Apparatus and method for transporting and unloading containers

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable container supported on the highway trailer, the lading being sealed within a flexible bag within the container and adapted for gravity discharge therefrom through a bottom discharge opening in a backing member adjacent a rear end door of the container, said highway trailer having:

• an elongate body including a pair of parallel longitudinally extending beams and rear wheels supporting the body for movement;
• a throttle valve assembly removably attached to the container adjacent said discharge opening in said backing member after opening of said end door and adapted to receive lading by gravity from said bag through said discharge opening;
• means on the container for accurately positioning the throttle valve assembly to the discharge opening of the container;
• pneumatic conveying means mounted horizontally on said trailer between the rear wheels and the rear end of the container and having a high velocity air stream moving therethrough for conveying the lading to a storage facility;
• a detachable and flexible lading conduit extending between said throttle valve assembly and said pneumatic conveying means;
• valve means positioned between said parallel beams over said pneumatic conveying means to feed said lading from said lading conduit into said high velocity air stream;
• and
• means on said trailer to tilt said container at an angle above the angle of repose of the laying within the container to provide a gravity flow of lading into the throttle valve assembly for a controlled flow to the pneumatic conveying means.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable container of around twenty (20) feet in length supported on the highway trailer, the lading being sealed within a flexible bag within the container and adapted for gravity discharge therefrom through a bottom discharge opening in a backing member adjacent a rear end door of the container, said highway trailer being a semi-trailer over around forty (40) feet in length and comprising:

• an elongated body including a pair of parallel longitudinally extending beams extending generally along substantially the entire length of the trailer and having rear tandem support wheels;
• a container support frame pivotally mounted about its rear end on said beams at a horizontal location between the rear end of said detachable container supported on the support frame and the rear wheels of said trailer;
• a hydraulic cylinder between said elongate body and the front end of the container support frame for raising said front end for pivotal movement about its pivotal rear mounting for tilting the loaded container to an angle above the angle of repose of the lading within the container for a gravity discharge of lading from said discharge opening adjacent the rear end door of said container;
• a pneumatic hopper positioned between said beams between the rear end of said container and said rear wheels at a position below and horizontally spaced from the rear end of the container;
• a rotary control valve mounted between said beams over the pneumatic hopper to control the flow of lading into the pneumatic hopper;
• a flexible detachable lading conduit between the rotary control valve and said discharge opening in said backing member to direct the flow of lading from the container to the rotary valve;
• a throttle control valve in said detachable conduit to control the flow of laying from the container to the rotary valve;
• and
• means on the container support frame for accurately positioning the throttle control valve to the discharge opening in said backing member.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable intermodal container removably supported on the highway trailer, the lading being sealed within a flexible bag within the container and adapted for gravity discharge therefrom through a bottom discharge opening in a backing member adjacent a rear end door of the container, said highway trailer having:

• an elongate body having rear wheels and longitudinally extending support members supported on said rear wheels;
• an elongate container support frame mounted over said support members and adapted to releasably support a removable container thereon;
• means mounting the rear end of said container support frame for pivotal movement relative to said elongate body;
• powder means connected between said body and the front end of said container support frame for raising said front end about said pivotal mounting means for tilting said container support frame relative to said body for gravity unloading of the container;
• a rotary valve mounted on said elongate body at a position spaced rearwardly of and below the rear end of the container;
• a throttle valve assembly adapted for mounting on the container support frame adjacent the bottom discharge opening in said container to control the gravity flow of lading from the container upon tilting of the container support frame beyond the angle of repose of the lading;
• means on the container support frame for accurately positioning the throttle valve assembly to the discharge opening;
• a flexible lading conduit detachably connected between the throttle valve assembly and the rotary valve and extending from the rotary valve at an angle with respect to the horizontal at least around thirty (30) degrees when said container support frame is tilted beyond the angle of repose of the lading to provide an adequate gravity flow of the lading to the rotary valve for a relatively fast gravity unloading of the lading from the container;
• and
• a pneumatic hopper beneath the rotary valve to receive the lading from the rotary valve for pneumatic unloading.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable intermodal container of around twenty (20) feet in length removably supported on the highway trailer, the lading being adapted for gravity discharge through a bottom discharge opening adjacent a rear end door of the container, said highway trailer having:

