GB2556108A

GB2556108A - Bulk cargo transportation apparatus with unloading mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2556108A
Application number: GB1619653.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Standing Nigel
Original assignee: Wsp Uk Ltd
Current assignee: Wsp Uk Ltd
Priority date: 2016-11-21
Filing date: 2016-11-21
Publication date: 2018-05-23
Also published as: GB201619653D0

Abstract

An apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo adapted to be received by an intermodal container is provided. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo comprises a bucket 102 adapted to be in a first or second configuration. The first configuration is suitable for the bucket to contain bulk cargo and the second configuration is suitable to allow bulk cargo in the bucket to fall under gravity out of the bucket. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo further comprises a mechanism for converting the bucket between the first and second configurations and a support frame for supporting the bucket and the mechanism. The bucket may be a two-part bucket, the parts being pivotally connected so that rotation of each of the two parts converts the bucket between the first and second configurations. Said bucket may be an open-topped hemi-cylindrical shell. Rows of spring-loaded rollers 122 may be arranged on the external surface of the bucket. The apparatus may comprise a scraper 126 arranged to engage the internal surface of the bucket during conversion between the first and second configuration. The mechanism may comprise a two-pronged arm 110 pivotally connected to the bucket axis.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

WSP UK Limited

Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4YE, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Nigel Standing (51) INT CL:

B65D 88/60 (2006.01) B65D 88/58 (2006.01) B65D 90/64 (2006.01) B65G 67/24 (2006.01) B65D 88/00 (2006.01) B65G 63/00 (2006.01) (56) Documents Cited:

EP 0594017 A1 US 3790008 A US 2856223 A US D747588

B60P1/56 (2006.01) B65D 90/62 (2006.01) B65G 65/40 (2006.01) B60P 1/64 (2006.01) B65D 88/72 (2006.01)

FR 003018271 A1 US 3157436 A US 20130206415 A1 (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Maucher Jenkins

Caxton Street, LONDON, SW1H 0RJ, United Kingdom (58) Field of Search:

INT CL B60P, B61D, B65D, B65G Other: WPI, EPODOC (54) Title of the Invention: Bulk cargo transportation apparatus with unloading mechanism

Abstract Title: BULK CARGO TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS WITH UNLOADING MECHANISM (57) An apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo adapted to be received by an intermodal container is provided. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo comprises a bucket 102 adapted to be in a first or second configuration. The first configuration is suitable for the bucket to contain bulk cargo and the second configuration is suitable to allow bulk cargo in the bucket to fall under gravity out of the bucket. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo further comprises a mechanism for converting the bucket between the first and second configurations and a support frame for supporting the bucket and the mechanism. The bucket may be a two-part bucket, the parts being pivotally connected so that rotation of each of the two parts converts the bucket between the first and second configurations. Said bucket may be an open-topped hemi-cylindrical shell. Rows of spring-loaded rollers 122 may be arranged on the external surface of the bucket. The apparatus may comprise a scraper 126 arranged to engage the internal surface of the bucket during conversion between the first and second configuration. The mechanism may comprise a two-pronged arm 110 pivotally connected to the bucket axis.

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BULK CARGO TRANSPORTATION APPARATUS WITH UNLOADING MECHANISM

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus for the transportation and the loading and unloading of bulk cargo, particularly for use in railway environments.

Background

The transportation of bulk cargo to and from sites is often necessary in the construction industry. Bulk cargo may be “dry” bulk material such as sand, cement and gravel or “wet” cargo such as oil or water. In particular, providing construction material such as sand, cement and gravel to a construction site in a timely manner may be of the utmost importance to keep projects running to schedule. Furthermore, a large amount of excavation is typically required in the construction of new buildings or the installation of new structures. It is well known that the waste and debris, such as dirt, sand or gravel, produced by an excavation process has to be removed from the construction site in a fast, efficient manner as the build-up of such waste negatively impacts both the smooth running of operations at the construction site and the safety of construction operatives.

To transport bulk material to rail construction sites, is via open-topped wagons and emptied by means of a pole grab excavator with bucket grab, such as those manufactured by Liebherr®. This process takes time for open-topped wagons, as the capacity of an excavator bucket is many times smaller than that of a typical wagon. Furthermore, an excavator may be unable to reach all parts of a wagon, meaning that potentially large amounts of bulk material remain in the wagon and cannot be used.

Dump trucks equipped with an open-box bed, which is hinged at the rear and has hydraulic pistons to lift the front of the bed, may be used to mitigate both of the above problems. In any event however, access for road vehicles to construction sites may not always be possible. For example, railway construction sites typically have poor road vehicle access, so trains having one or more cars with open-topped wagons as described above are typically used. Rotary railcar dumpers are also known, but are bulky machines, require unloading frames and can only be used at permanent sites.

To perform railway maintenance or construction, contractors typically rent out sidings for a period of time at great cost. It is therefore particularly important to keep construction time, and specifically the time to unload train-based wagons (during which the track can be used for other construction/maintenance processes), to a minimum.

Similar problems exist with the transportation of liquid cargo. For liquid cargo, closed containers are generally used to prevent spillage.

Aspects of the present invention provide elegant, rapidly-performed solutions to the problem of how to transport bulk cargo and or waste to and from construction work environments, particularly those on railways.

Other features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Summary

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo adapted to be received by an intermodal container is provided. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo comprises a bucket adapted to be in a first or second configuration. The first configuration is suitable for the bucket to contain bulk cargo and the second configuration is suitable to allow bulk cargo in the bucket to fall under gravity out of the bucket. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo further comprises a mechanism for converting the bucket between the first and second configurations and a support frame for supporting the bucket and the mechanism.

In some embodiments, the bucket is a two-part bucket having opposing ends. The two parts are connected by a pivotal connection to each other so that rotation of each of the two parts about the pivotal connection converts the bucket between the first configuration and the second configuration. In the first configuration, the two parts are in contact along substantially an entire length of a base of the bucket. The pivotal connection defines a bucket axis parallel to the length of the bucket.

In these embodiments, the pivotal connection may comprise separate coaxial connections at the opposing ends. The bucket may be an open-topped substantially hemicylindrical shell. In such an embodiment, rows of spring-loaded rollers may be arranged on the curved external surface of the bucket. The rows may be perpendicular to the bucket axis, arranged at intervals along the length of the bucket and adapted to engage complementarity curved support structures on side walls of the intermodal container as the bucket is converted between the first and second configurations.

Any of the two-part embodiments may further comprise an external flange extending along an 5 edge of each of the two parts of the bucket between the ends of the bucket to prevent ingress of bulk cargo below the bucket in the first configuration. These embodiments may also comprise a scraper fixed relative to the pivotal connection and adapted to engage the curved internal surface of the bucket is converted between the first and second configurations.

In some embodiments, the bucket comprises a mechanism connection having a connection point displaced transversely from the bucket axis. In this case, the mechanism comprises means for applying a force to each connection point in the first configuration so that the connection points rotate about the axis and contact between the two parts of the bucket is broken.

In some such embodiments, the means for applying a force at each end comprises arms pivotally connected at one end to a respective one of the mechanism connections and pivotally connected at an opposing end to a pivot point common to both arms. In at least the first configuration, the common pivot point is above the bucket axis. The force may be applied by an actuator that is adapted to displace each common pivot point vertically in at least the first configuration. Each common pivot point may be adapted to be displaced vertically by an actuator and each mechanism connection may comprise a two-pronged arm pivotally connected to the bucket axis.

One of the prongs may terminate at the connection point and the other prong may have an end fixed to a respective end of a respective one of the two parts of the bucket.

In some embodiments, the bucket, mechanism and at least a portion of the support structure may be adapted to be lifted from the intermodal container.

The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo may be for transportation of bulk material.

In some embodiments, an intermodal container may comprise the apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo in accordance with the invention. In those embodiments, the apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo may be integrally formed with the intermodal container and a floor of the intermodal container may be detachable.

A railway vehicle may comprise an intermodal container in accordance with the invention.

