Bottom dumping bulk container apparatus

A container apparatus having:

• (a) a generally horizontal, spaced apart, top and bottom walls, and vertical walls connecting the top and bottom walls to define an interior of the container apparatus, the bottom wall of the container apparatus having a plurality of discharge openings extending as an array of openings along a main axis of the bottom wall of the container, the bottom wall having door guide means extending transversely of the apparatus and adjacent to the respective discharge openings,
• (b) door members for opening and closing respective discharge openings, the door members being mounted within respective door guide means an moveable relative to the discharge opening to open and close the respective opening as required,
• (c) actuating means for controlling opening and closing of the discharge openings, the actuating means cooperating with, and being mounted for vertical movement relative to, the container apparatus,
• (d) transmission means for moving the door member in response to said vertical movement of the actuating means, the transmission means cooperating with the actuating means and the door means, the transmission means including a door rack cooperating with each door member, and a plurality of door pinion means mounted for rotation and being engaged with respective door racks, so that rotation of the pinion means in one direction opens all the discharge openings simultaneously, and rotation of the pinion means in the opposite direction closes all the discharge openings simultaneously.

A container apparatus having:

• (a) generally horizontal, spaced apart, top and bottom walls, and vertical walls connecting the top and bottom walls to define an interior of the container apparatus, the bottom wall having at least one discharge opening therein communicating with the interior, and door guide means extending adjacent to the discharge opening,
• (b) a door member for opening and closing the discharge opening, the door member being mounted adjacent the bottom wall of the container and guided for movement in the door guide means relative to the discharge opening,
• (c) actuating means for controlling opening and closing of the discharge opening, the actuating means cooperating with, and being mounted for vertical movement relative to, the container apparatus, the actuating means including at least one vertical actuating shaft mounted for axial movement along a longitudinal axis thereof,
• (d) transmission means for moving the door member in response to said vertical movement of the actuating means, the transmission means cooperating with the actuating means and the door member, the transmission means including a door rack cooperating with the door member, a journalled connecting shaft, and a door pinion means mounted for rotation with the connecting shaft and being in engagement with the door rack so that rotation of the door pinion means in opposite directions opens and closes the door member as required, the transmission means further including a shaft rack on a lower end portion of the actuating shaft, and a shaft pinion means in engagement with the shaft rack, the shaft pinion means being mounted on the connecting shaft for rotation therewith so as to rotate the connecting shaft in response to vertical movement of the actuating shaft, which in turn moves the door member.