Bulk material containers

Abstract

A container for use in the bulk handling of flowable particulate materials is disclosed comprising a closed, generally rectangular parallelpiped on upper container body portion, having side walls, end walls and a roof, and a lower base portion; conduits permitting the introduction and withdrawal of particulate materials to and from the container body; the lower base portion supporting a vertical flexure panel at each corner thereof, the vertical flexure panels supporting opposed pairs of longitudinal and transverse flexure panels between the tops thereof; exterior outer skin members bonded as side and end walls and roof of the container body portion to the curved flexure panels; a plurality of horizontal, non-intersecting internal end wall stiffeners bonded to each of the end walls, each terminating at opposite ends in a junction with one of the pair of vertical flexure panels; a plurality of vertical, non-intersecting internal side wall stiffeners bonded to each of the side walls, each terminated at opposite ends in a junction with one of the longitudinal flexure panels and the lower base portion; and a plurality of transverse, internal, non-intersecting roof stiffeners bonded to the roof, and each terminated at opposite ends in a junction with one of the pair of longitudinal hinge panels; whereby the side walls, end walls and roof may deflect independently of each other to provide overall container flexural capability while avoiding areas of high stress concentration.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.