US3835617A

US3835617A - Method and apparatus for filling and closing containers

Info

Publication number: US3835617A
Application number: US00182088A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Stock; D Christofer; J Brinza
Original assignee: Stock Equipment Co Inc
Current assignee: SPX Technologies Inc
Priority date: 1971-09-20
Filing date: 1971-09-20
Publication date: 1974-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-17
Also published as: CA997724A; US4151983A

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for disposing of radioactive waste materials by placing them into a container such as a steel drum, together with cement or other solidifying agent and water or other suitable liquid in amounts sufficient to provide eventually a solidified mixture of predetermined amounts of cement or other solidifying agent and radioactive material, closing the drum, agitating the mixture in the drum for mixing the contents, and then storing the drum for at least a period of time sufficient to permit partial decay of radioactive materials or to await available time for shipment. Also disclosed are remotely controlled apparatus for handling both empty and filled drums, for placing the drums in and removing drums from enclosed drumming equipment where they have been filled and agitated, for accurately placing the drums containing radioactive material in storage, and for removing the drums from storage and loading them on a vehicle for transportation. All of these operations are done by remote control with a high degree of safety to the operators and maintenance personnel from radiation and freedom of the ambience from radiation pollution.

Description

United States Patent Stock et a1.

[451 Sept. 17, 1974 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND CLOSING CONTAINERS [75] Inventors: Arthur ,1. Stock, Lakewood; Donald E. Christofer, Willowick; Joseph E. Brinza, Euclid, all of Ohio [73] Assignee: Stock Equipment Company,

Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 182,088

[52] US. Cl 53/21, 53/37, 53/111, 53/167, 53/281, 53/381 [51] Int. Cl..... B65b 3/00, B65b 55/24, B65b 29/00 [58] Field of Search 53/21, 24, 37, 36, 111, 53/126, 127, 266, 267, 281, 282, 381; 141/95,100,103,104,198;252/301.1W; 259/1 R, 12, 13, 14, DIG. 24

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,418,146 5/1922 Fogle 53/267 2,563,319 8/1951 Domack 259/D1G. 24 3,145,741 8/1964 Smith 141/104 3,376,688 4/1968 Takacs et a1 53/37 X 3,527,017 9/1970 Taylor et a1. 53/167 X 3,564,805 2/1971 Mumford 53/381 A 3,613,747 10/1971 Trusselle 141/198 ABSTRACT Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for disposing of radioactive waste materials by placing them into a container such as a steel drum, together with cement or other solidifying agent and water or other suitable liquid in amounts sufficient to provide eventually a solidified mixture of predetermined amounts of cement or other solidifying agent and radioactive material, closing the drum, agitating the mixture in the drum for mixing the contents, and then storing the drum for at least a period of time sufficient to permit partial decay of radioactive materials or to await available time for shipment. Also disclosed are remotely controlled apparatus for handling both empty and filled drums, for placing the drums in and removing drums from enclosed drumming equipment where they have been filled and agitated, for accurately placing the drums containing radioactive material in storage, and for removing the drums from storage and loading them on a vehicle for transportation. All of these operations are done by remote control with a high degree of safety to the operators and maintenance personnel from radiation and freedom of the ambience from radiation pollution.

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Claims

1. Apparatus for packaging fluent material without human handling, comprising movable supporting means controllable by remote control for supporting and moving a container into any of a plurality of preselected positions, said container having an opening initially closed by removable closure means; means controllable by remote control, while said container is in a preselected position, for removing said closure means from said container, retaining said closure means, and replacing said closure means on said container to close said opening after said container has fluent material introduced therein; means controllable by remote control for introducing into said container an essentially predetermined amount of said fluent material while said container is in a different preselected position; and means controllable by remote control for agitating said container to mix the contents of said container while said opening of said container is closed by said closure means and while said container is in a preselected position different from the one in which fluent material was introduced into said container, said movable supporting means supporting said container at all times while it is so moved and positioned in each of said preselected positions and also while said container is being agitated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising closed enclosure means in which said container is located when it has material introduced therein, is closed and is agitated.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means for moving said container, said means for introducing fluent material, and said agitating means are supported from a demountable shield wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means for introducing into said container said fluent material comprises a plurality of means for introducing into a container any of a plurality of different fluent materials either as the only fluent material in the container or as one of a plurality of fluent materials in the container, and in which each of said plurality of means is adapted to handle a fluent material independently of other fluent material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising means for sensing the level of fluent material in the container to determine the amount of fluent material in the container.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means for introducing into said container an essentially predetermined amount of a fluent material introduces into said container an essentially predetermined amount of a dispersion comprising an essentially predetermined proportion of particulate material in a liquid.

7. A process of packaging particulate material without human handling, comprising moving a container into preselected positions, said container having an opening initially closed by removable closure means; removing and retaining said closure means from said opening of said container while said container is in a preselected position; providing in said container through said opened opening while said container is in a preselected position an essentially predetermined amount of a dispersion of said particulate material in a liquid in which dispersion the proportion of liquid to particulate material is essentially predetermined; closing said container by replacing said same closure means to close said opening while said container is in said pReselected position in which said closure means was removed and retained; agitating said container to mix the contents thereof to intermix the particulate material and liquid while said container is in a preselected position different from the one in which the dispersion was provided in the container; and thereafter removing the container.

8. The process of claim 7 in which said container contains a previously loaded essentially predetermined amount of solidifying agent, and in which thereafter there is introduced into said container an essentially predetermined amount of a dispersion of said particulate material in a liquid in which dispersion the proportion of liquid to particulate material is essentially predetermined.

9. Apparatus for introducing into a container fluent material without human handling comprising an essentially closed housing; hatch means in said housing adapted to be closed by hatch cover means; means in said housing for supporting a container into which said fluent material is to be introduced, said container having an opening adapted to be closed by a cap, said supporting means being adapted to receive said container at said hatch opening and move said container to locations where fluent material is introduced into the container, the cap is placed on said container to close said opening, at which said container is agitated to mix the contents of the container, and then to a location from which said container may be removed; means controlled from outside of said housing for moving said container to said locations; means controlled from outside of said housing for introducing fluent material into said container through said opening; means controlled from outside of said housing for placing a cap on said container to close said opening; and means controllable from outside of said housing for agitating said container.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said housing has removable sump means for collecting material from inside of said housing that has not gone into said container.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said means for placing a cap on said container is cap handling means adapted to remove a cap from the container, hold it, and later place it on said container to close said opening, and in which said means for supporting said container moves said container from the hatch location to said location where said cap handling means is located so that said cap can be removed from said container, then to a location where said container has fluent material introduced therein, then back to said location where said cap handling means can place said cap on said container to close said opening, then to said location where said container is agitated, and then to said hatch location where said container can be removed.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said housing has cleansing means inside of said housing for cleaning the inside of said housing and the means therein.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said means for supporting said container is adapted to securely hold a container that has two generally parallel ends and is of generally rectangular cross-section between its ends, and in which said means for agitating said container turns it end-over-end in said housing to agitate the contents of said container.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising means for putting into said container an essentially predetermined amount of a dispersion comprising an essentially predetermined proportion of particulate material in a liquid.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said means for supporting said container comprises cradle frame means adapted to be moved to said locations, and cradle means movably mounted on said cradle frame means for supporting said container; means for securing said cradle means to said cradle frame means except when said cradle means is moved to agitate said container; and means for securing said cradle frame means to said housing when said cradle means is moved to agitate said container.

16. The apparatus of cLaim 9 comprising means operable from outside of said housing for securing said container to said supporting means.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said supporting means is movable to a plurality of positions in said housing and includes rotatable means for carrying said container, which apparatus comprises means for securing said container to said carrying means when said supporting means is in a predetermined position in said housing, and means for rotating said carrying means while said supporting means is in said predetermined position, said securing means and said rotating means being operable along the same axis from outside of said housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said housing and said means contained in said housing are mounted on one side of a shield wall that is demountably mounted on the wall of a chamber in which said housing is to be located when it is used, and which comprises power means for actuating the means in said housing, said power means being located and controlled from the other side of said shield wall, said shield wall with said housing attached to it being removable as a unit.

19. Apparatus for packaging particulate material without human handling, comprising a tank; means controllable by remote control for forming in said tank a dispersion of an essentially predetermined proportion of said particulate material and liquid; movable supporting means controllable by remote control for supporting and moving a container into any of a plurality of preselected positions, said container having a closable opening; means controllable by remote control for introducing from said tank into said container through said opening an essentially predetermined amount of said dispersion while said container is in a preselected position; means controllable by remote control for closing said container; and means controllable by remote control for agitating said container to mix the contents of said container while said container is in a preselected position different from the one in which said dispersion was introduced into said container, said movable supporting means supporting said container at all times while it is so moved to and positioned in each of said preselected positions and also while said container is being agitated.

20. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said means for passing said dispersion from said tank into said container comprises a metering pump.

21. Apparatus for packaging fluent material and mixing the material while in a container, comprising supporting means controllable by remote control for moving said container into any of a plurality of preselected positions, said container having a closable opening; means controllable by remote control, while said container is in a preselected position, for introducing into said container an essentially predetermined amount of said fluent material; means controllable by remote control for closing said container; and means controllable by remote control for agitating said container, said supporting means comprising cradle frame means adapted to be moved to said positions and cradle means movably mounted on said cradle frame means for supporting said container, means for securing said cradle means to said cradle frame means except when said cradle means is moved on said cradle frame means to agitate said container, and means for securing said cradle frame means in a preselected position when said cradle means is moved to agitate said container.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 comprising means operable by remote control for securing said container to said cradle means.

23. Apparatus for packaging fluent material and mixing the material while in a container, comprising supporting means controllable by remote control for moving said container into any of a plurality of preselected positions, said container having a closable opening; means controllable by remote control, while said container is in a preselected position, for introducing into said container an essentially predEtermined amount of said fluent material; means controllable by remote control for closing said container; and means controllable by remote control for agitating said container, said supporting means being movable into any of a plurality of preselected positions and comprising rotatable means for carrying said container, means for securing said container to said carrying means when said supporting means is in a predetermined position, and means for rotating said carrying means while said supporting means is in a predetermined position, said securing means and said rotating means being operable along the same axis.

24. Apparatus for packaging fluent material without human handling, comprising movable supporting means controllable by remote control for supporting and moving a container into any of a plurality of preselected positions, said container having an opening initially closed by removable closure means; means controllable by remote control, while said container is in a preselected position, for removing said closure means from said container, retaining said closure means, and replacing said closure means after said container has fluent material introduced therein; means controllable by remote control for introducing into said container an essentially predetermined amount of fluent material while said container is in a different preselected position; and means controllable by remote control for agitating said container to mix the contents of said container while said container is closed by said closure means and is in a preselected position different from the one in which said fluent material was introduced into said container said supporting means for moving said container to any of said plurality of preselected positions operating to move said container from a position in which the container is placed on said supporting means, then to said position in which is located said means for removing said closure from said container, retaining said closure and replacing said closure, then to said position where said fluent material is introduced into said container, then back to said position at which is located said means for removing said closure means from said container, retaining said closure means, and replacing said closure means, and then to said position where said container is agitated.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which said means for moving said container is adapted to securely hold a container that has two generally parallel ends and is of generally rectangular cross-section between its ends, and in which said means for agitating said container turns it end over end to agitate the contents of said container.