Various embodiments are now described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a cut-away perspective view of a bulk cargo transportation container in accordance with an embodiment in which the bucket is in a closed configuration.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis in which the bucket is in a closed configuration and the opening and closing mechanism has been removed.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis in which the bucket is in an open configuration and the opening and closing mechanism has been removed.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis, the opening and closing mechanism in a position such that the bucket (not shown) is in a closed configuration.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis, the opening and closing mechanism in a position such that the bucket (not shown) is in an open configuration.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis in which the bucket and the opening and closing mechanism have been removed.

Figure 7 is a lateral cross-section through the axis of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the bulk cargo transportation container of Figure 1.

Figure 9A is a plan view of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1.

Figure 9B is a view along the axis of the bulk cargo transportation container of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1.

Figure 10A is a plan view of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1.

Figure 10B is a view along the axis of the bulk cargo transportation container of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1.

Figure 11 is an exploded view of the bucket ends of the bulk cargo transportation container, as viewed along its axis.

Detailed Description

The following description provides details of a containerized unit allowing transport of bulk cargo to construction sites and unloading of the cargo in a fast, efficient manner. The container unit is particularly suited to use in railway environments. As described above, access in these environments may be easiest using railway vehicles, the use of which is nevertheless very timecritical.

The containerized unit takes the form of an intermodal container. Intermodal containers are known by a variety of different names. For example, the terms shipping container, cargo container, freight container, or even simply container are frequently used. Many intermodal container sizes are of standardised size (for example, the ISO 668 series of sizes). The following examples use an intermodal container form-factor to contain the active elements of the invention. It will be appreciated that in some examples elements described below, particularly support structures, may be formed integrally with an intermodal container, while in other examples those same elements may be formed independently of an intermodal container, but which are nevertheless suitable to be received by the intermodal container.

Figure lisa cut-away perspective view of a bulk material transportation apparatus in accordance with an embodiment in which a bucket 102 is in a closed configuration. The whole arrangement in the figure is adapted to fit into an intermodal container. The bucket 102 is an open-topped substantially hemicylindrical shell with its longitudinal axis parallel to that of the intermodal container when arranged in the intermodal container. The ends are closed and are substantially semi-circular. The bucket 102 comprises two substantially quadrant-shaped halves 104 and 106, pivotally connected about cylindrical rods 108 at both ends of the bucket 102 for opening and closing the bucket 102. Having separate rods 108 at each end advantageously allows the bucket 102 to extend substantially along the entire length of the intermodal container in which it is housed without opening and closing components reducing the bucket capacity. Rods 108 are parallel to the axis of the bucket 102. Accordingly, a join is formed between the jaws of the bucket halves 104 and 106 along the length of the bucket 102. This join is sufficiently wellsealed (for example, using rubber or neoprene) to prevent bulk cargo in the cylinder from escaping through the join.

The substantially hemicylindrical form of bucket 102 advantageously allows bucket halves 104 and 106 to be biased together under their own weight. It also allows a smaller footprint when in the open configuration. This is useful in sites with limited space to prevent accidents. Support frame 130 allows bucket 102 to be in a position biased in the closed configuration.

An opening and closing mechanism is provided at the pivotal connection with the rods 108 preferably comprising complementary bucket support arms 110A and 110B arranged about each rod 108. Each of support arms 110A and 110B comprises an upper pivot connection 112 and a lower connection 114. Lower connections 114 are fixed to a respective half 104 or 106 of the bucket 102 at points displaced transversely from the bucket axis. This fixing may be by means of bolts through the end walls of the bucket halves 104 and 106. Upper pivot connections 112 may be attached to the bucket end walls in a similar way. Depending on the weight of the bucket 102 and load however, connection to the bucket end walls by upper pivot connections 112 may not be required. The relative position of the upper and lower connections 112 and 114 of each of support arms 110A and 110B is fixed.

The principal function of upper pivot connections 112, as shown in the figure, is to pivotally connect to one of lifting arms 116A and 116B, which are also part of the opening and closing mechanism. These in turn are pivotally connected at lifting beam pivot 118 above rod axis 108 to a lifting beam (not shown). Upper pivot connections 112 are displaced transversely from the bucket axis so that a force acting through lifting arms 116A and 116B causes upper pivot connections 112 to rotate about the pivot axis. The lifting beam may be constrained to pass vertically through shaft 120. In this way, upward motion of the lifting beam causes upper and lower connections 112 and 114 to rotate about rod 108 upward and toward the upper and lower connections 112 and 114 of the opposing bucket support arm 110. As at least the lower connections 114 are fixed to the bucket ends, the movement of the support arms 110A and 110B has the effect that the bucket halves 104 and 106 also rotate about rod 108 upward and away from one another.