• an elongate body having a pair of horizontally spaced rear axles thereon with associated rear wheels and a pair of longitudinally extending support members supported on said rear wheels;
• an elongate container support frame mounted over said support members and adapted to releasably support a removable container thereon;
• means mounting the rear end of said container support frame for pivotal movement relative to said elongate body along a horizontal axis spaced horizontally rearward of the rear end of said container;
• power means connected between said body and the front end of said container support frame for raising said front end about said pivotal mounting means for tilting said container support frame and container thereon relative to said body for gravity unloading of the container;
• a rotary valve on said elongate body at a position spaced rearwardly of and below the pivotal mounting of said container support frame and the rear end of the container;
• means mounting the rotary valve between the longitudinally extending support members at a horizontal location between the rear wheels of the body and the pivotal mounting of the container support frame;
• a throttle valve adapted for mounting on the container support frame adjacent the bottom discharge opening in said container;
• means on the container support frame for positioning the throttle valve with the discharge opening;
• means to manually adjust the opening of said throttle valve to control the gravity flow of lading from the container upon tilting of the container support frame beyond the angle of repose of the lading;
• a flexible lading conduit detachably connected between the throttle valve and the rotary valve extending from the rotary valve at an angle with respect to the horizontal when said container support frame is tilted beyond the angle of repose of the lading sufficient to provide a desired gravity flow of the lading to the rotary valve for a relatively fast gravity unloading of the lading from the container;
• and
• a pneumatic hopper beneath the rotary valve to receive the lading from the rotary valve for pneumatic unloading.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable intermodal container of around twenty (20) feet in length removably supported on the highway trailer, the lading being adapted for gravity discharge through a bottom discharge opening adjacent a rear end door of the container;

• said highway trailer having:
• an elongate body having rear wheels and longitudinally extending support members supported on said rear wheels;
• an elongate container support frame mounted over said support members and adapted to releasably support a removable container thereon;
• means mounting the rear end of said container support frame for pivotal movement relative to said elongate body about a horizontal axis spaced horizontally rearwardly of the rear end of said container;
• power means connected between said body and the front end of said container support frame for raising said front end about said pivotal mounting means for tilting said container support frame and container thereon relative to said body for gravity unloading of the container;
• a rotary valve mounted on said elongate body at a position spaced rearwardly of and below the rear end of the container;
• a lading conduit detachably connected between the bottom discharge opening of the container and the rotary valve and extending from the rotary valve at an angle with respect to the horizontal sufficient to provide an adequate gravity flow of the lading to the rotary valve for a relatively fast gravity unloading of the lading from the container;
• a pneumatic hopper beneath the rotary valve to receive the lading from the rotary valve for pneumatic unloading;
• support means on said container support frame to support said flexible lading conduit;
• and
• means mounting said lading conduit for adjustment on said support means in both transverse and longitudinal directions relative to said container support frame for accurately positioning said lading conduit relative to the discharge opening in said container.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable intermodal container of around twenty (20) feet in length removably supported on the highway trailer, the lading being adapted for gravity discharge through a bottom discharge opening adjacent a rear end door of the container;

• said highway trailer having:
• an elongate body having rear wheels and longitudinally extending support members supported on said rear wheels;
• an elongate container support frame mounted over said support members and adapted to releasably support a removable container thereon;
• means mounting the rear end of said container support frame for pivotal movement relative to said elongate body about a horizontal axis spaced horizontally rearwardly of the rear end of said container;
• power means connected between said body and the front end of said container support frame for raising said front end about said pivotal mounting means for tilting said container support frame and container thereon relative to said body for gravity unloading of the container;
• a lading control valve mounted on said elongate body at a position rearwardly of and below the rear end of the container receiving lading by gravity from the container;
• a pneumatic hopper adjacent the control valve to receive lading from the control valve for pneumatic unloading with said control valve forming an air lock between the pneumatic hopper and the container;
• a flexible lading conduit having opposed ends detachably connected between the control valve and the bottom discharge opening of the container;
• and
• support means on the container support frame for supporting the other opposite end of the flexible conduit adjacent the bottom discharge opening of the container, said support means including means for accurately positioning said flexible lading conduit relative to the discharge opening in said container.

A highway trailer adapted to transport a loaded container from one location where the container is loaded with particulate lading to another location where the particulate lading is unloaded from the container and comprising:

• a chassis having wheels on its rear end portion and an elongate body including a pair of parallel longitudinally extending support members supported on said wheels;
• an elongate container support frame mounted over said support members and adapted to releasably support a removable container thereon;
• means mounting the rear end of said container support frame on said body for pivotal movement relative to said elongate body for gravity unloading of the container from a rear discharge opening therein upon tilting of the frame and container thereon to a predetermined angle;
• a rotary valve mounted on said body between said pair of support members rearwardly of and below the rear end of the container on the container support frame;
• a pneumatic hopper secured to the rotary valve for movement therewith and receiving lading from the rotary valve for pneumatic conveyance;
• and
• means mounting the rotary valve and pneumatic hopper on the support members for relative pivotal movement about a horizontal axis in a generally vertical plane with the upper receiving end of said rotary valve being movable toward and away from the rear discharge opening in the container upon said pivotal movement.

