Apparatus for discharging material from a vessel or other containers

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING MATERIAL COMPRISING A VESSEL INCLUDING A BASE, A FRONT WALL, MEANS SUPPORTING THE FRONT WALL FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION AND AN OPEN POSITION, AND A REAR WALL PROVIDED WITH A LOWER OPENING EXTENDING TO SAID BASE, AND A DISCHARGE DEVICE LOCATED IN SAID OPENING AND SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE FOR COMPLETING THE DISCHARGE OF MATERIAL FROM THE VESSEL WHEN THE FRONT WALL IS OPEN, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF UPPER STAGES, SAID STAGES HAVING STAGE AND A PLURALITY OF UPPER STAGES, SAID STAGES HAVING A WIDTH EQUAL TO THAT OF THE VESSEL, THE LOWERMOST STAGE BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BOTTOM, THE UPPER STAGES BEING BEING SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ON THE NEXT LOWER STAGE, EACH STAGE INCLUDING A JACK WHICH HAS EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS, THE JACK OF THE LOWERMOST STAGE HAVING ONE END SECURELY CONNECTED TO SUCH STAGE AND AN OPPOSITE END SECURED TO SAID BASE, EACH OF THE JACKS OF THE UPPER STAGES HAVING ONE END SECURED TO THE RESPECTIVE STAGE AND AN OPPOSITE END SECURED TO THE NEXT LOWER STAGE, THE LOWERMOST STAGE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE BASE OF THE VESSEL WITH THE JACK THEREOF EXTENDED TO ENABLE DISCHARGE OF MATERIAL ON SAID BASE, THROUGH THE OPEN FRONT WALL, THE STAGES DEFINING A SUCCESSION OF STEPS ON SAID BASE WHEN THE JACKS OF THE STAGES ARE RETRACTED WHEREBY UPON SELECTIVE EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF THE SAID JACKS THE MATERIAL ON SAID STEPS CAN BE DISCHARGED FROM THE VESSEL.