Patent Publication Number: US-2018037364-A1

Title: Pivoting flexible cover unit for a spill containment pallet

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the storage of hazardous liquids contained in storage drums, in order to comply with safety and environmental regulations. 
     When storing drums containing hazardous liquids, it is required by many environmental and safety regulations to store the drums on a spill containment pallet, or other containment device, for containing any hazardous liquid which might leak or be spilled from the drums. The present invention is concerned with a flexible cover for covering a spill containment pallet and any drums placed on the pallet. In particular, the present invention is concerned with a spill containment pallet having the capacity to hold up to four fifty-five gallon drums stored in the upright position. Although the present invention is disclosed in relation to a four-drum spill containment pallet, the pivoting flexible cover unit of the invention applies to other types of spill containment pallets. 
     Spill containment pallets provide a reservoir sufficient for containing at least a portion of the hazardous liquid contained in the drums which could be placed on them. Regulations for storing drums containing hazardous liquids prescribe the volume of liquid that must be contained by the spill containment pallet in the event of leakage from one or more of the drums stored on the pallet. 
     The present invention provides a flexible cover for covering the spill containment pallet and any drums placed on the pallet. The cover provides protection for the drums from the weather or protection for the drums when stored in a dusty or particulate-filled environment. The cover also provides some confinement of fumes from any hazardous liquid leaking from the drums. The present invention provides the above-listed benefits while also allowing easy access to the stored drums from either a front or rear of the spill containment pallet. 
     2. Discussion of the Relevant Art 
     A safety containment housing for the storage of hazardous waste material is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. 376,977 to Milliken. The containment housing is formed of a rigid material to form a box-like housing around a drum storage area. 
     A hazardous material containment and storage unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,476 to Abbott. The containment and storage unit is formed of a rigid material to have a plurality of door structures pivotally attached to a door support arch. Each door structure has a top, side and front panel that covers a separate quadrant of a containment tray when the doors are closed. 
     Drum storage containers are disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. 426,314 and U.S. Design Pat. 449,940 to Girard et al. The drum storage containers are formed of a rigid material and a roll-top door is provided for access to drums stored in each unit. 
     A rotating-cover storage shed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,308 to Gillespie and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The storage shed is formed of a rigid material and access to the contents is made by rotatably opening one of a pair of rigid rotating cover sections. The shed is formed to attach to a spill containment pallet to provide protection for the contents from the weather and unauthorized access 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a pivoting flexible cover unit, arranged to be attached to a spill containment pallet having opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a grate extending thereacross on which storage drums are placeable. The pivoting flexible cover unit has a pair of pivot supports arranged for attachment to opposed side walls of the spill containment pallet and a pivot means disposed on each of the pair of pivot supports. A plurality of support bars extend radially outward from the pivot means and across the spill containment pallet, one end of each support bar being pivotally attached to one of the pair of pivot means and the other end of each support bar being pivotally attached to the other one of the pair of pivot means, with a portion of each of the plurality of support bars telescopically arranged to fit one within the other. At least one spacing strap is secured to each of the support bars at a portion thereof extending across the containment storage pallet, the spacing strap extending from one support bar to the next support bar to maintain a selected spacing for the plurality of support bars when they are positioned in a covering-arrangement. One end of the spacing strap is secured to a first support bar of the plurality of support bars and the other end of the strap is secured to a last support bar of the plurality of support bars. A flexible cover is supported by the plurality of support bars and is attached to the first support bar and the last support bar, such that the flexible cover covers any drums placed on the grate when the plurality of support bars are in the covering-arrangement. Access to any drums on the grate is provided from the rear or the front of the pallet when the plurality of support bars are in an open-arrangement, in which the plurality of support bars are pivoted to the front or the rear of the pallet, respectively, without detaching the flexible cover from the first and last support bars. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention installed on a spill containment pallet, the pivoting flexible cover unit shown with a flexible cover component not included and with a plurality of support bars positioned in a covering-arrangement; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention installed on a spill containment pallet, the pivoting flexible cover unit shown with the flexible cover component not included and with the plurality of support bars positioned in a covering-arrangement; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of a pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention installed on the spill containment pallet, the pivoting flexible cover unit shown with the flexible cover component not included and with the plurality of support bars positioned in the covering-arrangement; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention installed on a spill containment pallet, the pivoting flexible cover unit shown with the flexible cover component not included and with a plurality of support bars positioned in the covering-arrangement; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of the pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention, shown with the flexible cover component not included and with the plurality of support bars positioned in an open-arrangement toward a rear of the spill containment pallet; 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention, shown with the flexible cover component not included and with the plurality of support bars positioned in the open-arrangement toward a front of the spill containment pallet; 
         FIG. 6A  is a view similar to  FIG. 5A , showing the spill containment pallet having four drums in place on a grate of the pallet; 
         FIG. 6B  is a view similar to  FIG. 5B , showing the spill containment pallet having four drums in place on the grate of the pallet; 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are enlarged views of a pivot means of the present invention showing the arrangement of the plurality of support bars pivotally attached to the pivot means; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the pivoting flexible cover unit of the present invention installed on the spill containment pallet, shown with the flexible cover component included and with the plurality of support bars positioned in the covering-arrangement. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is a pivoting flexible cover unit for a spill containment pallet. As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the pivoting flexible cover unit (shown with a flexible cover component not included) is attached, by any means, to a spill containment pallet  1 . Attachment of the unit to the pallet is preferably made at a base  2  of each of a pair of pivot supports  3 . In a preferred embodiment, each pivot support is triangular in shape with a pivot means  4  disposed at an apex of the triangle that is opposite the base  2  of the pivot support. Although the triangular shape is preferred, other shapes for the pivot supports are possible in practice of the invention. The pivot supports are preferably molded from polyethylene. 
     Pivotally attached to each of the two pivot means  4  are a plurality of support bars  5 , which extend across the spill containment pallet. In the view of  FIG. 1 , nine support bars are shown (labeled A-I), however, the number can vary as long as adequate support is provided for a flexible cover (discussed below). Enlarged views of the pivot means and the pivotally attached support bars are shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , and are discussed below. In a preferred embodiment, each support bar is formed of a hollow rigid metal tubing or metal pipe and is arch-shaped, with a substantially straight leg  6  joined to each end of a substantially straight crosspiece  7 . In  FIG. 1 , referring to support bar E as an example, the legs are indicated at  6  and the crosspiece is indicated at  7 . The crosspiece and legs form the arch-shaped support bar. Each leg has a free end at the end not joined to the crosspiece. Each support bar is pivotally attached at the free end of one of the legs to one of the pivot means  4 , and pivotally attached at the free end of the other leg to the other end of the pivot means  4 . 
     The pivoting flexible cover unit of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-4  with the support bars  5  in positions that would provide a covering-arrangement of the unit. In  FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B  the support bars are in positions that would provide an open-arrangement of the unit, which allows access to any drums placed on grate  8  of the spill containment pallet, from the front or the rear of the spill containment pallet  1 . 
     Preferably the legs  6  of all of the support bars  5  are of the same length. With such a condition, crosspieces  7  define an arc, as best shown in  FIG. 2 . The crosspieces  7  of the support bars, however, vary in length in order that a portion of each of the plurality of support bars telescopically nest one within the other when positioned in the open-arrangement. As can best be seen in  FIGS. 3, 4, 5A and 5B , legs  6  of the support bars telescopically nest one within the other, and crosspieces  7  of the support bars stack one against the other.  FIGS. 3, 4   7 A and  7 B best show the arrangement of the support bars  5  on the pivot means  4 , which allows the above-described telescopic nesting. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a middle support bar (labeled E in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) has the longest crosspiece, and first support bar (A) and last support bar (I) have the shortest crosspieces. In the preferred embodiment, best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4  the first support bar (A) and last support bar (I) have crosspieces of the same length. Support bars (B and H) have crosspieces of the same length, support bars (C and G) have crosspieces of the same length and support bars (D and F) have crosspieces of the same length. Other arrangements of the lengths of the crosspieces are possible in practice of the invention. 
     As mentioned above, each support bar  5  is preferably formed of a hollow rigid metal tubing or metal pipe and is arch-shaped. However, other materials such as plastic are possible. Regardless of the material, the support bars can be formed of a continuous piece of material or fabricated in sections that can be fit together during assembly of the unit. For example, rigid pipes can form the legs and crosspieces of the support bars, and the legs and crosspieces can be connected with 90-degree pipe fittings. 
