANDLE FOR METAL CHIME 0N FIBRE DRUM Filed Feb. 27. 1965 INVENTOR l-l maav E. LEsHEz lX/m; MW

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,261,053 WIRE HANDLE FGR METAL CHIME 0N FIBRE DRUM Harry E. Lesher, Van Wert, Ohio, assignor to ontinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 261,458 3 Claims. (Cl. 16126) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in fibre drums and more particularly to novel means and methods for providing fibre drums with carrying handles.

The invention more particularly deals with novel means for attaching a carrying handle to a fibre drum.

This invention is further concerned with providing a novel carrying handle for attachment to a chime of a fibre container.

The completed drum of the present invention is particularly adapted for the storage and shipment of lard, vegetable shortening and the like. The drum bodies are preferably made from fibre tubing composed of several plies or windings of paperboard. The interior surfaces of the drum bodies are further provided with linings or coatings to prevent the absorption by the paperboard of the lard or comparable fill which may be grease-like but not necessarily a food product, to prevent the drum from taking on an undesirable appearance, and further to prevent the lard from oxidizing and becoming rancid.

Drums for use in the lard or shortening industry may contain as much as 120 pounds of fill, more or less. It is, therefore, demanded by the industry that handles be provided for convenience in moving the heavy filled drums. It is known in the industry to provide handles on the covers of the drums, but this is unsatisfactory because the benefits of the handles are lost as soon as the covers are removed. It is also known in the industry to attach handles to the side wall of the drum by riveting holding plates to the side wall, but this is objectionable because the riveting punctures the drum lining and necessitates patching of the drum lining.

In view of the foregoing, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a special handle for fibre drums.

Another object of this invention is to provide a handle adaptable for attachment to the existing chime of a fibre drum.

A further object of this invention is to provide a onepiece wire handle having a bowed grasping portion, a pair of connecting sections attached at the opposite ends of the grasping portion which converge toward and are connected to a pair of reversely bent attaching portions, and a prong formed by each free end of the pair of attaching portions.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel method for connecting the handle set forth above to a chime of a fibre drum comprising the steps of squeezing the connecting sections of the handle towards each other so that the prongs can be aligned with prepared pockets or prong receiving recesses in the chime, removing the squeezing force and allowing the connecting sections to move outwardly from each other and the prongs to slip partially into the pockets or recesses, and to straighten the bowed grasping portion to spread the connecting sections and thereby move the prongs farther into the pockets or recesses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle in accordance with the foregoing with the handle having attaching portions which are bent at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to a plane defined by the grasping portion and connecting sections so that when the handle is attached to the fibre drum chime in a downwardly sus- Patented July 19, 1966 pended position, the grasping portion lies closely adjacent the side wall of the fibre drum, and when the handle is pivoted upwardly the attaching portions engage the chime and provide stop means for limiting the pivoting of the handle.

Still another object of the invention is to form the handle set forth above such that the outer end of each prong is slightly offset from the approximate 30 degree plane so that the prongs approximately follow the contour of the chime.

With the above objects in view, and others that will hereinafter appear, the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the various views illustrated in the accompanying exemplary drawing:

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a drum and a chime with the handle connected thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with the handle in a downwardly suspended position.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the handle in the uppermost position in which it is to be gripped by a carrier of the drum.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the handle.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing an alternate type of attaching means formed in the chime.

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation of the handle showing its original shape in dotted lines and its final form in solid lines.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a portion of a drum 10 which may be made up of a tube of several plies or convolute windings of paperboard or the like. The interior surfaces of the drum 10 are preferably provided with a coating or lining 11 which is impervious to the products to be carried in the drum 10. The lining 11 protects the drum 10 from product absorption when the drum contains lard, vegetable shortening or like fill. Other products may, of course, be contained in the drum 10, it being obvious that petroleum jelly, flaked or powdered chemicals, liquids and many other materials may be packaged therein.

The top circumferential edge of the drum 10 is enclosed in a bight portion 12 of a metal chime 13 which is fixed to the drum 10 by compressing the bight portion 12 and the top edge of the drum. The chime 13 extends partially down along the outside wall of the drum 10 and forms a metal band around the top of the drum.

