Bulk material shipping container

• US 9,617,065 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SandBox Enterprises LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arrows Up LLC (U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allegretti, C. John, Raso, Anthony M., Just, Lyndon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jacob K
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ, RAFAEL ALFREDO
• Application Number:
  US14/516,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20150069052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 206386, 206600, 206595, 206598, 206599, 220 15, 220601, 220 16, 108 551, 108 5511, 108 5712
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/06 with bodies formed by uniting or interconnecting two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00024 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00029 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00044 Combination, e.g. different elements made of different materials, laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00064 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00164 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00199 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00268 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00338 contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00432 Non-integral, e.g. inserts B65D2519/00462 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00502 whereby at least one side wall is made of two or more pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00562 chemical connection, e.g. glued, welded, sealed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00567 : mechanical connection, e.g. snap-fitted
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00572 : with separate auxiliary element, e.g. screws, nails, bayonets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00621 : sidewalls directly connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00666 : Structures not intended to be disassembled
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00716 : non-removable lid or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00721 : hinged lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00786 : for lifting, e.g. hooks, loops
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00805 : Means for facilitating the removal of the load
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0086 : Protection against environmental hazards, e.g. humidity, bacteria, fire
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0096 : when empty
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00975 : through the side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/061 : the containers being mounted on a pallet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/005 : of variable capacity, e.g. with movable or adjustable walls or wall parts, modular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/022 : in multiple arrangement, e.g. stackable, nestable, connected or joined together side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/10 : parallelepipedic B65D88/12 takes precedence
• 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 90/0033 : Lifting means forming part of the container B65D90/0006, B65D90/0026 take precedence; loading or unloading container on or from a truck B60P1/6418; lifting the container using a crane B66C1/663
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/046 : Flexible liners, e.g. loosely positioned in the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/10 : Manholes; Inspection openings; Covers therefor safety features B65D90/22; covers or similar closure members, for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/14 : Legs, e.g. detachable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/16 : Skids
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/58 : having closure members sliding in the plane of the opening

Abstract

A bulk material shipping container in one embodiment including a pallet, a bottom compartment mounted on the pallet, a top compartment mounted on the bottom compartment and movable from a retracted position relative to the bottom compartment to an expanded position relative to the bottom compartment, a plurality of top compartment supporting assemblies configured to support the top compartment in the expanded position relative to the bottom compartment, and configured to release the top compartment from the expanded position to enable the top compartment to move downwardly into the retracted position, a material unloading assembly, a material loading assembly, and an extension assembly.

Claims

1. A material shipping container comprising:

a pallet;

a compartment mounted on and supported by the pallet, the compartment including;

(a) a top wall having first, second, third, and fourth corners,

(b) a front exterior wall,

(c) a back exterior wall,

(d) a first exterior side wall,

(e) a second exterior side wall,

(f) a front exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the front exterior wall,

(g) a back exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the back exterior wall,

(h) a first side exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the first exterior side wall,

(i) a second side exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the second exterior side wall,

(j) a plurality of wedge shaped interior bottom wall supports including;

(i) a front wedge shaped bottom wall support, (ii) a back wedge shaped bottom wall support, (iii) a first side wedge shaped bottom wall support, and (iv) a second side wedge shaped bottom wall support;

(k) an interior bottom wall defined by a plurality of attached downwardly angled sections including;

(i) a front downwardly angled section including opposing spaced apart side edges, (ii) a back downwardly angled section including opposing spaced apart side edges, (iii) a first side downwardly angled section including opposing spaced apart side edges, and (iv) a second side downwardly angled section including opposing spaced apart side edges, each of the downwardly angled sections having a lower edge which at least partially forms a material release opening at a bottom of the compartment, the downwardly angled sections attached to and supported by;

(i) the front exterior wall,

(ii) the back exterior wall,

(iii) the first exterior side wall,

(iv) the second exterior side wall, and

(v) the plurality of wedge shaped interior bottom wall supports, wherein;

(i) the front wedge shaped bottom wall support supports the front downwardly angled section between the opposing spaced apart side edges of the front downwardly angled section, (ii) the back wedge shaped bottom wall support supports the back downwardly angled section between the opposing spaced apart side edges of the back downwardly angled section, (iii) the first side wedge shaped bottom wall support supports the first side downwardly angled section between the opposing spaced apart side edges of the first side downwardly angled section, and (iv) the second side wedge shaped bottom wall support supports the second side downwardly angled section between the opposing spaced apart side edges of the second side downwardly angled section,

(l) a first tubular nesting support positioned above the first corner,

(m) a second tubular nesting support positioned above the second corner,

(n) a third tubular nesting support positioned above the third corner, and

(p) a fourth tubular nesting support positioned above the fourth corner, the first, second, third, and fourth tubular nesting supports configured to at least partially support a pallet of another same material shipping container;

a material unloading assembly positioned at a bottom of the compartment, the material unloading assembly including;

(i) a plurality of spaced apart guide rails connected to and supported by the pallet; and

(ii) a slidable gate movable from a closed position to an open position, the slidable gate partially supported by the spaced apart guide rails; and

a material loading assembly attached to the top wall of the compartment, the material loading assembly including a cover attached to the top wall of the compartment and moveable from a closed position to an open position, wherein in the closed position, the cover engages a lip extending upwardly from the top wall of the compartment, and wherein in the open position the cover remains attached to the top wall of the compartment.

2. The material shipping container of claim 1, wherein each of the tubular nesting supports includes a generally rectangular tubular section.

3. The material shipping container of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the front exterior wall has a first corner section and a second corner section,

(b) the back exterior wall has a first corner section and a second corner section,

(c) the first side exterior wall has a first corner section and a second corner section, the first corner section of the first side exterior wall connected to the first corner section of the front exterior wall, the second corner section of the first side exterior wall connected to the first corner section of the back exterior wall, and

(d) the second side exterior wall has a first corner section and a second corner section, the first corner section of the second side exterior wall connected to the second corner section of the front exterior wall, the second corner section of the second side exterior wall connected to the second corner section of the back exterior wall.

4. The material shipping container of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the front exterior wall and the first side exterior wall form a W-shaped first corner section,

(b) the front exterior wall and the second side exterior wall form a W-shaped second corner section,

(c) the back exterior wall and the first side exterior wall form a W-shaped third corner section, and

(b) the back exterior wall and the second side exterior wall form a W-shaped fourth corner section.

5. The material shipping container of claim 1, wherein the cover of the material loading assembly is hingedly attached to the top wall of the compartment.

6. The material shipping container of claim 1, wherein the compartment is entirely supported by the pallet.