Automated bulk bag unloading system with an automated blade cutting system

An automated bulk bag unloading system for autonomously unloading bulk materials from a bulk bag into a hopper, the automated bulk bag unloading system comprising:

• an automated cutting system positioned over the hopper in the bag cutting area, the automated cutting system including at least one automated cutting device configured to cut open a bottom of the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials while in position over the hopper, wherein the automated cutting system including:
• a linear rotating blade configured to cut the bottom of the bulk bag approximate a front edge of the bulk bag from approximate a first side edge of the bulk bag to approximate a second side edge of the bulk bag, the linear rotating blade is mounted on a linear shaft with a drive unit configured to move the linear rotating blade from one side of the bulk bag to the other side of the bulk bag;
• two stationary rotating blades configured to cut the bottom of the bulk bag while the bottom of the bulk bag is moved over the two stationary rotating blades, the two stationary rotating blades are parallel, the two stationary rotating blades including:
• a first stationary rotating blade configured to cut the bottom of the bulk bag approximate to the first side edge;
• a second stationary rotating blade configured to cut the bottom of the bulk bag approximate to the second side edge;
• the first stationary rotating blade is parallel with the second stationary rotating blade;
• wherein, the automated cutting system is configured to automatically cut three sides of the bottom of the bulk bag thereby creating an openable flap portion of the bottom of the bulk bag;
• a bag moving assembly configured to move the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials from a loading location to the bag cutting area above the hopper, the bag moving assembly including:
• a bag lifting device at a lifting location, the bag lifting device is configured to elevate the bulk bag to a height of the bag cutting area over the hopper, wherein the bag lifting device including a bag lifting conveyor configured to move the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials onto and off the bag lifting device;
• at least one infeed conveyor configured to introduce the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials from the loading location onto the bag lifting conveyor on the bag lifting device at the lifting location;
• an automatic hopper transfer conveyor positioned in the bag cutting area over the hopper, the automatic hopper transfer conveyor is configured to transfer the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials from the bag lifting device through the bag cutting area over the hopper for cutting open the bottom of the bulk bag with the automated cutting system, the automatic hopper transfer conveyor including a gap configured to allow the linear rotating blade to traverse through the automatic hopper transfer conveyor for cutting the bottom of the bulk bag while positioned on the automatic hopper transfer conveyor, and the automatic hopper transfer conveyor may be sized and positioned between the two stationary rotating blades configured to cut the bottom of the bulk bag while the bottom of the bulk bag is moved over the two parallel stationary rotating blades via the automatic hopper transfer conveyor and the bag stabilizer device;
• a bag stabilizer device configured to secure and move the bulk bag through the bag cutting area over the hopper while the bottom of the bulk bag is being cut open by the automated cutting system and when the bulk materials are discharging out of the bottom of the bulk bag and into the hopper;
• wherein the bag stabilizer device including:
• a top member having a width sized wider than the bulk bag;
• a first side bracket extending down from the top member on a first end, the first side bracket including at least one first side puncturing rod, each of the at least one first side puncturing rod is configured to move into and out of the bag stabilizer device, wherein, when each of the at least one first side puncturing rod is moved into the bag stabilizer device, each of the at least one first side puncturing rod is configured to puncture a first side of the bulk bag for securing and holding the first side of the bulk bag while moving through the bag cutting area over the hopper, the first side bracket of the bag stabilizer device including four first side puncturing rods in a horizontal diamond shape configuration configured to stabilize the first side of the bulk bag, and each of the four first side puncturing rods including a pointed tip;
• a second side bracket extending down from the top member on a second end, the second side bracket including at least one second side puncturing rod, each of the at least one second side puncturing rod is configured to move into and back out of the bulk bag stabilizer device, wherein, when each of the at least one second side puncturing rod is moved into the bag stabilizer device, each of the at least one second side puncturing rod is configured to puncture a second side of the bulk bag for securing and holding the second side of the bulk bag while moving through the bag cutting area over the hopper, the second side bracket of the bag stabilizer device including four second side puncturing rods in the horizontal diamond shape configuration configured to stabilize the second side of the bulk bag, and each of the four second side puncturing rods including the pointed tip;
• a frame configured to support the bag stabilizer device while securing and moving the bulk bag over the hopper, the frame including two linear rails configured for supporting the bag stabilizer device with the bulk bag filled with the bulk material over the hopper while moving linearly through the cutting area while the bottom of the bulk bag is being cut open by the automated cutting system and when the bulk materials are discharging out of the bottom of the bulk bag and into the hopper;
• the automatic hopper transfer conveyor and the bag stabilizer device are synchronized together for moving the bulk bag through the bag cutting area over the hopper at the same pace and movement, and for moving the cut open bulk bag off of the automatic hopper transfer conveyor for discharging the bulk materials from the bulk bag into the hopper;
• wherein, when the bag moving assembly moves the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials from the loading location to the bag cutting area over the hopper, and the automated cutting system cuts open the bottom of the bulk bag while in position over the hopper, the bulk materials from the bulk bag discharging out of the bottom of the bulk bag and drop into the hopper;
• a bag waste container that is a waste bin, baler or compactor, wherein, when the automated cutting system cuts open the bottom of the bulk bag while in position over the hopper and the bulk materials from the bulk bag automatically empty into the hopper through the bottom of the bulk bag that is cut open, the bag stabilizer device is configured to move an emptied bulk bag from over the hopper, wherein, when the bag stabilizer device moves the emptied bulk bag from over the hopper, the bag stabilizer device is configured to move the emptied bulk bag over the bag waste container and drop the emptied bulk bag into the bag waste container for disposing, baling or compacting the emptied bulk bag;
• a control system, the control system is configured to control the bag moving assembly and the automated cutting system including the at least one automated cutting device of the automated cutting system to ensure the bottom of the bulk bag is opened allowing for discharge of the bulk material from the bottom of the bulk bag;
• and
• wherein, the automated bulk bag unloading system is configured to eliminate all operator interface in emptying the bulk bag and allow for discharging of more than 10 of the bulk bags per hour.

A method of automatically discharging a bulk bag filled with bulk materials comprising:

• providing an automated bulk bag unloading system for autonomously unloading the bulk materials from the bulk bag into a hopper, the automated bulk bag unloading system comprising:
• a bag moving assembly configured to move the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials from a loading location to a bag cutting area above the hopper;
• and
• an automated cutting system positioned over the hopper in the bag cutting area, the automated cutting system including at least one automated cutting device configured to cut open a bottom of the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials while in position over the hopper;
• moving the bulk bag filled with the bulk materials from the loading location to the bag cutting area over the hopper via the bag moving assembly;
• cutting open the bottom of the bulk bag while in position over the hopper via the automated cutting system;
• discharging the bulk materials out of the cut open bottom of the bulk bag;
• and
• dropping the bulk materials from the cut open bottom of the bulk bag into the hopper.