Receiver actuation system for opening a gate on a portable bulk material container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10766693-B2
Application number	US-201815862235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

This disclosure provides a discharge actuation apparatus that is configured to not only fully open and close a sliding gate of a bulk material container, but also move the gate pin to a neutral position with respect to a keeper slot of the bulk container and a receiver slot of the discharge actuation apparatus to ensure proper alignment of the receiver slot and the keeper slot with the gate pin of the bulk container to reduce the likelihood of damage to the receiver or the bulk container during the container's replacement on to the receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A discharge actuation apparatus for opening a gate on a portable bulk material container, comprising:
a first base frame structure configured to receive a first portable bulk material container thereon;
a first driver mechanism coupled to the first base frame structure;
a first gate pin engaging element having a first gate pin receiver slot and coupled to the first driver mechanism, the first gate pin engaging element being movable along a width of the first base frame structure by the first driver mechanism, the first gate pin engagement slot being engageable with a gate pin of the first portable bulk material container when positioned on the first base frame structure, the first driver mechanism configured to move the first gate pin engaging element from at least a first position, to a second position, and to a neutral position located between the first and second positions; and
a first biasing member located between the first base frame structure and the first gate pin engaging element, the first biasing member configured to provide a biasing force there between during operation.

2. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first driver mechanism comprises
a first fluid actuated cylinder having an end coupled to a first side of the first base frame structure and a first driver arm extendable from the first fluid actuated cylinder and across a portion of the width from the first position to the second position and to the neutral position.

3. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first driver mechanism further comprises a first support member movably coupled to the first base frame structure to move along the width of the first base frame structure, and wherein the first gate pin engaging element comprises a first receiver plate coupled to the first support member and having the first gate pin receiver slot located thereon.

4. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first biasing member is located between the first base frame structure and the first support member and has a first end coupled to one of the first base frame structure or the first support member and a second, opposing end engageable against the other of the first base frame or first support member, respectively, to exert a biasing force to move the first receiver plate to the neutral position.

5. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second actuation apparatus, and wherein the second actuation apparatus comprises:
a second base frame structure configured to receive a second portable bulk material container thereon;
a second driver mechanism coupled to the second base frame structure; and
a second gate pin engaging element having a second gate pin receiver slot and coupled to the second driver mechanism, the second gate pin engaging element being movable along a width of the second base frame structure by the second driver mechanism, the second pin receiver slot being engageable with a gate pin of the second portable bulk material container when positioned on the second base frame structure, the second driver mechanism configured to move the second gate pin engaging element from at least a first position, to a second position, and to a neutral position located between the first and second positions.

6. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second driver mechanism comprises:
a second biasing member, and
a second fluid actuated cylinder having an end coupled to a first side of the second base frame structure and a second driver arm extendable from the second fluid actuated cylinder and across a portion of the width of the second base frame structure from the first position, to the second position, and to the neutral position.

7. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second driver mechanism comprises a second support member movably coupled to the second base frame, and wherein a second biasing member is located between the second base frame structure and the second support member and has a first end coupled to one of the second base frame structure or the second support structure and a second, opposing end engageable against the other of the second base frame structure or second support, respectively, to exert a biasing force to move the second gate pin engaging element to the neutral position.

8. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first driver mechanism is a first fluid actuated cylinder and further comprises a hydraulic control valve fluidly coupled to one or more tanks containing hydraulic fluid and fluidly coupled to the first and second fluid actuated cylinders, the hydraulic control valve controlling a flow of hydraulic fluid from the one or more tanks to the first and second fluid actuated cylinders.

9. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first driver mechanism is a fluid actuated cylinder and the first driver mechanism further comprises:
a hydraulic control valve fluidly coupled to one or more tanks containing hydraulic fluid and fluidly coupled to the fluid actuated cylinder; and
a limit switch coupled to a hydraulic control valve and configured to transmit a signal to the hydraulic control valve to cause the fluid actuated cylinder to move the first gate pin engaging element to the neutral position.

10. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first driver mechanism is a fluid actuated cylinder and the first driver mechanism further comprises:
a hydraulic control valve fluidly coupled to one or more tanks containing hydraulic fluid and fluidly coupled to the fluid cylinder; and
a feedback transducer coupled to the fluid actuated cylinder and configured to indicate a position of the first gate pin engaging element.

11. The discharge actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gate pin engaging element is a first gate pin pusher end, and the discharge actuation apparatus further comprises an opposing, second driver mechanism that comprises a second gate pin engaging element having a second gate pin pusher end, wherein the first and second gate pin pusher ends cooperatively move in opposing directions to move a gate pin of a portable bulk material container from the first position, to the second position, and to the neutral position.

12. A bulk material delivery system, comprising:
a portable bulk container comprising:
a material storage area;
a slideable gate located at the bottom of the material storage area;
a gate pin coupled to a sliding assembly that is operatively connected to the slideable gate to move the slideable gate to at least an open position or closed position;
a keeper moveably coupled to the sliding assembly from a first keeper position to a second keeper position and having a keeper slot formed therein that captures the gate pin within the keeper slot and limits movement of the gate pin when the keeper is in the second keeper position; and

a discharge actuation apparatus for moving the slideable gate on the portable bulk material container, comprising:
a base frame structure configured to receive the portable bulk material container thereon;
a driver mechanism coupled to the base frame structure; and
a gate pin engaging element having a gate pin receiver slot and coupled to the driver mechanism, the gate pin engaging element being movable along a width of the base frame structure by the driver mechanism, the gate pin receiver slot being engageable with the gate pin of a portable bulk material container when positioned on the base frame structure, the driver mechanism configured to move the gate pin engaging element from at least a first position, to a s

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Lucas Bryan Chapman
• Warren Wesley John
• Fisher Chad Adam

Classifications

• B65D90/587 Primary

  having a linear motion · CPC title

• B65B69/0075

  Emptying systems for flexible intermediate bulk containers [FIBC] · CPC title

• B65G65/40

  Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top · CPC title