Many different types of material are transported in small hand manipulated containers. For example various chemicals are commonly packaged in plastic containers and poured from the containers into a tank where the chemicals are mixed with water or a like carrier liquid for use. For example agricultural chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides are commonly packaged in 10 liter plastic containers with sealed screw on caps. Typically these chemicals are also at least somewhat hazardous and so the containers must be rinsed thoroughly. A recommended rinsing process includes adding rinse water to the container, agitating same, and then draining the water three times.
This pouring and rinsing process can be quite time consuming, especially where a large number of containers must be drained and rinsed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,828 to Roth discloses a system for opening, emptying and rinsing of chemical containers. A knife assembly is mounted inside a vessel under the center of a top opening and the knife is oriented so that a plastic container can be moved in an upright orientation downward so the bottom floor of the container contacts the knife which slices an “X” into the floor to allow the contents to flow out of the container into the vessel.
Later U.S. Pat. No. 9,216,888 to Eck addresses a problem with the Roth device in that liquid flow from the sliced floor of the container is often hindered by sealing contacts between the incised edges of container's newly created cut floor sections and the side surfaces of blades of the Roth knife. Eck adds a sprinkler head under the center of the knife which pushes up on the cut floor sections and pushes them away from the side surfaces of blades to facilitate flow out of the container floor.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds