HK1070040B - A container system and method for transferring bulk materials and producing mixture - Google Patents

Description

Container-type system and method for transporting bulk materials and producing mixtures

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the container-type handling of bulk materials, such as construction materials. The invention also relates to the storage and bulk handling of such materials using conventional containers.

Background

The container may be used to transport bulk materials such as construction materials. However, one problem associated with this is that such materials are not always easy to unload. Containers tend to be tipped up from one end, causing material to fall out of the other end. However, this is not simply a slight tilting. For complete unloading, some materials need to be tilted over an angle of 45 degrees. This requires tilting equipment and space, and also creates a lot of dust and mess.

Instead of using conventional box containers, tank or drum containers (with tanks in the container frame) are used. The material is emptied through a valve on the bottom. Although such containers can be used with dry materials, they are often not used with wet materials; the valve may become blocked.

The best example of the transport of bulk material is concrete. Concrete is a common building material and is a mixture of cement, sand, gravel and water. The strength of the cured concrete depends on the ratio of the various components. Additives may be added to improve the flow properties of the concrete during mixing and/or casting; other substances may be added to increase the hardness of the concrete after curing; pigments may also be added to give the concrete a unique color for special purposes, such as distinguishing different floor areas in a factory.

These materials are typically supplied in bulk form by discrete suppliers. For example, cement can only be manufactured in specific plants where limestone and large amounts of electrical energy are readily available and only where approved by environmental regulatory authorities. Gravel is also produced at the quarry and the industry is monitored by environmental regulators. Sand may be obtained by excavation from the sea or river bed. The raw materials are then transported to a batch processing plant. The batching plant may be located at a construction site, but in most cases the construction site is not available to provide land for the on-site concrete batching plant, or there are other reasons why it is not feasible. In this case, the raw materials are batched at a remote batching plant and transported to the site by concrete mixer trucks. Such remote batch processing plants must occupy a large amount of land to store the raw materials. In countries where land is scarce, such as singapore, efficient use of land is very important.

In many locations, all construction materials are imported from surrounding areas; the gravel may come from one location while the sand and cement come from another location. Generally, gravel and sand are transported by barges, while cement is transported by dedicated vessels. At the landing dock, the materials are stored and then transported to a batch processing plant or construction site.

These batch processing plants and landing terminals are typically open air facilities and transporting large quantities of material can result in significant dust emissions into the air. It is also important to suppress dust contamination.

So that tilting of a container mounted on a truck tends to generate a large amount of dust. Also, it is not safely feasible to tilt a container suspended from a crane. Wet sand and gravel cannot be transported in drum or tank containers.

These problems require that simple and economical measures for transporting and transporting bulk materials have to be developed and that pollution needs to be reduced from the existing level.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides novel containers and, in particular, an apparatus and system for containerizing treatment of construction materials. The containers are handled at the container port and stacked in a stacking yard. Sand and gravel (granules) may also be batched into the blender container for storage.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a container-type apparatus for transporting bulk material and producing stock of a mix, shaped and dimensioned to handle like a standard freight container at least in length and width, and has a bottom, at least a portion of which can be opened to unload the contents of the container therethrough, the system having at least one compartment, the or each compartment having at least one lower region of reduced cross-sectional area, each lower region leading to an opening, and having a closure assembly for the or at least one opening for releasing or retaining the contents of the compartment, and, the closure assembly includes at least one pair of cooperating halves, the cooperating edge of one cooperating half overlapping the cooperating edge of the other cooperating half when the base is closed.

The base or a portion of the base may slide, pivot, articulate, swing, move vertically, and the like.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary apparatus for turning over a container, comprising:

a support portion;

a rotatable container holding portion; and

means for rotating the container securing part on the support part;

wherein the container fixing part includes:

a base for supporting and fastening to the lower part of the container; and

arm means extendable in a first direction and having fastening means with an extension in at least a second plane perpendicular to said first direction for fastening to the upper part of a container;

wherein the securing means is rotatable between a first position in which it cannot secure a container whilst it is supported and secured on the base, and a second position in which it can secure a container whilst it is supported and secured on the base.

Preferably, the container may be placed to be secured to or removed from said base when said securing means is in the first position, and the securing means obstructs the container from being placed to be secured to or removed from said base when said securing means is in the second position.

Advantageously, the base may be arranged to support the container from below, and the fastening means is arranged to fasten the container from above.

Preferably, two such devices are used together, one at each end of the container.

A pollution control housing is also provided for use with the rotating equipment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for producing a mixture of components, comprising: at least one stacking area having a stacking chamber for the components; and a metering zone for measuring and delivering metered amounts of the components; wherein the system is arranged such that the container system described above can be stacked on top of the stacking area to replenish the components therein.

