Proppant discharge system and a container for use in such a proppant discharge system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569953-B2
Application number	US-201715634096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 23, 2012
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

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.

First claim

That claimed is:

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 an outer rectangular wall and 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 including at least one ramp support for each of the plurality of ramps, wherein each ramp support comprises a triangular member having a first leg extending vertically between the outer rectangular wall and the bottom, a second leg extending along the bottom from the first leg toward the single outlet and an third leg extending along the ramp between the first and second leg; 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, wherein the gate is configured to connect to an actuator for moving the gate between the first position and the second position when the box frame is positioned on a support structure.

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

3. The container of claim 2 , wherein the box frame comprises a structural cage-like configuration which includes a plurality of support members.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the box includes structural support to be stackable when proppant is positioned therein to minimize a 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 4 , 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.

6. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a pin extending from the gate to connect to the actuator for moving the gate between the first and second positions.

7. 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 defining an outer rectangular wall, 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;
at least one ramp support for each of one or more ramps, wherein each ramp support comprises a triangular member having a first leg extending vertically between the outer rectangular wall and the bottom, a second leg extending along the bottom from the first leg toward the single outlet and an third leg extending along the ramp between the first and second leg; 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, wherein the gate is configured to connect to an actuator for the moving gate from the first position to the second position.

8. The container of claim 7 , further comprising a pin extending from the gate to connect to the actuator for moving the gate between the first and second positions.

Assignees

• Oren Tech Llc

Inventors

• Oren John
• Oren Joshua

Classifications

• B60P1/56

  the load-transporting element having bottom discharging openings · CPC title

• B65D2590/664

  actuating mechanism other than manual, e.g. pneumatic, electropneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic · CPC title

• B65D88/129

  Transporter frames for containers · CPC title

• B65G65/40 Primary

  Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top · CPC title

• B65D88/02

  rigid (B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence) · CPC title