Apparatus for the transport and storage of proppant

• US 9,809,381 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SandBox Enterprises LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oren Technologies LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oren, John, Oren, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Snelting, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/738,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20150284194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/0091 Ladders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/30 specially adapted to facilitate transportation from one utilisation site to another collapsible hoppers B65D88/52
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/12 Supports
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/587 having a linear motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/42 having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/008 for bulk material

Abstract

An apparatus for the transport and storage of proppant has a container with a top wall, a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls. The pair of side walls extend between the pair of end walls. The container has a bottom discharge opening. The container includes a funnel extending from the pair of side walls and from the pair of and walls toward the bottom discharge opening. The funnel has sides extending in an angle of greater than 25° with respect to horizontal. The funnel includes a pair of side plates extending respectively from the pair of side walls toward the bottom discharge opening and a pair of end plates extending respectively from the pair of end walls toward the bottom discharge opening. Each of the side plates and the end plates is formed of a stainless steel material.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the transport and storage of proppant, the apparatus comprising:

a container structurally strengthened to receive and support proppant having;

a top wall;

a pair of end walls;

a pair of side walls, the pair of side walls extending between the pair of end walls to form a substantially rectangular upper container portion;

a bottom discharge opening;

an interior volume; and

a funnel extending from the pair of side walls and from the pair of end walls toward the bottom discharge opening to thereby form a lower container portion, the funnel having sides extending at an angle of greater than 25°

with respect to horizontal and being positioned proximate a bottom frame section; and

a frame affixed to an outer surface of the pair of side walls and affixed to an outer surface of the pair of end walls, and

one or more gussets extending from a portion of the frame underlying the funnel, supporting the funnel, and being positioned on a gusset mounting surface arranged proximate the discharge opening and connected to the bottom frame section,

the top wall, pair of end walls, pair of side walls, and frame positioned to allow the container to be substantially filled with proppant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the funnel comprises:

a pair of side plates extending respectively from the pair of side walls toward the bottom discharge opening; and

a pair of end plates extending respectively from the pair of end walls toward the bottom discharge opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the pair of side plates extends at an angle of greater than 30°

with respect to horizontal, and a gusset of the one or more gussets is in contact with an exterior surface of a side plate of the pair of side plates and with a bottom of the container.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the pair of side plates extends at an angle of approximately 38°

with respect to horizontal to optimize discharge of proppant while enhancing the capacity of the container to transport proppant, and each side plate of the pair of side plates extends from a bottom of the upper container portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the pair of end plates extends at an angle of less than 37°

with respect to horizontal, and a gusset of the one or more gussets is in contact with an exterior surface of an end plate of the pair of end plates.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the pair of end plates extends at an angle of approximately 31°

with respect to horizontal to optimize the discharge of proppant while enhancing capacity of the container to transport proppant, and each end plate of the pair of end plates extends from a bottom of the upper container portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top wall includes an opening having a length greater than one half of a length of the top wall, the opening having a width less than one half of a width of the top wall, and wherein the one or more gussets extend inwardly toward the discharge opening from an outer periphery of the container.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a hatch connected to the top wall via one or more hinges, the hatch having an area greater than an area of the opening, the hatch movable between an open position and a closed position.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom discharge opening includes a gate cooperative therewith, the gate being movable between a first position closing the bottom discharge opening and a second position at least partially opening the bottom discharge opening and the frame is positioned around the exterior surfaces of the side walls and the end walls that extends from the top wall to a bottom.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of end walls extends downwardly from the top wall toward an upper edge of the funnel, and each of the pair of side walls extends downwardly from the top wall toward another upper edge of the funnel, the upper container portion terminating at the upper edge of the funnel and rigidly coupling to the funnel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises:

a plurality of horizontal beams, the one or more gussets being positioned below the plurality of horizontal beams and visible through one or more openings in the frame; and

a plurality of vertical beams, the plurality of horizontal beams and the plurality of vertical beams being arranged in a cross hatched configuration across a face of each pair of side walls and a face of each pair of end walls.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of horizontal beams comprise:

a plurality of horizontal structural members positioned to underlie the funnel of the container and positioned to run parallel with respect to each other and to extend from one side of the frame to an opposite side of the frame between corners of the frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of receptacles positioned at each corner of the frame, the plurality of receptacles suitable to receive a pin therein to allow the container to be positioned on a support.