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US 2020/0002084 A1Published application
Self-Cleaning Tank
AssigneeSpokane Industries
InventorsNathan Hayes Owen, Nathan Scott Batson, Thomas Raymond Rodgers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tank, such as a fermentation tank, includes a scraper blade assembly slideably coupled to a bottom surface of the tank. The scraper blade assembly includes a blade arranged to displace solids deposited on the bottom surface of the tank out through an aperture arranged flush with the bottom surface of the tank.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- actuating a gate to open an aperture arranged in a wall of a tank to clean the tank, the aperture having a portion arranged proximate to a lowest portion of a slope of a solid bottom surface of the tank;
- and
- actuating a scraper blade assembly while the aperture arranged in the tank is open, the scraper blade assembly including a blade rotatably coupled to the tank, the blade disposed at substantially a same slope as the slope of the solid bottom surface of the tank and including a scraping member arranged to interfere with a bottom surface of the tank, the actuating causing:
- rotating the scraping member along the portion of the aperture arranged proximate to the lowest portion of the slope of the solid bottom surface of the tank, and
- displacing, via the scraping member, solids deposited on the solid bottom surface of the tank through the portion of the aperture arranged proximate to the lowest portion of the slope of the solid bottom surface of the tank.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- supplying power to a hydraulic motor with a hydraulic power unit, the hydraulic motor being attached beneath a tank and the hydraulic power unit separate from the tank, the tank including:
- a top surface;
- a solid bottom surface opposite the top surface;
- a wall fixed between the solid bottom surface and the top surface;
- and
- an aperture arranged in the wall of the tank;
- the hydraulic motor being operatively coupled to a scraper blade assembly including a blade rotatably coupled to the solid bottom surface of the tank, wherein when the hydraulic motor is powered by the hydraulic power unit the blade is rotatably displaced along the solid bottom surface of the tank.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- supplying power to a first hydraulic motor with a hydraulic power unit, the first hydraulic motor being attached beneath a first tank and the hydraulic power unit separate from the first tank, the first tank including:
- a first top surface;
- a first solid bottom surface opposite the first top surface;
- a first wall fixed between the first solid bottom surface and the first top surface;
- and
- a first aperture arranged in the first wall of the first tank;
- the first hydraulic motor being operatively coupled to a first scraper blade assembly including a first blade rotatably coupled to the first solid bottom surface of the first tank, wherein when the first hydraulic motor is powered by the hydraulic power unit the first blade is rotatably displaced along the first solid bottom surface of the first tank;
- disconnecting the hydraulic power unit from the first hydraulic motor attached beneath the first tank;
- connecting the hydraulic power unit to a second hydraulic motor, the second hydraulic motor being attached beneath a second tank and the hydraulic power unit separate from the second tank, the second tank including:
- a second top surface;
- a second solid bottom surface opposite the second top surface;
- a second wall fixed between the second solid bottom surface and the second top surface;
- and
- a second aperture arranged in the second wall of the second tank;
- supplying power to the second hydraulic motor with the hydraulic power unit;
- and
- the second hydraulic motor being operatively coupled to a second scraper blade assembly including a second blade rotatably coupled to the second solid bottom surface of the second tank, wherein when the second hydraulic motor is powered by the hydraulic power unit the second blade is rotatably displaced along the second solid bottom surface of the second tank.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.