System and method for loading and unloading a storage apparatus from a vehicle

Claim 3

an elongated volumetric storage container having means near the bottom end thereof for emptying the same when in a generally vertical operative condition; 2. first support means including a pair of elongated arms means connected pivotally at one end of said arm means near the top end portion of said container apparatus and on a side of said container which is closely adjacent said vehicle chassis when in the transporting condition, with said arm means terminating in a pair of other free ends; said arm means adaptable to move during container erection to an extended position wherein said free ends of the arm means swing a substantial distance away to engage said support surface, and, during lowering of said container, move to a retracted position relatively close to said container for transporting thereof; and 3. second support means including a framework mounted on and having free ends extended from the bottom end portion of said storage container, when erected, with the bottom end portion elevated a substantial distance above said support surface; and d. said first and second support means of said container being of different relative lengths such that said container when in the erected operative condition is in a pronounced inclined off vertical condition.

Claim 4

an elongated volumetric storage container having means near the bottom end thereof for emptying the same when in a generally vertical operative condition; 2. first support means including a pair of elongated arms means connected pivotally at one end of said arm means near the top end portion of said container apparatus and on a side of said container which is closely adjacent said vehicle chassis when in the transporting condition, with said arm means terminating in a pair of other free ends; said arm means adaptable to move during container erection to an extended position wherein said free ends of the arm means swing a substantial distance away to engage said support surface, and, during lowering of said container, move to a retracted position relatively close to said container for transporting thereof; and 3. second support means including a framework mounted on and having free ends extended from the bottom end portion of said storage container, when erected, with the bottom end portion elevated a substantial distance above said support surface; and d. said first and second support means of said container being of different relative lengths such that said container when in the erected operative condition is in a pronounced inclined off vertical condition.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, further including tie-link means releasably and pivotally interconnecting said free ends of said container's second support means and a rearward portion of said vehicle chassis to stabilize and preclude undesired movement of said container away from said vehicle chassis during unloading and erecting thereof, said tie-links adapted to be disconnected from said container after container erection.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1, wherein said pair of elongated arm means are a pair of laterally spaced main support arms, each further having at its end pivotally connected near the top portion of said container apparatus an attached angular auxiliary bracing strut extending toward the other but connected separately and pivotally to a medical portion of a side of the storage container apparatus.

Claim 7

The system of claim 3, wherein said main support arms are divergingly disposed, and each arm includes universal type connecting means for effecting the pivotal connection thereof to the container, and each auxiliary bracing strut has a pivotal connection means to said container apparatus, and said respective universal and pivotal connection means of each arm means is such as to form a common pivotal axis X--X thereof which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said container, and each of said pivotal axis X--X of said arm means collectively forming a V-shape pointed toward the top end of said container.

Claim 8

The system of claim 4, wherein said universal type connecting means is of the ball joint type, and with the ball of the joint attached to said arm and in bearing engagement with a spherical cup integrally formed on said container apparatus.

Claim 9

The system of claim 5, wherein each of said auxiliary bracing strut's pivotal connection with said container apparatus includes a vertically slotted bracket on said container apparatus, which slot is sized to receive and retain without lateral play a pivotal pin on the related end of said strut and maintains said pivot pin in a vertical plane of the slot when said container apparatus is in the erected operative position.

Claim 10

The system of claim 6, further including detachable stabilizing and support shoes with means interconnecting same; said shoes adapted to detachably receive in upwardly open cavity portions thereof the respective free ends of said main support arms; said shoe interconnecting means capable of working under tension and being of predetermined length which is greater than the width of said container apparatus in the area of the connection of said main support arms therewith so as to preclude exceeding a predetermined divergence of said main support arms and shoes, and said main support arms, auxiliary struts, and said shoe-connecting means are relatively disposed when in the erected condition that pivot pins on said auxiliary bracing struts are disposed substantially in the middle of said vertical slots.

Claim 11

The system of claim 3, further including detachable support shoes adapted to detachably receive in upwardly open cavity portions thereof the respective free ends of said main support arms, said support shoes adapted for direct engagement with a support surface.

Claim 12

The system of claim 8, wherein said shoes include at least a partial general funnel-shape guide in conjunction with the upwardly open cavity portions.

