Closure ring assembly for steel drums

A closure ring assembly securing a lid to a cylindrical drum, comprising:

• an annular closure split ring having a first unitary end lug and a second unitary end lug, the first unitary end lug having an unthreaded hole extending therethrough to an end face of the first unitary end lug, the second unitary end lug having a threaded hole extending therethrough to an end face of the second unitary end lug, the end face of the first unitary end lug including a portion surrounding the unthreaded hole and the end face of the second unitary end lug including a portion surrounding the threaded hole,
• a tie bolt having a head and a threaded portion inserted through the unthreaded hole of the first unitary end lug and engaged with the threaded hole of the second unitary end lug to hold the first and second unitary end lugs together,
• the end face of the first unitary end lug directly abutting the end face of the second unitary end lug and interlocking the first and second unitary end lugs together by frictionally abutting the end faces into locking engagement and tangentially aligning the annular closure ring to close the ring sealing the lid on the drum, the surrounding portion of the end face of the first unitary end lug engaged with the surrounding portion of the end face of the second unitary end lug such that a lengthwise portion of the tie bolt is enclosed and contained within the abutting first and second unitary end lugs and the end faces abut at the location where the threaded hole and the unthreaded hole are located.