It will be appreciated that the two-pronged form of support arms 110A and 11 OB allows upper pivot connections 112 and lower connection 114 to be independently positioned so that mechanical advantage may be optimized Rollers 122 may be provided on the convex surface of bucket 102. In a preferred aspect, roller 122 may be spring-loaded to engage with sloped support 123 to provide further support for the bucket while allowing smooth motion of bucket halves 104 and 106 as they move from open to closed configurations, or vice versa. Although sloped support 123 is shown as extending substantially along the entire length of the bucket 102, it will be appreciated that several sloped supports 123 can be arranged to coincide with the rollers 122. Parts of sloped supports 123 where the roller system does not run comprise a low friction surface, such as one using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheeting, to ensure no material sticks to the sloped supports 123, aiding discharge. In an alternate arrangement, rollers, particularly spring-loaded rollers, may be provided in sloped supports 123 to engage with the convex surface of bucket 102 to provide a similar effect.

Lateral flange 124 may be provided along the length of the side of each bucket to prevent ingress of bulk material below the bucket 102 during transportation. A scraper bar 126, fixed relative to rod 108, is provided at each end of bucket 102. Longitudinal portions 128 running along the top edges of bucket halves 104 and 106 when in the closed configuration may connect scraper bars 126 and engage or be in close proximity to the concave surface of bucket 102. Accordingly, as bucket 102 opens, bulk material on the concave surface of bucket 102 is pushed or scraped downwards, leading to substantially all bulk material being removed from bucket 102. The leading edge of scraper bar 126, and particularly longitudinal portions 128, may be provided with a hard rubber or neoprene strip to aid material removal and avoid metal-to-metal contact

The entire arrangement of Figure 1 is supported by support frame 130, which will be described in greater detail below. In some embodiments, portions of support frame 130 may be integrally formed with an intermodal container, while in others portions of support frame 130 may be adapted to fit securely within such a container. Support frame 130 allows bucket 102 to remain in an orientation so that bulk material does not escape the container. For example, without support frame 130, bucket 102 might tip over in the container. Support frame 130 also enables the weight of bucket 102 and its contents to be spread evenly in the container so that reinforced flooring is not required Bucket 102, the opening and closing mechanism and support frame 130 are all substantially made of metal, preferably steel for durability.

The intermodal container form factor advantageously allows existing transport vehicles to be used to transport the bulk material transportation container. During transportation of bulk material, the bucket 102 containing the bulk material is in the closed configuration. Once transported to the construction site by rail, lifting apparatus (e.g. an ISO container hydraulic lifting frame) may be used to lift the bucket assembly, including the opening and closing mechanism and the support frame 130. In embodiments where the support frame is formed integrally with an intermodal container, if the container has a floor, the floor of the container may be detachable so that when lifted the bulk material escapes the container once the bucket 102 is opened.

Advantageously, conventional intermodal container lifting apparatus may be used to move the bucket assembly to a location designated for the bulk material. The only modification is that an additional actuator (e.g. a hydraulic actuator on the ISO container lifting frame) may then be provided to move the lifting beam upwards, thus opening the bucket 102 and allowing it to be emptied of bulk material, as explained above. Once empty, the bucket 102 may be closed by the actuator moving the lifting beam downwards. The bucket assembly is then returned to the railway car. In some circumstances, it may be beneficial for a container in accordance with an embodiment to be provided with wheels so that the apparatus can be wheeled off a transport vehicle using a roll-on/roll-off skip system and placed in a more suitable location for emptying and lifting.

It will be appreciated that this process takes a far shorter time than scooping out bulk material with an excavator. While the amount of bulk material transportable by an individual railway car is reduced in the invention compared to a simple open-topped intermodal container, with multiple railway cars, the time taken to unload an equivalent amount of bulk cargo is far reduced compared to using simple open-topped wagons. As explained above, given the high costs involved in renting railway sidings for construction work, speeding up offloading is much desirable, so the benefits of the claimed invention in the speed of offloading outweigh the downside of any loss of capacity.

