U.S. patent application number 14/993778 was filed with the patent office on 2016-07-14 for intermodal bulk aggregate container.
The applicant listed for this patent is PORTARE SERVICES, LLC. Invention is credited to Theodore Edward ZALESKI, JR..
Application Number | 20160200503 14/993778 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56367003 |
Filed Date | 2016-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160200503 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ZALESKI, JR.; Theodore
Edward |
July 14, 2016 |
INTERMODAL BULK AGGREGATE CONTAINER
Abstract
An intermodal container for loading, transporting and unloading
particulate material comprising a frame that is compatible with
intermodal standards, and at least one hopper having a plurality of
rows of funnels, each funnel having angled side walls and a bottom
having at least one discharge opening. The funnel wall angle is at
least as great as the critical angle of repose of the material to
be contained therein. The material can be unloaded substantially by
gravity, without the need for vibration or other agitation.
Inventors: |
ZALESKI, JR.; Theodore Edward;
(Spring, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
PORTARE SERVICES, LLC |
Alpharetta |
GA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56367003 |
Appl. No.: |
14/993778 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62102218 |
Jan 12, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/185.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 88/128 20130101;
B65D 88/548 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/26 20060101
B65D088/26; B65D 90/20 20060101 B65D090/20; B65D 88/54 20060101
B65D088/54 |
Claims
1. A container system for containing and unloading particulate,
granular, powdered or other flowable material, comprising: a) a
frame constructed to be compatible with ISO or other standards
bodies' intermodal standards; b) at least one hopper having a
plurality of funnel portions, each funnel portion having tapered
walls and a bottom portion having a discharge opening, the funnel
portions and associated discharge openings being arranged in at
least two rows, the walls of each funnel portion having an angle at
least as great as the critical angle of repose of the material to
be held in the at least one hopper; and, c) a valve associated with
each funnel portion proximate to the discharge opening, wherein the
container is configured so that the material is unloadable
substantially by gravity from the bottom via the discharge
openings.
2. The container system of claim 1, further comprising a piping
system having an inlet, an outlet and conduits for conveying air or
other gas, the piping system being in communication with each
discharge opening.
3. The container system of claim 1, wherein the funnel portion
walls have an angle that enables material to be unloadable by
gravity without requiring agitation of the material.
4. The container system of claim 1, wherein adjacent rows of
discharge openings are arranged in parallel rows.
5. The container system of claim 1, wherein the discharge openings
in a first row are offset or staggered with respect to the
discharge openings in a second row.
6. The container system of claim 1, further comprising at least one
valve operating mechanism, each mechanism being associated with at
least one valve, each mechanism being adapted to urge the valve
between an open and a closed position.
7. The container system of claim 6, wherein the valve operating
mechanism comprises a handle.
8. The container system of claim 7, wherein each handle is
associated with at least two valves and can operate to open and
close each valve simultaneously.
9. The container system of claim 6, wherein the valve operating
mechanism comprises an electrical valve actuator.
10. The container system of claim 1, wherein the container is
configured to hold and permit unloading by gravity of 25 tons of
cement in a 20-foot ISO-standard dimensioned frame.
11. A container system for containing and unloading particulate,
granular, powdered or other flowable material, comprising: a) a
frame constructed to be compatible with ISO or other standards
bodies' intermodal standards; b) at least one hopper having a
plurality of funnel portions, each funnel portion having tapered
walls and a bottom portion having a discharge opening, the funnel
portions being arranged in at least two rows, the walls of each
funnel portion having an angle at least as great as the critical
angle of repose of the material to be held in the at least one
hopper; c) a valve associated with each funnel portion, the valve
being proximate to the discharge opening; d) a valve operating
mechanism associated with the valve, wherein the container is
configured so that the material is unloadable by gravity from the
bottom via the discharge openings.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims benefit of copending U.S.
provisional patent application No. 62/102,218, filed Jan. 12, 2015,
entitled INTERMODAL BULK AGGREGATE CONTAINER, and commonly assigned
to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which
is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to shipping
containers used to store, transport, and transfer bulk aggregate
materials. More specifically, the disclosure relates, in exemplary
embodiments, to a closed container system having bottom-mounted
valved outlet openings.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Storage and transport container systems for bulk aggregate
materials often include a hopper and pneumatic piping system
mounted on a trailer or container chassis. Such systems are
designed to be loaded through one or more openings on or near the
top of the hopper and unloaded through operable discharge valves at
or near the hopper bottom.
