US3318473A - Portable dispensing bin - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1967 a. D. JONES ET AL 3,318,473

PORTABLE DIS PENS ING B IN Filed Aug. 11, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Benjamin 0. Jones Robert 5. Wheeler BY v M ATTORNEY May 9, 1 967 B. D. JONES ET AL 3,318,473

PORTABLE DISPENSING BIN Filed Aug. 11, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Benjamin 0. Jones Robert E. Wheeler BY Mam Jim/L ATTORNEY May 9, 1967 B. D. JONES ET AL PORTABLE DIS PENS ING BIN Filed Aug. 11, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Benjamin 0. Robert E. Wheeler INVENTORS Jones ATTORNEY May 9, 1967 e. 0. JONES ETAL PORTABLE DISPENSING BIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 11, 1964 Mr L a I n INVENTORS mw w 0 A J 8 h W .mE I my mw BR E BY May 9, 1967 B. D. JONES ET AL 3,318,473

PORTABLE DISPENSING BIN Filed Aug. 11, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 1 I E; w J l i fl l I I r=- q I xx/ A? L a 1 (U lq y 2' b;

INVENTQRS Benjamin 0. JOI78$ Robert E. Wheeler corporating features of this invention,

United States Patent Filed Aug. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 388,831 Claims. (Cl. 214-621) This invention relates generally to portable dispensing bins, and more particularly it pertains to a novel portable dispensing bin with improved handling and dispensing features.

In the handling and shipping of granular and pulverulent materials, it has become the practice to use dispensing types of bins to prevent obnoxious and sometimes (in the case of toxic materials) dangerous spillage and loss of the contents.

Such bins must be light and compact so as to be stackable and economically shipped. Further, these bins should be easily handled with the minimum of equipment and maneuvering and capable of discharging by gravity into a wide variety of receptacles, vehicles, and the like.

Objects of this invention are to provide a portable dispensing bin which is totally enclosed, compact and lightweight, and can be lifted to the maximum above the ultimate range of a common fork lift vehicle for high stacking and dispensing with safety and ease.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable dispensing bin which can be elevated by crane hoist for lowering into holds of freighters, and the like, and in which the lifting eyes function as inter-bin keys to prevent cargo shifts.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a portable dispensing bin inshown being elevated by a common fork lift vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the novel dispensing bin of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, to a larger scale, of the dispensing bin;

FIG. 4 is a detail perspective view of a sliding gate for the dispensing bin;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, similar to FIG. 3 but taken at right angles thereto;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3, with the gate being shown 'in an open position;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail section of the gate arrangement taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bin corner showing an alternate lifting eye arrangement;

FIG. 10 is a horizontal section taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken on line 1111 of FIG. 9 and showing an interlocking feature between stacked bins;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary detail of a leg showing the interlocking slot; and

FIG. 13 is a view similar to that of FIG. 11 showing the adaption to another type of lifting lug.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, reference numeral 20 indicates generally a portable dispensing bin incorporating features of this invention. This dispensing bin 20 consists of a square sheet metal box 22 having a bottom in the form of a square hopper 24.

3,318,473- Patented May 9, 1967 The truncated apex of the hopper 24 is provided with a sliding gate 26, shown best in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. The box 22 is provided with an integral top 28, the center of which has a .circular flanged opening for a standard metal barrel closure or cover 30, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5.

Angular, tapered, legs 32 of sheet metal are secured to the corners of the box 22. On a point near the lower ends of these legs 32 on a level with the sliding gate 26, a pair of spaced parallel guide channels 34 for a fork lift are securely welded, open side downward to the under side of a pair of cross braces 35, as shown best in FIG. '3'.

Similarly mounted on top of these channels 34, another pair of spaced guide channels 36 are provided at right angles to the first for engaging the prongs of a fork lift from the other sides of the bin 20, as shown in FIG. 1.

Short plates 38 as shown in FIG. 1, 2, and 3, are welded across the bottom edges of the lowermost channels 34 to form open tubular sections at their ends. These plates 38 are unnecessary for the uppermost guides 36 since the tops of the lower channels 34 perform the same function for them.

The sliding gate 26 is made of sheet metal formed with side flanges 4t) and a flange handle 42 as shown in FIG. 4. It is also provided with a pair of parallel spaced stiffener angles 44. Since this gate 26 is made long, the handle 42 can be easily reached and safely manipulated without the necessity of the operator crawling beneath the suspended bin. The gate 26 is slidably retained in a horizontal position in a gate support frame 46 welded to the lower open end of the hopper 24 as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This frame 46 includes side baffles 48, also a rear support 50 and a rear baifle 52, with the rear support 50 and rear baffle 52 grasping the rear end of the gate when it is closed.

A rubber gasket strip 56 is clamped on a front bafile plate 54 by nuts and bolts 58 and a retainer strip 60 of metal. This gasket strip '56 extends to contact the top of the gate 26 and serves to prevent leakage and wipes the top of the gate as it extends.

Lifting lugs 62 are secured on the sides of the box 22 at each upper corner as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6. A triangular gusset 64 welded diagonally across each upper corner, and to the top inside of the box 22 provides adequate strength here when a loaded bin 20 is lifted by the lugs 62.

