Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BOTTOM DISCHARGE CONTAINER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
THIS invention relates to a bottom discharge container, and more
particularly, but not exclusively, to a bottom discharge container suitable
for
being handled by a container handling arrangement as set out in the
applicant's co-pending patent application PCT/162010/052755 entitled
"Container Handling Arrangement", the content of which is incorporated
herein by reference.
Various different containers for transporting bulk material by road or rail
exist; Generally, these containers are designed to receive bulk material
through an upper.opening. during loading.,_ and to discharge the material
through the upper opening by tilting the container, or through a discharge
hatch in a front or rear wall of the container.
An alternative container arrangement has been disclosed in the applicant's
prior South African patent ZA200118903 entitled "Container for transporting
bulk material", the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The particular container includes a displaceable floor that is pivotable
between a raised, closed position in which it extends across the bottom of
the container to form a base of the container, and a lowered, open position
in which the floor is pivoted away from the bottom of the container for
discharging bulk material from the container. The container is adapted to
be used with a container handling arrangement in the form of a customized
spreader. However, a drawback of the container configuration is that
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actuation means of the container handling arrangement or spreader (for
example a chain) has to be manually attached to the door(s) of the
container, which is not an optimal solution.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a bottom discharge
container that will, at least partially, address the above shortcoming.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a bottom discharge container
that will be a useful alternative to existing bottom discharge containers.
SUMMARY. OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a bottom discharge container,
suitable for being engaged by a container handling arrangement having a
displaceable door actuating mechanism, the bottom discharge container
including :
a pair of opposed end walls;
a pair of opposed side walls connected to the end walls so as to
form an enclosure; and
an at least partially displaceable floor which is displaceable between
a raised, closed position in which it extends across a bottom of the
enclosure so as to form a base of the container, and a lower, open
position in which at least part of the floor is displaced away from the
bottom of the enclosure so as to define a discharge opening in the
bottom of the container for discharging a load from the container;
characterized in that the container includes a floor displacement
arrangement adapted to be automatically engageable by the door
actuating mechanism of the container handling arrangement in
order to open and/or close the displaceable floor.
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In one embodiment there is provided for the floor displacement
arrangement to be in the form of a flange formation extending substantially
upwardly from an edge of the floor, the flange terminating in a engagement
means adapted to receive a part of the actuating mechanism.
The engagement means may be in the form of an elongate channel for
receiving a disc-like follower that forms part of the actuating mechanism of
the container handling arrangement.
Preferably, the elongate channel is of an arcuate configuration.
In another embodiment of the invention there is provided for the floor
displacement arrangement to include at least one cable, wherein a first end
of the cable is secured to the displaceable floor, and wherein a second end
zone of the cable is located towards an upper part of the container in order
to be displaceable by the actuating mechanism of the container handling
arrangement.
A second end of the cable may be secured to the container, and the.floor
displacement arrangement may include a moveable carriage having a
pulley for engaging the second end zone of the cable, in order for
displacement of the carriage to result in displacement of the cable. The
carriage may be adapted in use to receive a part of the actuating
mechanism of the container handling arrangement, in order for
displacement of the actuating mechanism to result in displacement of the
carriage, and thus the displaceable floor.
Alternatively, a second end of the cable may be secured to a piston which
is slideably secured to the container, with the piston being displaceable by
the actuating mechanism of the container handling arrangement.
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There is provided for the cable of the above embodiments to be located
inside a sidewall of the container.
Preferably, the displaceable floor comprises two opposing floor panels
which extend from the side walls to a central region of the container in the
closed position, and which are arranged to be pivotable away from one
another so that each floor panel depends from one of the container walls in
the open position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF. THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described by way of non-
limiting examples, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
.20 Figure.1 is.. a.. perspective. view.. of a....bottom.. discharge.
container in
accordance with the invention, with the floor of the container
in a closed position;
Figure 2 shows the bottom discharge container of Figure 1 with the
floor having been displaced to an open position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bottom discharge container in
accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, with
the floor of the container in a closed position;
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a carriage assembly forming part of a
floor displacement arrangement of the container; and
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Figure 5 is a cross-sectional end view of the container of Figure 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like features, non-
limiting examples of bottom discharge containers in accordance with the
invention are generally indicated by reference numeral 10. A first
embodiment of a bottom discharge container is shown in Figures 1 and 2,
and a second embodiment of a bottom discharge container is shown in
Figure 3 to 5. A third embodiment is also described without reference to
any of the figures.
In all embodiments, the bottom discharge container 10 comprises two
opposing end walls 12, and two opposing side walls 13 extending between
the end walls 12 so as to define an enclosure 14 therebetween. A bottom
wall of t he enclosure is defined by a displaceable floor 15, which maybe in
the form .of ...a.single ..disp.laceab.Ie wall, but is preferably .in. the....
form of two
opposing, pivotable floor sections that are displaceable between a closed
position in which the pivotable floor forms a bottom of the container, and an
open position, in which the pivotable floors depends from the sidewalls 13
so as to enable the discharge of a load inside the container. Locking
formations (not shown) are provided to secure the displaceable floor
sections 15 in a closed position.
When the displaceable floor sections 15 are in a closed position, and
secured in that position by way of the locking formations, the container can
be loaded with a charge, such as for example bulk material, through its
open upper end.
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The discharge of the container 10 is facilitated by using a container
handling arrangement as disclosed in the applications co-pending patent
application PCT/IB2010/052755 entitled "Container Handling Arrangement",
the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. The container
handling arrangement is an apparatus adapted to displace the container to
a required position, and then to facilitate the remote and controlled opening
of the displaceable floor 15 of the container. In particular, the container
handling arrangement includes an actuating mechanism that is used to
open the door of the container, which actuating mechanism may for
example be in the form of a sliding pin (for use with the container shown in
Figures 3 to 5) or a piston and cylinder assembly depending from the
container handling arrangement (for use with the container shown in
Figures 1 and 2).