With regard to waste removal from restricted construction sites, waste material can be placed in bucket 102 of several container units as the waste is produced. The bulk material can therefore be managed to take up less space and allow quick, easy loading by stacking the intermodal containers in readiness for transporting.

In an alternative aspect for the transportation of liquid cargo, instead of being open-topped, as in Figure 1, bucket 102 may be closed to prevent spillage of cargo during transportation and lifting. The seal between the two bucket halves in this aspect would also have to be sufficient to prevent seepage of the liquid. The level of sealing may be chosen according to the viscosity of the cargo to be transported. A hard rubber or neoprene or similar seal may be placed on the lower lip of the bucket jaws.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk material transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis in which the bucket is in a closed configuration and the opening and closing mechanism has been removed. From this view, the overlap of bucket halves 104 and 106 can be seen more clearly in the region surrounding rod 108. Spring-loaded rollers 122 and their engagement with sloped supports 123 can also be seen more clearly.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk material transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis in which the bucket is in an open configuration and the opening and closing mechanism has been removed. In this configuration, the upper edges of the end of the bucket 102 in the region surrounding rod 108 act together to prevent further motion in the direction of opening. As bucket 102 opens, bulk material falls under gravity into the region below bucket 102.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk material transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis, the opening and closing mechanism is in a position such that the bucket (not shown) is in a closed configuration. The cross section is made halfway through shaft 120 so that pivot connection portion 402 and lifting beam 404 can be seen inside the shaft 120. Pivot connection portion is pivotally connected to lifting beam pivot 118 and fixed to lifting beam 404. Accordingly, as lifting beam 404 is moved upward lifting arms 116A and 116B are free to rotate about lifting beam pivot 118 in a plane perpendicular to the bucket axis. Bearings may be provided in the bucket support arm portion surrounding rod 108 to ensure smooth rotation of support arms 110A and 110B.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk material transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis, the opening and closing mechanism in a position such that the bucket (not shown) is in an open configuration. This view shows a similar arrangement to Figure 4 except that lifting beam 404 has been displaced upward. Lifting arms 116A and 116B are shown as being partially within shaft 120. This can be achieved by having lateral slots provided in shaft

120, the slots being wider than the depth of lifting arms 116A and 116B parallel to the bucket axis, but thinner than the depth of lifting beam 404 parallel to the bucket axis. Accordingly, a full range of vertical motion of lifting beam 404 can be achieved, while still constraining that motion to the vertical. In other embodiments, the distance of travel of lifting beam 404 can be calibrated to remove the need for lateral slots.

Vertical beam 502 is also shown, forming a further part of the support frame 130. When the bucket assembly is lifted from the railway vehicle, support frame components other than vertical beam 502 may be lifted away with the bucket 102. The triangular portion 504 of the support frame 130 may merely rest on vertical beam 502 during transportation. Sufficient support is therefore provided during transportation, while the bucket assembly is not too cumbersome during lifting.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the bulk material transportation container of Figure 1 along its longitudinal axis in which the bucket and the opening and closing mechanism have been removed. Triangular portion 504 includes a central hole 602 in which rod 108 is mounted. Rod

108 may be fixed or be free to rotate in the support frame 130.

Figure 7 is a lateral cross-section through the axis of the bulk material transportation container of Figure 1. Fixed mounting 702 is shown in support frame 130 to prevent rotation of rod 108 in the support frame 130.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the bulk material transportation container similar to that of Figure 1. 20 In this view one can particularly see individual sloped supports 123 which coincide along the length of the bucket 102 with spring-loaded rollers 122. Such an arrangement provides sufficient support to the bucket 102, while economising on material used. The plan view also shows bolts

802, fixing bucket support arms 110A and 110B to bucket 102.

Figure 9A is an exploded plan view of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing 25 mechanism in Figure 1. At lifting beam pivot 118, lifting arm 116B comprises two annular regions 902A and 902B in which a complementary, coaxial annular region 904 in lifting arm

116A may be slotted. A bolt passing through all three annular regions and connected to lifting beam 404 may form pivot connection portion 402. A further annular region 906 is provided at the opposite ends of both lifting arms 116A and 116B. Figure 9B is a view along the axis of the bulk material transportation container of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1.

