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US 3,971,493 AGranted
Combination transportable container and dispensing receiver
OwnerDavid Michael Williamsinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerDavid Michael Williamsinventor
Estimating the term…
A transportable container for handling powdered, granulated or other particulated solid materials, having a tapering lower wall portion of hopper form and a discharge opening at its base, the opening being normally closed by a valve member which is movable upwardly into the interior of the container to define an annular opening between its periphery and the internal surface of the container wall, retaining springs being provided within the container and arranged to hold the valve member in its closed position until lifted by, for example, a probe fixed relative to a material receiving member onto which the transportable container may be lowered. This invention THIS INVENTION concerns the handling of powdered, granulated or other particulate solid materials. Such materials will hereinafter be termed materials of the kind referred to. Materials of the kind referred to are widely used by the process industries and are normally dispensed for use from bins or hoppers. The materials may be delivered to the position where they are to be used in many different ways, but will normally be stored in bulk before being passed to such bins or hoppers. The use of transportable containers which are adapted to be returned to a source of supply for re-filling when emptied has been proposed with a view to reducing the extent to which the materials need to be handled. An object of the present invention is to provide a transportable container suitably arranged and adapted to deliver materials of the kind referred to to the position where they are to be used, and from which said materials may be dispensed. According to the present invention there is provided a transportable container for materials of the kind referred to having a tapering wall portion of hopper form, and a discharge opening at its base, said opening being normally closed by a valve member which is movable upwardly into the interior of the container to define an annular opening between its periphery and the internal surface of the container wall, resilient retaining means being provided within said container and arranged normally to hold said valve member in its closed position.
In combination, a transportable container for particulate materials, comprising a tapering wall portion of hopper form, means defining a discharge opening at its base, a movable valve member adjacent said discharge opening, resilient means urging said valve member downwardly such that the periphery of said valve member is normally held in sealing contact with the inner surface of said tapering wall portion to close said discharge opening, said resilient means comprising a plurality of tension spring means arranged in spaced relationship with each spring means having one end connected to said valve member and the other end anchored on said container, said resilient means and said valve member being wholly disposed within said container above said discharge opening, and said valve member being movable upwardly against the action of said resilient means to define an annular opening between its periphery and the internal surface of said container wall for discharging material from the container;
In combination, a transportable container for particulate materials, comprising a tapering wall portion of hopper form, means defining a discharge opening at its base, a movable valve member adjacent said discharge opening, resilient means urging said valve member downwardly such that the periphery of said valve member is normally held in sealing contact with the inner surface of said tapering wall portion to close said discharge opening, said resilient means comprising a plurality of tension spring means arranged in spaced relationship with each tension spring means having one end connected to said valve member and the other end anchored on said container, said resilient means and said valve member being wholly disposed within said container above said discharge opening, and said valve member being movable upwardly against the action of said resilient means to define an annular opening between its periphery and the internal surface of said container wall for discharging material from the container;
A transportable container for particulate materials, comprising a tapering wall portion of hopper form, means defining a discharge opening at its base, a movable valve member adjacent said discharge opening, and resilient means urging said valve member downwardly such that the periphery of said valve member is normally held in sealing contact with the inner surface of said tapering wall portion to close said discharge opening, said resilient means comprising a plurality of tension spring means arranged in spaced relationship with each spring means having one end connected to said valve member and the other end anchored on said container, said resilient means and said valve member being wholly disposed within said container above said discharge opening, and said valve member being movable upwardly against the action of said resilient means to define an annular opening between its periphery and the internal surface of said container wall for discharging material from the container, said container being provided with an internal annular collar spaced inwardly of said discharge opening, and said spring means being distributed around and within said collar and having their other ends anchored upon said collar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.