NZ264606A - Bulk storage of fluid; frame supports plastics material silo with a hopper at the bottom with a gate valve, frames stackable one on another - Google Patents

Description

264606 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 264606 Date: 4 October 1994 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AN APPARATUS FOR THE BULK HANDLING AND STORAGE OF FLUID MATERIALS I, PAUL BRUCE CRAVEN, a New Zealand citizen of Waitohi Road, RD 9, Palmerston North, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - 1 - ] N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 29SEP 1995 INTRODUCTION This invention relates to an apparatus for the bulk handling and storage of fluid materials, particularly but not solely for use with grain, seed, fertilizer, wine and stock foods.

The bulk handling and storage of grain and seed traditionally involves wooden bins which are able to be lifted by forklifts, front-end loaders and the like. Such bins have to be tipped to be emptied, often resulting in spilling of the grain. In addition, the wooden bins require liners that can be chewed by vermin resulting both in contamination and loss of seed. It is not always safe to stack such boxes on top of one another, and further such boxes are not stable.

It is advantageous to have a portable apparatus, wherein the hopper is removable from the outside frame, and thus easily replaceable, if the hopper is damaged in some way.

It is also advantageous to have a portable apparatus which enables the public to purchase in bulk and thus overcomes the handling problems and costs associated with bags or sacks.

It is an object of this invention to go some way towards overcoming these disadvantages and to achieve the desiderata or at least to provide the public a useful choice.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Accordingly in one aspect, the invention may broadly be said to consist in: a portable apparatus for the bulk handling and storage of fluid material comprising a frame, a rigid silo with a hopper at the bottom thereof contained within said frame; said hopper bottom having a discharge opening at the bottom thereof, and wherein said frame is adapted to receive a frame of another said portable apparatus stacked thereon.

Preferably said frame is adapted to be stacked on other like frames Preferably the silo with a hopper bottom is made of a plastic.

Preferably said discharge opening has a gate valve thereacross.

Alternatively, said discharge opening has a plumbing attachment handling of liquids.

Preferably the plumbing attachment is a faucet. Preferably the frame is made of galvanised steel.

Preferably the frame is adapted to receive a front end loader or fort Preferably the silo with a hopper bottom is removable from the frar Preferably when empty the bulk of the weight of the frame is iiV its base. ? 6 4 6 0 6 The invention may also be said broadly to consist in an apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention.

The preferred embodiment described with reference to figures 1 and 2 comprises two components, a frame 32 and a silo with a hopper bottom 30 which sits in the frame. Preferably the frame is made of galvanised steel and the silo made of plastics, preferably polyvii ylchloride. Any reinforced plastics can also be used. Preferably the plastics material will be treated to be resistant to ultra-violet radiation because it is likely that the silo will be stored in outdoor conditions.

Referring particularly to the front elevation in figure 2 the hopper consists of a main body 12 which is preferably rectangular in shape having a shoulder 13 merging into a funnel portion 14 at the bottom of which is an opening fitted with a gate valve 26 or other means for opening or closing the mouth. If it is the intention that the silo be used to store flowable solids, such as grain, the opening would be fitted with a gate valve, and if the silo is used to contain liquids the opening would be fitted with a faucet.

The top of the silo is preferably fitted with an upwardly projecting rim 20. A top (not shown) may be fitted over rim 20. The top may be fitted with conventional closedown clips or the like.

The frame comprises upright members 10 at each of the four comers. There are a pair of top longitudinal rails 18, cross member 19 and lower frame members 24 extend longitudinally. A pair of rails 16 and 17 are fitted to the bottom of the frame. Referring to the front elevation in figure 2 there is a middle cross member 22 and a lower cross member 25 completing the construction. It will be seen from figure 2 that rails 16 and 17 project downwardly from cross member 25.

The silo 30 is lowered into the frame 32 until the shoulders 13 on either side rest on the longitudinal frame members 22.

The combination of silo and frame may be used either singly or in combination with other silo and frame combinations. For lifting the combination, the front forks of a front-end loader, of a tractor or forks of a forklift truck are slid underneath front fraaatf^emfes^ 25 (seen in figure 2) and under a corresponding frame member (not shown w>$tween rails n* ° ;n rr ;\ i 6 AFP 1997 ;A $ ;9 ;-4- ;06 ;16 and 17. The silo 30 may then be moved into position to be filled from a bulk storage area. The lid is removed from rim 20, the gate valve 26 is closed and filling is commenced. The lid is replaced after filling is completed and the frame and hopper combination placed on a trailer or flatbed truck or other convenient carrying vehicle and transported back to where it will be stored. ;The combination may be easily lifted so that the gate valve 26 is directly over the seed or fertiliser drill when seed or fertiliser are to be spread in the paddock. ;It will be seen that the construction of the frame allows for easy stacking. The fork lift is inserted under cross member 25 and the corresponding rear cross member between rails 16 and 17 and lifted onto another frame 32. The upper frame 32 is then lowered on to a lower frame 32 so that the outer ends of cross member 25 rest on upper rails 18. The material to be stored in the silos can be fluid particulate, solid material or even liquids. When the frames are stacked they will not collapse under the combined weight of the frame, silo and contents. ;It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many permutations and combinations of the combination described herein can be used to enjoy all of the advantages of this combination. ;*

Claims (12)

WHAT I CLAIM IS: -5 - 26 4

1. A portable apparatus for the bulk handling and storage of fluid material comprising a frame, and a rigid silo with a hopper at the bottom thereof contained within said frame, said hopper having a discharge opening at the bottom thereof, and wherein said frame is adapted to receive a frame of another said portable apparatus stacked thereon.

2. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frame is adapted to be stacked on other like frames.

3. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said silo with a hopper bottom is made of plastic.

4. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said discharge opening has a gate valve thereacross.

5. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said discharge opening has a plumbing attachment therein to control the flow of fluid.

6. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the said plumbing attachment is a faucet.

7. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said frame is made of galvanised steel.

8. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said frame is adapted to receive a front end loader or forklift.

9. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said silo is removable from said frame member.

10. A portable apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the bulk of the weight of said frame is in the base when the silo is empty.

11. A portable apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frame is adapted to receive a frame of another said portable apparatus stacked thereon by including a pair of top longitudinal rails and a lower cross member on the bottom of the frame, so that when stacked the other ends of the cross member of one apparatus rests on th6 upper rails of the other apparatus.

12. A portable apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. „ 9ouoX CA/YJUA**-*- csy His / their AJ. PARK * I END OF CLAIMS