AU2014101431A4 - A bulk container discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

A BULK CONTAINER DISCHARGE DEVICE A bulk container discharge device comprising a frame assembly having a pair of opposing end frames (25) and a span frame (35) extending between said end frames (25), said frame assembly being connectable to a lifting device, a pair of opposing container support members (13) rotatably mounted to said end frames (25) and adapted to engage and support a container (20) having a lid (42), a lid removal mechanism (45) configured to engage and remove the lid from the container (20), said lid lifting removal mechanism (45) being extendable downwardly from a retracted position adjacent said span frame (35) to an extended position for engaging the lid, said lid removal mechanism (45) further being retractable to said retracted position to retain the lid adjacent said span frame (35), wherein the container (20) when engaged and supported by said container support members (13) beneath the lid when said lid removal mechanism (45) is in said retracted position. *1/5 C',l

Description

1 A BULK CONTAINER DISCHARGE DEVICE Field [0001] The present invention relates to a bulk container discharge device which has been developed for discharging the contents of shipping containers into cargo ships. [0002] The invention has been developed principally for discharging the content of shipping containers of the kind that are transported by road or rail and which contain a flowable material which can be discharged into large capacity cargo ships. The invention has also been developed in relation to flowable material of the kind which is mined, such as coal or iron oxide. [0003] However, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the above applications, but could have applications for transfer of shipping containers between different modes of transport, such as from road or rail transport to a shipping container (as opposed to a cargo ship), and for transfer of the contents of shipping containers to vessels other than cargo ships, such as holding bays which might be found at a port. Background [0004] A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the claims. [0005] Mining material for transport is normally shipped by road or rail to a port at which the material is loaded into a cargo ship for transport to a different part of the country, or to a different country. The mined material is normally transported in shipping containers of a standard size and dimension and the transport is usually by semi-trailer, road train or by rail. It is possible that transport could be by a sea-going vessel although that is rare, at least in Australia. [0006] With flowable mined material, such as iron oxide, the shipping containers normally are discharged at the port to form a large body of ore which is then conveyed on a moving conveyor from the port into the hold of a cargo ship. It will be appreciated that the conveyor can be of significant length, but a disadvantage with this approach is that both the body of ore and the ore as it is conveyed to the hold, is open to atmosphere, so that fine particles of the ore can be blown 2 by wind into the surrounding areas as dust. This has been found to present problems where the particles have been blown into the surrounding waterways, as the waterways have become polluted, affecting marine life and some times resulting in unpleasant odour and also affecting the appearance of the waterways. Iron oxide in particular can affect the colour of water into which is it discharged, while it can also have a significant polluting effect, affecting marine life in the immediate area. [0007] An additional drawback with the use of a conveyor is the cost and the inflexibility of its use. As to cost, the construction of a conveyor can be in the order of AU$3,000,000 or more. In relation to flexibility of use, once a conveyor is erected, it is fixed in place, so that adjustment of the point of delivery is not possible for example. [0008] Applicant has recognised a need for an alternative manner of loading material between road and rail transport into the holds of cargo ships, that can eliminate or at least alleviate the release of ore dust into the environment and/or which provides cost or operational advantages. Summary of Invention [0009] In a first aspect the present invention provides a bulk container discharge device comprising: a frame assembly having a pair of longitudinally opposing end frames and a span frame extending between said end frames, said frame assembly being connectable to a lifting device; a pair of longitudinally opposing container support members rotatably mounted to said end frames and adapted to engage and support a container having a lid; a lid removal mechanism configured to engage and remove the lid from the container, said lid removal mechanism being extendable downwardly from a retracted configuration adjacent said span frame to an extended configuration for engaging the lid, said lid removal mechanism further being retractable to said retracted configuration to retain the lid adjacent said span frame; wherein the container, when engaged and supported by said container support members with the lid engaged by said lid removal mechanism in said retracted configuration, is rotatable beneath the lid by rotationally driving said container support members. [0010] In a preferred form, said lid removal mechanism is displaceable between said extended and retracted positions by way of one or more hydraulic cylinders.

