US 5,401,261 AGranted

Containment vessels for handling and disposing of liquid waste

AssigneeMilieu Systems Corp.

InventorsRobert E. Gunya, Otto V. Jackson

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Abstract

A containment vessel for liquid waste includes an inlet for introducing liquid waste into the container. Within the container is a gelling substance which when contacted by the liquid waste transforms the liquid waste into a non-pourable gel. A tip indicator indicates if the vessel has been tipped after the vessel has been put into service. Also, an in-service indicator indicates that the vessel has been put into service and that the tip indicator has been released. A full indicator indicates when the contents of the vessel reaches a predetermined level of fullness. A vent for venting the interior of the vessel during filling of the vessel is automatically closed off when the vessel has reached such predetermined level of fullness. The inlet to the vessel may be connected to a drain opening of an embalming table by means of an expandable tube which allows for adjustment of the height of the table. The vessel is supported in place by a cradle having a handle which is vertically adjustable between a raised position for ease of grasping by an operator and a lower position where the handle acts as a table stop preventing downward movement of the table into engagement with the vessel.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A vessel for liquid waste comprising a container having a top and bottom and a side wall extending between said top and bottom, a cover over said top, an inlet for introducing liquid waste into said container, gel means for transforming the liquid waste to a non-pourable gel, means for releasing said gel means into the liquid waste within said container, tip indicator means for indicating if said container has been tipped after the vessel has been put into service, said tip indicator means comprising a ball which is supported in an upwardly facing socket in said cover when said vessel is setting upright, said ball being free to roll out of said socket whenever said vessel is tipped as an indicator that said vessel has been tipped after said vessel has been put into service, and in-service indicator means which when actuated indicates that said vessel has been put into service and releases said ball so that said ball is free to roll out of said socket whenever said vessel is tipped, said in-service indicator means comprising a rod extending through an opening in a transparent dome enclosing said ball and said socket, and a ball holder on an inner end of said rod, said rod being axially movable between a first position in which said ball holder engages said ball for retaining said ball in said socket and a second position out of engagement with said ball for permitting said ball to roll out of said socket whenever said vessel is tipped.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.