Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
BULK STORAGE FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL
This invention is in the field of material handling and in particular a system
for storage
and distribution of bulk granular material.
BACKGROUND
In various industries such as agricultural commodity handling, oil and gas
fracturing
operations, and the like large quantities of bulk granular material must be
received in a
storage facility and then transferred from the facility into transport
vehicles.
For example USC LLP of Sabetha. Kansas manufactures and sells a transfer
system for
use in handling agricultural commodities. An elevator framework is erected
extending
the length of a string of bins to support upper and lower rails, and a
vertical bucket
elevator is mounted on the rails. A lower transfer conveyor receives product
from a
transport vehicle and delivers same to the bottom of the bucket elevator, and
an upper
transfer conveyor at the top of the bucket elevator receives the product and
carries same
laterally to a fill hatch at the top of each bin. The bucket elevator moves
along the rails to
transfer product into any of the selected bins.
Typically the bins are hoppered and elevated on legs and a belt conveyor
extends along
the string of bins under the aligned discharge openings of the bins. The
discharge
opening of any selected bin can thus be opened and the contents will be
carried to the end
of the conveyor to be deposited in another transfer conveyor and transferred
to a transport
vehicle. The USC system is mainly practical for use where a permanent bulk
handling
facility is required, as the elevator framework must be erected and secured on
a
foundation to support the bucket elevator.
1
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
In some situations, large quantities of bulk granular material are needed only
temporarily
at a work site, such as where concrete is mixed on site for a large concrete
pour. United
States Patent Number 6,293,689 to Guntert et al. for example discloses a
portable
concrete hatching and mixing plant comprising bins, conveyors and the like
mounted on
trucks for transport and temporary set up at a construction site.
Longer term temporary bulk storage facilities are often required as well, for
example in
newly discovered and developed oil fields fracturing of formations in newly
drilled wells
may take place for some months or years, requiring significant quantities of
bulk granular
material such as frac sand for this initial period only, and then it would be
desirable to be
able to conveniently and economically move the facility to another active
location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage and handling
system for bulk
granular material that overcomes problems in the prior art.
In a first embodiment the present invention provides a storage and handling
system for
bulk granular material. The system comprises a first bin and a second bin
adjacent to the
first bin, a substantially horizontal first rail attached to the first bin,
and a substantially
horizontal second rail attached to the second bin. The first and second bins
are oriented
such that the first rail and second rail are substantially aligned and a right
end of the first
rail is adjacent to a left end of the second rail. A conveyor system with a
system
discharge at an upper end thereof and a system intake at a lower end thereof
is movably
supported on the rails such that the conveyor system is movable from a first
filling
location where the system discharge is oriented to discharge granular material
into a fill
opening of the first bin, to a second filling location where the system
discharge is
oriented to discharge granular material into a fill opening of the second bin.
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
In a second embodiment the present invention provides an extendable conveyor
apparatus
comprising a lower conveyor having a discharge at a discharge end thereof and
an intake
at an intake end thereof, and an upper conveyor having a discharge at a
discharge end
thereof and an intake at an intake end thereof. The upper conveyor is movably
mounted
on a top side of the lower conveyor such that the upper conveyor is
substantially aligned
with and above the lower conveyor, and the upper conveyor is movable along the
top side
of the lower conveyor from an active position, where a middle portion of upper
conveyor
is above the intake of the lower conveyor and the discharge of the upper
conveyor is
oriented to discharge into a middle portion of the lower conveyor, to an idle
position
where the intake of the upper conveyor is between the intake and the discharge
of the
lower conveyor.