The system for producing a mixture of components may also include a portion for storing or mixing metered components prior to unloading the mixture.

This can be achieved by using the container or the rotating device.

Preferably, the system includes a pollution control area for use between at least the container and the stacking area for inhibiting particulate pollution as material is unloaded into the stacking area.

The stacking area, metering area, mixing area and one or more pollution control areas are preferably identical to standard freight containers in shape, size, transportability and stackability.

Such a system is particularly suitable for producing concrete.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a mixture using the above system, comprising the steps of:

dropping the components into a stacking area;

transporting the component from a stacking area into the metering area;

metering the components and discharging the metered components into the mixing zone; and

the components are mixed.

Drawings

The invention will be further described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 a-1 c illustrate a shipping container having an integral or split (in one or two) skid floor in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 a-2 e illustrate a container according to embodiments of the present invention having an integral or split hinged floor;

FIGS. 3 a-3 b illustrate a compartmentalized container as another embodiment of the invention;

figures 4 a-4 b show a container with both the bottom and the top openable;

FIGS. 5 a-5 e illustrate details of a container according to yet another embodiment;

FIGS. 6 a-6 f show detailed configurations of a container according to yet another embodiment;

figures 7a to 7c show a rotary apparatus for a container according to another aspect of the invention;

FIGS. 8 a-8 g illustrate a system for containerization of construction materials in a concrete production plant in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 9 a-9 c illustrate a pollution control housing for a rotating device;

figure 10 shows another system for containerizing raw materials at a concrete production plant.

11 a-11 d illustrate an interface seal between stacked containers according to yet another aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 12 a-12 c illustrate a cap for preventing waste of material according to yet another aspect of the present invention; while

Figure 13 shows a system for containerized processing of construction materials at a port.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a container 10 with a one-piece skid floor 20. The container 10 has the same or similar external length and width dimensions and corner castings as normal freight containers already in use, such as ISO or SeaLand type containers. Although it is preferred to use standard heights, non-standard heights may also be used. However, the bottom is different, allowing the bottom panel 20 to be slid open. In this way, material located inside the container can fall out of the bottom. The bottom frame of the container has support bars 30 which support the bottom when closed and remain rigid under the weight of the material. The support rods 30 are preferably pointed or bent at the top to prevent the material from being left on when it falls.

Furthermore, around the edge of the floor 20, there is a seal 15 to prevent the material in the container from reaching around the ends and sides of the floor 20 and escaping, or from hindering sliding.

The base plate 20 need not necessarily be a unitary member. It may, as shown in fig. 1b and 1c, consist of two parts 20', 20 ", preferably with an overlapping edge 21. This has the advantage that the bottom can be opened from either or both sides if space is limited. A single container may have two or more independently movable or non-movable floors along its length and/or width. Cracks in some containers may not be in a neutral position and/or may not be movable on one side.

In another embodiment of the invention, fig. 2a shows a hinged floor 22 instead of a sliding floor. Preferably the hinged floor comprises two parts 22', 22 "as shown in figure 2b, with a pivot along the bottom support of the container frame and a bridging edge substantially in between. For long containers, such as 20 foot long containers, the hinged floor across the container may be made in several areas 24 to ensure the rigidity of the bottom (see fig. 2 c). A brace 31 may also be provided along the middle of the container bottom frame in the long or short area. In this way the moving edge of the floor can rest on the intermediate strut 31, providing a more robust locking and release mechanism and greater strength. The hinge may be placed at the brace 31 instead of at the edge brace of the container (fig. 2d and 2 e).

Another embodiment is to separate the containers 10' to handle multiple construction materials simultaneously (fig. 3a and 3 b). In this way, for example, sand and/or gravel (pellets) can be batched into different compartments in the container. In this way, a container containing sand and aggregate can be transported to a mixing station to produce concrete of different structural strengths (with different sand, aggregate, cement and water contents). By pre-metering the batches, metering stations may also be eliminated in typical cement batch processing plants. Although three bays are shown, there may be any number of bays spaced along the length and/or width of the container.

In fig. 4a and 4b a further embodiment is shown, which has a top that can be opened similarly. This technical feature allows easy loading, after which the contents thereof, in particular sand, are covered and ensures that the water content is maintained during transport or storage.

The sliding of the floor (or its areas) can be achieved by means of built-in hydraulic cylinders and a (remote) hydraulic power plant. This method is preferred because of the large power that can be provided, and the hydraulic cylinder is small enough to be mounted below the floor. With some small control units, such as those mounted at the edge of the container, the operator can easily operate the hydraulic cylinders to slide the floor open. By operating different control units, different areas of the bottom plate can be opened. The hydraulic cylinder and the control unit may be connected at least in some parts by means of common hoses. The hose allows relative movement between the hydraulic cylinder and the control unit, whereby the bottom can be opened. The control unit may be integrated with the power plant.

