US2651436A - Container for holding and transporting materials to be held separately - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 1953 M. FITZGERALD 2,651,436

CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND TRANSPORTING MATERIALS TO BE HELD SEPARATELY Filed May 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Maurzcc ['zfzgeraJJ Sept. 8, 1953 M. FITZGERALD CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND TRANSPORTING MATERIALS TO BE HELD SEPARATELY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1950 ATTOR EY iii 6'. a.

atented Sept. 8, 1953 CONTAINER FOR HOLDING AND TRAN S- PORTING MATERIALS TO BE HELD SEPARATELY Maurice Fitzgerald, Yonkers, N. Y., assignor to Sho-Me, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 25, 1950, Serial No. 164,065 V 4 Claims. (01. 222-145) My invention relates to that class of devices known as containers or receptacles to hold materials separate from each other, and more particularly to that class known as receptacles for batching different materials.

While I do not wish to be limited thereto, my invention is particularly useful in the field of concrete building construction. In constructing concrete roads and large buildings, it is customary to require that the aggregate and cement be mixed at considerable distance from the job and transported in specially constructed trucks which are very expensive both to own and to operate. The work production of this expensive equipment is largely increased and the operating periods of it are reduced materially by my invention. By means of my invention, the .dry rough components of concrete may be put in the same receptacle or container in correctly measured amounts. This material, which usually comprises rock aggregate, sand and cement, must be held without contact until ready to be mixed into concrete. Because the sand or aggregate is usually wet, any contact with the cement before it is to be combined would adversely affect the mix. Heretofore, if the concrete was not mixed and carried to the job in a mixing truck, the laborious method of planting bags of dry cement and manually feeding both the sand and cement to a mixer was necessary. By means of my invention, the mixer may be placed a matter of a few feet from the ultimate destination of the finished concrete and there the final mixing may take place which greatly reduces the labor factor involved; or if the mixing trucks are to be employed their run with the concrete is so materially reduced that they may never have to leave the job and thus will not be required to use the roadways. This, in normal cases, obviates the necessity of paying State taxes on the fuel employed and the vehicles assigned the job would not require license plates.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a receptacle for transporting materials to be later mixed, but which it is desired to retain separated during transportation.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for such materials to be emptied at the same time.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for one or more of the materials to be emptied by delayed action individually.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for such materials, when emptied, to be funnelled into the ultimate mixer.

Another object of my invention is to provide 2 means for such containers to be mounted in such funnel.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means to control the flow of the materials through the funnel into the ultimate mixer.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple method of removing and transporting the receptacles and positioning them.

.Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the funnel may be constructed to accommodate the receptacles from the top or any side.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readily apprehended by having reference to the appended drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side perspective view partly broken away showing the receptacle of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a modified form of mounting for the receptacle of Figs, 1-2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a latch used for latching and unlatching the bottom of the receptacle;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of an assembly of funnel holding two receptacles in" accordance with my invention;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail View of the receptacle bottom arrangement;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the arrangement of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a schematic top view of the funnel arrangement of my invention with the baifie pins omitted.

As shown in the drawings, I provide an outer container or receptacle 2 of any suitable material such as steel or composition. An inner receptacle 4 is provided which may also be of any suitable material and which may be attached to the outer receptacle 2 in any desired manner. I prefer to attach the inner receptacle 4 to one side of the container 2 as shown. As many inner.

receptacles as desired may be mounted therein, I have shown only one. I provide a bottom 5 for the container 2 which may be connected to a bottom 8 of the container 4 in any suitable manner so as to operate the bottom 8 simultaneously with the bottom 6. The bottoms 6 and 8 are mounted on spaced parallel axes. The motion of the bottoms 6 and 8 is pivotal or rotary as both bottoms are pivoted to swing about axes that are parallel. The pivotal mountings are on the same side of the respective containers 2 and 4 and the means pivotally connected to the free edges of both bottoms 5 and 8 enables said bottoms to swing in unison and through equal angular displacements. In practice I have found as a satisfactory arrangement, a stop Iii attached to the bottom 6 by means of rivet or bolt l2. In this arrangement I provide a swivel pin Hi to hold a spacer-bar 16 to a similar stop I attached to bottom 8 by means of a rivet or bolt l2 and holding a swivelpin l4.. In this manner, when the lower bottom 6 is moved, the bottom 8 is also moved and to the same degree. I

provide a plurality of pallets or ribs 58 on the pending the receptacle 2. Itis clear that while I have shown the angle members 28 at the top of the receptacle 2, these angle members may be positioned at any convenient place along the sides of the receptacle and may also be in the form of the ribs 18 if desired.

