Apparatus for installing a bung plug in and/or extracting a bung plug from a container

Apparatus for installing a bung plug in and/or extracting a bung plug from a container positioned below the apparatus, the container having a bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from an upper surface thereof, the bung opening configured to contain the bung plug therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the container;
• a power-driven bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and including (i) an elongated, vertically-oriented shaft having upper and lower ends and (ii) a bung plug wrench disposed at the lower end of the shaft and configured to engage the bung plug in the bung opening of the container during installation of the bung plug and/or disengage the bung plug from the bung opening during extraction of the bung plug;
• a centering collar carried by the carrier and at least partially encapsulating the bung plug wrench;
• at least two spaced-apart outer springs positioned radially outwardly of the shaft, respectively, and which provide downward biasing forces upon the centering collar and bung plug wrench relative to the carrier and container;
• and
• at least two spaced-apart inner springs, separate and distinct from the outer springs, also positioned radially outwardly of the shaft, respectively, and which provide downward biasing forces upon the bung plug wrench relative to the centering collar, carrier and container.

Apparatus for installing a threaded bung plug in a container positioned below the apparatus, the container having a threaded bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from an upper surface thereof and configured to engage threads of the bung plug, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the container, the carrier including a base plate having a central bore with a conically-shaped inner surface;
• a power-driven bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and including a bung plug wrench;
• a centering collar carried by the carrier, having a lowermost edge and an inner diameter, the centering collar extending at least partially around the bung plug wrench;
• a centering cone having a perimeter and being coupled to the centering collar, the centering cone having a conically-shaped outer surface extending at least partially around the perimeter thereof and being shaped and sized to seat within the bore of the base plate and be moveable up and then down therein and relative to the base plate and the carrier;
• at least one displacement sensor arranged to accurately measure the amount of vertical movement of the bung plug in the container during installation thereof;
• and
• at least one electronic controller electronically coupled to the at least one displacement sensor to receive measurements taken thereby during installation of the bung plug and, based at least partially upon at least one such measurement, determines if the bung plug has been cross-threaded in the threaded bung opening and, if so, stops installation of the bung plug.

Apparatus for installing a removable, threaded bung plug in a container positioned below the apparatus, the container having a vertical axis, an upper surface and a threaded bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from the upper surface, the vertical axis of the container extending through the center of the bung opening and the threads of the bung opening being perpendicular to the vertical axis of the container and configured to engage threads of the bung plug, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the container;
• a downwardly-biased, power-driven, rotatable bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier, the bung plug engagement tool having upper and lower ends and a bung plug wrench at the lower end thereof, the bung plug wrench configured to threadably engage the bung plug in the bung opening of the container;
• a positionally self-adjusting, downwardly-biased centering assembly carried by the carrier, having upper and lower ends and a centering collar located proximate to the lower end thereof, the centering collar extending at least partially around the bung plug wrench and being concurrently moveable side-to-side and angularly with the bung plug wrench relative to the carrier and container, wherein as the carrier is moved down to the container, the centering assembly will automatically align the centering collar and bung plug wrench in the vertical axis of the container and perpendicular to the threads of the bung opening;
• and
• at least one linear encoder coupled to the centering assembly and moveable concurrently therewith, whereby as the carrier is moved down to the container, the centering assembly will automatically position the at least one linear encoder to accurately measure the amount of vertical movement of the bung plug in the bung opening during installation thereof.

Apparatus for installing a removable bung plug in a container positioned below the apparatus, the container having a bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from an upper surface thereof and configured to contain the bung plug therein, the container also includes an upwardly protruding bung opening lip extending at least partially around the bung opening, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the container;
• a bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and having a bung plug wrench;
• a centering assembly carried by the carrier and having upper and lower ends and a centering collar located proximate to the lower end thereof, the centering collar extending at least partially around the bung plug wrench and positioned to at least partially sit down upon the bung opening lip during bung plug installation;
• and
• at least one automated displacement sensor arranged to measure the depth of the bung plug in the bung opening in real time during installation thereof;
• and
• at least one torque sensor operatively coupled to the bung plug wrench and arranged to measure torque placed upon the bung plug as the bung plug wrench installs the bung plug in the bung opening and count the number of revolutions of rotation of the bung plug as it is installed in the container.