About the periphery of the chime 13 are a plurality of pairs of spaced beads 14, the beads of each pair being placed in opposition to each other. Each bead 14 is formed from an outwardly displaced or projected portion of the metal chime 13 and thus forms an interior pocket or receiving recess 15, the recesses provided by each co operating pair of beads 14 opening in opposition one to the other through the opposed cut edges 16 of the beads. The beads 14 and the recesses 15 may be formed by a punching operation prior to the placement of the chime 13 on the drum 10.

The beads 14 and recesses 15 comprise means for attaching a handle 17 to the chime 13, thus to provide for convenient lifting and handling of the drum 10. The chime 13 provides the preferred position for attaching the handle 17 to the drum of the type disclosed, rather than to the cover or to the side walls of the drum, because of the availability of the handle even though the cover be removed, and because of the added advantage that puncturing of the drum side wall and liner is avoided since no rivets and hanging plates are needed for mounting the handles.

The handle 17 is preferably formed of galvanized wire, and it has been found that #9 (.148 dia.) Wire is suitable for the intended purposes. Of course, the specific wire used may vary depending upon the weight of the contemplated load and/or size of the drum.

The wire handle 17 is of a one-piece construction and is comprised of a bowed grasping portion 18, a pair of converging connecting sections 19 joined to the grasping portion 18 by smoothly curved portions 20, and reversely bent attaching means generally indicated at 21 for readily attaching the handle 17 to the chime 13. The attaching means 21 are comprised of a pair of opposed, outwardly opening U-shaped segments spaced from each other, said U-shaped segments each comprising an inner leg member 22, a free leg member or prong 23 and a bight portion 24 connecting the inner leg member 22 to the prong 23.

The reverse bend of the wire at the bight portion 24, which results in the attaching means 21 being U-shaped, provides a better fastening means than if the beads were centrally disposed between inwardly directed prongs. Hence, when turning a filled drum by grasping and pulling on the handles so that a tangential force is applied to the chime, the handle of the present invention does not pull out of the bead as would be the case with other forms of handles. Thus, lighter gage wires may be used without any sacrifice of necessary strength or intended performance.

It is an important feature of this invention that the bight portions 24 be disposed in a plane which forms an angle with the plane defined by the grasping portion 18 and the sections 19. A suitable angle has been found to be approximately 30 degrees and has been so illustrated in the drawings. As a result of this angular relationship, the grasping portion 18 and sections 19, when in the non-use position illustrated in FlGURE 2, depend from the beads 14 alongside of the side wall of the drum 10 and the grasping portion 18 lies in abutting relation to said side wall due to the force of gravity acting upon the angulated handle. With the handle so disposed, it is less likely to be damaged than if it were spaced outwardly from the side wall.

When the handle is pivoted upward to the use position shown in FIGURE 3, the angular relationship of the bight portions 24 with respect to the plane of the segments 19, provides another important feature of this invention in that the bight portions 24 and the inner leg members 22 are disposed flush against the chime 13 and provide stop means for limiting the arcuate swinging of the handle 17. As is readily apparent from the drawings, the handle is stopped short of a vertical position and forms an angle therewith that is substantially equal to the angle which the plane of the bight portions 24 forms with the plane of the segments 19 and grasping portion 18. This is a desirable feature in that the fingers of the person lifting the drum 10 are not mashed between the grasping portion 18 and the top of the chime 13 or a cover thereon.

Another important feature of this invention is that the free leg members or prongs 23 of the U-shaped attaching means 21 are slightly bent from the plane of the bight portions 24, as is best shown in FIGURE 4, so that the prongs 23 approximately follow the circumferential contour of the chime 13. This feature facilitates the assembly of the prongs 23 into the recesses 15 of the beads 14, because the beads 14 and recesses 15 are circumferentially spaced on the chime 13 and are not in a straight line open relationship with each other.

An alternate form of attaching means is shown in FIGURE wherein beads 34 are formed in a chime 13 which has a cut-out portion 35 formed therein between the beads, and the beads 34 are punch-formed in the same manner as the beads 14. The openings into the beads 34 are defined by the cut edges 36 and receive the rongs 23 of the handle 17, thereby attaching the handle to the chime 13.