I provide a head 22 on the upper side of the bottom 6 so that when the bottom is in a closed position, any fine particles will not sift out.

If itis desired, a bail'or the like id may be provided for carrying the receptacle This bail may be attached as shown in Fig. 3 at the top of the receptacle or it may be otherwise positioned as in Fig. 8 intermediate the sides thereof. In this disclosure, it may be desired to provide a simple latch means such as indicated generally as 28 for holding the bottoms sealed. As clearly seen from Fig. 8, I provide a pair of arms 54 attached by any suitable means to the bottom 5 ofcontainer 2. Knobs 56 or'any other suitable means may be provided to accommodate the sling of a crane, or a bail such as bail 2 5 in Fig. 3. When employing this means, I prefer that the receptacle 2 be positioned by the angle members 29 on the frame 53 by coacting supporting angle members 42, and when ready to empty the receptacle 2 the bail or sling may be lowered as desired and thus the bottom 6 will open. As heretofore explained, I provide that the inner bottom door 8 may co-act with bottom 6.

The inner receptacle 4 may be so located that its bottom is formed by the closing of the door 6 which also forms the bottom for receptacle 2. If this embodiment of my invention is employed, the spacer-bar i6 and its attachments will not be required.

The bottoms 6 and 8 may readily be operated separately if desired.

I provide a hopper funnel 3 with a frame 3.3 and a hopper 35 made of suitable material such as metal, wood or composition. This hopper funnel 30 may be of any desired size; I prefer to have it of sufl'icient size to hold the contents of two receptacles. The hopper 35 has a funnel portion 32 adapted to feed the contents of the receptacles into a mixing machine as shown in Fig. 5. Just above the funnel portion 32 I provide a plurality of baffles or pins 34 suitably mounted on spreader bars 36. I incline these baflies or pins 34 so that when the material is dropped from the containers 2 and i, it will strike these baffles or pins 34 inducing a simple stirring action to pre-mix the separated materials which are falling simultaneously. A gate 38 of any desired size or construction may be provided at the orifice 39 of the funnel portion 152 to control the flow of materials. I provide reinforcing angle members 42 on the hopper frame; 46 adapted to cooperate with the angle member's 29 on the receptacle 2 and hold the receptacle suspended inside the hopper. As shown in Fig. 5, I provide that the hopper funnel 36 may be'entered from the side or the top. When entered from the side, it is apparent that the forks of'a fork-lift, which raises the receptacle 2 and positions it in the hopper so that the angle members. it rest on the angle members 1. 2, will allow the bottom 6 and therefore the bottom 8 to open as the forks are. lowered. If a crane is employed :as indicated in. Fig. 8, the control of the bottom '6 may be either by the means of the latch 28 or thebail maybe lowered as described above. If desired, the bottom 8 may rest on the upper side of the bottom 6 and thus open as the bottom 6 is lowered.

The hopper frame 46 is constructed sufiiciently strong to support water containers and Water heaters. These are particularly useful when my invention is employed to carry batches of aggregate and cement in the making of concrete. When employing my invention for carrying aggregate and cement, I provide that thereceptacles 2 and G are of a predetermined size so that the correct amount of cement may be'placed in container A to match the correct amount of aggregate in receptacle 2 to form a complete batch. If desired, as mentioned above, an additional inner container to hold sand or the like maybe provided. The receptacles may then be filled and lifted by means of a fork truck, an overhead crane, monorail, locomotive crane or the like, onto a truck trailer, a semi-trailer, a flat-bed truck, flat car or the like. The ribs It are particularly helpful in looking thereceptacles in place. For this purpose other matching beads or ribs may be positioned in the transporting vehicle in such a manner as to be in juxtaposition with the ribs 18' and thus hold the receptacles. The means for accomplishing this are so well known that I have merely described one, but it is clear that any suitable looking or holding device may be employed. Upon arrival at the job, the receptacle is lifted off the vehicle and transported to the hopper-funnel as, where, as explained hereinbefore, it may be positioned from any side or from the top. In practice I prefer to have the hopper-funnel 38 so constructed that only the funnel part M is enclosed. The upper frame 46 may be suitably constructed of steel and may be spaced at the top by channel beams 48 or the like as shown in Fig. 9. In this manner I have provided a structure which will hold one or more receptacles in position for dumping the contents thereof into the funnel 35. I provide upright sides '58 attached to the funnel 35 of sufficient height to hold the entire contents of at least one receptacle.

