Many products, including stick electrodes for welding, are shipped in canister shipping packages. During shipping, the packages are typically dropped, thrown, bounced, and otherwise subjected to forces caused by handling.
In the past, when a canister shipping package was dropped or otherwise handled, the contents of the package shifted impacting against the package end cap or end closure. Such movement of the package contents was one cause of the end closure deforming and/or tearing from the package. In certain applications such as stick electrodes for welding, movement of the package contents inside the package in a longitudinal direction cause the contents to impact the end closure. Prior shipping packages could not withstand the shipping forces caused by high density electrode products moving inside the package without deformation and damage to the end closures. There remains a need for improved shipping containers that withstand the forces of shipping and reduce shipping damage to the package contents.
What is disclosed is a shipping package comprising a can body having an interior volume and at least one closable end, an end closure closably engaging the closable end of the can body having a recessed portion adapted to fit within a portion of the can body adjacent the closable end, and a disposable reinforcing member corresponding to at least a portion of the recessed portion secured adjacent an exterior surface of the recessed portion.
Referring now to
The can body 20 may have a four-sided cross sectional shape as shown in
The end closure 28 engages the can body 20 to close the end. As shown in
The end closure 28 may have a planar exterior surface engaging a corresponding planar support surface 29 on the reinforcing member 32. Alternatively, the end closure 28 may have a contoured exterior surface engaging a corresponding contoured support surface 29 on the reinforcing member 32. The end closure 28 may have a recessed portion 30 adapted to fit within a portion of the can body 20 adjacent the closable end 26 as shown in
As shown in
The shipping package may contain stick electrodes 42 for welding as shown in
The can body 20 of the shipping package may include a closable end at both ends of the can body. The second closable end 26 may be closed using the end closure 28 and reinforced using the disposable reinforcing member 32 as shown in
As shown in
Alternatively or additionally, the disposable reinforcing member 32 may be banded or strapped to the can body 20 using strapping 40. The strapping 40 may be wrapped around the shipping package forming a band. Additionally, the strapping 40 may be wrapped around the shipping package in two or more bands, such as around two opposite sides of the can body 20 in a first band, and around another two opposite sides of the can body 20 in a second band such as shown in
In one application, the disposable reinforcing member 32 may be secured adjacent at least a portion of the exterior side of the end closure using at least one clip, such as clip 44 adapted to secure the reinforcing member adjacent the end closure 28. As shown in
The clips 44, 46 may include at least one axial retaining portion 48 and a grip portion 50. As shown in
The grip portion 50 of the clip 44, 46 may be adapted to engage at least a portion of the reinforcing member 32. As shown in
The can body 20 may be made of steel. The can body 20 may be coated with a corrosion inhibitor such as galvanized, aluminized, tin-plated, epoxy-coated, painted, or other coating well known in the art. For certain lighter applications, the can body may be aluminum or thermoplastic.
The end closure 28 may be made of steel. The end closure 28 may be coated with a corrosion inhibitor such as galvanized, aluminized, tin-plated, epoxy-coated, painted, or other coating well known in the art. For certain lighter applications, the end closure 28 may be made of aluminum, thermoplastic such as polypropylene, PET, polyethylene, ABS, polystyrene, polyethylene, or other thermoplastic material, or other material suited to close the closeable end of the can body 20. In applications where the end closure and can body are thermoplastic, the end closure may be secured to the can body using ultrasonic welding, spin welding, adhesive, or other joining techniques for securing the end closure to the can body.
The disposable reinforcing member 32 may be made of particleboard, medium density fiberboard, oriented strand board, or chipboard. Alternatively, the disposable reinforcing member 32 may be made of wood plank, plywood, thermoset resin, thermoplastic, ceramic, or any material suited for reinforcing the end closure 28 from impact forces applied from within the package.
In some applications, the end closure 28 may include an easy-opening access 54 as shown in
The present shipping package may further include outer packaging such as an overpack corrugated carton 60 as shown in
In one application, the shipping package contains stick electrodes 42 for welding. The reinforcing member 32 is useful in reducing shipping damage for packages of stick electrodes 42 as the longitudinal rod shape and density of electrode products tends to increase forces applied to the end closure during shipping.
The disposable reinforcing member 32 is adapted to reduce shipping damage as measured, for example, by International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) Test Procedure 3a. In one application, the present shipping package containing 50 pounds of stick electrodes for welding with outer packaging was tested using ISTA Test Procedure 3a, shock test blocks 3 and 9. The reinforcing member 32 provided support for the package to withstand the electrodes impacting against the end closure 28 with less than about 1/16 inch deflection of the end closure 28 measured adjacent the can rim, with no fracture of the score of the easy-opening access 54, if present, or any un-rolling of the seam. To summarize, ISTA Test Procedure 3a includes 13 procedures called test blocks. As stated above, test blocks 3 and 9 are shock tests. Test block 3 includes nine drops specified in the ISTA Standard 3A. Test block 3 includes drops on three bottom edges from 12 inches, drops on two bottom corners from 12 inches, one side edge drop from 12 inches, one top edge drop from 12 inches, one drop on the bottom from 12 inches, and one drop on the bottom from 24 inches. Test block 9 includes eight drops specified in the ISTA Standard 3A. Test block 9 includes drops on two bottom edges from 12 inches, one top edge drop from 12 inches, a drop on one bottom corner from 12 inches, drops on two different to corners from 12 inches, one drop on the bottom from 12 inches onto a hazard, and one drop on a most critical or damage prone flat panel from 24 inches.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the foregoing drawings and description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the description. Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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