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US 2022/0106104 A1Published application
Bulk material receiving, conveying, storing, and dispensing
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsKirk Holmes, Steven Will
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bulk material handling system includes a majors material handling system including bulk material storage modules and bulk material dispensing modules. The dispensing modules include bulk material dosing assemblies and docking assemblies. A bulk material handling method includes conveying bulk material from a mobile bulk material container into a stationary bulk material container at a glass manufacturing facility via dense phase pneumatic conveying.
Claims39
A bulk material storage module, comprising:
- a container module frame;
- a bulk material container supported within the frame, the bulk material container having
- an upper portion and a lower portion;
- an inlet located along the upper portion for receiving bulk material into the material container,
- an outlet located along the lower portion for discharging bulk material from the material container, and
- a vent to permit air exchange between an inside of the container and outside the container during receiving and/or discharging of bulk material from the material container;
- and
- at least one utilities receiver configured to couple the module with at least one of:
- a control system, an electric utility, a pneumatic utility, or another bulk material storage module,
- wherein the module is configured to be attached side-by-side with up to four other bulk material storage modules and corner-to-corner with up to four other bulk material storage modules, all of the modules having identical frames and bulk material containers.
7 more elements
A bulk material dispensing module, comprising:
- a dispensing module frame having a longitudinal axis, the frame further comprising a plurality of transverse frame members spaced along the longitudinal axis, wherein a dispensing cell is defined between each pair of transverse frame members;
- at least one bulk material dispenser supported within the frame, each bulk material dispenser being supported in a different dispensing cell and comprising
- an inlet accessible through a first side of the frame and configured to be coupled with and receive material from a bulk material container,
- an outlet accessible through an opposite side of the frame and configured to be coupled with and discharge material to a transport bin, and
- a conveyor configured to move bulk material from the inlet to the outlet when the inlet is coupled with the bulk material container;
- and
- a controller carried by the frame for each bulk material dispenser,
- wherein the module is configured to be attached side-by-side with one or more other bulk material dispensing modules, each of the modules having identical frames, dispenser inlets, and dispenser outlets, and
- wherein the storage module has external dimensions less than or equal to an intermodal freight container.
6 more elements
A bulk material handling method, comprising:
- conveying bulk material directly from a mobile bulk material container into a stationary bulk material container at a glass manufacturing facility via dense phase pneumatic conveying.
A bulk material dispenser, comprising:
- a dispenser inlet configured for coupling with and receiving bulk material from an outlet of a bulk material container;
- a dispenser outlet configured for coupling with and discharging the bulk material into a transport bin;
- a conveyor that moves bulk material received at the inlet side toward the outlet;
- and
- a filter assembly configured to filter solids from air displaced from the transport bin during dispenser operation.
2 more elements
A docking assembly for use in a bulk material dispensing system, comprising:
- an inlet configured for coupling with and receiving bulk material from a bulk material dosing assembly;
- and
- an outlet configured for coupling with and discharging the bulk material into a transport bin, wherein the outlet is moveable toward and away from the inlet and, thereby, respectively away from and toward the transport bin.
A bulk material handling method, comprising:
- coupling an outlet of a bulk material dispenser with a transport bin to form a closure at an inlet of the transport bin and place an inside of the transport bin in communication with the dispenser;
- receiving bulk material in the dispenser from a bulk material container;
- forming a reduced pressure region in an internal volume of the dispenser;
- and
- dispensing the bulk material from the dispenser and into the transport bin through the reduced pressure region.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.