I provide a lower frame generally designated as 52 which may be of sufficient size to allow a mixing machine to be run under it. In practice I have found that this frame 52 may berconstructed in such a manner that it is readily dismantled and erected as desired. I prefer to use the pipe and sleeve-lock currently employed in repair frame work, but I do not wish to be limited thereto. If it is desired to construct my hopper funnel as a portable structure, it is clear that the entire frame work may be adapted to be assembled with drift-pins which are readily removable When it is desired to move the installation.

fhen employing my invention for concrete mak- 'ig, I have found it desirable to provide heating lIls when the working temperature so requires. I have found it convenient to construct simple -e racks for holding the receptacles while waitto place them in the hopper-funnel. These fa ks are then connected to a source of steamer h Jt water and the contents of the receptacles .re maintained above a freezin temperature. he heating pipes may be formed to surround the receptacles or may be simply connected to a manifold and become racks which are heated.

With the addition of water tanks and heating means for the water, my invention has become peculiarly well adapted to all fields of construction employing concrete.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. A receptacle for holding materials separately comprising, an outer container, an inner container, said inner container attached to one side of said outer container, a bottom hinged to said outer container, a bottom hinged to said inner container, means extending in a substantially vertical plane and interconnecting said bottoms to cause both bottoms to swing in unison, means on said outer container to hold said inner container in a vertical plane, means on the bottom of said outer containers to prevent said materials from seeping outwardly, and means on the bottom of said outer container to prevent side motion of the receptacle.

2. A receptacle for holding materials separately comprising, an outer container, an inner container, said inner container attached to one side of said outer container, a bottom hinged to said outer container, a bottom hinged to said inner container, means interconnecting said bottoms comprising a substantially vertically extending bar pivotally connected at one end with the lower surface of the bottom of said inner container and. at the other end with the upper surface of the bottom of the outer container to cause both bottoms to swing in unison, means on said outer container to hold said inner container, means on the bottom of said outer container to prevent said materials from seeping outwardly, and means on the bottom of said outer container to prevent side motion, of the receptacle.

3. A multiple section receptacle for holding materials separately comprising an outer container, an inner container supported by said outer container, said containers each having a discharge aperture, bottoms for the discharge apertures of each of said containers mounted on spaced substantially parallel axes on the same side of the respective containers and pivoted to swing about said axes, and means pivotally connected adjacent to the free edges of both of said bottoms for swinging said bottoms in unison through substantially equal displacements for opening and closing the discharge apertures of the respective containers, said means comprising a substantially vertically extending link pivotally connected at one end with the lower surface of the bottom of said inner container and pivotally connected at the opposite end with the upper sur face of the bottom of said outer container, said link ofiering no appreciable obstruction to the discharge of materials from the two containers. 4. A multiple section receptacle for holding materials separately comprising an outer container, an inner container supported by said outer container, said containers each having a discharge aperture, bottoms for the discharge apertures of each of said containers mounted on spaced substantially parallel axes on the same side of the respective containers and pivoted to swing about said axes, and means pivotally connected adjacent to the free edges of both of said bottoms for swinging said bottoms in unison through substantially equal displacements for opening and closing the discharge apertures 01 the respective containers, said means comprising a substantially vertically extending link pivotally connected at one end with the lower surface of the bottom of said inner container and pivotally connected at the opposite end with the upper surface of the bottom of said outer container, said link extending through said outer container and terminating beneath said inner container. MAURICE FITZGERALD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 135,617 Andrews Feb. 11, 1873 894,885 Hanger Aug. 4, 1908 1,373,521 Neller Apr. 5, 1921 1,483,643 Palmer et a1 Feb. 12, 1924 1,528,927 Kaplan Mar. 10, 1925 1,612,283 Hackney Dec. 28, 1926 1,655,533 Campagna Jan. 10, 1928 1,695,692 Kreisinger Dec. 18, 1928 1,724,403 Hutchinson Aug. 13, 1929 1,925,541 Noble Sept. 5, 1933 2,052,646 Osgood Sept. 1, 1936 2,440,056 McIntyre et al Apr. 20, 1948 2,519,707 Schafier Aug. 22, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 502,763 Germany July 17, 1930

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