Storage container

Abstract

A storage container for hazardous material, such as transuranic waste, has a stainless steel can body covered by a stainless steel lid. The can body has a locking collar welded thereto and a locking ring fastened to the lid removably mounted within the locking collar. Locking tabs on the locking ring are received beneath locking shoulders on locking collar upon rotating the locking to hold the lid closed. A U-shaped handle is pivoted on the locking ring for rotating the locking ring to lock the lid to the locking collar and thus to the can body, the U-shaped handle being further used to lift the storage container. A spring biased locking pin with a thumb operated tab is coaxial with one pintle of the U-shaped handle, the tab being squeezed toward the handle by the operators thumb to unlock the pin against the bias of a coil spring so as to allow the locking ring to rotate to an unlocked position when it is desired to remove the lid from the can body.

1 . A storage container for hazardous material comprising:
 a can body having a cylindrical side wall with a closed bottom wall and an open top, the can body defining a space for containing the hazardous material;   a rim is disposed at the open top of the can body, the rim having an annular land;   a locking collar welded to the rim adjacent to the annular land; the locking collar having grooves with spaced shoulders thereon, the arcuate shoulders defining arcuate locking spaces therebeneath and having at least one locking aperture therein;   a lid configured for receipt in the locking collar positioned inboard of the arcuate locking grooves; the lid having a sealing arrangement for sealing the lid with respect to the space defined by the can body;   a locking ring mounted on the lid; the locking ring having spaced locking tabs for initial positioning in the spaces beneath the arcuate locking shoulders, and   a handle attached to the locking ring for rotating the locking ring to position the locking tabs in the locking groove beneath the locking shoulders, and a latch associated with the handle and being biased to a latching position with at least one locking aperature.   
   
   
       2 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein the latch associated with the handle is a locking pin projecting from the handle that allows the handle to pivot from a nested position within a space within the locking ring to a position projecting from the locking ring for griping by an operator. 
   
   
       3 . The storage container of  claim 2  wherein the handle is U-shaped. 
   
   
       4 . The storage container of  claim 3  wherein there are a plurality of locking aperatures and the locking pin is received in only one of the locking aperatures. 
   
   
       5 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein a thumb or finger tab projects from the handle enabling a operator to retract the pin using a thumb or finger. 
   
   
       6 . The storage container of  claim 2  wherein a locking aperature is positioned at each locking shoulder. 
   
   
       7 . The storage container of  claim 3  wherein a locking aperature is positioned at each locking shoulder. 
   
   
       8 . The storage container of  claim 7  wherein there are five locking shoulders. 
   
   
       9 . The storage container of  claim 1  including radial drains through the locking ring and the locking collar to drain liquid from the lid and a filtered vent in the lid to allow gas and vapor to exhaust from the can body. 
   
   
       10 . The storage container of  claim 1  wherein a groove is provided between the can body and the locking collar and wherein a cylindrical pewter shield is provided around the can body, the pewter shield having clips associated therewith which engage the groove to latch the pewter shield to the storage container. 
   
   
       11 . A storage container for transuranic material comprising:
 a stainless steel can body having a cylindrical side wall with a closed bottom wall and an open top, the can body defining a space for containing the transuranic material;   a stainless steel rim disposed at the open top of the can body, the rim having an annular land;   a stainless steel locking collar welding in the rim on the annular land; the locking collar having grooves with spaced shoulders thereon, the arcuate shoulders defining arcuate locking spaces therebeneath and having locking apertures therein, the locking aperatures having drainage portions for liquid therein;   a stainless steel lid configured for receipt in the locking collar and positioned inboard of the arcuate locking grooves; the lid having a sealing arrangement for sealing the lid with respect to the space defined by the can body and having a gas and vapor vent therethrough;   a stainless steel locking ring mounted on the lid; the locking ring having spaced locking tabs for positioning in the spaces beneath the arcuate locking shoulders;   a U-shaped handle pivoted on the locking ring for rotating the locking ring to position the locking tabs in the locking groove beneath the locking shoulders and for lifting the storage container, and   a spring biased pin coaxial with a pivot for the handle and being biased to a latching position with one of the locking aperatures.   
   
   
       12 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein a thumb or finger tab projects from the locking pin adjacent the handle enabling an operator to retract the locking pin against the bias of the spring using a thumb or finger. 
   
   
       13 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein there are five locking shoulders, each of which has a locking aperature with liquid drainage. 
   
   
       14 . The storage container of  claim 11  wherein a groove is provided between the can body and the locking collar and wherein a cylindrical pewter shield is provided around the can body, the pewter shield having clips associated therewith which engage the groove to latch the pewter shield to the storage container.