Figure 10A is a view along the axis of the bulk material transportation container of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1. Figure 10B is an exploded plan view of the beam connection arms of the opening and closing mechanism in Figure 1. Similarly to lifting arms 116A and 116B, bucket support arm 11 OB comprises two annular regions 1002A and 1002B in which a complementary, coaxial annular region 1004 in bucket support arm 110A may be slotted. Rod 108 passes through the hole formed by the three annular regions. Upper pivot connections 112 comprise two annular regions into which annular regions

906 may be slotted. A bolt passing through the hole thereby formed allows rotation of each lifting arm 116A and 116B thereabout. Only the axis of lower connection 114 can be seen in the figure.

Figure 11 is an exploded view of the bucket ends of the bulk material transportation container, as viewed along its axis. In greater detail, it can be seen that rod connection regions 1102 and 1104 on respective bucket halves 106 and 104 overlap each other. Accordingly, region 1104 projects inwardly along the axis while region 1102 projects outwardly.

As many apparently different embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo adapted to be received by an intermodal container comprising:

a bucket adapted to be in a first or second configuration, wherein the first configuration is suitable for the bucket to contain bulk cargo and the second configuration is suitable to allow bulk cargo in the bucket to fall under gravity out of the bucket;

a mechanism for converting the bucket between the first and second configurations; and a support frame for supporting the bucket and the mechanism.

2. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of claim 1, wherein the bucket is a twopart bucket having opposing ends, the two parts being pivotally connected so that rotation of each of the two parts about the pivotal connection converts the bucket between the first configuration, in which the two parts are in contact along substantially an entire length of a base of the bucket, and the second configuration, the pivotal connection defining a bucket axis parallel to the length of the bucket.

3. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of claim 2, wherein the pivotal connection comprises separate coaxial connections at the opposing ends.

4. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of claim 2 or 3, wherein the bucket is an open-topped substantially hemicylindrical shell.

5. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of claim 4, wherein rows of spring-loaded rollers are arranged on the curved external surface of the bucket, the rows being:

perpendicular to the bucket axis;

arranged at intervals along the length of the bucket; and adapted to engage complementarily curved support structures on side walls of the intermodal container as the bucket is converted between the first and second configurations.

6. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any of claims 2-5, further comprising an external flange extending along an edge of each of the two parts of the bucket between the ends of the bucket to prevent ingress of bulk cargo below the bucket in the first configuration.

7. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any of claims 2-6, further comprising a scraper fixed relative to the pivotal connection and adapted to engage the curved internal surface of the bucket is converted between the first and second configurations.

8. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any of claims 2-7, wherein each end of each of the two parts of the bucket comprises a mechanism connection having a connection point displaced transversely from the bucket axis, the mechanism comprising means for applying a force to each connection point in the first configuration so that the contact between the two parts

5 is broken.

9. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of claim 8, wherein the means for applying a force at each end comprises arms pivotally connected at one end to a respective one of the mechanism connections and pivotally connected at an opposing end to a pivot point common to both arms, the common pivot point being above the bucket axis in at least the first configuration.

10 10. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of claim 9, wherein the force is applied by an actuator that is adapted to displace each common pivot point vertically in at least the first configuration.

11. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any of claims 8-10, wherein each mechanism connection comprises a two-pronged arm pivotally connected to the bucket axis, one

15 of the prongs terminating at the connection point and the other prong having an end fixed to a respective end of a respective one of the two parts.

12. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any preceding claim, wherein the bucket, mechanism and at least a portion of the support structure are adapted to be lifted from the intermodal container.

20

13. The apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo is for transportation of bulk material.

14. An intermodal container comprising the apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo of any preceding claim.

15. The intermodal container of claim 14, wherein the apparatus for transportation of bulk cargo

25 is integrally formed with the container.

16. The intermodal container of claim 14 or 15, wherein the apparatus is provided with wheels for use in conjunction with a roll-on roll-off skip system.

17. A railway vehicle comprising the intermodal container of any preceding claim.

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Application No: GB1619653.7