3 [0011] In a preferred form, said lid removal mechanism comprises a set of four lid engaging means arranged adjacent laterally opposing sides of said lid removal mechanism. [0012] In a second aspect the present invention provides a method of operating the bulk container discharge device defined above, said method comprising: engaging and supporting a container with said container support members, said container having a lid and containing contents; lifting said discharge device and positioning said discharge device with said container over a cargo hold; extending said lid removal mechanism downwardly from said retracted configuration to said extended configuration; engaging the lid with said lid removal mechanism; retracting said lid removal mechanism to said retracted configuration to remove the lid from the container and retain the lid adjacent said span frame; and rotationally driving said container support members to rotate the container to an inverted orientation and discharge the contents from the container into the cargo hold. [0013] The discharge device may be lifted and positioned over the cargo hold prior to, during, or after removal of the lid. [0014] The method may further comprise the subsequent steps of: rotationally driving said container support members to rotate the container to an upright orientation; extending said lid removal mechanism to said extended configuration, locating the lid on the container; disengaging said lid removal mechanism from the lid; and retracting said lid removal mechanism to said retracted configuration. [0015] The span frame may be generally rectangular in plane view, and can be braced as required to provide sufficient strength and stiffness for lifting a container. The end frames may extend generally perpendicular to the plane of the span frame and generally extend downwardly from the span assembly.

4 [0016] The end frames may be of any suitable shape such as square or rectangular, although in some forms, sides of the end frames converge from a position spaced apart at the span frame, to a closer position remote from the span frame. Thus, the end frames may have a somewhat triangular shape. [0017] The container support members rotate relative to the end frames and may each be driven to rotate by a rotation assembly. Each rotation assembly can be of any suitable kind, although in one form, that assembly includes a wheel which is fixed to a shaft and which is driven to rotate. Drive of the wheel causes drive of the shaft and in this embodiment each container support member may be fixed to the respective shaft so that rotation of the wheel causes rotation of the container support members. [0018] Any suitable drive arrangement can be used to drive the wheel described above, and in one embodiment, the drive wheel is a toothed wheel which is driven by a chain, the opposite ends of which are connected to respective hydraulic cylinders. The drive therefore is initiated by the ram of one of the cylinders extending, with the ram of the other cylinder retracting. The arrangement can be such as to provide a precise 180 0 rotational movement of the wheel, which thus drives the shaft and the container support member also through 1800. Accordingly, with the container connected to the rotational frame part, the container can be drive through 1800. [0019] The discharge device may be arranged so that when a container is connected to it, the container tends to rest in an upright condition. Thus, the connection between the discharge device and the container is preferably offset from a neutral axis of the container, so that the container tends to rotate in a direction which is opposite the direction the container is rotated to discharge its contents. [0020] The lid removal mechanism may include latches in order to grip the lid or closure and the latches may be shiftable from a release condition to a grip condition. That movement can be hydraulically or pneumatically controlled. [0021] The lid removal mechanism may act in a scissor motion, so that in the retracted condition, it is collapsed, and in the extended condition, it is expanded.

5 [0022] The discharge device may employ any suitable arrangement to connect a container to the discharge device, however in one form, a simple rotational connection is made, whereby one or more spigots are received through an opening in the container and the spigots are rotated to bring a supporting surface underneath a surface of the container, so that upon lifting of the device relative to the container, the supporting surface bears against the container surface and lifts the container. [0023] In the above embodiment, the device may include four spigot arrangements and an automatic rotation system may be employed to rotate the spigots once they have been received in the openings in the container. In one form, a bar may connect to the spigots eccentrically, so that movement of the bar rotates the spigots and the arrangement may be such that movement of the bar in a first direction rotates two spigots associated with each of the container support members. The bar may be driven in a first direction by one cylinder and in a second direction by second cylinder, although a single cylinder may be used to drive the bar in each direction. [0024] To ensure that the spigot remains in the connected condition in which a container can be lifted, or in the release condition in which a container can be released from the discharge device, an over centre spring arrangement may be employed. In that arrangement, the spring will apply a biasing influence to maintain the spigots in whichever of the connected or release conditions the spigots have been rotated to by the drive arrangement which is employed. Brief Description of Drawings [0025] In order that the invention may be more fully understood, some embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures in which: [0026] Figure 1 illustrates a bulk container discharge device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0027] Figures 2 to 4, illustrate the discharge device of Figure 1 in 3 stages of operation during the discharge of contents from a container. [0028] Figures 5 to 8 illustrate the part of the discharge device of Figure 1 that is used to lift the lid from a container.

