U.S. patent application number 16/834645 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-16 for bulk material shipping container unloader.
This patent application is currently assigned to SANDBOX LOGISTICS, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is SANDBOX LOGISTICS, LLC. Invention is credited to C. John Allegretti.
Application Number | 20200223626 16/834645 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51206951 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200223626 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Allegretti; C. John |
July 16, 2020 |
BULK MATERIAL SHIPPING CONTAINER UNLOADER
Abstract
A bulk material shipping container unloader having an expandable
supporter, a pallet receiver supported by the extendable supporter,
and a material director supported by the pallet receiver.
Inventors: |
Allegretti; C. John;
(Barrington Hills, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SANDBOX LOGISTICS, LLC |
HOUSTON |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SANDBOX LOGISTICS, LLC
HOUSTON
TX
|
Family ID: |
51206951 |
Appl. No.: |
16/834645 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15952456 |
Apr 13, 2018 |
10604338 |
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16834645 |
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15951606 |
Apr 12, 2018 |
10287091 |
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15952456 |
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15489074 |
Apr 17, 2017 |
10308421 |
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15951606 |
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14158158 |
Jan 17, 2014 |
9650216 |
|
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15489074 |
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61755240 |
Jan 22, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 90/14 20130101;
B65D 88/30 20130101; B65G 65/40 20130101; B65D 88/022 20130101;
B65D 88/26 20130101; B65D 88/32 20130101; B65D 90/587 20130101;
B65D 90/54 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/30 20060101
B65D088/30; B65G 65/40 20060101 B65G065/40; B65D 88/02 20060101
B65D088/02; B65D 88/26 20060101 B65D088/26; B65D 90/58 20060101
B65D090/58; B65D 90/14 20060101 B65D090/14 |
Claims
1. An unloader configured to support and facilitate unloading of a
bulk material shipping container comprising: a container support
including a plurality of upstanding legs, a rectangular frame with
a upstanding leg connected at each corner thereof, a pallet
receiver having a vertical pallet holding wall extending around the
perimeter of the rectangular frame, a pallet support base extending
inwardly from a bottom edge of the pallet holding wall for
supporting the bulk material shipping container, and a plurality of
nesting supports disposed on the pallet support base, wherein the
pallet receiver is configured to receive a bottom portion of the
bulk material shipping container such that the plurality of nesting
supports distribute the weight of the bulk material shipping
container to the upstanding leg at each corner; and a material
director attached to the pallet receiver and supported by the
container support, the material director having a plurality of
material directing walls extending downwardly from an upper opening
adjacent the pallet receiver forming a funnel-shaped chamber
terminating at a lower opening, wherein the funnel-shaped chamber
is configured to receive material from the bulk material shipping
container supported by the bottom end receiver and direct the
received material from the upper opening to the lower opening.
2. The unloader according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality
of material directing walls has a material unloading port formed
therethrough defining the lower opening.
3. The bulk material shipping container unloader of claim 2,
wherein the material unloading port is configured to direct the
received material through the chamber and toward an area exterior
to two of the upstanding legs of the container support.
4. The unloader according to claim 1, further comprising includes a
nozzle connected to one of the plurality of material directing
walls.
5. The unloader according to claim 1, wherein the container support
further comprises a leg stabilizing frame extending between the
plurality of upstanding legs below the material director.
6. The unloader of according to claim 1, wherein each of the
plurality of upstanding legs comprises an expandable supporter
having a leg section, a foot section telescopically received in the
leg section and a locking member for holding the leg section and
the foot section in a predetermined position for adjusting a height
of the container support.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation application of, claims
priority to, and the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent
application Ser. No. 15/952,456, filed Apr. 13, 2018, which is a
continuation application of, claims priority to, and the benefit of
U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/951,606, filed
Apr. 12, 2018, which is a continuation application of, claims
priority to, and the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent
application Ser. No. 15/489,074, filed Apr. 17, 2017, which is a
continuation application of, claims priority to, and the benefit of
U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/158,158, filed
Jan. 17, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,650,216, issued on May 16, 2017,
which claims priority to, and the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/755,240, filed Jan. 22, 2013, the entire
contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Various bulk material shipping containers are known. Such
known material bulk shipping containers, sometimes referred to
herein for brevity as known containers or as known bulk containers,
are used to transport a wide range of products, parts, components,
items, and materials such as, but not limited to, seeds, shavings,
fasteners, and granular materials. These are sometimes called loose
materials. There are various disadvantages with such known bulk
material shipping containers.