In the same way, for example, hydraulic cylinders can be used to release the locking hooks for the hinged floor or areas of the floor. Due to its high power, it is preferable to use hydraulic power, a small hydraulic cylinder and control unit, and a flexible power supply line. Additional hydraulic cylinders may be provided to enable the hinged floor to be closed. This solution is particularly useful when the hinged bottom is closed, for example, inaccessible for safety reasons.

The movable floor is also provided with a handle which allows them to be pulled from the outside, for example by means of a hook on a chain, a forklift. Other means may be used, particularly rotary means such as a motor connected to a reduction gear set for driving a rack and pinion assembly; or a winch and cable mechanism.

It is also possible to mount actuators (linear and rotary) for manipulating the floor of the container 10, 10 "(or regions of the container) on a structure on which the container 10, 10" is placed. In this case, the projection at the end of the actuator movement engages a catch on the underside of the base plate 20 (or its respective region 20 "). This technical feature has the advantage that only one set of working means is required at each material unloading location.

Fig. 5a and 5b show a further embodiment of a container for unloading the contents thereof through an openable bottom, the detailed construction of which is shown in fig. 5 c. The illustrated container 10' "has three funnel sections in its lower portion that are sealed by the steerable pivoting floor 32. Pulling the pivoting floor 32 to one side allows the material in the container to fall out through the end of the funnel. In this embodiment, the three pivoting bottom plates 32 are interconnected so that pulling to one side, all three are pulled. However, in certain other embodiments, particularly in segregated containers, this is not the case. Of course, three such funnels and opening portions are not necessary. And may be any number greater than one.

As can be seen from fig. 5a to 5c, each pivoting bottom plate 32 is essentially formed by two vertical end hinge plates 32a and an interconnected bottom, one at each end of the hinge plates 32. The bottom portion, like its upper portion, has an arcuate closure plate 32 b. The middle of the closing plate 32b is the lowermost portion thereof. Below which is a triangular support member 32 c. The two apexes of the support members 32c coincide with the ends of the arcuate closure plates 32 b. The third apex is below the middle of the closing plate 32b, which becomes its lowest point.

The main part of the closing plate 32b closes the bottom of the funnel portion 33, thereby preventing the outflow of the material. However, the ends of the closure plate extend beyond the edges of the funnel to ensure complete closure. On each side a seal 38 prevents material from sliding between the end of the funnel and the closure plate.

Vertical end hinge plates 32a are pivoted on the outside of the hopper 33, allowing them to swing to either side. During this pivoting movement, the interconnected closure plates are also pivoted to one side, thereby opening the funnel. The arc of the closure plate is centered on the pivot axis of the end hinge plate 32a to allow it to swing over the rim of the hopper without allowing any material to enter between them. However, this is not critical.

The end plates are illustrated as solid, but may also consist essentially of rods around their edges. They are shown hinged to the hopper 33 but could be hinged to the container walls or other struts. The funnel 33 is illustrated as narrowing in two orthogonal directions, but this is not necessarily so. They need only be narrowed in the direction of oscillation of the closing plate. In the other orthogonal direction they need only allow the end plates to pivot on their outer sides.

The closing plate is illustrated as being perforated. The perforations 32d allow water collected in the container 10' ″ to drain and keep the material moist. Below the perforated closing plate 32b is a filter material 32e, such as a sponge. The filter material 32e allows water to pass through but retains the material inside the container. Inside the support member 32c is an inclined plate 37. The plate 37 holds the filter material 32e in place and directs water to the outlet 32 f. Fig. 5b shows two inclined plates 37, 37', but it is for instance possible to have only one inclined plate in one direction. A hose or conduit may be connected to the outlet 32f to direct water outside the confines of the container, thereby preventing water from dripping from the upper level container into the lower level container.

The opening mechanism will be described below. A hook 34 is pivotally connected to the support member 32c at pivot point 34 a. Pulling the hook can pull the pivoting bottom plate 32. To open all compartments in the container 10' ″ simultaneously, a linkage 36 is provided between each of the pivoted floors 32. The links 36 are pivotally connected to the support member 32c at pivot points 36 a. Pivot points 36a and 34a may be coincident, as desired. Additionally, springs 36b, 36 b' are provided between the funnel and the hook 34 and/or the link 36 to return the pivoting floor 32 to their closed position.

