Bottom discharge bin and dust tight unloading station therefor

Claim 3

In combination with a bin, for transporting and storing bulk flowable materials, of the type having an upright hollow body having side walls, a substantially rectangular floor and depending legs dIsposed substantially at the corners of said floor, said floor having a central opening of substantially rectangular shape, a bottom wall section of a substantially inverted V shape disposed above said opening, a pair of horizontally spaced discharge openings in said bottom wall section extending substantially the full length of said section in a horizontal direction, a pair of door members hinged at their upper end on said wall section above said discharge openings for movement between positions opening and closing said discharge openings, each door member in the closed position thereof being positioned so that the weight of bulk material of said bin urges said door member towards its open position, inclined internal walls in said bin on transversely opposite sides of said bottom wall section for directing material in said bin toward said discharge openings, the improvement comprising: a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in the bottom wall section, one shaft below each discharge opening, said shafts being accessible through openings formed in the side walls; and a cam fixedly attached to each shaft for engaging and locking said door members when the shafts are in a first position and for disengaging and releasing said door members when rotated to a second position, whereby the weight of the material in the body pushes the doors open and the material flows out of the hollow body.

Claim 4

In combination with a bin, for transporting and storing bulk flowable materials, of the type having an upright hollow body having side walls, a substantially rectangular floor and depending legs dIsposed substantially at the corners of said floor, said floor having a central opening of substantially rectangular shape, a bottom wall section of a substantially inverted V shape disposed above said opening, a pair of horizontally spaced discharge openings in said bottom wall section extending substantially the full length of said section in a horizontal direction, a pair of door members hinged at their upper end on said wall section above said discharge openings for movement between positions opening and closing said discharge openings, each door member in the closed position thereof being positioned so that the weight of bulk material of said bin urges said door member towards its open position, inclined internal walls in said bin on transversely opposite sides of said bottom wall section for directing material in said bin toward said discharge openings, the improvement comprising: a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in the bottom wall section, one shaft below each discharge opening, said shafts being accessible through openings formed in the side walls; and a cam fixedly attached to each shaft for engaging and locking said door members when the shafts are in a first position and for disengaging and releasing said door members when rotated to a second position, whereby the weight of the material in the body pushes the doors open and the material flows out of the hollow body.

Claim 5

A bottom discharge bin apparatus for transporting and storing bulk flowable material and for discharging said material into a discharge station, said bin apparatus comprising: a hollow upright body including, side walls, a substantially rectangular floor having a central opening of substantially rectangular shape, a top, depending legs disposed substantially at the corners of said floor, and a bottom wall section of substantially inverted V-shape disposed above said opening, said bottom wall section having a pair of rectangular discharge openings extending substantially the full length of the floor; a pair of door members hingedly attached to the bottom wall section adjacent the uppermost sides of said discharge openings for movement between positions for opening and closing said discharge openings, each door member being positioned when closed so that the weight of the material urges said door member towards its open position; inclined internal walls in said hollow body extending between the side walls and the lower edges of the discharge openings for directing material in said hollow body towards said discharge openings; a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in the bottom wall section, one shaft below each discharge opening, said shafts being accessible through openings formed in the side walls; and latch means fixedly attached to each shaft for engaging and locking said door means when the shaft is in a first position and for disengaging and releasing said door means when rotated to a second position, whereby the weight of the material in the body pushes the door open and the material flows out of the hollow body.

Claim 6

A bottom discharge bin apparatus for transporting and storing bulk flowable material and for discharging said material into a discharge station, said bin apparatus comprising: a hollow upright body including, side walls, a substantially rectangular floor having a central opening of substantially rectangular shape, a top, depending legs disposed substantially at the corners of said floor, and a bottom wall section of substantially inverted V-shape disposed above said opening, said bottom wall section having a pair of rectangular discharge openings extending substantially the full length of the floor; a pair of door members hingedly attached to the bottom wall section adjacent the uppermost sides of said discharge openings for movement between positions for opening and closing said discharge openings, each door member being positioned when closed so that the weight of the material urges said door member towards its open position; inclined internal walls in said hollow body extending between the side walls and the lower edges of the discharge openings for directing material in said hollow body towards said discharge openings; a pair of shafts rotatably mounted in the bottom wall section, one shaft below each discharge opening, said shafts being accessible through openings formed in the side walls; and latch means fixedly attached to each shaft for engaging and locking said door means when the shaft is in a first position and for disengaging and releasing said door means when rotated to a second position, whereby the weight of the material in the body pushes the door open and the material flows out of the hollow body.

Claim 7

A bottom discharge bin apparatus as described in claim 3, additionally comprising: a discharge station adapter for attachment to the discharge station for receiving the bottom of the hollow body, said discharge station adapter having a base with an opening positioned beneath the bottom wall section; upstanding wall members attached to the base for engaging and forming a seal between the discharge station and the bottom of the hollow body; a shaft rotatably mounted between two opposed upstanding wall members, said shaft being positioned parallel to the bottom wall section; a cam fixedly attached to said shaft and suitably shaped to engage the doors when the shaft is rotated; and means for rotating said shaft, whereby the cam engages the doors and drives the doors to the closed position.