Claim 13

The system of claim 8, wherein said main support arms are disposed so as to diverge apart at their free ends, and said system further including shoe-connecting means capable of working under tension and which shoe-connecting means has a predetermined length greater than the width of said container apparatus in the area of the connection of said main support arms so as to preclude exceeding of a predetermined divergence of said main support arms on the supporting surface.

Claim 14

The system of claim 3, wherein said second support means further include wide support shoes with means pivotally connecting them on a horizontal axis on the free ends of said framework for engagement upon the support surface; and said first and second support means being relatively disposed to provide an inertia of torsion between the various support members thereof so as to allow for equal distribution of weight between the respective support shoes of each means.

Claim 15

The system of claim 11, wherein said wide support shoes have means mounting them for rotation about a generally vertical axis such that they can provide increased lateral stability in the operative condition, and can be retracted so as to narrow the lateral width of said shoes not to exceed that of the framework when in the transporting condition.

Claim 16

The system of claim 12, wherein said framework and wide support shoes thereof have means for mounting the same so as to permit said shoes to pivot freely about the horizontal axis when in an outwardly rotated position providing the increased lateral stability, but is such as to preclude shoe movement when the storage container apparatus is in the transport position.

Claim 17

The system of claim 1, further including a pocket-like receptacle and means mounting it above the top end of said container, said receptacle having outwardly tapering walls and disposed to guidingly receive and support the extensible free end of said handling arm means carried by said vehicle chassis.

Claim 18

The system of claim 1, further including cooperatively interengageable means respectively on said container at a bottom central portion thereof and correspondingly on said vehicle chassis at a rearward portion for facilitating effective centering and proper orientation of said container relative to said chassis during preparation for transporting same

Claim 19

The system of claim 1, wherein the bearing means include at least one transversely extending and upwardly open partially cylindrical bearing member on a rearward part of said vehicle chassis, and a complemental essentially cylindrical surfaced bearing member disposed on a correspondingly rearward or bottom part of said volumetric container and pivotally mountable in said upwardly open bearing member.

Claim 20

The system of claim 16, including a movable lock device with means for selectively locking and unlocking the bearing members in assembled association.

Claim 21

The system of claim 17, wherein said lock device includes a retaining hook with biasing means biasing it to locked position, and the means for selectively unlocking it include control level and cable means operatively connected with said retaining hook to move it to an unlocked position.

Claim 22

The system of claim 16, wherein the upwardly open bearing member includes means defining an upwardly and rearwardly facing inclined slotway for guidingly receiving said cylindrical surfaced bearing member therein.

Claim 23

The system of claim 1, wherein said storage container and said vehicle chassis have respectively interengageable and selectively lockable retaining means at respectively top and forward-end portions to help longitudinally orient and retain said storage container on said vehicle chassis when in the transporting condition.

Claim 24

The system of claim 1, further comprising on said vehicle chassis at rearward, laterally opposite sides two separate pairs of auxiliary aligned horizontally disposed support members, a first pair being fixed on said chassis and said free ends of said arms of said first support means of paragraph (c) (2) carried thereon when said storage container is in the horizontal transport position; and a second pair of the said support members disposed somewhat rearwardly and lower than said first fixed pair, said second pair being laterally extensible and retractable in character and adaptable to be extended for predeterminable support of the respective free ends of said first support arms in the course of operations attendant the loading and unloading of said storage container.

Claim 25

In a system for horizontally transporting, erecting and selectively retrievably lowering and reloading large elongated storage container apparatus, such as a silo/tank assembly having top and bottom end portions for deposit in a ready-to-use generally upright, but inclined off vertical operative condition upon a generally horizontal support surface, which system embodies an elongated vehicle chassis for transporting an elongated volumetric container in the generally horizontal position; the chassis having fluid-pressure-operated extensible and retractable handling arm means having one end pivotally mounted on a forward part of said chassis, and a free end operatively, releasably engageable with an end portion which is a top portion of said container when in the erected condition to effect pivotal elevating and lowering of said container about pivotal bearing means having a horizontal bearing axis which is perpendicular to a direction of transporting travel; the container and chassis having cooperatively interengageable bearing means at adjacent portions near the rearward end when in the horizontal transporting condition, and about which bearing means the container is pivotally elevated and lowered; the improvement comprising: a. first support means including a pair of elongated arm means connected pivotally at one end thereof near the top end of said container and on a side of said container closely adjacent said chassis when in the lowered horizontal transporting position; said arm means having a pair of free ends adaptable to swing from a closely retracted position to an extended position away from said container when being erected and to help support said container when erected; b. second support means for said container including a relatively stationary framework mounted on and having a pair of free ends extended from the bottom end of said container and adaptable to engage the support surface to help support said container when erected with the bottom end elevated a substantial distance above said support surface; and c. said first and second support means of said container being of different relative lengths such that said container, when in the erected operative condition, is in a noticeably inclined off-vertical condition.