[0003] For example, one known and widely commercially used known
bulk container for shipping materials (such as shipping seeds to
farms) is sold by Buckhorn Industries. This known bulk container is
made from plastic, weighs about 338 pounds (151.9 kilograms), and
holds a maximum of 58.3 cubic feet of material. This known
container has a bottom section, a top section, and a cover. To use
this known container, loaders at a bulk material supplier must
remove the cover, remove the top section from the bottom section,
flip the top section upside down, place the flipped top section on
the bottom section, fill the container, and then place the cover on
the flipped top section. This process requires at least two people
and a relatively significant amount of time when filling a large
quantity of these containers. In certain instances, specifically
configured forklift attachments are required to fill and handle
this known container. After this known container is shipped to its
ultimate destination (such as a farm), the bulk material (such as
seed) is unloaded from the container, and the empty container must
be shipped back to the material supplier. However, prior to and for
shipping back to the supplier, the cover is removed, the flipped
top section is removed from the bottom section, the flipped top
section is then flipped back over and placed on the bottom section,
and the cover is then placed on the top section and fastened with
zip ties. This process also requires at least two people and is
relatively time consuming especially for a large quantity of such
containers.
[0004] Another disadvantage of this known container is that this
container is made from plastic and if one or more of the three
sections of the container (i.e., the bottom, the top, or the cover)
is damaged or cracked, then that entire damaged or cracked section
typically must be replaced (instead of being repaired). This adds
additional cost, time out of service for the damaged container, and
additional material and energy waste.
[0005] Another disadvantage of this known container is that when
disassembled (for shipping empty), only two of these containers can
be stacked on top of each other and still fit in a conventional
shipping container or truck. This tends to leave wasted space in
such shipping containers and trucks, and thus increases the overall
cost of shipping (including related fuel costs) and energy
waste.
[0006] Additional disadvantages of this known container are that:
(a) the cover can be easily lost or misplaced; (b) the cover can be
easily damaged; (c) this known container is less weather resistant
because the cover is readily removable and only attached by zip
ties; (d) the insides and outside surfaces are difficult to clean;
(e) a material holding bag is not readily usable with this
container, such that this container cannot be used for certain
types of loose materials; and (f) the contents held by the
container can be easily contaminated due in part to the
configuration and use of the lid.
[0007] To solve these problems, new bulk material shipping
containers have been developed, such as those disclosed in U.S.
Patent Publication No. 2012/0103848 and U.S. Patent Publication No.
2012/0152798, which are owned by the assignee of the present
application.
[0008] One issue that has arisen with respect to these new bulk
material shipping containers is in the unloading of the materials
from these new containers. In various uses, certain of these new
bulk material shipping containers need to be supported above the
ground to be unloaded. One way this had been done is by using a
forklift to hold the container above the ground in the unloading
area during the unloading process. This is not preferred and ties
up the use of the forklift. Another issue that has arisen with
respect to these new bulk material shipping containers is that they
tend to unload the contents fairly quickly, and thus they may not
work optimally in certain situations where the contents need to be
unloaded slowly or in batches.
[0009] Accordingly, there is a need for a bulk material shipping
container unloading apparatus.
SUMMARY
[0010] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bulk
material shipping container unloader which solves the above issues.
The bulk material shipping container unloader of the present
disclosure may sometimes be referred herein for brevity as the
shipping container unloader, the container unloader, the material
unloader, or the unloader.
[0011] In one embodiment, the bulk material shipping container
unloader of the present disclosure includes: (a) a supporter; (b) a
pallet receiver supported by the supporter; and (c) a material
director supported by the pallet receiver. In this embodiment, the
height of the pallet receiver and the material director are fixed,
and thus support the bulk material container at a single position
or height.