A remote lever 35 located below the container 10 '"can be used to engage the hook 34 when the container 10'" is lowered to its unloading position. The height is set to push the hook upward during descent to pull the floor 32 apart, thereby opening the bottom of the container 10' ″ and allowing the contents to fall out. The height of the operating lever 35 can be adjusted. This will allow easy control of the opening operation of the bottom 32. Once the container 10' ″ is emptied and the container is lifted, the bottoms 32 return to their closed position under the force of gravity (and a spring or other biasing device).

To reduce the load on the base 32, the area of the openable base must be kept small while allowing the contents to be unloaded in a controlled manner within a reasonable speed. This means that the bottom 32 must be of reasonable size and mass.

An alternative mechanism for opening the pivoting floor 32 is to use an actuator 35a instead of the remote lever 35, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder as shown in fig. 5 d. Once the refilled container 10 "is placed in the material unloading position (which may be a container), the actuator 35a extends and engages a catch fixedly mounted on the base plate 32, thereby causing it to rotate about its pivot point and open the bottom of the compartment in the container 10". The link 36' may be used to connect the floor 32 in two or more bays.

A variation of the opening mechanism is to mount the actuator 35 a' directly to the container 10 "as shown in figure 5 e. This would be useful, for example, when the hoisting installation has a limited headroom.

Fig. 6a and 6b show yet another embodiment 10 of a container^ivFor passing through a openableThe bottom portion unloads the contents therein. As shown in these figures, the bottom of the container includes a plurality of pairs of inclined plates 25, the inclined plates 25 extending across the bottom of the container and being spaced apart from each other. These plates 25 are inclined at an angle of between 20 and 60 degrees with respect to the vertical. They are joined at their upper edges to form a triangular region 26 across the width of the container. The space between each pair of said areas 26 forms a discharge channel 27, through which discharge channel 27 the content is discharged. At each end of the container there is a further inclined plate 25, the upper edge of which inclined plate 25 is connected to the end wall and the lower edge is connected to the bottom. These inclined plates 25 also form the discharge channel 27 with the closest inclined plate in the adjacent area 26.

The discharge channel 27 is kept closed by means of a triangular cover 28, which triangular cover 28 extends across the width of the container. These covers 28 are substantially symmetrical with respect to the vertical direction. This profile ensures that the flow of the contents generates equal relative dynamic lateral forces on both sides of the lid and that each lid 28 is located in the middle of the unloading space 27. The symmetrical sides of the lid 28 also ensure that the lateral component of the weight of the contents on the lid remains balanced, while the vertical component urges the lid to close by itself.

Figure 6a shows the actuator 29 and the components on the container mounted vertically in the space directly below the cover 28. These actuators can extend vertically to push or lift the covers from their closed position and allow the content to be unloaded through the space between the cover 28 and the tilt plate 25. These actuators are connected to the directional control valve through conduits for pneumatically or hydraulically conveying high pressure fluid. These control devices (not shown in the figures) are typically mounted in the empty space below the triangular region 26 and are accessible from one side of the container. Of course, a large number of actuators may be connected together and may be operated in groups by one control valve. For ease of operation, an additional set of control valves may be provided on the opposite side of the container.

To prevent wear and tear on the actuators 29 due to the flow of material unloaded from the bottom of the container, a sacrificial cover 29a (sacrificial cover) may be provided around each actuator. The sacrificial cover 29a can be replaced periodically and when needed.

Fig. 6b shows the operation of opening the lid 28 when the container is lowered onto the top of a pollution control container 120 (shown in fig. 8a or 8 b) in another embodiment for unloading the contents thereof through the pollution control container 120. In this embodiment the actuator 29 does not form part of the container but is arranged as part of the pollution control container 120 or attached to the pollution control container 120 at the material landing or unloading site. Also, control mechanisms, such as pneumatic or hydraulic lines and flow direction control valves, are provided on the pollution control container 120. This helps to reduce the hardware cost of the container in this embodiment.

In fig. 6a and 6b, each actuator need not be controlled by a separate control mechanism. They may be connected in parallel, or even in series, depending on the actuator used. Of course, the number of actuators or control mechanisms is not limited.

Fig. 6c shows another embodiment and, instead of an extendable piston device, the cover 28 is opened with a fixed lever 29b mounted on the pollution control container 120. Thereby, lowering the container causes the unloading passage to be opened.

It should be noted that the mounting location of the actuators 29 or joysticks 29b is not limited to the pollution control container 120. They may similarly be installed elsewhere, such as on the stacking containers 104, 110 or the unloading container 102 (as described later in fig. 8) depending on the equipment available for the various material handling facilities.

