Drum seal gasket

Claim 1

In an open head drum having a head curl, a ring gasket on said drum made of a resilient material comprising an annulus having an interiorly disposed channel in which said head curl is received, said ring gasket having an annular skirt of the same material extending from said annulus to engage the outside wall surface of said drum, a cover for covering said drum having a lip engaging said an annulus at at least the top surfaces of said curl, and a locking ring having an upper lip for pressing said cover lip toward said curl and a lower lip for pressing said annulus against the underside of said curl, the improvement comprising: a. said locking ring having an annular portion depending from said lower lip for pressiNg said annular skirt of said ring gasket against the outside surface of said drum; b. said upper lip and said lower lip of said locking ring are each defined by a frusto-conical surface; c. said frusto-conical surface of said upper lip extends downwardly and outwardly relative to the axis of the drum and said frusto-conical surface of said lower lip extends upwardly and outwardly relatively to the axis of the drum; d. said upper lip and lower lip of said locking ring are integrally joined by the cylindrical portion having an axis coincident with the axis of the drum; e. said annular portion on said locking ring is of generally cylindrical and continuous form having an axis coincident with the axis of said drum; f. said locking ring upper lip engages said cover lip to press the latter against said annulus and to press the annulus against said curl thereby to effect a seal between said cover lip and said annulus and between the latter and said curl; g. said locking ring lower lip engages said annulus to press the latter against the underside of said curl, thereby to effect a seal between said curl and said annulus and between the latter and said locking ring lower lip; h. said locking ring annular portion presses said annular skirt of said ring gasket against said drum to thereby effect a seal between said locking ring annular portion and said annular ring gasket skirt and between the latter and the outside surface of the drum; i. said locking ring is made of metal having resilient properties of the type which permit the upper and lower lips thereof to be spread as the locking ring is pulled into place on the drum and cover, said locking ring thereupon exerting a spring-like clamping action on the cover lip, annulus, and curl which are disposed between the spaced upper and lower lips of said locking ring; and j. means on said locking ring for taking up the locking ring and pulling the latter up on the cover lip and the underside of said curl to thereby force said upper and lower lips of said locking ring to spread and thereupon exert said spring-like clamping action on said cover lip, annulus, and curl.