Recyclable container adapted for movement by a lifting device and method for making same

#The present invention relates generally to the field of containers, and more particularly to a recyclable container that is adapted for movement by a forklift, and that may be used to store welding wire and other materials.

#Recyclable containers, such as fiber drums are used to store a variety of products and materials. For example, fiber drums may be used to store wire for use in an arc welding system. In some arc welding systems, such as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding systems, metal wire is used as an electrode to produce an arc. The welding wire also acts as filler material and is consumed during the welding process. Typically, the welding wire is fed from a wire feeder to a hand-held welding gun. A welding wire supplier may provide the welding wire to a customer in a fiber drum. A typical fiber drum used for storing welding wire is hollow and formed of a cellulosic material, such as paper or cardboard. In addition, a typical fiber drum has a metal band around the top to enable the fiber drum to be lifted by a device coupled to the metal band. In addition, special straps may be needed to move the fiber drum onto a pallet or to remove the fiber drum from the pallet. The weight of the fiber drums may make movement of the fiber drums difficult. Thus, the fiber drum is placed on a pallet when being moved. A forklift, or other lifting device may then move the pallet.

#Fiber drums typically are discarded after the wire, or other material housed therein, is consumed because the fiber drums cannot easily be recycled. Recycling is difficult because the cellulosic portion of the drum must be separated from the metal portion of the drum to recycle either the fibrous portion or the metal portion. That operation can be complex and time consuming. Thus, a typical fiber drum owner ultimately pays to dispose of the empty fiber drum as refuse, rather than regaining some of the cost of the fiber drum by recycling.

#The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view of a wire welding system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present technique;

#FIG. 2 is an elevational view illustrating the lifting of a fiber drum by a forklift, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present technique;

#Referring generally to FIG. 1, a wire-welding system 10, such as a MIG welding system, is featured. In the illustrated embodiment, wire-welding system 10 comprises a wire feeder 12, a power source 14, a gas cylinder 16 and a recyclable container 18 containing welding wire 20. Preferably, the recyclable container 18 is comprised of a fibrous material, such as cellulosic paper, paperboard, or cardboard.

#The power source 14 provides electricity to the wire feeder 12; the gas cylinder 16 provides inert gas to the wire feeder 12; and the container 18 provides welding wire 20 to the wire feeder 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the wire feeder 12 provides electricity, welding wire 20, and inert gas to a welding torch 22. The wire, gas, and electricity are coupled to the torch 22 by a welding cable 24. In addition, a work clamp 26 is coupled to the wire feeder 12 by a ground cable 28. The work clamp 26 is secured to a workpiece 30 to electrically couple the workpiece 30 to the wire feeder 12. The torch 22 controls the operation of the system 10. When the torch 22 is activated, welding wire 20 is fed through the torch 22 by the wire feeder 12. When the welding wire 20 contacts the workpiece 30, an electrical circuit between the workpiece 30 and the wirefeeder 12 is completed and an electric arc is produced. The electric arc melts the workpiece 30 and welding wire 20 at the point of contact. The inert gas shields the molten area from contaminants. A power cable 32 conducts electricity from the power source 14 to the wire feeder 12. A hose 34 channels gas from the gas cylinder 16 to the wire feeder 12. A conical adapter 36 feeds the welding wire from the container 18 to the wire feeder 12.

#In the illustrated embodiment, the container 18 is a hollow, generally cylindrical fiber drum and the adapter 36 has a conforming circular bottom adapted to fit atop the fiber drum cylinder. However, the container 18 may have a shape other than a cylindrical shape. For example, the container 18 may be square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc. A spool of welding wire is disposed within the hollow interior of the fiber drum 18. The welding wire 20 is unwound from the spool and fed from the fiber drum 18 through a hole (not shown) in the adapter 36. Additional means may be used to direct the welding wire 20 to the wire feeder 12.