[0012] In another embodiment, the bulk material shipping container
unloader of the present disclosure includes: (a) an expandable
supporter; (b) a pallet receiver supported by the extendable
supporter; and (c) a material director supported by the pallet
receiver. The expandable supporter is movable from a retracted
position to one or more expanded positions to change the height of
the pallet receiver and the material director, and thus to support
the bulk material container at different desired positions or
heights.
[0013] In either of these embodiments, the shipping container
unloader of the present disclosure is configured to receive and
hold a bulk material shipping container which is configured to
directly hold materials or to receive a suitable plastic bag or
liner which holds the materials in the container. The shipping
container unloader of the present disclosure is configured to hold
one shipping container or multiple stacked shipping containers as
further discussed below. The shipping container unloader of the
present disclosure is also configured to hold one or more
expandable shipping containers and/or one or more bulk material
shipping containers that are not expandable or retractable.
[0014] One embodiment of the shipping container unloader of the
present disclosure is primarily made from a suitable steel. In this
embodiment, if one of the sections of the unloader is damaged or
cracked, that section can typically be repaired which reduces: (a)
cost; (b) time out of service for the unloader; and (c) additional
material and/or energy waste. In alternative embodiments, the
shipping container unloader of the present disclosure or certain
parts thereof, can be made from a suitably strong plastic material
such as a composite material or a fiber glass material.
[0015] Additional features and advantages of the present invention
are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed
Description of Exemplary Embodiments and the figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the bulk material
shipping container unloader of one embodiment of the present
disclosure, shown in a retracted position, and shown with a closure
plate coupled to the material unloading port of the material
director.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the bulk material
shipping container unloader of FIG. 1, shown in a retracted
position and shown with an output nozzle coupled to the material
unloading port of the material director.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a top rear perspective view of the bulk material
shipping container unloader of FIG. 1, shown in a retracted
position and shown with an open material unloading port of the
material director.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the
material unloading port of the material director of the bulk
material shipping container unloader of FIG. 1, and showing
material flowing out through the material unloading port into a
bin.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the bulk material shipping
container unloader of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the bulk material
shipping container unloader of FIG. 1, shown in an expanded
position and shown supporting a bulk material shipping
container.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front perspective view of the bulk
material shipping container unloader of FIG. 1, shown supporting
two stacked bulk material shipping containers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 7 illustrate one
example embodiment of the bulk material shipping container unloader
of the present disclosure, which is generally indicated by numeral
50. This illustrated embodiment of the bulk material shipping
container unloader 50 generally includes: (a) an expandable or
extendable supporter 100; (b) a pallet receiver 200 supported by
the expandable or extendable supporter 100; and (c) a material
director 300 supported by the pallet receiver 200. Generally, the
expandable supporter 100 is configured to support the pallet
receiver 200 and the material director 300, the pallet receiver 200
is configured to support one or more bulk material shipping
containers 400 and 500 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), and the
material director 300 is configured to hold and direct material
exiting the bulk material shipping container to and through a
material unloading port as further explained below. As mentioned
above, for brevity, the bulk material shipping container unloader
of the present disclosure is sometimes referred to as the shipping
container unloader, the container unloader, the material unloader,
or the unloader. It should also be appreciated that while this
illustrated embodiment of the unloader is expandable, the bulk
material shipping container unloader of the present disclosure does
not have to be expandable.
[0024] In this illustrated embodiment, the expandable supporter 100
is movable from a retracted position (shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3)
to one or more expanded positions (shown in FIG. 6) to change the
height of the pallet receiver 200 and the material director 300.
More specifically, the expandable or extendable supporter 100
includes: (a) expandable legs 102, 104, 106, and 108; (b) feet 112,
114, 116, and 118 respectively attached to the bottom of the legs
102, 104, 106, and 108; (c) leg stabilizers 120, 122, 124, 126,
128, and 130 attached to the legs 102, 104, 106, and 108; and (d)
locking members 142, 144, 146, and 148 configured to respectively
hold the legs 102, 104, 106, and 108 in the expanded and retracted
positions.
[0025] In this illustrated embodiment, the expandable legs 102,
104, 106, and 108 each include telescoping upper and lower sections
with alignable openings that provide for the expansion or height
adjustment of the pallet receiver 200 and material director 300.