A base plate 66 is welded to the bottoms of each leg 32 to distribute the weight. Since these bins 20 are square, all those of a same size may be stacked one upon another and the reinforcement gusset 64 and base plate 66 of adjacent bins 20 cooperate to adequately support such weight aggregation.

Stacked bins 20 may be keyed together to prevent shifting by welding a lifting lug 68 at a 45 degree angle into each corner of the box 22 and projecting through the top 28 as best shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. By cutting a slot 70 at a matching angle in the base plate 66 of each leg 32, this slot 70 of an upper of two stacked bins 20 will engage the lug 68 of the lower and prevent relative shifting as shown in FIG. 11.

This same result obtains if a common eye bolt 72 is threaded into a triangular reinforcing top plate 74 secured inside each corner of the top 28 as shown in FIG. 13.

It will be noted from FIG. 1 that the prongs P of a fork lift vehicle T are engageable low down on the bin 20 in either pairs of guide channels 34 or 36. This means that these novel bins 20 can be stacked higher than heretofore and can be supported for discharge to higher points.

In either case the center of gravity of the bin so supported is very high but the danger of the load toppling is obviated because of the previously mentioned tubular e end enclosures formed at the ends of the guide channels 34 or 36 by the plates 38 or the underlying channels 34 respectively.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A bin for handling by the prongs of a forklift truck, comprising structure defining a container having its bottom terminating in the form of a hopper having an opening in its bottom, a first pair of horizontally spaced channels mounted to said structure on a pair of opposite sides of said opening and extending in one direction for engaging the prongs of said forklift truck to obtain said handling, a guide support frame positioned between said first pair of channels, a gate slidably mounted within said guide support frame for sliding between said first pair of channels and sealing said opening, said sliding gate having a pair of flanges extending along the longitudinal edges thereof, said guide support frame including a pair of spaced channel members for receiving said pair of flanges of said sliding gate, a second pair of horizontally spaced channels mounted to said structure on a different horizontal level than said first pair of channels and extending at substantially right angles to said first pair of channels and on a different pair of opposite sides of said opening for engaging said prongs when positioned substantially at right angles to said one direction to obtain said handling the hopper opening, gate and guide support frame each being located substantially at the uppermost surface of said first pair of channels and at the lowermost surface of said second pair of channels.

4 2. The bin as recited in claim 1 wherein said sliding gate extends to one side of said container when said opening is sealed so as to permit sliding of said gate without.

the necessity for crawling beneath said container.

3. The bin as recited in claim 1 wherein the lowermost pair of channels effectively form a bottom surface for the uppermost pair of channels thereof to prevent toppling from said prongs.

4. The bin as recited in claim 3 wherein said lowermost pair of channels have bottom surfaces for preventing said bin from toppling from said prongs.

, 5. The bin as recited in claim 1 wherein said second pair of channels are positioned above said first pair of channels. References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,317,007 4/1943 Weniger 222542 2,664,219 12/1953 Schmidt 22097 X r 2,989,008 6/1961 Lindstrom 222561 X 3,083,879 4/1963 Coleman 222'561 X 3,085,707 4/1963 Tantlinger 220-97 X 3,175,719 3/1965 Herndon 214 620 3,219,381 11/1965 Cox et a1. 29469 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,037,302 3/ 1953 France. 1,333,605 6/ 1963 France.

846,542 8/ 1960 Great Britain. 981,332 1/1965 Great Britain. 320,166 4/ 1957 Switzerland.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

R. B; JOHNSON, AssistantvExaminer.

Claims (1)

1. A BIN FOR HANDLING BY THE PRONGS OF A FORKLIFT TRUCK, COMPRISING STRUCTURE DEFINING A CONTAINER HAVING ITS BOTTOM TERMINATING IN THE FORM OF A HOPPER HAVING AN OPENING IN ITS BOTTOM, A FIRST PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED CHANNELS MOUNTED TO SAID STRUCTURE ON A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING AND EXTENDING IN ONE DIRECTION FOR ENGAGING THE PRONGS OF SAID FORKLIFT TRUCK TO OBTAIN SAID HANDLING, A GUIDE SUPPORT FRAME POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF CHANNELS, A GATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID GUIDE SUPPORT FRAME FOR SLIDING BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF CHANNELS AND SEALING SAID OPENING, SAID SLIDING GATE HAVING A PAIR OF FLANGES EXTENDING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES THEREOF, SAID GUIDE SUPPORT FRAME INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED CHANNEL MEMBERS FOR RECEIVING SAID PAIR OF FLANGES OF SAID SLIDING GATE, A SECOND PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED CHANNELS MOUNTED TO SAID STRUCTURE ON A DIFFERENT HORIZONTAL LEVEL THAN SAID FIRST PAIR OF CHANNELS AND EXTENDING AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF CHANNELS AND ON A DIFFERENT PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING FOR ENGAGING SAID PRONGS WHEN POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID ONE DIRECTION TO OBTAIN SAID HANDLING THE HOPPER OPENING, GATE AND GUIDE SUPPORT FRAME EACH BEING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE UPPERMOST SURFACE OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF CHANNELS AND AT THE LOWERMOST SURFACE OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF CHANNELS.

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