Drum closure assembly

Claim 1

A drum closure assembly comprising: (A) a ring member made from resiliently, flexible plastic material, said ring member including: (i) an outer ring portion; (ii) an inner ring portion laterally displaced from said inner ring, said inner ring portion being less than about 10 degrees angularly displaced from parallel to said outer ring portion; (iii) a connecting portion fixedly joining said inner ring portion to said outer ring portion; and (iv) a guide member, said guide member being suitable for nesting means for unfilled drums. (B) a cover member, said cover member being cooperatively sized for a fitted, overlapping relationship with said ring member, said cover member including: (i) a top cover member; (ii) an annular wall member projecting downwardly from said top cover member, the circumference of the outermost edge of said outer ring portion of said ring member being smaller than the circumference defined by the inner surface of said annular wall member, said annular wall member being substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by said top cover member; (iii) nesting means, said nesting means comprising a groove in the outermost circumferential portion of said top cover member, said groove being receptive to cooperating nesting means found at the bottom of an assembled drum; (iv) drainage means comprising one or more interruptions in the outermost wall defining said groove of said nesting means, said interruptions being contoured so as to permit the free flow of accumulating liquid from said cover member; and (C) locking means comprising a male locking portion extending inwardly from the innermost circumference of said annular wall member and a cooperatively sized female locking portion extending inwardly into said annular wall member to form a locking groove, said male and female locking portions being fixedly engaged when said cover member is in a fitted, overlapping relationship with said ring member.