In a third embodiment the present invention provides a method for providing a
storage
and handling system for bulk granular material. The method comprises
transporting a
first bin in a substantially horizontal orientation to a foundation at a
desired location, and
moving the first bin to a substantially vertical orientation on the foundation
such that a
first rail mounted to the first bin is substantially horizontal; transporting
a second bin in a
substantially horizontal orientation to the foundation and moving the second
bin to a
substantially vertical orientation on the foundation adjacent to the first bin
such that a
second rail mounted to the second bin is substantially horizontal and aligned
with the first
rail, and a right end of the first rail is adjacent to a left end of the
second rail; providing a
conveyor system with a system discharge at an upper end thereof and a system
intake at a
lower end thereof and movably supporting the conveyor system on the second
rail;
moving the conveyor system along the second rail and onto the first rail to a
first filling
location and orienting the system discharge to discharge granular material
into a fill
opening of the first bin, and moving the conveyor system from the first
filling location
3
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
along the first rail and onto the second rail to a second filling location and
orienting the
system discharge to discharge granular material into a fill opening of the
second bin.
The bulk system of the present invention provides a string of bins and a
conveyor system
that can be used to load or unload any selected bin in the string. Any desired
quantity of
granular material can be stored simply by placing the corresponding number of
bins in
the string. The bins can be added or taken away as needed. The bulk system is
economical as no separate frame work is required to support the rails on which
the
conveyor system moves. The bins and conveyor system are also relatively easily
transported, erected, and dismantled such that same can be erected at one site
for a
desired time period, and then dismantled and transported to a different site.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
Fig. I is a perspective view of an embodiment of a storage and handling system
for
bulk granular material of the present invention with the conveyor system in a
bin
unloading position to unload a first bin;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. I with the conveyor
system in a
vehicle unloading position;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the conveyor
system in a
bin unloading position to unload a second bin;
4
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
4 is a side view of the embodiment of Fitz. 1 with the conveyor system in the
bin
unloading position shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an end view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the transfer conveyor
removed;
Fig- 6 is a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the conveyor system in
the bin
unloading position shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is a sectional top view along lines 7-7 in Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is an end view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the transfer conveyor
installed
and in the extended vehicle unloading position;
Fig. 9 is an end view of the embodiment of Fig,. 1 with the transfer conveyor
installed
and in the retracted vehicle unloading position;
Fig. 10 is an end view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the transfer conveyor
installed
and in the retracted bin unloading position;
Fig. 11 is a side view of a bin of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the bin of Fig. 11;
25 Fig. .13 is a side view showing the transport and erection of the bins
on the foundation;
Fig. 14 is a schematic top view of a set of engaged alignment devices as used
in the
embodiment of Fig. 1;
5
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
Fig. 15 is a schematic side view of a wheel assembly of the embodiment of Fig.
1;
Fig. 16 is a schematic side view of the transfer conveyor of the embodiment of
Fig. 1
with the upper conveyor in the idle position;
Fig. 17 is a schematic top view of the transfer conveyor of Fig. 16 with the
upper
conveyor in the idle position;
Fig. 18 is a schematic side view of the transfer conveyor of Fig. 16 with the
upper
conveyor in the active position;
Fig. 19 is a schematic top view of the transfer conveyor of Fig. 16 with the
upper
conveyor in the active position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
1 - 10 illustrate an embodiment of a storage and handling system 1 for bulk
granular
material of the present invention. The bulk system 1 comprises a string of
bins 3 aligned
on a foundation 5. Substantially horizontal upper and lower rails 7A, 7B are
attached to
the each bin 3, and the bins 3 are oriented on the foundation 5 such that the
upper and
lower rails 7A, 7B are substantially aligned and ends of the rails 7 on one
bin 3 arc
closely adjacent to corresponding ends of the rails 7 on the adjacent bin 3
such that the
rails 7 form an upper rail and a lower rail extending from one end of the
string of bins to
the other.
A conveyor system 9 is movably supported on the rails 7. The conveyor system 9
has a
system discharge 11 at an upper end thereof and a system intake 13 at a lower
end
6
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
thereof. The conveyor system 9 is movably supported on the rails 7 such that
the
conveyor system is movable to a filling location for each bin 3 where the
system
discharge 11 is oriented to discharge granular material into a fill opening 15
of the
selected bin 3.