[0004] Particulate material has a characteristic called the
"critical angle of repose," or "angle of repose," which is the
steepest angle of descent or dip relative to the horizontal plane
to which a material can be piled without slumping. At this angle,
the material on the slope face is on the verge of sliding. This
characteristic is relevant in the storing and unloading of such
material. The speed at which the contents of a container can be
loaded and unloaded is also determined by the geometrical
attributes of the hopper and pneumatic piping system as well as the
type of material to be transported.
[0005] The amount of bulk aggregate material that can be stored,
transported, and unloaded is determined by a container's effective
interior size and geometry. The hopper volume is sometimes limited
by height, width, length, and/or weight restrictions imposed by
regulatory agencies such as the Department of Transportation. The
hopper typically will have one or more discharge portions at the
bottom having angled walls to funnel material down to a discharge
opening associated with each portion (see FIG. 7). The steepness of
the wall angle determines, in part, the hopper's volumetric
capacity: for a given container outer dimensional size, the steeper
the angle, the less volume is available in the hopper. Conversely,
for a shallower angle, more volume is available. For example, sand
has a lower critical angle of repose than does cement. A
particulate material with a higher critical angle of repose
requires a steeper angle of the discharge portion wall than a
material with a lower critical angle of repose for complete
unloading by gravity. If the wall angle is too shallow, material
will not funnel to the opening efficiently or completely. It is
desirable to maximize the total volumetric capacity of the hopper
within a given external container dimensional shape.
[0006] Normal unloading operation involves sequentially opening a
row of valves located at the base of the hopper. The valves permit
material to flow into a piping system that conveys the material to
external storage. It is expected that a container's contents will
be totally emptied during this process with a de minimus amount of
material or residue remaining in the hopper. Commonly, a container
may have several outlet valves in a row that are opened one at a
time. It would be desirable to have a hopper and valve
configuration that would permit adjacent pairs of valves to be
opened simultaneously to increase the unloading speed.
[0007] Intermodal containers present a particular challenge as they
must conform to well-established industry standards in addition to
being able to efficiently transport and unload materials. Despite
the variety of systems currently available, there remains a need
for the ability to more efficiently transport and unload bulk
aggregate materials.
SUMMARY
[0008] The following presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various invention
embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the
invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical
elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the
invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of
the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more
detailed description below.
[0009] The present disclosure relates to a container used to store,
transport, and unload bulk aggregate materials such as cement and
sand. The container provides the ability to carry a higher payload
than other comparably sized containers by virtue of improved hopper
geometry. The hopper is designed so that materials can fall due to
gravity through a series of valves at the hopper bottom allowing
the hopper to efficiently empty its contents.
[0010] A collection system for directing material to flow out of
and away from the container provides the ability for faster
pneumatic unloading than typical bulk aggregate tankers and
containerized systems.
[0011] In exemplary embodiments, the presently disclosed container
system includes at least one hopper having at least two rows of
funnels, each funnel having a discharge opening. Each funnel has a
wall angle at least as great as the critical angle of repose of the
material to be contained therein. The material loaded into the
hopper(s) is unloadable from the bottom. The material is unloadable
by gravity alone, or with a gravity assist, such as, but not
limited to, blowing from the top of the hopper opening, exerting a
negative (sucking) pressure proximate to the discharge opening
(such as by a pneumatic hose being attached thereto), or the like.
An external agitation mechanism, such as a shaker table to induce
vibration of the material, or a stirrer, is not needed. The
obviation of an external agitation mechanism reduces the cost
associated with the container system or the unloading apparatus,
and also improves the unloading time efficiency. In exemplary
embodiments, a container system as described herein can hold (and
permit efficient unloading of) about 25 tons of cement in a 20-foot
long container. In exemplary embodiments, the container frame is
compatible with International Organization for Standardization
("ISO") intermodal standards.
[0012] Other features will become apparent upon reading the
following detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments,
when taken in conjunction with the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The present invention may be better understood and
advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing
the accompanying drawings and schematics. The drawings of the
subject invention are illustrative of example embodiments and are
not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The drawings
disclose exemplary embodiments in which like reference characters
designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures of
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a prior art container
design showing a single row of discharge hoppers.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container system according
to a first exemplary embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of the container of FIG. 2.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the container of FIG.
