FLUID TRANSPORT CONTAINER Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a fluid transport container suitable, for example, for the delivery of toxic liquids such as pesticides and herbicides. Background to the Invention

Pesticides and herbicides are typically delivered to farms in smaller containers, for example of 5 litre capacity, for reasons of safety and ease of handling. Many such formulations involve components which are not readily soluble in water, and therefore require to be dispersed in the aqueous solution form- ing the bulk of the liquid, for example by shaking the container before use. The larger is the container, the more difficult it becomes to shake it to effect the dispersion. This tends to favour the use of smaller containers, since the cost of reformulation to a composition that does not require shaking or mixing, and thereby permitting larger containers to be used, can be high, particularly as new product approval would be required.

However, with large agricultural sprayers the volumes of liquids needed can mean that a large number of containers need to be opened and emptied into the sprayer tank, and this can be time-consuming, not only during the actual filling of the tank, but in safely rinsing each container after emptying, and carries with it an increased risk of point-source contamination. It would be more convenient at this stage for the farmer to be provided with larger containers, but these have the disadvantage that each has to be of more robust construction to cope with the weight of liquid and to minimise the risk of the container being damaged during transit. If the containers are intended for disposal after use, higher costs are involved, while returning the containers for re-use may not be practical because of the cost of transporting large volumes of empty containers will be high. A further problem is that the larger the container becomes, the more difficult it will be to manipulate when full of liquid, either in loading and unloading or in agitation to disperse water-insoluble components. Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a fluid transport container comprising, in longitudinal cross-section, at least one rectangular portion provid-

ing at least upper and lower flat surfaces for the container whereby the container may rest on a flat surface and whereby a plurality of the containers may be stacked together, and at least one circular portion whereby the container can be rotatably supported on rollers, an inlet/outlet to the container being provided in or adjacent to a side thereof.

Preferably, the container has a pair of circular sections spaced apart from each other along the length of the container, although an alternative configuration could provide a central circular section of sufficient length to permit the container to be rotatably supported on rollers, with a rectangular section on each side thereof. While the or each circular portion will typically need to have the greatest possible diameter, to accommodate the maximum capacity of liquid, the diameter will preferably be smaller than the length of the shorter dimension of the rectangular portion (if the rectangular portion is not a square) to ensure that the rollers correctly locate on the container. One possible configura- tion of container provides a substantially rectangular body with a circular portion at each end thereof just sufficient to accommodate the supporting rollers. The diameter of the circular portions could therefore be substantially smaller than the dimensions of the cross-section of the rectangular body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container is formed with two outer parts separable one from the other and a removable inner container for holding the fluid. The inner container does not need to be self-supporting, but preferably merely needs to retain its shape when empty of fluid, and may therefore be made relatively thin so as to be more readily disposable by the user of the fluid, while the outer parts are suitably configured so as to be stack- able one within the other to reduce volume while they are being returned to the supplier of the fluid, for re-use. The outer parts do not come into contact with the fluid and do not therefore require the controlled handling and secure storage required by conventional containers. This means that they can readily be stored in the open while awaiting collection, reducing costs and inconvenience for the user. The inner containers, having been in direct contact with the fluid, will still need to be stored in secure storage pending disposal, but since these

can be made less rigid than conventional containers, they can readily be crushed to occupy less space in the store.

Preferably, the outer parts join and separate in a direction normal to the said cross-sections. The outer parts are preferably tapered in a direction away from the join to facilitate stacking one within the other.

The container is suitably made of a plastics material, for example polyethylene or polypropylene, for example by rotational moulding, injection moulding or blow moulding.

It will be appreciated that more than one inner container could be ac- commodated in a single outer container, for example where different fluids constitute a twin-pack to be mixed together before use, or simply for convenience where different types of fluid need to be used consecutively, for example.

The rectangular portion or portions may be provided with slots to accommodate the forks of a fork lift device to facilitate handling of full containers. The invention also provides a support for the container, comprising a stand mounted within a bund, the stand having at least one pair of rollers, mounted with their axles horizontal, engageable with the circular section or a respective one of the circular sections, whereby the container may be rotated to mix the contents or to permit the inlet/outlet to be positioned lowermost for dis- charge of the contents.

The stand is preferably configured to permit adjustment of the positions of the rollers to accommodate different sizes and types of container. For example, the rollers may be moved apart to accommodate larger containers, and may be moved longitudinally to accommodate different locations within the con- tainers of the circular portions.

The arrangement permits gravity feed of the contents of the container into, for example, a measuring hopper, avoiding the need for pumps. More particularly, the invention permits delivery of large containers of materials which require agitation to disperse water-insoluble components before use. The con- tainer can be readily rolled on the stand to achieve mixing, either by hand or by the use of motor-driven rollers. It may therefore be desirable to provide baffles

or ribs within the container (within the inner container, where used) to increase the mixing action of the rolling container.

A further advantage is that washing out of the container is considerably easier than washing a series of small containers - water can be put into the container, which is then rotated on the stand, with the rinsing water then being run off, to be poured into the sprayer tank, for example. This is repeated twice to achieve the required triple-rinsing standard.

