Selective orientation and ballast for a transportable container

#This invention is in the field of transporting and installing containers such as bins, tanks, or the like, and in particular such containers that must be installed in a location at a work site with outlet ports located at a desired position, and where the desired position can change from one work site to another, and where empty stability is increased.

#In many industries it is required to set up an array of equipment at a temporary work site, and then disassemble the installation, move it to another work site, and re-assemble it. For example asphalt and concrete plants are often set up in locations where large quantities of material are required for road or building construction. Similarly well drilling rigs, such as those drilling for oil and gas, are set up at a drilling location, then taken down and moved to a different drilling location.

#These portable plants and rigs typically include various tanks, bins, silos, and the like for water, asphalt, sand, cement, and other materials such as might be required at any particular work site. These are transported to the work site, commonly in a lowered horizontal transport orientation, and then raised to a vertical working orientation at the work site. For example bins containing dry material especially are often elongated vertically when in a working position to maximize the quantity of material stored above a hoppered bottom such that the dry material will flow out by gravity.

#While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a transportable container apparatus of the present invention where the trailer is being moved rearward to connect with a trailer attachment location on the container;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 where the container is releasably attached to the trailer at the trailer attachment location, and the container is in the working position;

#FIGS. 1-4 schematically illustrate an embodiment of a transportable container apparatus 1 of the present invention. The apparatus 1 comprises an elongated container 3, and an outlet port 5 defined in a side wall of the container 3. A trailer 7 for transporting the container to a work site is releasably attachable to the container 3 container at a plurality of attachment locations 9 on side walls of the container 3. The illustrated container 3 has a rectangular cross section with four substantially flat side walls 11, and the trailer 7 is releasably attachable to the container at first, second, and third trailer attachment locations 9A, 9B, 9C on corresponding first, second, and third side walls 11A, 11B, 11C of the container 3.

#The illustrated trailer 7 comprises a container frame 13 releasably attachable to the container at the trailer attachment locations 9, and the container frame 13 is pivotally attached to the trailer 7 about a horizontal pivot axis FA oriented substantially perpendicular to an operating travel direction T of the trailer 7. In the illustrated apparatus 1, each trailer attachment location 9 is provided upper and lower pairs of brackets 15 defining holes 17. The container frame 13 includes upper and lower pairs of clevis members 19 defining holes 21 positioned to correspond with the brackets 15 such that pins 23 can be inserted through the holes 17, 21 to releasably attach the container frame 13, and thus the trailer 7, to the container 3 at one of the trailer attachment locations 9.

#In FIG. 1 the trailer 7 is shown approaching the container 3 by backing toward sidewall 11A to connect the trailer 7 to trailer attachment location 9A. FIG. 2 shows the trailer moved farther rearward and with the container frame 13 releasably attached to the container 3 at trailer attachment location 9A by pins 23. It is contemplated that connection of the container frame 13 to the trailer attachment locations 9 could be by other connection and engagement mechanisms known in the art.