In use, the container handling arrangement is secured to the container 10,
and the actuating mechanism is subsequently operatively linked to the
displaceable floors 15 of the container 10 in a manner which is described in
more-detail beiow -it-is an important feature of this invention that t[[ e
actuating. mechanism. of.. the.... container handling arrangement
automatically.
engages a floor displacement arrangement 20 of the container 10, in that
no manual intervention is required. More particularly, the floor
displacement arrangement 20 is adapted automatically to receive a part of
the actuating mechanism without the need for manual intervention. This is
achieved by utilizing suitable door displacement arrangements 20 as is
described in more detail below.
In the embodiment of the Figures 1 and 2, the door displacement
arrangement 20 includes a flange 21 which extends from an edge of each
displaceable floor 15, and which flange in turn includes a engagement
means 22 for receiving a disc-like connector 40 forming part of the
actuating mechanism of the container handling arrangement. The flange is
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substantially perpendicular relative to the floor 15, and overlies an outer
surface of a sidewall 13.
In this embodiment the engagement means 22 is in the form of an elongate
channel, and more particularly an arcuate elongate channel. An edge of
the disc-like connector in use nests inside the channel. The arcuate
configuration of the channel 22 is important in that it reduces the required
stroke of a piston and cylinder assembly of the actuating mechanism. The
channel 22 and the disc-like connector 40 effectively define a cam and
follower arrangement, and displacement of the actuating mechanism allows
the floor 15 to be opened under the influence of gravity. Inverse
displacement of the actuating mechanism in turn displaces the floor 15 to a
closed position. A floor displacement arrangement 20 is provided at each
end of each displaceable door section 15. Due to the design of the
container handling arrangement, the disc-like connectors 40 are biased
towards the sides of the container, which results in automatic engagement
of the channels 22 once the disc-like connectors 40 have been displaced to
a level below the edges of the channels.
.... .....
Referring now to the embodiment of Figures 3 to 5, a further embodiment of
the container 10 in accordance with the invention consists of a similar
structure to that described above, but utilizes an alternative door
displacement arrangement 20. In this embodiment the door displacement
arrangement comprises an internal cable 27 and pulley 26 configuration
which is linked to a carriage 25 located in an upper zone of the container
10. A first end 28 of the cable 27 is secured to the displaceable floor 15,
and a second end 29 of the cable 27 is fixed relative to the container 10.
The carriage 25 engages the cable 27 by way of a pulley 25.3 (which is
displaceable with the carriage), and displacement of the carriage 25 results
in corresponding displacement of the first end 29 of the cable 27, which
allows the floor 15 to be displaced to an open position under gravity. It
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follows that controlled displacement of the carriage will allow the floor 15
to
be displaced from a closed to an open position.
The carriage 25 comprises a body 25.1 which is slideably displaceable
relative to a wall of the container 10. As mentioned above, the carriage 25
also includes a pulley 25.3 for receiving the cable 27. The carriage 25
therefore defines a displaceable pulley that serves to selectively increase or
decrease the effective length of the cable in order to provide the opening
and closing functionality described above. A locking arrangement 25.4 is
provided, and prevents the carriage 25 from being displaced when not
engaged by the actuating mechanism of the container handling
arrangement. An important feature of the carriage 25 is that it furthermore
includes an engagement aperture 25.2 for receiving a part of the actuating
mechanism of the container handling arrangement, and more particularly a
sliding pin (not shown) forming part of the container handling arrangement.
The sliding pin is adapted to be transversely displaceable relative to a
frame of the container handling arrangement, and displacement of the
sliding pin consequently results in - ispacement=-of the carriage, and hence
open i.ng....or...closing of...the. floor ........Significantly., when the
container handling
arrangement is lowered onto the container 10, the sliding pin will engage
the engagement aperture 25.2 without the need for any manual
intervention.
A third embodiment of the container in accordance with the invention also
uses a cable arrangement, but utilizes an actuating mechanism which is
vertically displaceable (similar to that used for the container of the first
embodiment described above). In this embodiment, a first end of a cable is
attached to the displaceable floor, and the second end of the cable is
directly engagable by the actuating mechanism of the container handling
arrangement. Vertical displacement of the actuating mechanism therefore
results in the upward or downward displacement of the displaceable floor,
without the use of the carriage system described in the second embodiment
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above. One way in which this can be achieved is by securing the second
end of the cable to a piston that is slideably securable to the container.
Displacement of the piston therefore results in equal displacement of the
cable. The piston may be directly engaged by the actuating mechanism of
the container handling arrangement, and the upper end of the piston may
terminate in a standard twist lock configuration to facilitate this mode of
engagement.
It should be noted that reference is made to the singular form of `cable' in
the specification. However, it would be appreciated that the number of
cables will depend on the particular configuration of the displaceable floor,
and multiple cables will be utilize where necessary - for example where the
displaceable floor comprises two opposing doors. In addition, cables may
be provided at one or both ends of the container. Furthermore, the term
cable is used synonymously with chain, rope, or any other elongate load
transmitting device.
It Will be appreciated that the above are only three embodiments of the
.
...container.. in -accordance with.... the... invention, ..and...that
there....may .be....many
variations without departing from the spirit and/or the scope of the
invention. The salient requirement is that the container must include a door
displacement arrangement that is adapted to be engaged by an actuating
mechanism of a container handling arrangement without the need for any
manual intervention. The different arrangements used to achieve the same
are further novel and inventive aspects of the invention, but which all share
the above common denominator.