Fig. 6d and 6e show yet another method of opening the lid 28. As shown in fig. 6d, the upper edge of the cover 28 has two mutually spaced locations, each having attached to it one end of a cord 28 a. The other end of each rope is attached to a crossbar 28b, which crossbar 28b is movably positioned across the container near the top. The ends of the crossbar 28b have hooks for engaging the upper edge of the container. The lid 28 can be pulled up, for example by engaging the cross bars 28b with additional hooks from the lifting device and lifting them a distance, thereby opening the passageway to unload the contents of the container. Instead of a hook, a pair of slide rails may be provided adjacent the upper edge of the container, or other suitable means for allowing the individual rails 28b to be repositioned after they have been lifted.

To prevent wear and tear on the cords, a sacrificial pipe (sacrifical pipe)28c is provided around each cord 28 c. A V-shaped plate 28d is attached to the bottom of the conduit 28 c. The V-shaped plate 28d fits over the upper edge of the cover 28 and provides additional support for the conduit or cable.

The cross bars 28b are mutually connected by means of a pair of longitudinal bars 28e, so that lifting the longitudinal bars 28e at two or four positions is sufficient to pull up all the lids 28 and open the unloading channel 27. Alternatively, a single bar 28e is provided in the middle of the cross bars 28b, all of the cross bars 28b are connected together, and then all of the covers 28 can be opened simultaneously using two hook engagement locations on the bar 28 e.

Variations to this embodiment are also possible. A variation is to provide the lid with other cross-sections, such as with a partial cylindrical section. Another variant, as shown in figure 6f, is to provide an inclined cord, each end of which is attached to two attachment points on the cover 28, with the middle of the cord extending above a single cross-bar 28 e. To assist in placing the cross bar 28e at the middle of the container, at least two cross bars 28b are provided near both ends of the container. Sacrificial conduits may also be provided around the rope to mitigate direct wear and tear on the rope and to reduce indirect maintenance costs. Another variation is to omit the rope, but use a sacrificial conduit or some other attachment for lifting the lid 28, such as a cable or chain.

Another aspect of the invention is shown in fig. 7 a-7 c. In this aspect, the top-opened container is unloaded or the top-opened container is unloaded by inverting the container with the rotating apparatus 40.

With one rotating ring 41, one support member 47 rotatably mounts one rotating member 42. The outer ring 41a of the rotating ring 41 is fixedly mounted on the rotating member 42. The inner ring 41b of the rotating ring 41 is mounted on the support member 47. A motor, a gear box, and a gear assembly 48 are mounted on the support member 47 for rotating the rotating ring 41 a. Depending on the required rotational torque, additional drive assemblies may be provided.

The swivel member 42 has a base with twist locks 45 for supporting and securing to the lower corner castings of standard freight containers. On its side, there are also two vertically operable hydraulic actuators 43 for adjusting the height of two vertically movable clamping brackets 44. These brackets 44 have twist locks 46 at the top for securing to the upper corner castings of a standard freight container and also for clamping against the base. The upper twist lock 46 is on an arm that can rotate about a vertical axis in the vertical portion of the clamp bracket 44. They can be rotated through 90 degrees to clear the containers to be handled. This will allow the container to be loaded vertically onto the rotating member 42. The angle of rotation may be slightly smaller or larger, even allowing rotation through 360 degrees. The shaft may even be horizontal to allow the arm to pivot in a vertical plane.

The clamp bracket 44 and the upper twist lock 46 may also or alternatively pivot about a horizontal axis between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the bracket 44 is in a horizontal position with the twist lock 46 facing downward. The bracket 44 can also be swung upwards to its second position and clear the path for the feed container to be lowered vertically. Once the lower twist lock 45 has engaged the lower corner casting of the container, the bracket 44 and the upper twist lock 46 will move back to their first positions. They are then lowered by retracting the actuators 43 before engagement with the upper corner castings. These operations may also be performed simultaneously or in other ways sequentially.

When the container is locked to the swivel member 42, the swivel ring 41 is rotated to rotate the swivel member 42 and container substantially 180 degrees to empty the contents thereof. It can then be turned 180 degrees or rotated through the remaining 180 degrees back to its upright position.

The support member 47 may be mounted on the ground, on a trailer, on a forklift, or other suitable frame or vehicle.

Since a fully loaded container can be very heavy, the preferred embodiment has two such rotating devices 40, one at each end. In figure 7c a preferred solution is shown where two rotating assemblies 40 are mounted on rails 49 to allow the length of the container to be varied. Although both are illustrated in adjustable positions, only one is required to be adjustable or located on the guide rail.

Fig. 8a shows a container-type batch processing plant in which the various components are batch processed together in bulk, for example for concrete. Each type of material used has its own dedicated feed stack 100, which comprises a set of containers stacked on top of each other. The bottom discharge container 102 has a discharge channel 50 through which the material is transported from a feeder, such as a conveyor, to the metering station 60 before mixing with other components in the station 70. From there, it can be loaded into an automated blender or other container. The workstation 70 may be a mixing device and/or a stacking device.

