Storage container

20070246375

11/705029

February 12, 2007

A container for hazardous wastes, such as, plutonium wastes, includes a can and a lid wherein the lid is locked to and sealed with respect to the can by radially projected locking bolts. In order to lock the lid to the can the bolts are cammed radially by rotating a U-shaped handle to place the locking bolts behind a locking rim at the mouth of the can. The bolts are then pivoted to apply an axial force to the locking rim to urge the lid against a gasket to seal the lid by turning a threaded axial force element to pivot the locking bolts on the fulcrums.

Wickland, Terry J. (Evergreen, CO, US); Popish, Darold M. (Golden, CO, US); Peterson, Michael D. (Parker, CO, US); Popish, Fred Louis (Arvada, CO, US)

1. A container for hazardous materials comprising: a can having a closed end and an open end; a locking rim located at the open of the cam, the locking rim having a shelf therein of a first inner diameter; a lid having an outer surface and an inner surface, the lid having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the shelf wherein when the lid is mounted on the cam the lid is supported on the shelf; at least one gasket between the shelf and the inner surface of the lid; an array of radially extending locking bolts having inner and outer portions and being slidably mounted on the lid for sliding the outer portions between the locking rim on the housing and the lid; a first camming arrangement connected to the inner portions of the locking bolts to project the outer portion of the locking bolts beneath the locking rim when rotated; a fulcrum between each sliding bolt and the top surface of the lid; a second camming arrangement for engaging the inner portion of the locking bolts to pivot the locking bolts about the fulcrums to move the outer portions into engagement with locking rim and force the lid against the gasket to seal the hazardous materials within the container from the surrounding environment.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the first camming arrangement has a handle attached thereto for operation of the camming arrangement.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein the handle pivots with respect to the lid to lie thereagainst when not in use.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the handle is connected to a cam plate assembly forming part of the camming arrangement and wherein the handle rotates the cam plate assembly to cam the locking bolts in a radial direction through camming connection between the cam plate and the inner portions of the bolts.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein the second camming arrangement utilizes the cam plate assembly to urge the cam plate against the inner portions of the locking bolts to pivot the locking bolts on the fulcrums to engage the inner portions with the locking rim to force the lid against the gasket.

6. The container of claim 5 wherein the fulcrums are integral with the locking bolts.

7. The container of claim 4 wherein the camming connections between the cam plate assembly and the locking bolts is a pin-in-slot connection with a portion of the cam plate assembly.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein the gasket comprises both a radially compressed gasket element and an axially compressed gasket element.

9. The container of claim 1 wherein the second camming arrangement the cam plate assembly to urge a portion of the cam plate assembly against the pins of the locking bolts to pivot the locking bolts on the fulcrums to engage the inner portions with the locking rim to force the lid against the gasket.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein the fulcrums are integral with the locking bolts.

11. The container of claim 10 wherein the axial force element is threaded into the lid and applies force to the cam plate assembly upon being rotated to advance axially toward the lid.

12. The container of claim 11 wherein the handle for actuating the first camming arrangement is U-shaped and the axial force element is straddled by the handle.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein the fulcrums are integral with the locking bolts.

14. The container of claim 13 wherein the camming connections between the cam plate assembly and the locking bolts is a pin-in-slot connection.

15. The container of claim 14 wherein the gasket comprises both a radially compressed gasket element and an axially compressed gasket element.

16. The container of claim 1 wherein the gasket comprises both a radially compressed gasket element and an axially compressed gasket element.

206001/500

65; 65

edspap.20070246375