The handle of the present invention readily adapts itself to a simple method for attaching the handle to the chime. In FIGURE 6, the handle is shown in its original shape in the dotted line form and in full lines in its final, or expanded form. In attaching the handle to the chime 13 or 13', the handle is given a slight squeeze which moves the bight portions 24, the prongs 23 and the sections 19 slightly inwardly or toward each other so that the outer ends of the prongs 23 may be slipped past the opposed cut-

edges

16 or 36 of the

beads

14 or 34. Upon release of the squeezing force, the resilience of the wire causes the handle to return to its original shape and the prongs 23 are disposed slightly within the openings defined by the

beads

14 and 34 and are held in this position so that the handle will not fall out prior to bending the bowed portion 18 of the handle to spread the prongs into final engaging position. A force is then applied to the handle 17 which changes its shape from the bowed dotted line position of FIGURE 6 to the straighter full line position. As is clearly shown in the drawing, the curved or bowed grasping portion 18 is moved inwardly to a substantially straight position and the connecting segments 19 and the prongs 23 are moved outwardly, thereby causing the prongs to be substantially nestled in the openings defined by the

beads

14 or 34. The handle 17 is thereby firmly connected to the chime and will not pull loose under normal conditions.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there has been provided a novel handle and a novel combination of a handle and chime on a fibre drum. Furthermore, there has been disclosed alternate types of attaching means formed in the chime, and a method of assembling the handle to either form of chime attaching means.

The herein disclosed specific examples of structure and method are not meant to be restrictive, and it is to be understood that the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece wire handle comprising a grasping portion; a pair of connecting sections, one for each end of the grasping portion; and reversely bent attaching means for each of said pair of connecting sections; said attaching means comprising a U-shaped segment having an inner leg member, a free leg. member and a bight portion connecting the free leg member to the inner leg member; said attaching means being connected to the connecting sections by the inner leg member; said bight portion of each of said attaching means defining a plane which is angularly disposed with respect to a plane defined by said pair of connecting sections, the free leg member of each of said attaching means being bent out of the plane defined by the bight portion of each of said attaching means.

2. A handle as in claim 1 wherein the grasping portion is bowed, and said connecting sections converge toward said attaching means.

3. In combination, a chime for a drum and a handle connected to said chime; attaching means formed in said chime and means on said handle for pivotally connecting said handle to said attaching means, said attaching means in said chime comprising a pair of spaced outwardly displaced portions of the chime forming a pair of beads opening in opposition to each other; and the means on said handle for pivotally connecting said handle to said attaching means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed U-shaped segments each having an inner leg member, a free leg member and a bight portion connecting the inner leg member to the free leg member, the free leg member of each of said pair of U-shaped segments being adapted to be received in a respective one of said pair of beads, said bight portion and inner leg member of each of said U-shaped segments defining a plane which is angularly disposed with respect to a plane defined by said handle, each said bight portion and each said inner leg member being adapted to abut against said chime to limit the pivotal swingingv of said handle, the free leg member of each of said Uashaped segments being bent 5 out 0f the plane defined by :the respective high-L partion and inner leg member to conform generally no the arc of the chime.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Bell 16126 Kempter 16l27 Selleck 16127 Potter.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Primary Examiner.

D. L. BURGESS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A ONE-PIECE WIRE HANDLE COMPRISING A GRASPING PORTION; A PAIR OF CONNECTING SECTIONS, ONE FOR EACH END OF THE GRASPING PORTION; AND REVERSELY BENT ATTACHING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID PAIR OF CONNECTING SECTION; SAID ATTACHING MEANS COMPRISING A U-SHAPED SEGMENT HAVING AN INNER LEG MEMBER, A FREE LEG MEMBER AND A BIGHT PORTION CONNECTING THE FREE LEG MEMBER TO THE INNER LEG MEMBER; SAID ATTACHING MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO THE CONNECTING SECTIONS BY THE INNER LEG MEMBER; SAID BIGHT PORTION OF EACH OF SAID ATTACHING MEANS DEFINING A PLANE WHICH IS ANULARLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO A PLANE DEFINED BY SAID PAIR OF CONNECTING SECTIONS, THE FREE LEG MEMBER OF EACH OF SAID ATTACHING MEANS BEING BENT OUT OF THE PLANE DEFINED BY THE BIGHT PORTION OF EACH OF SAID ATTACHING MEANS.