Receptacles – Closures – Having means for securing or retaining closure in its closed...
Patent
1991-07-22
1992-09-15
Pollard, Steven M.
Receptacles
Closures
Having means for securing or retaining closure in its closed...
220 15, 220403, B65D 8800
Patent
active
051470616
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to gravity discharge containers of the type used to transport flowable non-liquid materials, such as pelletised plastic or like granular materials or flowable powder-like material.
A common container for the above purpose comprises a four sided rectangular wall structure mounted on a pallet to form a container. A plastic bag is placed in the container and the bag is filled with the material to be transported. Discharge of the material is through a gate forming the lower part of one side of the wall structure. The gate is of the lift-up type so as to expose the bag adjacent the container bottom (the pallet) when the gate is opened. Once the bag is exposed a discharge neck of the bag, which was located adjacent the gate when the bag was placed in the container, can be accessed and the material is then gravity discharged through the neck until the angle of repose of the material causes the flow to stop. Thereafter other devices not considered herein may used to completely empty the bag.
In an alternative arrangement where the bag has no discharge neck the exposed bag is punctured to allow the contents to discharge.
The usual arrangement is one in which the bag has a discharge neck and to avoid immediate and uncontrolled discharge through the neck when the gate is opened a floor sheet of special form is provided over the pallet. The floor sheet is rectangular and includes an upturned portion or flap on one edge which lies adjacent the lift-up gate and bears thereagainst when the gate is closed. When the gate is opened the flap resists the initial tendancy for the discharge neck to exit the container and immediately commence discharging of the bag contents. Discharge management by the flap is desirable and the present invention provides an alternative construction to that described above.
With the construction proposed herein the side of the wall structure which is fitted with the gate is also fitted with a hinged flap which operates in a manner similar to the flap previously forming part of the floor sheet. The main benefit of the present invention is that the setting-up of the container for filling is simpler than with the floor sheet/flap arrangement used hitherto.
Broadly the present invention can be said to provide a discharge side for a container to permit the gravity discharge of flowable non-liquid material from a plastic bag housed in the container where the container is comprised of a multi-sided circumscribing wall means and a base, said discharge side comprises a rectangular frame with a top rail, a bottom rail and two uprights which join the respective ends of the said rails and a covering for said frame comprised of an upper covering sheet mounted on said frame and terminating with a bottom edge spaced from the bottom rail and a lower covering sheet which extends between the bottom edge of the upper covering sheet and the bottom rail of said frame, hinge means connects the lower covering sheet to the frame so the lower covering sheet is outwardly downwardly movable between said uprights and relative to said frame, an upwardly outwardly opening gate is hingedly connected to said frame and locking means is provided to releasably lock said gate closed in overlying relationship with the lower covering sheet thereby to retain said lower covering sheet in an operative position as a substantially coplanar extension of said upper covering sheet.
A presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container incorporating a discharge side according to the invention with the discharge side shown in full lines and the other container sides shown in broken lines,
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the discharge side of FIG. 1 when in a closed condition,
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 when the discharge side is in the open condition,
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of a corner of the discharge side of FIG. 1 showing an alternative form of releasable lock
REFERENCES:
patent: 1227354 (1917-05-01), Wolterstorff
patent: 1949508 (1934-03-01), Woodall
patent: 2089251 (1937-08-01), DeFrees
patent: 2318151 (1943-05-01), Gary
patent: 4793519 (1988-12-01), Voorhies, Jr.
patent: 5050765 (1991-09-01), Roser et al.
Pollard Steven M.
Schindler Edwin D.
LandOfFree
Container discharge side door does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Container discharge side door, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Container discharge side door will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-731450