US3255913A

US3255913A - Liquid container with integral mounting means

Info

Publication number: US3255913A
Application number: US393117A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark W Helm
Original assignee: Hoover Co
Current assignee: Hoover Co
Priority date: 1964-08-31
Filing date: 1964-08-31
Publication date: 1966-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-14

Description

M. W. HELM June 14, 1966 LIQUID CONTAINER WITH INTEGRAL MOUNTING MEANS Filed Aug. 31, 1964 United States Patent 3,255,913 LIQUID CONTAINER WITH INTEGRAL MOUNTING MEANS Mark W. Helm, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 393,117 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-18) The present invention relates to an improved mounting means for liquid containers. The improved mounting means is especially suitable for use with liquid containers which are blow molded from thermoplastic material.

Where this type of liquid container is to be provided with brackets for mounting on a wall or some other device it is very advantageous to have the brackets firmly secured to the container so as to be an integral part thereof. If the mounting brackets are separate elements which grip the container only when the container is in its posi- -tion of use it often happens that the brackets become lost and new ones must be obtained before the container can be used again. Also, with separate brackets it is a problem to pack and store the container without overlooking or misplacing the mounting brackets.

Liquid containers made of blow molded thermoplastic material are usually very thin walled and prior art devices have rivets extending completely through the wall to secure mounting brackets on the container. This is unsatisfactory because the rivet holes have a tendency to leak.

Liquid containers made of blow molded thermoplastic material have found wide acceptance as wax or detergent dispenser bottles on floor polishers or the like. Many of those in use require cooperating brackets on the handle of the floor polisher and the handle must be specially designed or a separate attachment provided.

Therefore, it is a primary object of my invention to provide a blow molded thermoplastic container with integral mounting means in such a manner that there will be no tendency for the container to leak.

It is another object of my invention to provide a blow molded thermoplastic container with integral mounting brackets so that the container can be secured to a device without the need for separate attaching means or a special design of the device to which the container is secured.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the follow ing description wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the rear of a container with mounting brackets integral therewith.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the container in FIGURE 1 with parts in section for clarity.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the lines 33 of FIGURE 1 showing the manner in which a bracket is secured to a container.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section of part of a mold used to make the container of FIGURES 1-4.

Referring now to the drawing, FIGURE 1 shows a container 1 having

mounting brackets

2 and 3 secured thereto. The container has a fill spout 4 and a discharge spout 5. Of course, the container could take many other forms and have only a top opening or only a bottom opening. As shown in FIGURES 24, container 1 has rectangular metal plates 6 and 7 molded into the wall thereof. The exterior surface of the wall of the container covers a peripheral area on the front of plates 6 and 7 as shown to effectively trap plates 6 and 7 and prevent their sepanation from container 1.

The plates 6 and 7 are trapped in the wall of container 1 in the manner shownin FIGURE 5. The cavity of mold section 8 is provided with projecting posts 9 and 10 which are of rectangular cross-sectional shape. Secured to posts 9 and 1 0 are centrally located pins 11 and 12. Plates 6 and 7 have centrally located holes therein through which pins 11 and 12 extend when plates 6 and 7 are placed on posts 9 and 10. Plates 6 and 7 are of slightly larger rectangular shape than the cross-section of posts 9 and 10 so that the peripheral portion of plates 6 and 7 projects beyond the periphery of posts 9 and 10. When the thermoplastic material 13 is blown against the walls of the mold cavity it forms around the plates in the manner shown in FIGURE 5. Self-tapping

screws

14 and 15 are then threaded into the holes in plates 6 and 7 to secure

mounting brackets

2 and 3 to container 1. Plates 6 and 7 have dimples 16 and 17 stamped therein to fit in holes 18 and 19 in

mounting brackets

2 and 3 to prevent rotation of the brackets about

screws

14 and 15.

As seen in FIGURE 3, the sidewall of the container is reversely bent inwardly two times in succession as at 20 and 21 to form a recess extending parallel to the sidewall and plate 6 is received or trapped in the recess.

It will be noted that the interior surface of container 1 is continuous so that the possibility of leaks is practically eliminated.

The container may be made of any blow moldable thermoplastic material and in preferred embodiments the thermoplastic is of relatively high density. Examples of suitable high density polyethylenes are Marlex 5003 available from Phillips Chemical Company and Tenite 3400 available from Eastman Chemical Company.

