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Bin for storing and discharging free-flowing granular material

  • US 4,449,646 A
  • Filed: 09/30/1981
  • Issued: 05/22/1984
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1981
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A bin for storing and discharging free-flowing granular material, comprising;

  • (a) a cup-shaped bag of flexible, fluid-impervious material having two walls capable of holding a fluid under low pressure therebetween, the cup-shaped bag having a bottom and inner and outer side walls.(b) a discharge opening extending through the two walls of the cup-shaped bag in the bottom thereof,(c) a floor supporting the entire bottom of the cup-shaped bag and having a discharge opening corresponding to the discharge opening in the bottom of the cup-shaped bag,(d) means for supporting and holding up the top only of the side walls of the flexible cup-shaped bag,(e) means for fixedly anchoring the bottom of the outer side wall only of the cup-shaped bag to the floor,(f) means for creating slack in the inner side wall of flexible material of the cup-shaped bag wall near the top thereof and at a position which is always above the maximum height of the top of the free-flowing material after it has assumed its angle of repose, the means creating slack eliminating undue stress in the flexible material forming the inner side wall,(g) means for controlling flow of the granular material from the discharge opening,(h) means for supplying fluid material between the walls of the cup-shaped bag in the area of the created side wall slack so that when said fluid is supplied after the free-flowing granular material has been discharged down to its angle of repose, the flexible innermost wall of the cup-shaped bag will expand inwardly from the top moving downwardly to completely discharge the contents of the bin, and(i) a back-up wall outside the outer side wall of the cup-shaped bag.

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