The locking members 142, 144, 146, and 148 are configured to extend
through the aligned openings to hold the legs 102, 104, 106, and
108 in the expanded and retracted positions. In this illustrated
embodiment each locking member includes a J-pin (configured to be
positioned though aligned openings) and a locking pin which holds
the J-pin in place. The J-pins are made from as suitably strong
material (such as steel) to support the weight of the containers
placed on the unloader 50 when the unloader 50 is in the expanded
position. It should be appreciated that other suitable locking
members may be employed in accordance with the present
disclosure.
[0026] In this illustrated embodiment, the legs 102, 104, 106, and
108 and the leg stabilizers 120, 122, 124, 126,128, and 130 are
each made from a steel tubular material, and the leg stabilizers
are welded to the upper sections of the legs 102, 104, 106, and 108
to provide a suitable support structure for the unloader 50. It
should also be appreciated that the feet 112, 114, 116, and 118 are
also made of steel and welded or otherwise suitably respectively
attached to the legs 102, 104, 106, and 108 in this illustrated
embodiment.
[0027] It should be appreciated that these components are made from
steel to: (a) facilitate attachment or connection of these
components by welding and/or suitable fasteners; (b) provide
structural strength and rigidity; (c) facilitate ease of cleaning;
(d) facilitate ease of repair; and (e) minimize overall weight of
the unloader. However, it should be appreciated that in alternative
embodiments, one or more of these components can be made from other
suitably strong materials and can be attached in other suitable
manners (besides welding).
[0028] The pallet receiver 200 is configured to receive and support
a pallet of a bulk material shipping container (as generally shown
in FIGS. 6 and 7). More specifically, the pallet receiver 200
includes: (a) pallet support bases 202, 204, 206, and 208; (b)
pallet holding walls 212, 214, 216, and 218 respectively connected
to and extending upwardly from the pallet support bases 202, 204,
206, and 208; (c) nesting or stacking guides 222, 224, 226, and 228
respectively connected to and extending upwardly from the corners
of the pallet holding walls 212, 214, 216, and 218; and (d) nesting
supports 232a, 232b, 234a, 234b, 236a, 236b, 238a and 238b,
respectively connected to and extending upwardly from the pallet
support bases 202, 204, 206, and 208.
[0029] In this illustrated embodiment, (a) the pallet support base
202 and the pallet holding wall 212; (b) the pallet support base
204 and the pallet holding wall 214; (c) the pallet support base
206 and the pallet holding wall 216; and (d) the pallet support
base 208 and the pallet holding wall 218, are each made of steel,
formed together, and respectively welded together at their corners.
In this illustrated embodiment, the nesting or stacking guides 222,
224, 226, and 228 are also made of steel and welded to the corners
of the pallet holding walls 212, 214, 216, and 218. In this
illustrated embodiment, the nesting supports 232a, 232b, 234a,
234b, 236a, 236b, 238a, and 238b, are each made from a steel tube
and welded to the pallet support bases 202, 204, 206, and 208.
[0030] It should be appreciated that these components are made from
steel to: (a) facilitate attachment or connection of these
components by welding and/or suitable fasteners; (b) provide
structural strength and rigidity; (c) facilitate ease of cleaning;
(d) facilitate ease of repair; and (e) minimize overall weight of
the unloader. However, it should be appreciated that in alternative
embodiments, one or more of these components can be made from other
suitably strong materials and can be attached in other suitable
manners (besides welding).
[0031] It should be appreciated that when a container sits on the
unloader 50 as generally illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pallet
of the container rests on the nesting supports 232a, 232b, 234a,
234b, 236a, 236b, 238a, and 238b, which are configured to support
the pallet and specifically the legs or footing of the pallet of
the container. The nesting supports direct the weight of the second
or top container that sits on those nesting supports to the corners
of the unloader and thus to the legs of the unloader. This prevents
the weight of the container from damaging the walls of the
unloader.
[0032] It should be appreciated that the unloader and the nesting
or stacking guides are configured to assist the unloader and
specifically the pallet receiver 200 to receive known bulk material
containers (such as the known bulk material container described in
the background section of this document and described below). It
should be appreciated that the unloader of the present disclosure
is configured such that a forklift can be employed to place a
container on top of the unloader and to lift one container from the
unloading assembly without damaging the unloader as further
described below.
