Pivoting flexible cover unit for a spill containment pallet

Abstract

A pivoting flexible cover unit is provided for a spill containment pallet. The unit has a pair of pivot supports for attachment to side walls of the pallet and pivot means on each. A plurality of telescoping support bars extend from the pivot means across the spill containment pallet. At least one spacing strap is secured to each of the support bars to maintain a spacing for the support bars, with one end of the strap secured to a first support bar and the other end secured to a last support bar. A flexible cover, supported by the plurality of support bars, is attached to the first support bar and the last support bar. The flexible cover covers any drums placed on the grate when the support bars are in a covering-arrangement, and access to any drums on the grate is provided from the rear or front of the pallet, when in an open-arrangement.

1 . A pivoting flexible cover unit, arranged to be attached to a spill containment pallet having opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a grate extending thereacross on which storage drums are placeable, the pivoting flexible cover unit comprising:
 a pair of pivot supports arranged for attachment to opposed side walls of the spill containment pallet;   a pivot means on each of said pair of pivot supports;   a plurality of support bars extending radially outward from said pivot means and across the spill containment pallet, one end of each support bar pivotally attached to one of said pivot means and the other end of each support bar pivotally attached to the other one of said pivot means, a portion of each of said plurality of support bars telescopically arranged to fit one within the other;   at least one spacing strap secured to each of said support bars at a portion thereof extending across the containment storage pallet, said spacing strap extending from one support bar to the next support bar to maintain a selected spacing for said plurality of support bars when in a covering-arrangement, with one end of the strap secured to a first support bar of said plurality of support bars and the other end of the strap secured to a last support bar of said plurality of support bars; and   a flexible cover supported by said plurality of support bars and attached to said first support bar and said last support bar, such that said flexible cover covers any drums placed on the grate when said plurality of support bars are in the covering-arrangement, and access to any drums on the grate is provided from the rear or front of the pallet, when in an open-arrangement, in which said plurality of support bars are pivoted to the front or the rear of the pallet, respectively, without detaching the flexible cover from the first and last support bars.   
     
     
         2 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said pair of pivot supports are triangular in shape, with the pivot means provided at an apex of the triangular shape, opposite a base of the triangular shape attached to the spill containment pallet. 
     
     
         3 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said pivot supports are molded from polyethylene. 
     
     
         4 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of support bars are arch-shaped. 
     
     
         5 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of support bars are formed from metal pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said flexible cover is formed of a sheet of polyethylene. 
     
     
         7 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said flexible cover has slits extending upward at bottom sides thereof and Velcro strips are provided to seal the slits. 
     
     
         8 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said flexible cover has a pocket on at least one of the sides thereof for placement of information material to identify the storage drums within the flexible cover. 
     
     
         9 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one spacing strap is nylon. 
     
     
         10 . A pivoting flexible cover unit, arranged to be attached to a spill containment pallet having opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a grate extending thereacross on which storage drums are placeable, the pivoting flexible cover unit comprising:
 a pair of polyethylene triangular-shaped pivot supports arranged for attachment to the opposed side walls of the spill containment pallet;   a pivot means on each of said pair of pivot supports, the pivot means provided at an apex of the triangular shape, opposite a base of the triangular shape attached to the spill containment pallet;   a plurality of support bars, formed from metal pipe, extending radially outward from said pivot means and across the spill containment pallet, one end of each support bar pivotally attached to one of said pivot means and the other end of each support bar pivotally attached to the other one of said pivot means, a portion of each of said plurality of support bars telescopically arranged to fit one within the other;   at least one spacing strap secured to each of said support bars at a portion thereof extending across the containment storage pallet, said spacing strap extending from one support bar to the next support bar to maintain a selected spacing for said plurality of support bars when in a covering-arrangement, with one end of the strap secured to a first support bar of said plurality of support bars and the other end of the strap secured to a last support bar of said plurality of support bars; and   a flexible cover supported by said plurality of support bars and attached to said first support bar and said last support bar, such that said flexible cover covers any drums placed on the grate when said plurality of support bars are in the covering-arrangement, and access to any drums on the grate is provided from the rear or front of the pallet, when in an open-arrangement, in which said plurality of support bars are pivoted to the front or the rear of the pallet, respectively, without detaching the flexible cover from the first and last support bars.   
     
     
         11 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of support bars are arch-shaped. 
     
     
         12 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said flexible cover is formed of a sheet of polyethylene. 
     
     
         13 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said flexible cover has slits extending upward at bottom sides thereof and Velcro strips are provided to seal the slits. 
     
     
         14 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said flexible cover has a pocket on at least one of the sides thereof for placement of information material to identify the storage drums within the flexible cover. 
     
     
         15 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said at least one spacing strap is nylon. 
     
     
         16 . A combination of a pivoting flexible cover unit and a spill containment pallet, comprising:
 a spill containment pallet having opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and having a grate extending thereacross on which storage drums are placeable;   a pair of pivot supports arranged for attachment to the opposed side walls of said spill containment pallet;   a pivot means on each of said pair of pivot supports;   a plurality of support bars extending radially outward from said pivot means and across said spill containment pallet, one end of each support bar pivotally attached to one of said pivot means and the other end of each support bar pivotally attached to the other one of said pivot means, a portion of each of said plurality of support bars telescopically arranged to fit one within the other;   at least one spacing strap secured to each of said support bars at a portion thereof extending across said containment storage pallet, said spacing strap extending from one support bar to the next support bar to maintain a selected spacing for said plurality of support bars when in a covering-arrangement, with one end of the strap secured to a first support bar of said plurality of support bars and the other end of the strap secured to a last support bar of said plurality of support bars; and   a flexible cover supported by said plurality of support bars and attached to said first support bar and said last support bar, such that said flexible cover covers any drums placed on the grate when said plurality of support bars are in the covering-arrangement, and access to any drums on the grate is provided from the rear or front of the pallet, when in an open-arrangement, in which said plurality of support bars are pivoted to the front or the rear of the pallet, respectively, without detaching the flexible cover from the first and last support bars.   
     
     
         17 . The pivoting flexible cover unit as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said storage pallet and said grate are molded from polyethylene. 
     
     
         18 . The pivoting flexible cover unit defined in  claim 16 , wherein said pivot supports snap onto said spill containment pallet and are held in place without the use of fasteners.