6 [0029] Figures 9 and 10 illustrate the portion of the discharge device of Figure 1 that is used to fix a container to the discharge device. [0030] Figures 11 and 12 show a look arrangement for locking the frame parts of Figure 2 against movement. Description of Embodiments [0031] Figure 1 illustrates a bulk container discharge device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The discharge device 10 includes a frame assembly 12 and a pair of longitudinally opposing container support members 13. The container support members 13 are rotatable relative to the frame assembly 12 through a rotation arrangement which comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders 14, which drive a gear wheel 15. The arrangement of cylinders and gear wheel is repeated at each end of the device 10, although the full rotation arrangement is visible only at one end in Figure 1 . [0032] The cylinders 14 operate to rotate the gear wheel 15 through a chain (not shown) which is fixed to ends of the rams 16 of the cylinders 14 and which engages the peripheral teeth 18 of the gear wheel 15. In Figure 1, only one of the rams 16 is shown extended from its respective cylinder 14, as the ram of the other cylinder 14 is fully retracted into its associated cylinder and only the very end 17 of the ram 16 is visible. [0033] The chain, which is not shown in Figure 1 is, in practice, connected to the respective ends 17 of the rams 16 of the cylinders 14. The chain extends about the gear wheel 15 to engage the peripheral teeth 18 of that wheel and as one ram 16 extends from its associated cylinder 14, the other ram 16 of the other cylinder 14 is retracted. The hydraulic drive which is used to extend and retract the rams 16 of the cylinders 14 is a closed loop system such that hydraulic fluid which is used to extend the ram 16 of one of the cylinders 14 is taken from the other of the cylinders 14, such that the ram 16 of that cylinder retracts. By this mechanism, as one ram 16 moves in any direction, the ram of the other cylinder moves in the opposite direction an equal amount. [0034] The container support members 13 are fixed to the same shaft as the gear wheels 15 such as through a keying or splined arrangement, so that as the gear wheel 15 is rotated, each of the container support members 13 also rotate in the same direction. This is illustrated in Figures 2 to 7 4, in which Figure 2 shows the discharge device 10 in the position illustrated in Figure 1 , but with a container 20 mounted to the container support members 13, while Figures 3 and 4 show the container 20 rotated through 450 and 1800 (in an inverted orientation) respectively. By the operation shown in Figures 2 to 4, the contents of the container 20 can be discharged into the hold of a cargo ship when the container 20 is in the inverted orientation shown in Figure 4. [0035] Returning to Figure 1, the frame assembly 12 of the discharge device 10 includes longitudinally opposing end frames 25 at each end of the frame assembly 12. The end frames 25 include a pair of upright members 26, a base member 27 and a bridging structure 28. The bridging structure 28 includes a plurality of members that bridge between the upright members 26. [0036] At each end frame 25, a support plate 29 supports a bearing through which the shaft 30 to which the gear wheel 15 is fixed extends, and the shaft 30 extends through to connection with the respective container support member 13. [0037] The frame assembly 12 further includes a span frame 35, which includes span members 36 that extend between the pair of end frames 25 and a plurality of bracing members 37, which extend between the span members 36. The end frames 25 and the span frame 35 form a rigid frame assembly 12. [0038] The ends of the cylinders 14 are fixed to plates 38 at the top of each of the upright members 26. The connection between the cylinders 14 and the plates 38 is a pin connection, so that the cylinders 14 have some freedom to move as they operate to rotate the gear wheel 15. [0039] In the operation of the discharge device, a container 20 is connected to the container support members 13 in a manner that will be described later herein, and thereafter, the device 10 and the container 20 are lifted, by a lifting device such as a crane. The frame assembly 12 includes four lifting lugs 40 for connection to such a lifting device. The discharge device 10 and the container 20 are lifted to position the container over an opening in the cargo hold of the cargo ship and the cylinders are activated to rotate the gear wheel 15 and thus to rotate the container support members 13 and the container 20. The discharge device 10 and the container 20 are suspended over the opening rather than being placed on the surface of the cargo ship. Material forming the contents of the container 20 can commence discharge from the container as soon as 8 the container starts to rotate, depending on how full the container is and how flowable the material within the container is. [0040] Figure 1 also illustrates a container lid removal mechanism 45 which is operable to engage and remove a container lid 42 from the container 20 to allow discharge of the contents from within the container 20. The lid 42 might not always be employed, but the use of a lid 42 is recommended for many materials which are sufficiently fine to form dust that can result in airborne particles which can pollute surrounding areas. The container lid removal mechanism 45 is supported between the span members 36 and, in a retracted position depicted in Figure 1, is located adjacent the span frame 35. The container lid removal mechanism 25 is extendable downwardly from the retracted position to an extended position (depicted in Figure 5) for engaging the lid 42 by way of a set of four lid engaging means here in the form of lifting lugs 50. The container lid removal mechanism 25 may then be retracted to lift a container lid 42 from a container 20 to retain the lid adjacent the span frame 35 prior to the container 20 being rotated through the sequence of rotation illustrated in Figures 2 to 4. For clarity, the container lid is not illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, but reference will be made to Figures 5 to 8, which show the container lid removal mechanism 45 separate from the frame assembly 12. [0041] Referring to Figure 5, the container 20 is illustrated including a lid 42. The lid 42 is fixed to the container 20 by latches 43 which are provided on each long edge of the lid 42 and complementary latch parts are fixed to the adjacent surface of the container 20. The latches 43 are relatively simple hand operated latches which secure the lid 42 to the container 20 and which advantageously prevent material from within the container 20 from exposure to wind and rain etc. This has the advantage of quarantining material within the container 20 from being blown out of the container. [0042] When a container 20 is to have its contents discharged by the discharge device 10, the latches 43 are manually released, so that while the lid remains in position a shown in Figure 5, it is no longer locked in place to the container 20. Thus, the lid 42 remains in place on the container under its own weight. [0043] With the latches 43 unlatched, the container lid removal mechanism 45 can be extended downwardly to the extended configuration shown in Figure 5. That movement is initiated via a pair of hydraulic cylinders 46, which extend between a plurality of articulated legs 47, which are 9 each articulated at a midpoint 48. Extension of the cylinders 46 opens the removal mechanism 45 in a scissor-type movement to the position shown in Figure 5, while retraction of the cylinders 46 collapses the container lid removal mechanism 45 to the configuration shown in Figures 1 and 6. [0044] With the container lid removal mechanism 45 in the fully extended configuration as shown in Figure 5, cylinders 49 can be activated to shift the lifting lugs 50 which are located adjacent the laterally opposing sides of the lid lifting mechanism 45 and toward the longitudinally opposing ends of the lid removal mechanism 45. Activation of the cylinders 49 causes the lifting lugs 50 to shift from the disengaged position shown in Figures 5 and 7, to the engaged position shown in Figures 6 and 8, in which the lifting lugs 50 engage the lid 42. In the position shown in Figures 6 and 8, the lifting lugs 50 engage within tine openings 51 in the laterally opposing sides of the lid 42 and when the removal mechanism 45 is retracted as shown in Figure 6, by retraction of the cylinders 46, the lid 20 is lifted away from the opening of the container 20. The container 20 can then be rotated beneath the lid 20 and container lid removal mechanism 45 for discharge of the contents within it. Thus, removal of the lid 42 from the container 20 is a simple and quick operation, by activation in the correct order of the respective cylinders 46 and 49. [0045] The tine openings 51 are provided in the lid 42 so that it can be lifted and transported by a forklift vehicle, for example when the containers are being filled with material at the mine site. Thus, the tine openings are provided not just for the lifting lugs 50 to engage, but rather, are already part of the lid 42 and are a convenient point for engagement of the lid by the removal mechanism 45, although it is envisaged that the lid may be engaged. [0046] With reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4, it will be appreciated that the lid 42 has been lifted away from the container 20 prior to the container 20 being rotated through 1800 from an upright orientation to the inverted orientation shown in Figure 4. As that rotation takes place, the lid 42 is maintained adjacent to the span frame 35 of the frame assembly 12 and therefore the lid does not hinder rotational movement of the container 20 or discharge of the contents of the container 20. [0047] After the container 20 has been rotated to discharge its contents, it is returned to the upright orientation shown in Figure 2 and the cylinders 46 are again activated to extend the container lid removal mechanism 45 to lower the lid 42 into position relative to the container 20.