While it is contemplated that other conveyor configurations could be used, the
illustrated
conveyor system 9 comprises a substantially vertical bucket elevator 9A
movably
supported on the rails 7, and a transfer conveyor 9B. The system intake 13 is
provided by
the intake at the outer intake end of the transfer conveyor 9B, and an inner
output end of
the transfer conveyor 9B is oriented to discharge into an input opening 17 of
the bucket
elevator 9A as seen in Fig. 7. The input opening 17 is offset to one side of
the bucket
elevator 9A so that the intake end of the transfer conveyor 9B can pivot with
respect to
the input opening 1.7 so same can be moved from a vehicle unloading position,
as seen in
Fig. 2 where the system intake 13 is located outward from the bins 3 and is
oriented to
receive granular material from a transport vehicle, to a bin unloading
position as seen in
Fig. 1, where the system intake 13 is located under a discharge opening 21 of
a selected
one of the bins 3.
In the illustrated conveyor system 9, the intake end of the transfer conveyor
9B can be
raised and lowered by an actuator 19 such that the transfer conveyor 9B can
raised above
the ground to facilitate pivoting. The transfer conveyor 9B is also extendable
as
described further below.
The system discharge 11 has a bin filling orientation where the system
discharge 11 is
oriented to discharge granular material into a selected fill opening 15, and a
vehicle
filling orientation where the system discharge 11 is oriented to discharge
granular
material into a transport vehicle 23 as shown in Fig. 10. The conveyor system
9
7
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
comprises a discharge control 25 operative to change the system discharge 11
to a
selected one of the bin filling and vehicle filling orientations.
In the illustrated bulk system 1, the bucket elevator 9A is located
sufficiently far above
the fill openings that gravity can be used to direct the granular material
from the
discharge to the fill openings 15. The system discharge 11 comprises a bin
spout 27
attached at an upper end thereof to the bucket elevator 9A and connectable at
an upper
end thereof to an upper output opening 29 of the bucket elevator 9A. The bin
spout 27
has a lower end oriented to direct granular material from the bucket elevator
9A into the
selected fill opening 15. The system discharge 11 further comprises a vehicle
spout 31
attached at an upper end thereof to the bucket elevator 9A and connectable at
an upper
end thereof to the upper output opening 29 of the bucket elevator 9A. The
vehicle spout
31 has a lower end oriented to direct granular material from the bucket
elevator 9A into
the transport vehicle 23. The discharge control 25 is operative to connect a
selected one
of the bin and vehicle spouts 27, 31 to the upper output opening 29 of the
bucket elevator
9A.
The conveyor system 9 is thus operable to transfer granular material from a
transport
vehicle 23 into any one of the bins 3, and also to transfer granular material
from any one
of the bins 3 back into a transport vehicle 23.
In the illustrated bulk system 1, the conveyor system 9 is movably supported
by upper
and lower wheel assemblies 33A, 33B attached to the bucket elevator 9A and
comprising
rollers or wheels 35 engaging corresponding upper and lower rails 7, as
schematically
illustrated in Fig. 15.
The wheel assemblies 33 comprise a drive mechanism 37 connected to rotate the
wheels
to move the wheel assemblies 33 along the corresponding rails 7. A wheel drive
control 39, typically a wireless remote control, is connected to operate the
drive
8
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
mechanism 37 to rotate the driven wheel 35 in either direction to move the
conveyor
system 9 back and forth along the rails 7 to a selected bin 3. The drive
mechanisms 37 on
the upper and lower wheel assemblies 33A, 33B are operative to rotate the
driven wheels
35 on each wheel assembly 33 to move the upper and lower wheel assemblies 33A,
33B
along the corresponding rails 7 at the same speed in the same direction.
To move the transfer conveyor 9B under the discharge opening 21 between the
legs
supporting the bins 3 on the foundation, the transfer conveyor 9B is retracted
to its
shortest length and the wheel drive control 39 is operated to move the bucket
elevator 9A
along the rails 7 while the transfer conveyor 9B is pivoted to maneuver the
system intake
13 between the legs to the required position under the discharge opening 21.