2.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the container of FIG. 2
showing the hopper discharge openings along with the piping and
valves.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a top view of the container of FIG. 2 showing the
inside of the hopper and the discharge portions.
[0020] FIG. 7A is a bottom view showing the piping and the
discharge valve and handle configurations according to a first
exemplary embodiment.
[0021] FIG. 7B is a bottom view showing the piping and the
discharge valve and handle configurations according to a second
exemplary embodiment.
[0022] FIG. 7C is a bottom view showing the piping and the
discharge valve and handle configurations according to a third
exemplary embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 7D is a bottom view showing the piping and the
discharge valve and handle configurations according to a fourth
exemplary embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of an exemplary container
design embodiment of FIG. 2 showing a double row of discharge
hoppers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be
read (for example, cross-hatching, arrangement of parts,
proportion, degree, or the like) together with the specification,
and are to be considered a portion of the entire written
description of this invention. As used in the following
description, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "left", "right",
"up" and "down", as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives
thereof (for example, "horizontally", "upwardly", or the like),
simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the
particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms
"inwardly" and "outwardly" generally refer to the orientation of a
surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as
appropriate.
[0026] The description that follows includes exemplary apparatus,
methods, and operational sequences of the present invention.
However, it is understood that the described embodiments may be
practiced without these specific details.
[0027] The schematic views and descriptions depict a containerized
pneumatic bulk aggregate storage and transport system designed for
intermodal use with aggregate, particulate, granular, pelletized,
powder or other dry flowable material (though material not strictly
categorized as "dry" may be used). Typically, it is the container
frame that must comply with International Organization for
Standardization ("ISO") intermodal standards. A person skilled in
the art would recognize the applicability of the presently
disclosed inventive container systems to other types of bulk
aggregate storage or transport systems including those that are not
pneumatic, those that are permanently attached to a vehicle or
trailer, or those that are temporarily or permanently mounted in
another manner. Various embodiments of the presently described
container system can be used in applications other than intermodal
use, such as, but not limited to other storage container
systems.
[0028] In exemplary embodiments, to efficiently unload cement, the
angle of the funnel should be at least about 45 degrees. Higher
angles may be used but may reduce volumetric capacity or require
larger discharge valves on the bottom to achieve complete
unloading. Cement and other extremely fine materials with a high
critical angle of repose are considered "sluggish" and typically
will not unload efficiently in hoppers with lower funnel angles.
Cement also packs poorly during loading and creates a secondary
issue of requiring a hopper with maximum volume to load it to the
maximum weight limits that are typically imposed. Bulk density of
cement right after loading can range from about 50-70 lb/ft.sup.3
even though its "settled" bulk density is up to 94 lb/ft.sup.3.
Loading must stop when the hopper is full and, therefore, every
additional cubic foot of hopper volume allows more material to be
loaded. Once the maximum over-the-road weight is reached (in the
range of 25 tons), loading additional material is not useful or
permitted. But with cement, most bulk transport units are much
longer than 20 feet. Sand is different because of its lower
critical angle of repose and higher packing density. Sand will also
efficiently load and unload from the design described by the
invention. In areas where there is an over-the-road weight limit,
sand will not necessarily fill the hopper. However, some places do
not have load weight limits and this design would, therefore, carry
a higher payload.
[0029] FIGS. 2-3 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a
containerized bulk aggregate storage and transport system having a
container 10 including a hopper 101, a frame structure 102, and a
pneumatic piping system 103. Attached to the top of the hopper 101
are multiple openable hatches 104 that may be used to load
materials into the hopper 101 and permit access to its interior.
The hopper 101 has side walls 130 and lower discharge funnel
portion 140 having walls 150 (see FIG. 8). The funnel portion wall
150 has an angle that can differ depending on the overall container
design, which, in part, is a function of the critical angle of
repose of the material to be contained, as discussed hereinabove.
The funnel portion 140 may comprise a plurality of funnel portions
140 aligned in one or more rows, such as, for example, row 160 and
row 170, as shown in FIG. 6. In alternative exemplary embodiments,
the container 10 may have more than one hopper 101.