10 The cylinders 49 are then activated to release the lifting lugs 50 from the tine openings 51 and then the removal mechanism 45 can be retracted to the configuration shown in Figure 1, leaving the lid 42 closing the container 20 under its own weight. The latches can remain released while the container is returned from above the opening in the cargo ship hold. [0048] The container 20 is fixed to the frame parts 13 via a simple latching arrangement which is illustrated in detail in Figures 9 and 10. Those figures shows the respective frame parts 13 from the inside thereof and displaced from the facing arrangement they assume which is shown in Figures 1 to 4. [0049] A latching arrangement 55 is associated with each of the container support members 13 and the arrangement 55 includes an elongate bar 56, which is connected to a twist-lock spindle 57 at each end. The spindle 57 extends through end members 58 of the container support members 13 and includes a head 59 which defines a lip 60 (visible in Figure 9 only). The head 50 is intended to be accepted within openings 61 formed in upper ends of the corner posts 62 of the container 20 (see Figures 5 and 6). The openings 61 are shaped to define an undercut (not visible in any of the figures) that mates with the lips 60 when the spindles 57 are rotated from the position shown in Figure 9 to the position shown in Figure 10. Rotation of the spindles 57 thus causes the spindles 57 to lock within the openings 61. With all four of the spindles 57 locked in this manner, the container 20 is secured to the respective container support members 13 and can be lifted with the discharge device 10. [0050] Rotation of the spindles 57 is by movement of the bar 56 and in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 9, this is achieved by the use of hydraulic cylinders 54 (which are only just visible in Figure 9 but which can be seen in Figure 1) and the use of an over-centre spring 63. The spring 63 thus applies a load in each of two directions depending on which side of its centre it is positioned and therefore it maintains the head 59 of the spindles 57 either in the container disengaged position shown in Figure 9, or the engaged position shown in Figure 10. [0051] Figures 9 and 10 show a panel 64 of each of the container support members 13 which is a strengthening panel to increase the stiffness of the container support members 13. The panels 64 extend the full height of the container support members 13. The use of the panels 64 can eliminate the need for bracing bars extending between the container support members 13, 11 however it is envisaged that such bracing bars may be used to fix the container support members 13 to each other. [0052] Figures 11 and 12 show a lock arrangement for locking the container support members 13 in the position of Figure 2, so that a container that is lifted by the discharge device 10 can be maintained in the Figure 2 position until such time as rotation of the container is required. The lock arrangement includes a latch 70 that is pivotable between the locked position of Figure 11 and the unlocked position of Figure 12. The latch pivots about the pivot 71 and is driven to pivot by the pneumatic ram 72. [0053] The latch includes an arm 73 that has a recess 74 to receive a pin or projection 75. The recess is such as to accept the pin or projection 75 by rotation only. With the latch 73 in the position shown in Figure 11, the container support member 13 is locked against rotation. When rotation is required, the ram 72 is withdrawn and the latch shifts away from the pin or projection 75 to allow the container support members 13 to rotate. [0054] The discharge device 10 is intended for operation with containers that have been delivered to a port via road or rail transport and the device is intended to be lifted by crane to engage a container which is resting on the delivery vehicle. Once the container is engaged by the container support arms 13, both the container and the discharge device 10 can be lifted to position the container to overly an opening in the cargo hold of a cargo ship. In that position, the cylinders 46 and 49 are activated in the manner described above to lift the lid 42 from the container 20 (if a lid is provided) and thereafter, the cylinders 14 are activated to rotate the gear wheel 15 and thus the container support members 13, to rotate the container 20 through the sequence shown in Figures 2 to 4 for discharge of its contents. [0055] The container lid removal mechanism 45 also includes a power pack support comprising plates 65 (see Figures 1 to 4). The plates 65 present a surface for a power pack such as a hydraulic power pack to be fixed to. [0056] The invention described herein is susceptible to variations, modifications and/or additions other than those specifically described and it is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations, modifications and/or additions which fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (5)