The inlet/outlet can be provided in the end of the container, but is conveniently provided at the side of the container, permitting the insertion of an out- let having an elongate air tube. When the container is then rolled round so that the outlet is lowermost, the air tube can introduce air directly above the fluid as the fluid is drawn off. Alternatively, a draw-off tube connected to a pump can be inserted when the inlet/outlet is uppermost. Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the container;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional end view on line A-A of the container of Figure 1 , mounted on a rotational support; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container from one end;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the stacking of one outer part within the other;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one construction of inner container;

Figure 6 shows the inner container of Figure 5 when compacted for dis- posal;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of inner container; and

Figure 8 shows the inner container of Figure 7 when compacted for disposal. Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiment

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the container consists of three portions 1 , 2 and 3 of generally rectangular cross-

section and two portions 4 and 5 of circular cross-section between the rectangular portions. The rectangular portions are not exactly rectangular because the side walls taper slightly outwards towards the join, as hereinafter described, and because, to facilitate the moulding of the containers from plastics material such as polyethylene or polypropylene, the corners are slightly rounded.

The container is formed in two halves, separable along a longitudinal line 6 to allow introduction and removal of a disposable inner container 7, shown filled with liquid in Figure 2. The two halves may be connected together by any convenient means. For example, the edges of container halves may be config- ured to fit together, and disposable tensioned straps, for example as used in conventional packaging, may be passed around the container to hold the two parts together. To separate the two halves, the straps are simply cut. recesses or grooves may be moulded into the container halves to accommodate the straps. Alternatively, the container halves may be formed with inter-engaging teeth along their edges, with aligned holes through the teeth receiving a steel locking rod to hold them together. Other methods of temporarily securing the two halves of the outer container will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The inner container 7 is also moulded of plastics material, but preferably only needs to be thick enough to prevent collapse as it empties; the outer parts support the weight of the liquid. The inner container 7 has a neck portion which projects through an aperture in one outer part of the container, and which receives a closure cap 8 (it will be appreciated that other closures, such as a tap or spigot, could alternatively be used). The opening could, if desired, be pro- vided in the end of the container, rather than the side, but the location in the side makes recovery of the final volumes of liquid from the container easier, and may offer additional advantages. To facilitate stacking, it might be desirable to locate the outlet in a moulded recess in the outer container, so that it does not project beyond the surface of the container. For this reason, it may be desirable to locate the outlet in the shorter side of the rectangle, considered in section.

The inner container 7 is cylindrical to conform with the circular portions of the cross-section. This leaves the edges of the rectangular portions clear for

the provision of slots 9 therethrough dimensioned and arranged to receive the forks of a fork lift device to permit the filled containers to be lifted on to the delivery vehicle at the despatching point and unloaded from the vehicle at the user's premises. In order to provide support for the inner container in the rectangular sections, the unused space within the rectangular spaces could be filled with, for example, polyurethane foam blocks, or a supporting strip could be located on flanges moulded internally around the rectangular portions. Alternatively, or additionally, each rectangular portion could have an additional narrow circular portion projecting therefrom at each end of the container, into which the inner container would project to provide additional end support. The inner container could also be moulded with reinforced parts corresponding with the rectangular portions of the outer container.

It will be appreciated that the slots could alternatively extend transversely of the containers to permit lifting from the sides instead of from the ends. Further alternatives are lifting handles and the provision for attachment of lifting straps or slings.

The container can be lifted, for example by the fork lift device, on to a rotational support 10, as shown in Figure 2. The rotational support 10 consists of a supporting frame 11 mounted within a bund 12 to contain spillages and carrying rollers 13 which engage the circular portions of the container to enable the container to be rotated about its longitudinal axis to facilitate mixing of the contents and to permit the outlet to be positioned lowermost for drawing off the fluid for use. Figure 4 shows the two halves of the container separated and then stacked together for transportation back to the supplier for re-use. The inner container is removed by the user for rinsing and recycling through the normal channels for plastics materials. The volume of the containers is substantially reduced in this manner, reducing transport costs for their return and re-use. Figures 5 to 8 show particular alternative forms of inner container. The embodiment of Figure 5 has a plastic disc 50 at each end thereof, connected together by a tubular plastic membrane 51 reinforced by a spiral plastic rib 52

moulded into it or adhered to it. The rib 52 serves to maintain the shape of the container when extended, while the resultant undulations in the sides of the inner container will help to mix the contents when the container is rolled. The spiral form will tend to urge any residual materials in the container towards the end to assist mixing. Figure 6 shows how the inner container can be collapsed on itself when emptied and removed from the outer container, assisting its disposal/recycling. The plastic discs 50 are formed with a slightly larger diameter than the remainder of the inner container, and circumferential grooves can be formed within the outer container to receive and hold the discs, thereby main- taining the shape of the inner container within the outer container.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an alternative configuration, using a stiffer plastics material than that in Figures 5 and 6 and formed into radial corrugations 70 (a "concertina" form), which can be collapsed down to the form shown in Figure 8 for disposal/recycling.