[0030] In exemplary embodiments, the container 10 has a frame 102
that may be constructed to comply with known ISO intermodal
container standards. Common ISO-compatible intermodal frame sizes
are 20 and 40 feet long, though other sizes are known. Frames
compatible with standard intermodal standards enable different
manufacturers to make containers that will all stack or connect
with the frames of other manufacturers, such as on trucks, trains,
ships, and the like, and are able to be grappled by a set of
common-dimension grappling mechanisms (such as for loading and
unloading containers onto other carriers).
[0031] The hopper 101 is surrounded and supported by a frame and
support structure 102. The frame 102 is designed and sized in
conformance with industry recognized standards developed by
organizations such as ISO and ABS such that the container may be
lifted by crane or forklift and securely attached to and
transported by cargo ships, railcars, and semi-trailer container
chassis. The dimensions of the frame 102 constrain the size of the
hopper 101 and the amount of material it can hold.
[0032] In exemplary embodiments, a valve and pneumatic piping
system (generally shown as 103) is positioned within the frame 102
and connected to the hopper 101. When the inlet pipe 105 is
connected to a pressurized blower or air supply, the hopper's
contents can be transferred through the piping 103 to the outlet
pipe and then to another hopper, storage silo, or other type of
vessel. In exemplary embodiments, the piping system is used to
introduce air, but other gases (for example, nitrogen) can be
introduced, depending on the material being contained in the
hopper.
[0033] Additional details of the piping system 103 are shown in
FIGS. 3-5. To unload the contents of the hopper 101, the discharge
valves 110 are opened and material flows out substantially by
gravity. In exemplary embodiments, a gravity-assist device can be
utilized. In one exemplary embodiment, a blower (not shown) is
first connected to the inlet pipe 105 positioned at one end of the
container with a first flexible hose 180. A second flexible hose
182 may be connected to the outlet 105A on the other end of the
container to direct the hopper's contents to another location. In
exemplary embodiments (such as for those containers which may hold
powder or powder-like sized particulate material that does not flow
by gravity particularly well), air at low pressure and high volume
can be introduced into the top of the hopper 101 through an
optional pressure line 106 to increase the internal pressure of the
hopper 101 and assist the downward movement of the hopper's
contents toward the discharge openings 108.
[0034] In one exemplary embodiment of a pneumatic piping system,
air at high flow rate is directed into the inlet 105 which is
associated with a jet line 107 located below the hopper 101. The
jet line 107 is connected to the discharge valves 110 (see FIG. 5)
located beneath each of the hopper's discharge openings 108.
Opening a discharge valve 110 connected between the jet line 107
and a hopper discharge opening 108 permits some of the hopper 101
contents to enter the jet line 107 and be transferred (i.e., blown)
out of the hopper 101 and away from the container.
[0035] Aeration lines 109 (see FIGS. 4-5) can also be used to
introduce air into the hopper 101 to disturb material that may be
settled on the hopper walls or the discharge portion walls. In so
doing, the process of fully evacuating the hopper 101 can be
accelerated.
[0036] In exemplary embodiments, a vacuum line can be attached
(directly or indirectly) to the discharge openings to induce a
vacuum drawing force at the discharge opening 108 to pull material
therethrough.
[0037] In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, there are
multiple hopper discharge openings 108 (typically, one opening per
hopper) that all feed into the jet line 107. Hoppers 101 are
typically unloaded by sequentially opening one valve at a time
starting with the valve nearest the inlet 105. The rate at which
material is unloaded depends on the type and condition of material
in the hopper, the amount of air flow available, the size of the
valves and piping, the use of pressurization and supplemental
aeration in the hopper, and other factors.
[0038] Once material is no longer flowing through the first open
valve 110, the next valve 110 in line is opened and the first valve
110 is closed to evacuate another portion of the hopper 101. The
number of discharge openings is usually in the range of one to five
(though fewer or more are contemplated as being within the scope of
the present invention), with three openings being most common. The
discharge openings 108 are typically arranged in a line such that
each valve 110 can be opened and the preceding one closed until the
hopper 101 is empty. Alternatively, the openings 108 can be
staggered or offset. A feature of the presently disclosed container
system, as discussed in detail hereinbelow, is the ability to have
a plurality of hopper valves open simultaneously to increase
unloading speed.
[0039] FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of one exemplary embodiment of a
hopper 101 configuration in which the hopper 101 discharge openings
108 are configured in two rows 160, 170 that are parallel to the
jet line 107. Each of the hopper's discharge openings 108 has an
openable valve 110 that is connected to the jet line 107. Only one
jet line 107 is used in this example but each row could have its
own jet line.
[0040] In exemplary embodiments in which the hopper 101 has two or
more rows 160, 170 of funnel portions, to increase the rate of
hopper 101 unloading, a pair of hopper valves 110 in adjacent rows
can be opened together to evacuate each section of the hopper 101.
Each valve 110 may be individually operable by a valve opening and
closing mechanism. In exemplary embodiments the opening and closing
mechanism is a handle 120. FIGS. 7A-D show several different
exemplary embodiments of discharge valve and handle configurations,
illustrated in one container, but which is intended as a
nonlimiting example. It is anticipated that in exemplary
embodiments typically only one of the four shown configurations (or
another configuration) would be incorporated in a single container
system design (though it is possible that more than one
configuration can be used in a single container system). In
exemplary embodiments, the handles 120 may be connected together
such that one handle movement operates both valves 110
simultaneously. In another configuration, the valves 110 could be
individually operable from a single handle using a concentric tube
and shaft arrangement or other mechanism. FIG. 7A shows a first
exemplary embodiment of a valve and handle configuration "A" in
which a valve 110 pair (i.e., two adjacent valves 110) is operated
individually from separate handles 120 on opposite sides of the
container 10. FIG. 7B shows a second exemplary embodiment of a
valve and handle configuration "B" of a valve 110 pair operated
together from a single handle 120. FIG. 7C shows a third exemplary
embodiment of a valve and handle configuration "C" in which a valve
110 pair is operated individually from separate handles 120 mounted
on the same side of the container 10. FIG. 7D shows a fourth
exemplary embodiment of a valve and handle configuration "D" in
which a valve 110 pair is operated separately by one handle
120.
[0041] In exemplary embodiments, the handle 120 is hand operated.
In alternative exemplary embodiments, the handle 120 may be motor
driven. In alternative exemplary embodiments of a valve system, an
electrical actuator associated with the valve 120 responsive to a
signal can open or close the valve 120. In such embodiments, the
handle 120 is not needed or, alternatively, the handle 120 can be
included as a manual override.
[0042] An exemplary embodiment of the interior of the hopper 101,
shown in FIG. 6, illustrates, in particular, that the use of the
double row of discharge openings 108 can permit a much wider usable
base section and thus a greater capacity for storing material. The
double row of discharge openings 108 allows a steep wall angle to
be maintained while substantially filling the available volume
within the frame and support structure 102.
[0043] Increasing the size of the discharge valves 110 in the
traditional single row configuration may help increase the rate of
discharge. However, material would not fully unload from a wide
base hopper 101 with a single center discharge row. Alternatively,
the hopper 101 size and volume could be reduced to maintain the
steep wall angle necessary to achieve full evacuation.
[0044] Other variations on the configuration of the hoppers are
contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.
For example, a hopper 101 containing two rows of five discharge
openings 108 may be used. Similarly, a hopper 101 containing three
rows of four discharge openings 108 is also possible. Other numbers
of rows are possible as well, depending on the container design
needs.
[0045] In another alternative embodiment of a container, a
non-pneumatic hopper configuration can be utilized, such as a
bottom drop or auger system, both are known to those skilled in the
art.
[0046] In exemplary embodiments, another method of loading
aggregate into the container is to connect a pneumatic pipe
(similar to the ones used for unloading) to an access port near the
container top and blow the material into the container. The method
described above relies on gravity to load the material and is
probably more common than pneumatic loading. The angle of the
funnel determines the type(s) of aggregates that will be compatible
with the design and those that will not fully unload.
[0047] A conventional hopper design in the prior art is shown in
FIG. 1. In comparison, the design according to one exemplary
embodiment, shown in FIG. 8 and having two rows of hoppers 160,
170, presents a greater volumetric capacity than one row, and also
presents a configuration that allows for faster unloading.