     Details of attaching the support bars  5  to the pivot means  4  are shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . The pivot means  4  preferably utilizes a hex head bolt, as shown. In a preferred embodiment, an eyebolt  9  is installed at the free end of each of the two legs  6  of the support bar. When the support bar is installed on the pivot means, the “eye” of the eyebolt pivots on the pivot means  4 . Placement of at least one flat washer  10  between the eyebolts  9  improves the operation of the unit. A nut  11  is used to hold the eyebolts  9  and flat washers  10  on the hex head bolt. 
     One manner of installing the eyebolt to the free end of the leg is to press fit a coupling nut into the pipe making up the leg  6 , and then threading the eyebolt  9  into the coupling nut. Other methods of installing the eyebolt to the leg, for example welding or brazing the coupling nut to the pipe, providing internal threads to the pipe, or welding or brazing the eyebolt directly to the pipe are possible in practice of the invention. Additionally, fabrication of a pivoting component (not shown), in place of the eyebolt, that enables the support bar to pivot on the pivot means, are acceptable in practice of the invention. 
     Attached to each support bar  5  is at least one spacing strap  13 , as shown in  FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 . One end of the spacing strap is attached to the first support bar A, and the other end of the strap is attached to the last support bar I. Other portions of the strap are attached to the remaining support bars in the order in which they are to be arranged when in the covering-arrangement. Preferably the measurements along the spacing strap, between points of attachment, are substantially equal. The spacing strap maintains a proper spacing for the support bars when the support bars are in the covering-arrangement. The spacing strap can be attached to the crosspieces  7  with a rivet, a screw, or any other means, as indicated at  14 . Preferably the spacing strap is made of nylon. 
     In the present embodiment two spacing straps  13  are shown attached to each crossbar, however a single strap, attached at the midpoint of each crosspiece, is an option. When a plurality of spacing straps is used, attachment to the crosspieces is preferably carried out symmetrically, in relation to the midpoint of each crosspiece. 
     The pivoting flexible cover unit includes a flexible cover  15  that covers the spill containment pallet and any drums placed on the pallet, as shown in  FIG. 8 . Covering takes place when the plurality of support bars is in the covering-arrangement, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . The flexible cover  15  is supported by the support bars  5  and is attached at the bottom edge of one side thereof to first support bar A and at the bottom edge of the other side thereof to last support bar I. Preferably the flexible cover  15  is not attached to any other support bars, and the flexible cover is free to slide along the support bars as the pivoting flexible cover unit is changed from the covering-arrangement to the open-arrangement and vice versa. Attachment of the flexible cover to the first and last support bars can be made with Velcro straps, snaps, or any other means. 
     When the pivoting flexible cover unit is in the open-arrangement with the support bars all arranged toward the rear of the spill containment pallet, access to stored material from the front of the pallet is enabled. When the pivoting flexible cover unit is in the open-arrangement with the support bars all arranged toward the front of the spill containment pallet, access to stored material from the rear of the pallet is enabled 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the flexible cover  15  has the shape of a truncated cylinder when the support bars and flexible cover are in the covering-arrangement. The flexible cover includes a slit  16  in each end to facilitate opening of the cover. The slit extends from the bottom edge of the flexible cover to a point on the flexible cover that would be substantially opposite the pivot means, when the support bars and flexible cover are positioned in the covering-arrangement. The slit can be held closed by Velcro strips along each edge of the slit, or any other means. The flexible cover is preferably formed from a sheet of polyethylene. 
     The flexible cover can also include a pocket  17  on at least one of the sides thereof for placement of material to identify the storage drums within the flexible cover. Also, the flexible cover can include a vent  18 , having a mesh screen, on at least one of the sides of the flexible cover. 
     As mentioned above, the pivoting flexible cover unit is attached, by any means, to any spill containment pallet. In another embodiment of the invention the pivoting flexible cover unit includes a spill containment pallet having sides thereof formed to provide for the pair of pivot supports  3  to snap into place, preferably without the use of tools or fasteners. 
     The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications in design, structural arrangement, or the like may be used without departing from the scope or equivalents of the present invention.