US 2002/0121532 A1Published application

Belt trap door closure

AssigneeTimpte Inc.

InventorsJames E. Kassian, Richard D. Jedlicka, Justin M. Bell

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A closure device for sealing an aperture of a storage container includes a trap frame, and a trap door connected to the trap frame for movement with respect to the trap frame. The trap door is movable between an open condition and a closed condition, and the trap door in the closed condition seals the aperture. The trap door includes a traversing frame having two side supports and multiple inner rollers extending between the side supports. A belt surrounds the traversing frame, and revolves around the traversing frame as the trap door moves between the open and closed condition. The belt is connected to the trap frame such that at least a portion of the belt remains stationary in relation to the trap frame while the traversing frame moves, and at least a portion of the belt moves in relation to the trap frame while the traversing frame moves.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A storage apparatus comprising:

a storage container for containing material, the container having a downwardly-facing discharge opening;
and
a closure device having an open mode in which the closure device allows the discharge of material through the discharge opening, and a closed mode in which the closure device substantially prevents the discharge of material through the discharge opening, the closure device including a flexible sheet-like member having a closure portion that extends across the discharge opening when the closure device is in the closed mode, and the closure device including a roller that has a longitudinal axis about which the roller is rotatable, and that is movable across the discharge opening in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis such that, as the closure device changes from the open mode to the closed mode, the roller rolls across the discharge opening in one direction, beneath the closure portion of the flexible member, causing the closure portion to be extended across the discharge opening, and such that, as the closure device changes from the closed mode to the open mode, the roller rolls across the discharge opening in the opposite direction, beneath the closure portion of the flexible member, allowing the closure portion to peel away from material in the container.

A storage apparatus comprising:

a storage container for containing material, the container having a discharge aperture near the bottom of the storage container;
a traversing frame movable with respect to the container between an open condition and a closed condition, and having at least two elongated side supports extending along opposite sides of the traversing frame, and an inner roller that extends between the side supports, and is free to rotate with respect to the side supports;
and
a flexible member at least partially surrounding the traversing frame and supported at least in part by the inner roller, the flexible member substantially sealing the aperture when the traversing frame is in the closed condition.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.