U.S. patent application number 12/684670 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-14 for folding seed box.
This patent application is currently assigned to WOODHAVEN CAPITOL CORP.. Invention is credited to JUAN NEUFELD, BERNIE THIESSEN.
Application Number | 20110168702 12/684670 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44257737 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110168702 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NEUFELD; JUAN ; et
al. |
July 14, 2011 |
FOLDING SEED BOX
Abstract
A collapsible bulk container for dry, flowable particulate
material is provided with a frame to support a bottom wall having a
discharge opening and a gate moveable between opened and closed
positions relative to the discharge opening. Four side walls are
pivotally connected to the frame, with the pivot axes being at
different elevations, such that the side walls can be folded
between an upright use position and a substantially flat storage
position. Lid panels are pivotally connected to opposite side walls
for moving between an open position adjacent the connected side
wall and a closed position over the bottom wall. Multiple
containers can be stacked one upon another in both the use and
storage positions.
Inventors: |
NEUFELD; JUAN; (WINKLER,
CA) ; THIESSEN; BERNIE; (WINKLER, CA) |
Assignee: |
WOODHAVEN CAPITOL CORP.
WINNIPEG
CA
|
Family ID: |
44257737 |
Appl. No.: |
12/684670 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/7 ;
220/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2519/00975
20130101; B65D 2519/00656 20130101; B65D 2519/00731 20130101; B65D
2519/00805 20130101; B65D 2519/00273 20130101; B65D 2519/00611
20130101; B65D 2519/00502 20130101; B65D 2519/00059 20130101; B65D
2519/00338 20130101; B65D 2519/00199 20130101; B65D 2519/00293
20130101; B65D 2519/00323 20130101; A01F 25/14 20130101; B65D
2519/00024 20130101; B65D 2519/00094 20130101; B65D 2519/009
20130101; B65D 2519/008 20130101; B65D 2519/00164 20130101; B65D
19/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/7 ;
220/6 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/26 20060101
B65D006/26; B65D 6/16 20060101 B65D006/16 |
Claims
1. A collapsible bulk container for dry, flowable particulate
material, comprising: a lower frame; a bottom wall within the frame
and having a discharge opening; a first side wall pivotally
connected to the frame for movement between an upright use position
and a substantially horizontal storage position; a second side wall
pivotally connected to the frame for movement between an upright
use position and a substantially horizontal storage position; a
third side wall pivotally connected to the frame for movement
between an upright use position and a substantially horizontal
storage position; a fourth side wall pivotally connected to the
frame for movement between an upright use position and a
substantially horizontal storage position; each side wall pivoting
at a different elevation such that the side walls fold down
substantially flat, one upon another in the storage position; a
first lid panel pivotally connected to the third side wall for
movement between an open position adjacent the third side wall and
a closed position over the bottom wall; and a second lid panel
pivotally connected to the fourth side wall for pivotal movement
between an open position adjacent the fourth side wall and a closed
position over the bottom wall.
2. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the walls fold
down sequentially from the first wall to the fourth wall.
3. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the first and
second walls are opposite one another, and the third and fourth
walls are opposite one another.
4. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the first and
second lid panels fold toward and away from one another between the
closed and open positions.
5. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the walls
define container corners when in the use position, and further
comprising pins removably extending through adjacent edges of the
side walls at each corner to lock the side walls in the use
position.
6. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the lid panels
each extend substantially one-half way over the bottom wall when in
the closed position.
7. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the bottom
wall is sloped toward the discharge opening.
8. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 wherein the bottom
wall is funnel-shaped.
9. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 further comprising a
gate on the bottom wall moveable between open and closed positions
relative to the discharge opening.
10. The collapsible bulk container of claim 1 further comprising a
second folded down collapsible hulk container stacked upon the
frame.
11. A foldable container for particulate material, comprising: a
bottom wall; a top wall; four side walls extending between the top
and bottom walls and having upper and lower edges and opposite
lateral edges; the top wall being pivotally connected adjacent the
upper edge of one of the side walls for movement between a use
position over the bottom wall and a storage position adjacent the
one side wall; and the side walls each being pivotal about the
lower edges for movement between a substantially vertical use
position and a substantially horizontal storage position.
12. The foldable container of claim 11 wherein the side walls fold
down to stack flat one above another in the storage position.
13. The foldable container of claim 11 wherein each side wall has a
pivot axis, and the pivot axes are vertically offset with respect
to one another.
14. The foldable container of claim 11 further comprising a base to
which the bottom wall and side walls are mounted.
