Interlocking container for conduction of flowable materials

Abstract

An apparatus for containing and conducting flowable materials, including liquids, pourable solids, or gases, the apparatus having mateable dovetails on four sides, and mateable screw engagements at the top and bottom. The screw engagements are operative to maintain a sealed connection between successive containers, and contain barriers which are adapted to be removed, whereby the material may flow from one interconnected container to the next, in the manner of piping. A lateral connection may additionally be formed by mating portions at the leading and trailing ends of vertically connected containers.

1 . A container adapted to interlock vertically and laterally with like containers, the container comprising:
 a first side including
 an outer surface, and 
 a first connecting member extending outwardly from said outer surface, and having a narrow portion proximate said outer surface relative to a wide portion distal to said outer surface; 
   a second side including
 an outer surface, and 
 a second connecting member extending inwardly from said outer surface, and having a narrow portion proximate said outer surface relative to a wide portion distal to said outer surface, adapted to slideably engage a first connecting member of a like container to create a lateral connection; 
   a leading end comprising a threadably sealable opening;   a trailing end adapted to threadably and sealably engage a leading end of a like container to create a vertical connection;   means for joining said first and second sides, and said leading and trailing ends, whereby an interior volume is formed, adapted to contain a flowable material; and   an end wall in said trailing end adapted to be openable;   wherein a conduit may be formed by opening an end wall in a container, and creating a vertical connection with a like container.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a first connecting member of a container and a second connecting member or a like container form a sliding dovetail joint. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container includes four sides, wherein two sides are formed as said first side, and the remaining two sides are formed as said second side, 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second connecting members extend from said leading end to said trailing end. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said container is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of paper, wood, pressed pulp, plastic, metal, material containing plastic, plastic coated material. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 1 , further including a sealing surface adjacent to said end wall, operative to form a liquid and gas tight seal when a first container is threaded into a like container. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 17  further including:
 a spout disposed about said leading end; and   a threaded ring disposed about said spout.   
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein said trailing end further comprises an inversion projecting into the interior of the container and sized to permit passage and rotation of a spout of a like container. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least two conduits formed from at least two vertically connected like containers arc connected laterally. 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said end wall is adapted to be openable using means selected from the group consisting of, scoring, partial perforation, adhered panel, plug. 
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein said means to form an opening include a pull tab. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a series of containers are connected to form an apparatus selected from the group consisting of: landscape piping, irrigation piping, solar heating structure, fluid reservoir, gas reservoir, potable water conduit, sanitation water conduit. 
   
   
       13 . A container adapted to interlock vertically and laterally with like containers, the container comprising:
 a first side including
 an outer surface, and 
 a first connecting member extending outwardly from said outer surface, and having a narrow portion proximate said outer surface relative to a wide portion distal to said outer surface; 
   a second side including
 an outer surface, and 
 a second connecting member extending inwardly from said outer surface, and having a narrow portion proximate said outer surface relative to a wide portion distal to said outer surface, adapted to slideably engage a first connecting member of a like container to create a lateral connection; 
   a leading end comprising a threadably sealable opening;   a trailing end adapted to threadably and sealably engage a leading end of a like container to create a vertical connection;   means for joining said first and second sides, and said leading and trailing ends, whereby an interior volume is formed, adapted to contain a flowable material;   an end wall in said trailing end adapted to be openable;   a first coupling portion formed in said trailing end; and   a second coupling portion formed in said leading end;   wherein a conduit is formed by opening an end wall in a first container, and threadably engaging a second container to create a vertical connection; and   wherein when containers are connected vertically, a whole coupling is formed by the adjacent positioning of said first coupling portion and said second coupling portion.   
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein said first and second coupling portions are each formed as a projection having the shape of substantially half of a cylinder; and
 wherein when containers are connected vertically, a cylindrically shaped projection is formed by adjacent first and second coupling portions.   
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein said first and second coupling portions are joinable by a cap, fitted over the cylindrically shaped projection. 
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein said first coupling portion and said second coupling portion are each provided with mating threads;
 whereby the cap is threadably connectable to either said cylindrically shaped projection or said leading end.   
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 15 , further including:
 a first indented area adjacent to said first coupling;   a second indented area adjacent to said second coupling;   wherein a finger may be inserted into each of said first and second indented areas to facilitate attaching or removing the cap.   
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 13 , further including:
 a first end wall in said first coupling portion;   a second end wall in said second coupling portion;   wherein at least one of said first and second end walls is adapted to be openable.   
   
   
       19 . A drink container adapted to interlock vertically and laterally with like containers, the container comprising:
 first and second sides, each including
 an outer surface, and 
 a first connecting member extending outwardly from said outer surface, and having a narrow portion proximate said outer surface relative to a wide portion distal to said outer surface; 
   third and fourth sides, each including
 an outer surface, and 
 a second connecting member extending inwardly from said outer surface, and having a narrow portion proximate said outer surface relative to a wide portion distal to said outer surface, adapted to slideably engage a first connecting member of a like container to create a lateral connection; 
   a leading end having a spout, a threaded ring, and an opening;   a trailing end having
 an inversion extending from said trailing end into the interior of the container, sized and shaped to rotatably receive a spout and leading end threaded ring of a like container, 
 a trailing end threaded ring, disposed at the interior end of said inversion, operative to threadably and sealably engage a leading end threaded ring of a like container, to create a vertical connection, and 
 an end wall at the interior end of said inversion adapted to be openable; 
   a first coupling portion formed in said trailing end and an adjacent side having the shape of substantially half of a cylinder;   a second coupling portion formed in said leading end and an adjacent side having the shape of substantially half of a cylinder;   wherein when containers are connected vertically, a whole coupling having the shape of substantially a whole cylinder is formed by the adjacent positioning of said first coupling portion and said second coupling portion; and   wherein a conduit may be formed by opening an end wall in a container, and creating a vertical connection with a like container.   
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 18  wherein said first coupling portion and said second coupling portion are each provided with thread portions;
 whereby a cap threadably connectable to said leading end threaded ring is threadably connectable to said cylindrically shaped projection, when like containers are threaded together.