[0033] The material director 300 is supported by the pallet
receiver 200 and is configured to direct material exiting the bulk
material shipping container resting on the unloader to an exit area
and specifically through a material unloading port 350. More
specifically, material director 300 includes: (a) a front
downwardly (e.g., vertically or substantially vertically) extending
material directing wall 312 connected to the front pallet support
base 202; (b) a rear downwardly slopping material directing wall
316 connected to the rear pallet support base 206; (c) a first
downwardly (e.g., angled or sloped) extending side material
directing wall 314 connected to the side pallet support base 204;
(d) a second downwardly (e.g., angled or sloped) extending material
directing side wall 318 connected to the side pallet support base
208; and (e) and a material unloading port 350 formed in the front
material directing wall 312.
[0034] The material director 300 additionally includes one or more
components that are configured to be coupled with the material
unloading port 350. More specifically, the material unloading port
350 includes: (a) a section of the wall 312 which defines an
opening 352; (b) a bottom guide or rail 362 positioned below the
opening 352; (c) a first side guide or rail 364 positioned on one
side of the opening 352; and (d) a second side guide or rail 366
positioned on the other side of the opening. The bottom guide or
rail 362, the first side guide or rail 364, and the second side
guide or rail 366 are connected to and extend outwardly from the
wall 312 and are configured to receive and hold a plurality of
different removable components that facilitate operation of the
material unloading port 350 and the unloader 50. These components
include: (a) a closure plate 380 which is configured to be received
and held by the rails 362, 364 and 366 and close the opening 352 as
shown in FIG. 1; and (b) a nozzle plate 382 which is configured to
be received and held by the rails 362, 364 and 366 as shown in FIG.
2 and to provide a controlled flow (or controlled flow rate) of
materials through the opening 352 of the material unloading port
350. It should be appreciated that the present disclosure also
contemplates other components such as other nozzle plates with
different size and shaped nozzles to regulate material flow or flow
rate. It should also be appreciated that the closure plate can be
removed, and no nozzle plate inserted to facilitate more rapid
emptying of the materials through the opening 352 of the material
unloading port 350 as generally illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0035] In this illustrated embodiment, (a) the front wall 312; (b)
the rear wall 316; (c) the first side wall 314; and (d) the second
side wall 318 are each made of steel and respectively welded
together. In this illustrated embodiment, the rails 362, 364 and
366 are each made of steel and integrally formed from or welded to
the front wall 312. In this illustrated embodiment, the closure
plate 380 and the nozzle plate 382 are each made of steel. It
should be appreciated that these components are made from steel to:
(a) facilitate attachment or connection of these components by
welding and/or suitable fasteners; (b) provide structural strength
and rigidity; (c) facilitate ease of cleaning; (d) facilitate ease
of repair; and (e) minimize overall weight of the unloader.
However, it should be appreciated that in alternative embodiments,
one or more of these components can be made from other suitably
strong materials and can be attached in other suitable manners
(besides welding).
[0036] Turning now specifically to FIGS. 6 and 7, this illustrated
embodiment of the bulk material shipping container unloader 50 of
the present disclosure is configured to hold one or more bulk
material shipping containers 400 and 500 (such as those described
in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0103848 and U.S. Patent
Publication No. 2012/0152798). In certain versions, these shipping
containers have as an expanded position for holding materials
during shipping and a retracted position for efficient shipping
when the container is not holding materials or when the container
is holding a smaller amount of materials. In certain versions,
these shipping containers are not expanded or retractable.
[0037] Generally, as shown in these published patent applications,
the expandable shipping containers each generally includes: (a) a
pallet; (b) a bottom compartment; (c) a top compartment; (d) a
plurality of top compartment support assemblies; (e) a material
unloading assembly; (f) a material loading assembly; and (g) a top
compartment extension assembly configured to enable a user to move
the top compartment from the retracted position to the expanded
position.