15. The foldable container of claim 14 wherein the side walls are
locked together in the use position and unlocked from one another
in the storage position.
16. The foldable container of claim 11 wherein the bottom wall
includes a discharge opening.
17. The foldable container of claim 16 further comprising a gate on
the bottom wall to open and close the discharge opening.
18. The foldable container of claim 16 wherein the bottom wall is
sloped downwardly toward the discharge opening.
19. The foldable container of claim 11 further comprising legs to
support the bottom wall above the ground.
20. The foldable container of claim 11 wherein adjacent side walls
have overlapping edges when folded up to the use position, and a
lock pin removably extends through aligned holes in the overlapping
edge to secure the adjacent side walls together in the use
position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Collapsible and folding containers are known in the art for
storing bulk, dry, flowable particulate material, such as
agricultural seeds. For example, the Buckhorn SeedBox container has
telescoping side walls formed by a lower box portion and an upper
ring portion, wherein the upper ring portion is inverted for
nesting around the lower box walls. The Buckhorn container requires
two people for setup and breakdown. The nested, collapsed height of
the Buckhorn container is approximately 40% of the full height used
for storing seed. The Buckhorn container also has a lid which must
be completely removed before the container is collapsed and
re-mounted after the container is erected.
[0002] Other types of bulk containers are also known in the art
which have walls that can be disassembled for storage and erected
for use. However, these containers do not have bottom discharge
openings for dispensing material and do not have permanently
attached lids or covers.
[0003] Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is
the provision of an improved folding bulk container for particulate
material.
[0004] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of an improved seed box having folding side walls.
[0005] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of a bulk container which can be quickly and easily folded between
a compact storage condition and an upright use position.
[0006] Still another objective of the present invention is the
provision of a folding seed box having a hinged lid permanently
mounted to the box.
[0007] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of a folding bulk container having a bottom opening for discharge
of particulate material from the container.
[0008] A further objective of the present invention is the
provision of collapsible bulk seed container having a sloped bottom
wall.
[0009] Yet another objective of the present invention is the
provision of a folding seed box which can be converted between use
and storage positions by one person.
[0010] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of an improved bulk container which is economical to manufacture,
and durable and safe in use.
[0011] These and other objectives will become apparent from the
following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The improved foldable bulk container of the present
invention includes a frame which supports a bottom wall having a
discharge opening. A gate is provided in the bottom wall for
opening and closing the discharge outlet. Four side walls are
pivotally connected to the frame, for movement between an upright
use position and a folded storage position. Removable pins lock the
side walls together when the walls are folded upward to the use
position. Each side wall pivots at a different elevation above the
bottom wall such that the side walls fold down substantially flat,
one upon another, in the storage position. A lid is formed in two
sections which are pivotally connected to opposite side walls for
folding between an open position adjacent the side wall and a
closed position over the bottom wall. Multiple folding containers
can be stacked on top of each other in both the use and storage
positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the folding bulk container
of the present invention with the walls in the upright, use
position and the lid sections closed.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container and the first
fold down step with one lid panel opened.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container and the second
fold down step, with the second lid panel opened.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container and the third
fold down step, with one side wall folded inward.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the container and the
fourth fold down step, with the second side wall folded
inwardly.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container and the fifth
fold down step, with the third side wall folded inwardly.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container and the sixth
fold down step, with the fourth side wall folded inwardly, such
that the container is in a storage condition.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the container with the
side walls folded up in the use position.
[0021] FIG. 9 is an end elevation view of the container with the
side walls folded up in the used position.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the container with the gate
in the closed position.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the container with the
walls folded down in the storage position.
[0024] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing a corner joint of the
erected side walls with a locking pin in place.
[0025] FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing the locking pin
retracted so that the walls can be folded down.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] The improved folding bulk container or seed box of the
present invention is generally designated in the drawings by the
reference numeral 10. The container includes a base or frame 12
with four corner legs 14. The frame 12 supports a bottom wall 16
which has a discharge outlet or opening 18 with a gate 20 moveable
between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening
18. Preferably, the gate is manually moveable between the open and
closed positions, though a powered gate may also be provided. The
bottom wall 16 includes sloped segments, as seen in FIGS. 8-11, so
that particulate material in the container can flow to the
discharge opening 18.
[0027] Four side walls 22, 24, 26 and 28 are pivotally connected to
the frame adjacent their lower ends so as to be moveable between a
raised, upright use position and a collapsed storage position. The
pivot axes of the walls are at different elevations, so that the
walls can be sequentially folded downwardly from the use position
to the storage position and lay substantially flat, one upon
another, as seen in FIG. 7.