Depending on the amount of material to be stacked, there is at least one stacked container 104, 110 stacked above the unloading container 102, and for automation a minimum material level sensor 103 is arranged near the bottom of the unloading container. Two stacked containers 104, 110 are shown. The three containers hold the relevant materials. Near the top of the stacked containers there is a material position sensor 105 for sensing the upper limit of the stored material.

Figure 8b shows a container 10 full of the relevant material at the top of the stack 100. The contents of which are discharged downwardly into one of the pollution control containers 120 and the contents of the pollution control container 120 itself are discharged into the uppermost stacked container 104. A retractable vibrator may be attached to the outside of the feed container 10. The vibrator is used when necessary, for example when the sand is wet and difficult to make use of gravity to cause it to start falling, or to minimise the amount of wet sand left on the inner surface of the feed container.

The opening mechanism may be any of the mechanisms shown earlier, such as a movable base or tilting the container up and down by using the rotating mechanism described earlier.

Unloading container 102 is illustrated by the different embodiments in fig. 8 c-8 e. Each figure shows a side view and an end view of the container. In each case, the contents of the container are moved to an unloading position using at least one screw conveyor (screen).

The pollution control container 120 is shown in more detail in fig. 8 f. Shown with two funnels 126. These hoppers collect and guide the material falling from above into the container. Below and to the side of the funnel 126, there are a plurality of exhaust fans 122. Separating each fan from the interior chamber of the container is a filter 124 for capturing fine dust particles in the exhaust gases as the material is released from the container 10 into the feed stack. Above the exhaust fan and filter, the underside of the funnel 126 acts as a turning shroud (turning shrouds) to create a plenum for the fan and filter. Below each filter area, a housing 128 is provided to capture dust particles that accumulate and fall from the filter. On the bottom of each housing, a valve 129 is provided for periodically removing accumulated dust. This aspect of the invention serves to suppress the dust pollution phenomenon inherent in such industries.

The fans 122 have a control to cause them to operate in a reversible bi-directional rotation. To properly perform pollution control during material unloading, the fan 122 functions as an exhaust fan while the impeller is rotating in a first direction. To remove dust adhering to the filter and force dust particles to be collected in the housing 128, the fan acts as a blower while the impeller is rotated in the opposite direction. With this feature, the filter has high working efficiency. Since clogging of the filter is avoided, no plant shut-down is required. Such a filter cleaning process may be performed periodically using automatic or interlocking control. In order to increase the efficiency of the filter, additional vibration means may be used in addition to the filter.

When a separate container 10 ", 10'" is used to supply different components, the hoppers in the pollution control containers can divert the flow of material to different storage locations.

As shown in fig. 8a, above the workstations 60 and 70 is another pollution control container 80. As with the earlier described pollution control container 120, there are a plurality of exhaust fans 84 and filters 86 separating these fans from the other chambers in the container into which the material is delivered through the passage 50. Above the filter and near the top center of the container, there are a plurality of anti-clogging cylinders 82. These cylinders can shake off dust on the filter to prevent the filter from clogging and failing to function.

Depending on the reach of the processing facility in the batch plant, the feed stacks 100 (including at least one stacked container, one pollution control container and a material supply container) may be mounted directly above the workstations 60 and 70. This is shown in fig. 8 b.

A pollution control container 120' for use with the container rotating apparatus 40 described earlier is shown from the side in fig. 9a and from the top in fig. 9 b. The container 120' is larger than a standard container. But are balanced so that they can be stacked on top of them and have twist locks suitably arranged for the purpose. Which is shown stacked on top of the stack 100.

As in other pollution control containers described earlier, there are multiple fans and filters. The hopper 126' is used to divert falling material into an underlying container, such as the stacked container 104 in the stack 100 or other container. The pollution control container 120' has a large frame 132, the frame 132 being shown in its entirety in fig. 9c and enclosing a pair of rotating devices 40 mounted on the rails 49. It is mounted to the bottom 130 of the frame 132 by means of a twist lock. The container 120' also has a retractable cover 131 on top. The cover is closed when a feed container is loaded onto the rotary apparatus to tip it over and discharge its contents. In this way, the generated dust is retained inside the container 120' and captured by the filter to prevent contamination of the environment. As with other pollution control containers, the rotation of the fan may be reversed periodically to remove dust particles to prevent clogging of the filter. Additional vibration means may also be used in order to increase the efficiency of the filter.

Figure 10 shows another embodiment of a material supply stack. A mobile container trolley 150 moves along a set of rails and loads/unloads the feed container 10 onto/from the top of the stacked container 104'. Such a mobile container trolley 150 has a limited working height. In this case, the pollution control features of the container 120 are integrated into the upper portion of the stacked container 104'. Below the container 104' is a metering conveyor 152 for conveying appropriate amounts of different material components to a drag conveyor 153 for discharge into the workstation 70.