[0038] It should also be appreciated that the unloader of the
present disclosure is configured to hold a shipping container that
includes a bottom compartment having: (a) a bottom wall with a
selectively openable suitable material release opening; and (b) a
door or gate (with a handle) that is movable or slidable from a
closed position to a plurality of different partially open
positions, and then to a fully open position.
[0039] As mentioned above, the unloader of the present disclosure
and specifically the pallet receiver 200 is configured to receive a
pallet of a shipping container (as generally shown in FIGS. 6 and
7) and specifically configured to take in account that a lifting
and moving vehicle such as fork lift will be used to lift and move
the shipping container onto the unloader, and thereby provide
sufficient spaces for the forks as generally illustrated in FIGS. 6
and 7. In other words, the pallet holding walls 212, 214, 216, and
218 are of a limited height to prevent interference with the fork
lift tines which carry the container and place the container on the
material unloader 50, regardless of the direction of the fork lift
relative to the unloader 50 and the container.
[0040] The unloader of the present disclosure is configured to
receive a shipping container pallet: (a) that includes a
rectangular body having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front
edge, a back edge, and opposite side edges; (b) that includes a
plurality of legs extending downwardly from the body, where the
legs each respectively extend the entire width of the body of the
pallet, and where the legs extend downwardly from the central
portions of the side ends of the body; and (c) where pallet
includes or defines multiple sets of aligned fork lift tine
receiving channels.
[0041] The unloader of the present disclosure is also configured to
receive a shipping container pallet: (a) that includes a
rectangular body having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front
edge, a back edge, and opposite side edges; (b) a plurality of legs
attached to and extending downwardly from the body; (c) a footing
attached to and extending downwardly from each of the legs and
having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front edge, a back
edge, and opposite side edges; and (d) where pallet includes or
defines multiple sets of aligned fork lift tine receiving channels,
and the footing has a smaller rectangular footprint than the body
and the legs to enable the pallet, and specifically legs of the
pallet, to sit on the nesting supports of the unloading
assembly.
[0042] It should thus be appreciated that the material unloader of
the present disclosure and specifically the pallet receiver is
configured to supports different pallets or pallets that have
different configurations and thus different shipping or other
containers.
[0043] In one embodiment, the unloader of the present disclosure is
configured to hold an expandable bulk material shipping container
having: (a) a pallet which is approximately 56 inches (142.24
centimeters) by approximately 44 inches (111.76 centimeters) by
approximately 6 inches (15.24 centimeters); (b) a bottom
compartment which is approximately 56 inches (142.24 centimeters)
by approximately 44 inches (111.76 centimeters) by approximately 27
inches (68.58 centimeters); and (c) a top compartment which is
approximately 56 inches (142.24 centimeters) by approximately 44
inches (111.76 centimeters) by approximately 27 inches (68.58
centimeters), wherein (d) the container in the retracted position
is approximately 56 inches (142.24 centimeters) by approximately 44
inches (111.76 centimeters) by approximately 35 inches (88.90
centimeters); and (e) the container in the expanded position is
approximately 56 inches (142.24 centimeters) by approximately 44
inches (111.76 centimeters) by approximately 62 inches (157.48
centimeters). However, it should be appreciated that the unloader
of the present disclosure is configured to hold containers of other
suitable sizes.
[0044] FIGS. 6 and 7 also illustrate that one or more shipping
containers (such as containers 400 and 500) can be stacked on the
unloader. Container 400 in FIG. 6 is shown having a bottom end 402,
a first bottom corner leg 404, a second bottom corner leg 406, a
third bottom corner leg 408, and a fourth bottom corner leg 410.
Container 500 in FIG. 7 may be similar or identical to container
400. In FIG. 6, when the gate of the container 400 is opened, the
material from the container 400 will flow into the material
director 300 and out of the material unloading port 350. In FIG. 7,
when the gate of the container 400 is opened, the material from the
container 400 will flow into the material director 300 and out of
the material unloading port 350, and additionally when the gate of
the container 500 is opened, the material from the container 500
will flow into the container 400, and then into the material
director 300 and out of the material unloading port 350.
[0045] It should be understood that modifications and variations
may be affected without departing from the scope of the novel
concepts of the present disclosure, and it should be understood
that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *