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US 11,382,261 B2Granted
System and method for stacking containers
AssigneeAmvac Chemical Corporation
InventorsRichard L. Rice, Keith Woodruff, Brian Kaltner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for stacking containers each container of a type having a front face having a truncated trapezoidal shape, a rear face having a truncated trapezoidal shape, a top base, a bottom base, a first vertical side adjacent to the top base, a second vertical side adjacent to the top base, a first sloped side between the first vertical side and the bottom base, a second sloped side between the second vertical side and the bottom base. A discharge valve projects from the bottom base where the first vertical side defines a platform for supporting an RFID tag. The containers are configured to be stackable in a manner to provide simultaneous reading of the multiple RFID tags on the platforms.
Claims6
A method for stacking a plurality of containers, comprising:
- a) providing a plurality of containers, each container, comprising:
- a front face having a truncated trapezoidal shape;
- a rear face having a truncated trapezoidal shape;
- a top base;
- a bottom base;
- a first vertical side adjacent to said top base;
- a second vertical side adjacent to said top base;
- a first sloped side between said first vertical side and said bottom base;
- a second sloped side between said second vertical side and said bottom base;
- wherein said front face, rear face, top base, bottom base, first vertical side, and second vertical side are configured to define an enclosure;
- a discharge valve projecting from said bottom base;
- and,
- wherein said first vertical side defines a platform for supporting an RFID tag;
- b) arranging a first layer of containers, comprising:
- a first container;
- a second container positioned adjacent to said first container so that their respective top bases abut;
- a third container positioned adjacent to said second container so that its second sloped side abuts a second sloped side of the second container;
- a fourth container positioned adjacent to said third container so that its first sloped side abuts a first sloped side of the third container;
- a fifth container positioned adjacent to said fourth container so that their respective top bases abut;
- a sixth container positioned adjacent to said fifth container so that its second sloped side abuts a second sloped side of the fifth container and a first sloped side of the sixth container abuts a second sloped side of said first container;
- wherein said first container, said second container, said third container, said fourth container, said fifth container and said sixth container are positioned about a central axis;
- c) stacking additional layers of containers along said central axis, said additional layers being configured the same as said first layer of containers, wherein said first vertical side defining a platform for supporting an RFID tag is external for providing simultaneous reading of multiple RFID tags on the platforms.
19 more elements
A system for stacking a plurality of containers, comprising:
- a) a plurality of containers, each container, comprising:
- a front face having a truncated trapezoidal shape;
- a rear face having a truncated trapezoidal shape;
- a top base;
- a bottom base;
- a first vertical side adjacent to said top base;
- a second vertical side adjacent to said top base;
- a first sloped side between said first vertical side and said bottom base;
- a second sloped side between said second vertical side and said bottom base;
- wherein said front face, rear face, top base, bottom base, first vertical side, and second vertical side are configured to define an enclosure;
- a discharge valve projecting from said bottom base;
- and,
- wherein said first vertical side defines a platform for supporting an RFID tag;
- b) wherein said plurality of containers defines a first layer of said plurality of containers,
- said first layer comprising:
- a first container;
- a second container positioned adjacent to said first container so that their respective top bases abut;
- a third container positioned adjacent to said second container so that its second sloped side abuts a second sloped side of the second container;
- a fourth container positioned adjacent to said third container so that its first sloped side abuts a first sloped side of the third container;
- a fifth container positioned adjacent to said fourth container so that their respective top bases abut;
- a sixth container positioned adjacent to said fifth container so that its second sloped side abuts a second sloped side of the fifth container and a first sloped side of the sixth container abuts a second sloped side of said first container;
- wherein said first container, said second container, said third container, said fourth container, said fifth container and said sixth container are positioned about a central axis;
- c) additional layers of containers being stacked along said central axis, said additional layers being configured the same as said first layers of containers, wherein said first vertical side defining a platform for supporting an RFID tag is external for providing simultaneous reading of multiple RFID tags on the platforms.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.