Lifting and handling device for drums

A device for lifting and handling open end drums, especially fiber, or other non-metallic drums includes a support, an inner member and toggle clamps mounted on the support. The toggle clamps cooperate with the inner member to engage the open top of the drum. The drum can then be lifted by engaging and lifting the support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
a. Field of Invention 
This invention pertains to a device for handling open-topped drums, and 
more particularly to a device adapted to engage the top of the drum so 
that a filled drum can be lifted and repositioned on a truck bed, pallet, 
etc. 
b. Description of the Prior Art 
Non-metallic open top drums, such as drums made of fiber, or a plastic 
material are presently preferred for shipping various materials for a 
variety of reasons. However these drums, which may weigh up to 600 pounds 
or more, when filled are difficult to handle. If an operator tries to tip 
such a drum so that it can be rolled, the operator may suffer injury. In 
addition, if the drum is dropped on its side too suddenly, it may break 
open and spill its contents. Typically, these types of drums are provided 
at the top and the bottom with a metal chime having a peripheral groove or 
bead which secures the chime to the drum. The chime is used to secure the 
drum bottom and top to the drum body. Once a drum is closed, the chime may 
also be used to handle the drum. More particularly, trucks, or fork lifts 
may be equipped with parrot-beak devices which grasp the chime and allow 
an operator to lift and handle the drum. However, these parrot-beak 
devices are expensive. 
Moreover, recently there has been a demand for drums that can be compacted 
and recycled. However recycling stations will not accept compacted drums 
with metal parts. Thus, non-metallic drums are preferable from an 
environmental viewpoint. However, until now filled non-metallic drums were 
difficult to handle, as discussed above. 
OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, it is an 
objective of the present invention to provide a device for easy handling 
of filled drums. 
A further objective is to provide a device strong enough to lift fully 
loaded drums. 
Yet another objective is to provide a device which is simple to use so that 
it requires no special training, and is inexpensive. 
Other objectives and advantages of the invention shall become apparent from 
the following description of the invention. Briefly, the invention 
includes a device for lifting drums having a drum top comprising support 
means, an inner member mounted on said support means and constructed into 
said drum top means, and clamping means mounted on said support means and 
having a disengaged position and an engaged position. The clamping means 
cooperating with the inner member to clamp to the top of the drum top 
therebetween whereby the drum is lifted by engaging and lifting the 
support means. The said support means include attachment means for 
attaching said support means to a lifting device. 
The clamp means may include a clamping surface selectively pivoted between 
a first position in which said clamping means is disengaged, and a second 
position in which said clamping surface is disposed in a facing relation 
with said inner member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 shows a typical fiber drum 10 having a cylindrical body 12 with an 
open top defined by rim 14, which in this embodiment is circular. Once 
this drum 10 is filled, it may be lifted by a handling device 20. Device 
20 includes a ring 22 made, for example, of steel and having a shape 
matching the shape of the open top on the drum. Moreover, the ring is 
sized so that it is slightly smaller than the drum top so that it can fit 
easily into the drum. The device is also provided with three channels 24, 
26, 28 attached to the ring, and joined to a cylindrical hub 32. 
Preferably the channels are welded to the ring 22 to provide a strong 
bracing. A lifting hoop 34 is welded to the hub 32 oriented upwardly as 
shown. When the device 20 is in operation a hook 36 attached to an 
overhead crane, a truck mounted crane or other similar power lifting 
apparatus may be used to lift or lower device 20 by engaging hoop 34 as 
shown. 
Mounted on each arm 24, 26, 28, adjacent to ring 22 is a drum engaging 
mechanism which preferably is in the form of strong toggle clamps 38, 40, 
42 respectively. The operation of these clamps is explained in detail 
below. Each clamp includes an arm 44 terminating in a clamping surface 46. 
When the device 20 is lowered into the drum 10, as indicated by arrow A in 
FIG. 1, the arms are pivoted upwardly to a disengaged position so that 
they do not interfere with the drum. Once the ring 2 is seated inside the 
drum with the channels extending radially outwardly of rim 14, each of the 
toggle clamps are locked manually to an engaged configuration. As shown in 
FIG. 2, in this configuration the arm 44 is in an engaged position, 
pointing downward, so that clamping surface 46 comes into contact with the 
outer wall 16 of the drum 10. The clamps use springs or other biasing 
means which in the locked position urge the clamping surface 46 inward in 
the radial direction. Thus, clamping surface 46 and the outer cylindrical 
surface 48 of ring 22 cooperate to engage and lock onto the drum 10. 
Once device 20 is engaged to the drum 10 as discussed above, the device 20 
and the drum are lifted together via hook 36 to position the drum as 
required, for example on a truck bed. Thereafter, the device 20 is 
disengaged from the drum 10 (as discussed below) and the drum is closed 
and sealed, for example by using a slip-over cover which fits over rim 14 
and taping the cover to drum sidewall 16. The drum is now ready for 
shipping. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, each toggle clamp consists of an arm 44 holding a 
screw 50 terminating in a clamping surface 46. Arm 44 is controlled by a 
handle 52. When the clamp is disengaged as shown in phantom lines on the 
right side of FIG. 5, both arm 44 and handle 52 are up. When handle 52 is 
manually pivoted counter-clockwise, as shown by arrow B, arm 44 is pivoted 
clockwise (as indicated by arrow C). When handle 52 reaches its locked 
position as shown on the left side of FIG. 5 for clamp 38, clamping 
surface 46 contacts outer sidewall 16. At the same time outer surface 48 
of ring 22 is in contact with the inner surface 18 of drum 10 thereby 
locking onto and engaging the drum. Once handle 52 reaches the locked 
position, it remains in that position until a release mechanism is 
activated. Thus the operator locks each toggle clamp sequentially and then 
lifts the drum to any desired position. Once the drum is positioned, the 
device is disengaged by releasing each toggle clamp individually. For this 
purpose, each toggle clamp is provided with a release member 54. When this 
release member is pulled or pivoted upwards, it causes the handle 52 to 
move upward back to the released position, as indicated in FIG. 6 by arrow 
D. Thus each clamp is released to the disengaged position. Toggle clamps 
of this type are wellknown in the art and need not be described any 
further. 
As can be seen from the above description, it is important that the ring 22 
be disposed adjacent to the inner wall 18 of the drum at least in the 
vicinity of the toggle clamps. Therefore, for a circular drum, ring 22 is 
preferably also circular. For drums having a different shape such as a 
rounded square shown in FIG. 7, a corresponding member 22' can be provided 
to match the cross-section of the drum. For this shape, four channels may 
be provided, each supporting a corresponding toggle clamp, as shown. 
As described above, the device 20 engages the drum 10 through a clamping 
action that takes place between clamping surface 46 and outer surface 48 
of ring 22. In order to insure that this clamping action is strong enough 
to support the drum, and that the drum does not slip out, ring 22 may be 
provided with inserts 60 shown in detail in FIG. 8. These inserts are 
preferably made of hardened tool grade steel and are provided with a 
sharp, multiple edged surface 62. Inserts 60 are positioned so that when 
the toggle clamps are locked, their clamping surface 46 faces a 
corresponding insert 60, as shown in FIG. 5. 
Thus, it is clear that a device as described herein may be used to safely 
and efficiently lift loaded drums. In fact, it was found that this simple 
mechanism may be used to lift fiber drums weighing 400 pounds. 
Importantly, when the device was disengaged, the drum showed virtually no 
markings along its rim indicating that it was not damaged. 
Obviously numerous modifications can be made to this invention without 
departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.