An improved method of gravity unloading of particulate lading from a rear discharge opening in a removable intermodal container mounted on a pivoted container support frame of a trailer upon tilting of the container and support frame beyond the angle of repose of the lading within the container comprising the steps of:

• placing a vertically extending lading conduit support frame on the container support frame adjacent the rear end of the container;
• positioning a throttle valve assembly carried by said support frame adjacent the rear discharge opening of said container and securing the throttle valve assembly on said support frame in axially aligned position with said discharge opening;
• positioning the upper extending end of a receiver connected to a rotary valve on the trailer at a predetermined location with respect to an extending end of the throttle valve assembly;
• and
• connecting a flexible conduit between the extending end of the receiver and the extending end of the throttle valve assembly for the gravity flow of lading from the discharge opening in the container to the rotary valve.

An improved method of gravity unloading of particulate lading from a rear discharge opening in a removable intermodal container mounted on a pivoted container support frame of a trailer upon tilting of the container and support frame beyond the angle o repose of the lading within the container comprising the steps of:

• placing a vertically extending lading conduit support frame on the container support frame adjacent the rear end of the container;
• positioning a throttle valve assembly carried by said support frame adjacent the rear discharge opening of said container and securing the throttle valve assembly on said conduit support frame in axially aligned position with said discharge opening;
• rotating the upper extending end of a receiver swivelly connected to a subjacent rotary valve on the trailer to a predetermined location with respect to an extending end of the throttle valve assembly;
• rotating the rotary valve and receiver connected thereto about a generally horizontal axis relative to the trailer for movement of the upper end of the rotary valve to a predetermined location in a generally vertical plane toward and away from the rear end of the container;
• connecting a flexible conduit between the extending end of the receiver and the extending end of the throttle valve assembly for the gravity flow of lading from the discharge opening in the container to the rotary valve;
• tilting the container support frame and container to a predetermined angle beyond the angle of repose of the lading within the container;
• and
• rotating the rotary valve and receiver upon such tilting of the container for the proper positioning of the flexible conduit between the throttle valve assembly and the receiver.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable container removably supported on the highway trailer, the lading being adapted for gravity discharge through a bottom discharge opening adjacent a rear end door of the container, said highway trailer having

• a body having rear wheels and longitudinally extending support members supported on said rear wheels;
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• a container support frame mounted on said support members and adapted to releasably support a container;
• means mounting the container support frame for pivotal movement relative to the body about an axis spaced horizontally and rearwardly of the rear end of the container;
• power means mounted on the body for tilting the container and container support frame relative to the body;
• a valve mounted on the body at a position rearward the rear end of container for receiving lading from the container;
• a conduit with two ends connected between the valve and the bottom discharge opening of the container;
• and
• support means on the container support frame for supporting one end of the conduit adjacent the bottom discharge opening of the container, said support means including means for accurately positioning the conduit relative to the discharge opening of the container.

A highway trailer for the gravity unloading of particulate lading from a detachable container removably supported on the highway trailer, the lading being adapted for gravity discharge from an opening at the rear of the container, the highway trailer having

• a body with wheels with longitudinally extending support members on the wheels;
• a frame adapted to removably support the container;
• means mounting the rear end of the frame to the body for pivotal movement relative to the body about a generally horizontal axis spaced horizontally and rearwardly of the rear end of the container;
• power means connected to the body and frame for raising the front end of the frame about the mounting means for tilting the frame and container relative to the body for gravity unloading;
• a valve mounted on the body at a position rearward of the opening for receiving lading by gravity from the container;
• means mounting the valve to the body for pivotal movement of the valve about a horizontal axis in a generally vertical plane parallel to the axis of the body;
• and
• a flexible conduit having opposed ends detachably connected between the valve and the opening of the container.

Unloading apparatus on a highway trailer for unloading particulate lading from a discharge opening in a container supported on the highway trailer adjacent a rear end door of the container and discharging the lading into a high velocity air stream for movement of the lading to a storage facility, said unloading apparatus positioned horizontally between the rear wheels of the highway trailer and the rear end of the container and comprising:

• a throttle valve assembly removably attached to the container inside said discharge opening upon opening of said rear end door and adapted to receive lading by gravity from said container through said discharge opening;
• pneumatic conveying means mounted on said trailer horizontally between the rear wheels of the highway trailer and the rear end of the container and vertically below the container and adjacent the rear wheels of the highway trailer, said pneumatic conveying means having a high velocity air stream therewith for conveying the lading to a storage facility;
• a detachable and flexible lading conduit extending between said throttle valve assembly and said pneumatic conveying means;
• and
• a rotary valve adjacent said pneumatic conveying means to feed said lading from said lading conduit into said high velocity air stream.