Those skilled in the art will be aware that plates 6 and 7 could take many other shapes and it is not necessary that the exterior surface of the container overlies the entire periphery of the plates. For example, plates 6 and 7 can be of such -a size that only two edges extend beyond the periphery of posts 9 and 1.0. Also, plates 6 and 7 can have a mounting means integral therewith when the container is molded so that it would be unnecessary to attach other parts after the molding step. The mounting means could also be a handle.

It will be noted that pins 11 and 12 in the mold cavity project completely through plates 6 and 7, and extend for some distance into the cavity. This arrangement provides a hollow space in the finished container immediately behind the holes in plates 6 and 7. Thus, when screws 14 :and 15 are threaded through the holes in plates 6 and 7 they can extend some distance in back of the plates without any danger of rupturing the sidewall of container 1. With this feature the length of the screws and the distance they are screwed into the plates is not so critical as it would be if the hollow space had not been provided.

With the embodiment shown in the drawing there is provided the advantageous feature of being able to attach any number of sizes and styles of

brackets

2 and 3. Thus, the mold and the container need not be changed in order to adapt the container for attachment to various devices and devices of dilferent sizes. All that is necessary is to attach the desired brackets to plates 6 and 7.

In the specific embodiment of my invention shown in the

drawing brackets

2 and 3 are spring clips which are adapted to be snapped on the handle of a floor polisher or the like. My container with integral mounting means is capable of rather universal use because it would fit on the handle of any floor polisher or the like. This is a distinct advantage over the type of mounting means which requires a specially designed handle. My container has mounting brackets rigidly secured thereto so as to become an integral part thereof and there is no danger of the brackets becoming lost.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention and its advantageous features represent a substantial improvement over prior art devices.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described it is to be understood that this embodiment is only illustrative and is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The present invention includes all equivalent variations of the disclosed embodiment and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A blow molded container of thermoplastic material, said container including a continuous sidewall,

(a) a rigid mounting member trapped in said sidewall,

(b) said mounting member having a polygonal shape defining a plurality of side edges and having substantially plane opposite surfaces defining parallel front and rear faces,

(c) said side edges spanning said front and rear faces and being substantially perpendicular thereto,

(d) said front face having a peripheral face portion adjacent each of said side edges,

(e) said rear face being substantially covered by and in contact with the exterior surface of said sidewall,

(f) and at least -a portion of each of said peripheral face portions and side edges being covered by and in contact with the exterior surface of said sidewall,

(g) whereby said mounting member is immovably trapped in the sidewall of said container.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said rigid mounting member has a hole extending therethrough from said front face to said rear face, the exterior surface of said sidewall extending inwardly toward the interior of said container in the region of said hole to define a hollow space adjacent said rear face in alignment with said hole.

3. The container of claim 2 whereina bracket member is secured to said mounting member by a screw extending through said bracket member and said hole in said mounting member, said screw having a forward portion received in said hollow space, one of said members having a projection extending therefrom and the other of said members having a recess therein, said projection and recess being interdigitated to prevent rotation of said bracket member with respect to said mounting member about said screw.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,163,332 12/1964 Boyle et al. 220-18 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

I. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A BLOW MOLDED CONTAINER OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS SIDEWALL, (A) A RIGID MOUNTING MEMBER TRAPPED IN SAID SIDEWALL, (B) SAID MOUNTING MEMBER HAVING A POLYGONAL SHAPE DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SIDE EDGES AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANE OPPOSITE SURFACES DEFINING PARALLEL FRONT AND REAR FACES, (C) SAID SIDE EDGES SPANNING SAID FRONT AND REAR FACES AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR THERETO, (D) SAID FRONT FACE HAVING A PERIPHERAL FACE PORTION ADJACENT EACH OF SAID SIDE EDGES, (E) SAID REAR FACE BING SUBSTANTIALLY COVERED BY AND IN CONTACT WITH THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SIDEWALL, (F) AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF EACH OF SAID PERIPHERAL FACE PORTIONS AND SIDE EDGES BEING COVERED BY AND IN CONTACT WITH THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SIDEWALL, (G) WHEREBY SAID MOUNTING MEMBER IS IMMOVABLY TRAPPED IN THE SIDEWALL OF SAID CONTAINER.