Each of the workstations 70 is enclosed in a pollution control enclosure 120 ". As with other pollution control features, there may be multiple fans and filters to mitigate dust contamination. Additional vibration means may also be provided.

According to the specifications of standard freight containers, they are stacked on top of each other and only the corner castings of one container come into contact with the corner castings of the other containers. This means that the interface between the containers is open and dust can escape from or enter into the interface gap. Therefore, it is effective to provide a portable seal to ensure such a contamination control measure. Fig. 11a to 11d show the use states of the seals 200, 210. For seal 200, once the container is in place, it can be inserted from the side. The seal 200 is secured in place by means of a rotatable latch 201. The latches may be distributed at regular intervals, for example at 0.6 meter intervals. For seals 210, they must be placed on the lower level containers before the upper level containers are placed.

Containers are typically filled with construction materials using a chaotic bulk transport, such as by conveyors, clamshell and cranes; bucket and trailer; and so on. During such filling, the material will inevitably fall between the containers. This is a waste. Furthermore, when this operation is repeated several times, piles of material are left which can render the container unsightly and therefore require removal. To minimize material accumulation, a cap 140 is used as shown in fig. 12a and 12 b. The covers hold the containers together along their edges, one covering two adjacent long edges or other edges, thereby preventing material from falling between them. A different cover 142 is used to cover the adjacent edge and corner castings. Otherwise, the materials will also fall there and make it difficult to lock them properly. Between which covers 140, 142 may be used for each adjacent edge. For example, along the top, depending on the length of the container, several covers 140 may be used along adjacent lengths.

Fig. 13 shows a system for a container port for containerization of construction materials. The containers are unloaded from the barge or container ship 300 by means of a crane or other device (not shown) and unloaded onto a tractor 350 for transport to the stacking yard using another crane, typically a rubber tire gantry crane 400. Within the working area of the crane there is a concrete production area 500, such as the batch plant described earlier. The various components of the concrete are loaded into the dosing station 60 for dosing before being loaded into the station 70. It may also include the delivery of an appropriate amount of water if immediate humidification is required. However, the customer may order only the construction materials. In this case, the crane is used to find a container with the required type of material, load it onto a container truck, and send it to the customer without having to go through the concrete production area.

The containers from barges or ships may also be known as stirred containers (containers). In this case, the drums of the mixing container may already be loaded with the appropriate amount of sand and aggregate to produce a universal grade of concrete. These mixing containers are stacked for storage or sent to a production area 500 where water, cement and other additives are metered and added to make the concrete. Alternatively, a separate grouting station 600 is provided for filling the mixing containers only.

The container of the present invention may also be used to transport or transport other materials or conventional goods as long as they can be unloaded by opening the floor or some area on the floor. These conventional cargoes include one or more of the following: an item located on the tray; materials located in drums or cartons; and machines, but are not so limited. Such containers also include one or more doors at one or more ends and/or sides to allow for easy loading of the items.

While only a few embodiments of the devices and systems have been described and illustrated, it should be understood that many changes, modifications, and variations could be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (48)

1. A container-type apparatus for transporting bulk material and producing stock for mixes, shaped and dimensioned to be handled like a standard freight container at least in terms of length and width, and having a base through which at least a portion of the base can be opened to discharge the contents of the container, the system having at least one compartment, the or each compartment having at least one lower region of reduced cross-sectional area, each lower region leading to an opening, and having a closure assembly for the or at least one opening for releasing or retaining the contents of the compartment, and the closure assembly comprising at least one pair of cooperating halves, the cooperating edges of one cooperating half overlapping the cooperating edges of the other cooperating half when the base is closed.

2. The container-type apparatus of claim 1 wherein the closure assembly is slidably openable.

3. The container-type device of claim 1, wherein the closure assembly is hingeably opened.

4. The container-type device of claim 2, wherein the closure assembly can be hinged open.

5. The container-type apparatus of claim 1, wherein both cooperating halves of each pair can be opened.

6. The container-type apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least a portion of the base includes an arcuate portion that is operative to swing away from the opening.

7. The container-type device of claim 5 or 6, wherein the at least one closure assembly is pivotally connected.

8. A container-type apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 further comprising hooking means for moving the closure assembly to an open position to allow the contents of its compartment to be unloaded.

9. A container-type apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6 having a plurality of said closure assemblies pivotally connected by connecting means so that they can be opened all together with one open.

10. A container-type apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the or at least one closure assembly has a perforated closure plate for allowing liquid to drain therethrough.