Apparatus for extracting a removable bung plug from a container positioned below the apparatus, the container having a bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from an upper surface thereof and an upwardly protruding bung opening lip extending at least partially around the bung opening, the bung opening configured to contain the bung plug therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the container;
• a downwardly-biased, power-driven bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and including (i) an elongated, vertically-oriented shaft having upper and lower ends and (ii) a bung plug wrench disposed at the lower end of the shaft, whereby after the carrier is moved down to the container, the bung plug engagement tool is configured to engage and remove the bung plug from the container and thereafter carry the bung plug away from the container as the carrier is moved up away from the container;
• a bung plug engagement tool retractor operatively coupled to the bung plug engagement tool;
• and
• a downwardly-biased centering collar extending at least partially around the bung plug wrench,
• whereby after the bung plug engagement tool removes the bung plug from the container and before the carrier is moved up away from the container, the bung plug engagement tool retractor is configured to move the bung plug engagement tool and bung plug upwardly relative to the centering cone, carrier and container and clear of the bung opening lip.

Apparatus for installing a bung plug in a drum positioned below the apparatus, the drum having a bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from an upper surface thereof, the bung opening configured to contain the bung plug therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the drum;
• a bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and including at least one shaft having upper and lower ends and a bung plug wrench disposed proximate to the lower end of the shaft;
• a centering collar carried by the carrier and at least partially encapsulating the bung plug wrench;
• at least two spaced-apart outer biasing members positioned radially outwardly of the shaft, respectively, and which provide downward biasing forces upon the centering collar and bung plug wrench relative to the carrier and drum;
• and
• at least two spaced-apart inner biasing members, separate and distinct from the outer biasing members, also positioned radially outwardly of the shaft, respectively, and which provide downward biasing forces upon the bung plug wrench relative to the centering collar, carrier and drum.

Apparatus for extracting a bung plug from a drum positioned below the apparatus, the drum having a bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from an upper surface thereof, the bung opening configured to contain the bung plug therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the drum;
• a bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and including at least one shaft having upper and lower ends and a bung plug wrench disposed proximate to the lower end of the shaft;
• a centering collar carried by the carrier and at least partially encapsulating the bung plug wrench;
• at least two spaced-apart outer biasing members positioned radially outwardly of the shaft, respectively, and which provide downward biasing forces upon the centering collar and bung plug wrench relative to the carrier and drum;
• and
• at least two spaced-apart inner biasing members, separate and distinct from the outer biasing members, also positioned radially outwardly of the shaft, respectively, and which provide downward biasing forces upon the bung plug wrench relative to the centering collar, carrier and drum.

Apparatus for installing a removable, threaded bung plug in a drum positioned below the apparatus, the drum having a vertical axis, an upper surface and a threaded bung opening formed in and facing upwardly from the upper surface, the vertical axis of the drum extending through the center of the bung opening and the threads of the bung opening being perpendicular to the vertical axis of the drum and configured to engage threads of the bung plug, the apparatus comprising:

• a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the drum;
• a bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier, the bung plug engagement tool including a rotatable bung plug wrench;
• a positionally self-adjusting centering assembly carried by the carrier, having upper and lower ends and a centering collar located proximate to the lower end thereof, the centering collar extending at least partially around the bung plug wrench;
• at least one automated displacement sensor arranged to measure the amount of vertical movement of the bung plug in the bung opening during installation thereof;
• and
• at least one automated torque sensor associated with the bung plug wrench and arranged to measure torque placed upon, and count the number of revolutions of rotation of, the bung plug during installation thereof.