PROPPANT DISCHARGE SYSTEM AND A CONTAINER FOR USE IN SUCH A PROPPANT DISCHARGE SYSTEM

• US 20170291760A1
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,569,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/56 the load-transporting element having bottom discharging openings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2231/008 integral with the container wall
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2547/04 Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2588/12 specially adapted for transport
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/664 actuating mechanism other than manual, e.g. pneumatic, electropneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 7/00 Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of metal specially constructed to be opened by cutting, piercing, or tearing of wall portions B65D17/00; pallets B65D19/00; tanks for domestic water storage heaters F24H1/181
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/06 for dispensing powdered or granular material B65D83/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/02 rigid B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence; hoppers B65D88/26; special vessels for collecting or storing rain-water for use in the household E03B3/03; cesspools E03F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/022 in multiple arrangement, e.g. stackable, nestable, connected or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/12 specially adapted for transport associated with vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of B60 - B64
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/121 ISO containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/129 Transporter frames for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/26 Hoppers, i.e. containers having funnel-shaped discharge sections B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/28 Construction or shape of discharge section
• 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 88/32 in multiple arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/38 with surface water receiver, e.g. drain
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/54 characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying filling or emptying features for flexible large containers B65B69/0075; construction or shape of discharge section of hoppers B65D88/28; gates or closures B65D90/54; filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, or like containers B65G65/30
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/542 Ramps forming part of the container ramps per se B65G69/28; for ambulances A61G3/061; for vehicles in general B60P1/43
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/20 Frames or nets, e.g. for flexible containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/54 : Gates or closures for manholes B65D90/10; covers or similar closure members, for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00; valves per se F16K; doors for containers B65D90/008
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/58 : having closure members sliding in the plane of the opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/587 : having a linear motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/66 : Operating devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/042 : Granular material
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2814/0319 : through a closable or non-closable outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2814/032 : using a belt or chain conveyor in or beneath the opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/30 : Methods or devices for filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, tanks, or like containers, of interest apart from their use in particular chemical or physical processes or their application in particular machines, e.g. not covered by a single other subclass devices for tilting and emptying containers B65G65/23; such containers having means facilitating filling or emptying B65D88/54
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/40 : Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/42 : using belt or chain conveyors

Abstract

A proppant discharge system has a container with an outlet positioned in a bottom thereof and a gate affixed adjacent the outlet so as to be movable between a first position covering the outlet to a second position opening the outlet, and a support structure having an actuator thereon. The container is removably positioned on the top surface of the support structure. The actuator is engageable with gate so as to move the gate from the first position to the second position. A conveyor underlies the container so as to receive proppant as discharged from the container through the outlet. The container can be a ten foot ISO container.

Claims

1. A proppant container to transport, store, and discharge fracking proppant when positioned therein, the container comprising:

a box having,

a bottom having a generally planar shape to position the proppant container on a support structure, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, and a top wall that collectively in combination define a single chamber within the box to receive the fracking proppant when positioned within the proppant container,

an inlet formed in the top wall,

a single outlet formed in the bottom wall, and

a plurality of ramps connected to and extending downwardly from the side walls and the end walls toward the bottom and to the single outlet to channel fracking proppant when positioned within the box toward the outlet;

a box frame that provides structural support for the box when fracking proppant is positioned therein;

ramp supports each positioned between the ramps and the bottom; and

a gate slidably positioned adjacent the outlet, the gate being movable between a first position covering the outlet and retaining the fracking proppant within the single chamber when positioned in the box to a second position opening the outlet to enable the fracking proppant to flow out of the single chamber when positioned on a support structure and connected to an actuator, the actuator moving the gate between the first position and the second position.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the ramp supports extend radially inward toward the outlet.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the box includes structural support to be stackable when proppant is positioned therein to minimize the footprint of multiple boxes when multiple boxes are stored at a well site, and wherein outer peripheral portions of the frame form at least portions of a structural cage-like configuration and are positioned adjacent outer surfaces of the sidewalls and the end walls, the structural cage-like configuration having support members being positioned radially farther from the chamber than the outer surface of the sidewalls and the end walls.

5. The container of claim 2, wherein the structural cage-like configuration includes a plurality of support members.

6. The container of claim 3, wherein the container has an overall length of about 10 feet and wherein an open space in a lower portion of the container exposes outer surfaces of the ramps, and the ramp supports have a lower surface positioned on the bottom.

4. A proppant container to transport, store, and discharge fracking proppant when positioned therein, the container comprising:

a box having a generally planar bottom to place the box upon a top surface of a support structure, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls collectively having a structural cage-like configuration, and a top, the box also having a single chamber within the box to store the fracking proppant therein, an inlet formed in the top, and a single outlet formed in the bottom;

one or more ramps connected to and extending downwardly from the side walls and the end walls to the single outlet to channel proppant when positioned within the box toward the outlet, the one or more ramps comprising a first ramp, a second ramp, a third ramp, and a fourth ramp;

a frame that provides structural support for the box; and

a gate positioned adjacent the outlet, the gate being slidably movable between a first position covering the outlet to a second position opening the outlet, so that actuation of an actuator moves the gate from the first position to the second position.