11. A container-type apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a filter means disposed below the or at least one perforated closure plate for allowing liquid to drain therethrough but keeping material trapped inside the container.

12. The container style apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the at least one closure panel is arcuate and is configured to have a substantially constant clearance from its opening as it is opened.

13. The container-type facility of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion includes a plurality of inclined portions spaced apart from one another to form a discharge passage.

14. The container-type facility of claim 13, wherein the bottom further comprises an inclined portion along both ends of the container to facilitate unloading of the contents and to prevent material from accumulating at these ends during unloading.

15. The container-type facility of claim 13 or 14, further comprising a plurality of movable covers on the discharge passage for closing and opening the discharge passage.

16. The container-type facility of claim 15 wherein the lid can be lifted to open the discharge passage for discharge.

17. The container-type apparatus of claim 16, further comprising piston means for lifting the lid.

18. The container-type apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for allowing access to the lid and lifting the lid from under the container.

19. The container-type apparatus of claim 16 further comprising lifting means attached to the upper side of the lids for lifting them from above.

20. The container-type apparatus of claim 19 wherein the lifting device comprises a flexible device selected from the group consisting of a cable, rope or chain.

21. The container apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, the container being compartmentalised, the bottom of each compartment being openable and closable independently of each other.

22. The container type apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein at least a portion of the top portion may be slidably or hingedly opened.

23. The container type apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising locking and securing means for securing the openable bottom in a closed position.

24. The container type apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising piston means for opening and closing the at least one openable section on the bottom.

25. The container style apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising a sealing means around the at least one openable section on the bottom to prevent the moving mechanism from being soiled and reduce material waste.

26. A system for producing a mixture of components, comprising:

at least one stacking area having a stacking chamber for the components; and

a metering zone for measuring and delivering metered amounts of the components;

wherein the system is arranged such that the container-type device of any one of claims 1-25 can be stacked on top of the stacking area to replenish the components therein.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising an area for storing or mixing the metered components prior to unloading the mixture.

28. The system of claim 26 or 27, operable such that a container-type apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 24 can be stacked on top of the stacking area for replenishing the components therein by opening the bottom and unloading the material through the bottom.

29. The system of claim 26 or 27, having a plurality of said stacking areas.

30. A system as claimed in claim 26 or 27, wherein a material transport means is provided to move the components from the bottom of the stacking area to the top of the metering area.

31. A system according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the dumping zone includes a pollution control zone for use between the container and the dumping chamber for inhibiting particulate pollution as material is unloaded into the dumping zone.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the stacking area is shaped, sized at least in length and width, and manipulated as a standard shipping container, and comprises the pollution control area.

33. The system of claim 26 or 27, further comprising a contamination control zone on top of the metering zone for inhibiting particulate contamination.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein at least one pollution control area includes at least one exhaust fan spaced from an interior of the area by a filter device.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein at least one pollution control area includes at least one exhaust fan spaced from an interior of the area by a filter device.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein at least one pollution control area includes at least one exhaust fan spaced from an interior of the area by a filter device.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein at least one pollution control area further comprises a plurality of turning members for creating a plenum for the at least one exhaust fan and filtering device to operate.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one exhaust fan is operable in one direction as an exhaust fan for inhibiting particulate contamination or in the opposite direction as a blower for removing particulates to prevent clogging of the filter means.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the at least one exhaust fan is operable in one direction as an exhaust fan for inhibiting particulate contamination or in the opposite direction as a blower for removing particulates to prevent clogging of the filter means.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the at least one exhaust fan is periodically counter-rotatable to remove dust particles to prevent clogging of the filter apparatus.

41. The system of claim 38, further comprising a vibration device coupled to the filter device to increase efficiency.

42. The system of claim 26 or 27, further comprising interface sealing means for interface gaps between the container and the stacking area and/or between the pollution control device and the stacking area.

43. The system of claim 26 or 27, wherein at least one of the one or more stacking areas, metering areas, mixing areas, and one or more pollution control areas are shaped like a standard freight container, sized at least in length and width, transportable, and stackable.

44. The system of claim 26 or 27, which is a system for producing concrete.

45. A system according to claim 26 or 27, further comprising a cover means clampingly attachable to adjacent edges of adjacent freight containers for preventing material from falling therebetween.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the apparatus includes a cover portion for covering the azimuth casting.

47. A system according to claim 42, wherein the interface sealing means is adapted to seal an interface gap between containers stacked one on top of the other.

48. A method of producing a mixture using the system of any one of claims 26 to 47, comprising the steps of:

dropping the components into a stacking area;

transporting the component from a stacking area into the metering area;

metering the components and discharging the metered components into the mixing zone; and

the components are mixed.