When the bins 3 are erected on the foundation 5 there will typically be a gap
41 between
the ends of the rails 7 as shown in Fig. 14. The illustrated wheel assembly 33
therefore
has three wheels 35 spaced apart along the corresponding rails 7 such that at
least two of
the wheels 35 are engaged on the corresponding rail 7 when the wheel assembly
33
moves over the gap 41.
The bins 3 are conveniently transported to the foundation 5 in a horizontal
orientation on
a trailer 43 as illustrated in Fig. 13 and Lilted up onto the foundation 5 to
the vertical
working orientation. To ensure alignment of the rails 7 on one bin 3 to those
on the next
bin, each bin has a right alignment device 45A on a bottom right portion
thereof and a
second corresponding left alignment device 45B on a bottom left portion
thereof. Thus
when the next bin in the string is erected, the first and second alignment
devices 45A,
45B engage to align corresponding first and second rails 7. An example of a
set of
engaged alignment devices 45A, 45B is schematically illustrated in Fig. 15.
Alignment
devices can also be provided on upper portions of the bins 3 to facilitate
alignment of the
upper rails 7.
9
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
The bucket elevator 9A can also be configured to be transported horizontally
on the
trailer 43 and moved to the vertical orientation supported on the rails 7.
In the illustrated conveyor system 9. the transfer conveyor 9B is extendable,
as
schematically illustrated in Figs. 1649. The transfer conveyor 9B comprises a
lower
conveyor 51 having a discharge 53 at a discharge end thereof and an intake 55
at an
intake end thereof, and an upper conveyor 57 having a discharge 59 at a
discharge end
thereof and an intake 61 at an intake end thereof. The upper conveyor 57 is
movably
mounted on a top side of the lower conveyor 51 such that the upper conveyor 57
is
substantially aligned with and above the lower conveyor Si.
The upper conveyor 57 is movable along the top side of the lower conveyor 51
from an
active position as illustrated in Figs. 18 and 19, where a middle portion of
upper
conveyor 57 is above the intake 55 of the lower conveyor 51 and the discharge
59 of the
upper conveyor 57 is oriented to discharge into a middle portion of the lower
conveyor
51, to an idle position schematically illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17 where the
intake 61 of
the upper conveyor is between the intake 55 and the discharge 53 of the lower
conveyor
51.
In the active position, the system intake 13 of the conveyor system 9 is thus
provided by
the intake 59 of the upper conveyor 57. Granular material directed into the
intake 61 of
the upper conveyor 57 moves to the discharge 59 thereof and drops onto the
middle
portion of the lower conveyor 51 and is carried up and out the discharge 53 of
the lower
conveyor Si into the input opening 17 of the bucket elevator.
In the idle position, the system intake 13 of the conveyor system 9 is
provided by the
intake 55 of the lower conveyor 51. Granular material directed into the intake
55 of the
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
lower conveyor 51 moves to the discharge 53 thereof and drops into the input
opening 17
of the bucket elevator. The upper conveyor 57 thus performs no function when
in the
idle position, and the inner output end of the transfer conveyor 9B that is
connected to the
input opening 17 of the bucket elevator is at all times the inner discharge
end of the lower
conveyor 51. The lower conveyor 51 is driven by a lower drive 63, the upper
conveyor
57 is driven by an upper drive 65, and the upper drive 65 is typically turned
off when the
upper conveyor 57 is in the idle position.
Since the discharge 53 of the lower conveyor 51 is under the upper conveyor
57, it is
contemplated that the upper conveyor 57 could be longer than the lower
conveyor in
situations where the upper conveyor 57 is free to move over the discharge 53
of the lower
conveyor Si. In the illustrated conveyor system 9 however, the area beyond the
discharge 53 of the lower conveyor is obstructed by the bucket elevator, and
so the upper
conveyor 57 is shorter than the lower conveyor 51 such that in the idle
position of Figs.
16 and 17, the entire length of the upper conveyor 57, including the discharge
59 and
intake 61 thereof, is between the intake 55 and the discharge 53 of the lower
conveyor 51.
The upper conveyor 51 is schematically shown movably mounted by wheels or
rollers 67
on the upper conveyor 57 engaging guide rails 69 on the lower conveyor 51.
although
those skilled in the art will recognize that other mechanisms could provide
the function as
well, and various actuators could be provided to mechanically move the upper
conveyor
57 along the lower conveyor 51 as desired. An elevating actuator 19 moves the
lower
conveyor 51, and the attached upper conveyor 57 up and down as required.
The upper and lower conveyors 51, 57 are schematically illustrated as belt
conveyors
with an open top with belts 71 running along the lengths thereof. It is
contemplated that
in some applications other conveyor types such as augers could be utilized as
well.
11
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
The extendable transfer conveyor 9B with upper and lower conveyors 51, 57 can
be
extended as illustrated in Fig. 8 to reach under the typical bottom discharge
opening of a
transport vehicle to receive granular material therefrom, and then the upper
conveyor 57
is retracted to the position of Fig. 9 out of the way of the wheels of the
vehicle to allow
the vehicle to move forward to locate the next discharge opening in the
desired location
with respect to the transfer conveyor 9B, at which time the upper conveyor 57
is again
extended to receive granular material. In the retracted position of Fig. 9,
the transfer
conveyor 9B can also receive granular material from an appropriate source into
the
system intake 13 provided by the intake 55 of the lower conveyor.
The present invention further provides a method for providing a storage and
handling
system 1 for bulk granular material. The method comprises transporting a first
bin 3 in a
substantially horizontal orientation on the trailer 43 to the foundation 5 at
a desired
location, and moving the first bin 3 to a substantially vertical orientation
on the
foundation 5 such that a first rail 7 mounted to the first bin 3 is
substantially horizontal;
transporting a second bin 3 in a substantially horizontal orientation to the
foundation 5
and moving the second bin 3 to a substantially vertical orientation on the
foundation 5
adjacent to the first bin 3 such that a second rail 7 mounted to the second
bin 3 is
substantially horizontal and aligned with the first rail 7, and a right end of
the first rail 7
is adjacent to a left end of the second rail 7. Each bin 3 has a right
alignment device 45A
on a bottom right portion thereof and a left alignment device 45B on a bottom
left portion
thereof. As the second bin 3 moves to the vertical orientation, The alignment
devices
45A, 45B engage thereby aligning the rails 7 of the first and second bins 3.
The method further comprises providing a conveyor system 9 with a system
discharge 11
at an upper end thereof and a system intake 13 at a lower end thereof; movably
supporting the conveyor system 9 on the rails 7 of one bin and moving the
conveyor
system 9 along that rail 7 and onto the next rail 7 to a selected filling
location and
CA 02795055 2012-11-07
orienting, the system discharge 11 to discharge granular material into a fill
opening 15 of
the selected bin 7, and moving the conveyor system from the first selected
filling location
along the rails 7 of that bin and onto the rails of the next bin or bins to a
second selected
filling location and orienting the system discharge to discharge granular
material into a
fill opening of a second selected bin 3. In the illustrated bulk system 1
upper and lower
rails 7A, 7B are mounted on the bins 3 and aligned with ends thereof adjacent
to each
other, and the conveyor system 9 is supported on the upper and lower rails 7
on each bin
3 as it moves from one location to another.
The bulk system 1 of the present invention provides a string of bins 3 and a
conveyor
system 9 that can he used to load or unload any selected bin 3 in the string.
The system is
economical as no separate frame work is required to support the rails 7 on
which the
conveyor system 9 moves, The bulk system 1 is also relatively easily
transported and
erected, such that same can be erected at one site for a desired time period,
and then
dismantled and transported to a different site.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation
shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or
modifications in
structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within
the scope of
the claimed invention.
13