[0028] The container 10 also includes a lid or cover, which
preferably is formed in two halves by panels 30, 32. Each panel 30,
32 is pivotally connected to the opposing third and fourth side
walls 26, 28, respectively, so that the panels 30, 32 can be folded
between a use position over the bottom wall 16 to cover the
contents of the container, and a storage position adjacent the
respective side walls, 30, 32.
[0029] The process for folding the container 10 from the use
position shown in FIG. 1 to the storage position shown in FIG. 7
involves the following steps. First, the first lid panel 30 is
folded open from the horizontal use position above the bottom wall
16 to a vertical position adjacent the third side wall 26, as shown
in FIG. 2. Then, the second lid panel 32 is folded open from the
horizontal use position over the bottom wall 16 to a vertical
position adjacent the side wall 28, as shown in FIG. 3. Then, the
first side or end wall 22 is folded downwardly from a vertical use
position to a substantially horizontal storage position, as seen in
FIG. 4. Next, the second side or end wall 24 is folded down from a
vertical use position to a substantially horizontal storage
position on top of the first side wall 22, as shown in FIG. 5.
Then, the third side wall 26 is folded down from a vertical use
position to a substantially horizontal storage position on top of
the second side wall 24, as shown in FIG. 6. Last, the fourth side
wall 28 is folded down from a vertical use position to a
substantially horizontal storage position on top of the third side
wall 26, as shown in FIG. 7. The side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28 and
the lid panels 30, 32 stacks within the frame 12 in the storage
position, without detaching the walls from the frame or the lid
panels from the walls 26, 28. The steps are reversed to convert the
container from the storage position to the use position.
[0030] FIGS. 12 and 13 show one of the corners of the container 10
when the walls 22-28 are erected in the used position. All four
corners are identical. More particularly, each of the first and
second side or end walls 22, 24 has a tube or post 34 at the
opposite lateral edges. The third and fourth side walls 26, 28 each
have L-shaped channels or flanges 36 at the opposite side edges.
The corner posts 34 are received in the corner channels 36 when the
walls 22-28 are upright. Aligned holes 38 in the post 34 and
channel 36 allow a locking pin 40 to be inserted therethrough so as
to maintain the walls in their upright position. The pins 40 are
pulled from the holes 38 before the walls are folded down.
Preferably, the first and second side or end walls 22, 24 have a
horizontally disposed tubular sleeve 42 for guiding the pin 40, and
a pin retention tab 44 which prevents the pin 40 from being
completely removed from the sleeve 42 when withdrawn from the holes
38. Therefore, the pin 40 cannot be accidently disconnected from
the walls 22, 24, or otherwise lost.
[0031] Multiple containers 10 can be stacked one upon another in
both the use and storage positions. The corner posts 34 and
channels 36 provide structural support for stacked containers in
the use position. The upper corners 46 of the frame 12 supports
stacked containers in the storage position.
[0032] The height of the walls 22-28 is slightly less than the
width of the container 10. When the walls 22-28 are folded down
into the storage position, the height of the container 10 is less
than half of the height of the container when the walls are folded
up to the use position. Thus, the container 10 can be collapsed to
substantially shorter height for shipping and storage. The ability
to stack the containers minimizes space requirements during
transport and storage. The frame 12 allows the containers to be
moved, stacked and unstacked using a fork lift.
[0033] Preferably, the walls 22-28 and the lid panels 30-32 are
made of steel, or other lightweight, yet thin material which has
strength and durability. The container 10 can replace or eliminate
use of large bulk seed bags and the known problems associated with
handling of such bags.
[0034] The hinged design of the container, walls, and lid panels
permit one person to assemble and breakdown the container by simply
pivoting one panel or side wall of the container at a time. Also,
the permanent pivotal connection of the lid panels 30, 32 to the
side walls 26, 28 eliminates the danger of the lid blowing off of
the container in transit. The sloped bottom wall design eliminates
particulate material from becoming stuck in the corners of the
container 10 and creates a steady discharge flow of material while
unloading.
[0035] A farmer can take the loaded container 10 directly to the
field on a trailer, cart, or in a bed of a pickup truck for loading
into a seed tender dispenser or directly into a seed planter.
[0036] The invention has been shown and described above with the
preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many
modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are
within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. For example,
alternative corner structure and locking means may be utilized, as
opposed to the posts 34, channels 36 and pins 40, shown in the
drawings. Also, the dimensions of the container 10 may be varied,
as desired.
[0037] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present
invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.
* * * * *