[0048] A feature of the presently disclosed container system is
that the container is intermodal-compatible and can be constructed
to fit into a 20-foot (about 6 meters) length design while creating
an efficient volumetric capacity and a hopper funnel portion wall
having a steep angle such that materials with a high critical angle
of repose can be efficiently evacuated through the rows of hopper
openings. In comparison, conventional containers are typically not
designed to have the volumetric capacity as well as the
discharge/unload rate while being intermodal-compatible.
[0049] The following numbered clauses include embodiments that are
contemplated and nonlimiting.
[0050] Clause (1) A container system for containing and unloading
particulate, granular, powdered or other flowable material,
comprising: a frame constructed to be compatible with ISO or other
standards bodies' intermodal standards; at least one hopper having
a plurality of funnel portions, each funnel portion having tapered
walls and a bottom portion having a discharge opening, the funnel
portions and associated discharge openings being arranged in at
least two rows, the walls of each funnel portion having an angle at
least as great as the critical angle of repose of the material to
be held in the at least one hopper; and, a valve associated with
each funnel portion proximate to the discharge opening, wherein the
container is configured so that the material is unloadable
substantially by gravity from the bottom via the discharge
openings.
[0051] Clause (2) The container system of Clause 1, further
comprising a piping system having an inlet, an outlet and conduits
for conveying air or other gas, the piping system being in
communication with each discharge opening.
[0052] Clause (3) The container system of Clause 1, wherein the
funnel portion walls have an angle that enables material to be
unloadable by gravity without requiring agitation of the
material.
[0053] Clause (4) The container system of Clause 1, wherein
adjacent rows of discharge openings are arranged in parallel
rows.
[0054] Clause (5) The container system of Clause 1, wherein the
discharge openings in a first row are offset or staggered with
respect to the discharge openings in a second row.
[0055] Clause (6) The container system of Clause 1, further
comprising at least one valve operating mechanism, each mechanism
being associated with at least one valve, each mechanism being
adapted to urge the valve between an open and a closed
position.
[0056] Clause (7) The container system of Clause 6 wherein the
valve operating mechanism comprises a handle.
[0057] Clause (8) The container system of Clause 7, wherein each
handle is associated with at least two valves and can operate to
open and close each valve simultaneously.
[0058] Clause (9) The container system of Clause 6, wherein the
valve operating mechanism comprises an electrical valve
actuator.
[0059] Clause (10) The container system of Clause 1, wherein the
container is configured to hold and permit unloading by gravity of
25 tons of cement in a 20-foot ISO-standard dimensioned frame.
[0060] Clause (11) A container system for containing and unloading
particulate, granular, powdered or other flowable material,
comprising: a frame constructed to be compatible with ISO or other
standards bodies' intermodal standards; at least one hopper having
a plurality of funnel portions, each funnel portion having tapered
walls and a bottom portion having a discharge opening, the funnel
portions being arranged in at least two rows, the walls of each
funnel portion having an angle at least as great as the critical
angle of repose of the material to be held in the at least one
hopper; a valve associated with each funnel portion, the valve
being proximate to the discharge opening; a valve operating
mechanism associated with the valve, wherein the container is
configured so that the material is unloadable by gravity from the
bottom via the discharge openings.
[0061] Although only a number of exemplary embodiments have been
described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily
appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary
embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings
and advantages. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to
be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the
following claims.
[0062] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the
singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include plural referents unless
the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0063] "Optional" or "optionally" means that the subsequently
described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the
description includes instances where said event or circumstance
occurs and instances where it does not.
[0064] Throughout the description and claims of this specification,
the word "comprise" and variations of the word, such as
"comprising" and "comprises," means "including but not limited to,"
and is not intended to exclude, for example, other additives,
components, integers or steps. "Exemplary" means "an example of"
and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal
embodiment. "Such as" is not used in a restrictive sense, but for
explanatory purposes.
[0065] Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the
disclosed methods, equipment and systems. These and other
components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when
combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc., of these
components are disclosed that while specific reference of each
various individual and collective combinations and permutation of
these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically
contemplated and described herein, for all methods, equipment and
systems. This applies to all aspects of this application including,
but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are
a variety of additional steps that can be performed, it is
understood that each of these additional steps can be performed
with any specific embodiment or combination of embodiments of the
disclosed methods.
[0066] It should further be noted that any patents, applications
and publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference
in their entirety.
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