1. A bulk container discharge device comprising: a frame assembly having a pair of longitudinally opposing end frames and a span frame extending between said end frames, said frame assembly being connectable to a lifting device; a pair of longitudinally opposing container support members rotatably mounted to said end frames and adapted to engage and support a container having a lid; a lid removal mechanism configured to engage and remove the lid from the container, said lid removal mechanism being extendable downwardly from a retracted configuration adjacent said span frame to an extended configuration for engaging the lid, said lid removal mechanism further being retractable to said retracted configuration to retain the lid adjacent said span frame; wherein the container, when engaged and supported by said container support members with the lid engaged by said lid removal mechanism in said retracted configuration, is rotatable beneath the lid by rotationally driving said container support members.

2. The bulk container discharge device of claim 1 wherein said lid removal mechanism is displaceable between said extended and retracted configurations by way of one or more hydraulic cylinders.

3. The bulk container discharge device of either one of claims 1 and 2 wherein said lid removal mechanism comprises a set of four lid engaging means arranged adjacent laterally opposing sides of said lid removal mechanism.

4. A method of operating the bulk container discharge device of any one of claims 1 to 3, said method comprising: engaging and supporting a container with said container support members, said container having a lid and containing contents; lifting said discharge device and positioning said discharge device with said container over a cargo hold; extending said lid removal mechanism downwardly from said retracted configuration to said extended configuration; engaging the lid with said lid removal mechanism; retracting said lid removal mechanism to said retracted configuration to remove the lid from the container and retain the lid adjacent said span frame; and 13 rotationally driving said container support members to rotate the container to an inverted orientation and discharge the contents from the container into the cargo hold.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the subsequent steps of rotationally driving said container support members to rotate the container to an upright orientation; extending said lid removal mechanism to said extended configuration, locating the lid on the container; disengaging said lid removal mechanism from the lid; and retracting said lid removal mechanism to said retracted configuration. Qube Bulk Pty Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON