Receiver actuation system for opening a gate on a portable bulk material container
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsBryan Chapman Lucas, Wesley John Warren, Chad Adam Fisher
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims20
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.
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 second position, and to a neutral position located between the first and second positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.