Claim 26

In a system for horizontally transporting, erecting and selectively retrievably lowering and reloading large elongated storage container apparatus, such as a silo/tank assembly having top and bottom end portions for deposit in a ready-to-use generally upright, but inclined off vertical operative condition upon a generally horizontal support surface, which system embodies an elongated vehicle chassis for transporting an elongated volumetric container in the generally horizontal position; the chassis having fluid-pressure-operated extensible and retractable handling arm means having one end pivotally mounted on a forward part of said chassis, and a free end operatively, releasably engageable with an end portion which is a top portion of said container when in the erected condition to effect pivotal elevating and lowering of said container about pivotal bearing means having a horizontal bearing axis which is perpendicular to a direction of transporting travel; the container and chassis having cooperatively interengageable bearing means at adjacent portions near the rearward end when in the horizontal transporting condition, and about which bearing means the container is pivotally elevated and lowered; the improvement comprising: a. first support means including a pair of elongated arm means connected pivotally at one end thereof near the top end of said container and on a side of said container closely adjacent said chassis when in the lowered horizontal transporting position; said arm means having a pair of free ends adaptable to swing from a closely retracted position to an extended position away from said container when being erected and to help support said container when erected; b. second support means for said container including a relatively stationary framework mounted on and having a pair of free ends extended from the bottom end of said container and adaptable to engage the support surface to help support said container when erected with the bottom end elevated a substantial distance above said support surface; and c. said first and second support means of said container being of different relative lengths such that said container, when in the erected operative condition, is in a noticeably inclined off-vertical condition.

Claim 27

The system of claim 22, further including tie-link means releasably and pivotally interconnecting said free ends of said container's second support means framework with a rearward portion of said vehicle chassis to stabilize and preclude undesired movement of said container away from said chassis during both loading and unloading erecting thereof, with said tie-means adapted to be disconnected from said container after erection thereof.

Claim 28

The system of claim 22, wherein said first support arm means comprise two laterally spaced elongated main support arms each having at its end connected to said container apparatus an attached angular auxiliary bracing strut extending toward the other but connected separately and pivotally to a medial portion of a side of the storage container apparatus.

Claim 29

The system of claim 24, wherein said main support arms are divergingly disposed, and each arm includes universal type connecting means for effecting the pivotal connection thereof to the container, and each auxiliary bracing strut has a pivotal connection means to said container apparatus, and said respective universal and pivotal connection means of each arm means is such as to form a common pivotal axis X--X thereof which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said container, and each of said pivotal axis X--X of said arm means collectively forming a V-shape pointed toward the top end of said container.

Claim 30

The system of claim 25, wherein said universal type connecting means is of the ball joint type, and with the ball of the joint attached to said arm and in bearing engagement with a spherical cup integrally formed on said container apparatus.

Claim 31

The system of claim 26, wherein each of said auxiliary bracing strut's pivotal connection with said container apparatus includes a vertically slotted bracket on said container apparatus, which slot is sized to receive and retain without lateral play a pivotal pin on the related end of said strut and maintains said pivot pin in a vertical plane of the slot when said container apparatus is in the erected operative position.

Claim 32

The system of claim 27, further including detachable stabilizing and support shoes with means interconnecting same; said shoes adapted to detachably receive in upwardly open cavity portions thereof the respective free ends of said main support arms; said shoe interconnecting means capable of working under tension and being of predetermined length which is greater than the width of said container apparatus in the area of the connection of said main support arms therewith so as to preclude exceeding a predetermined divergence of said main support arms and shoes, and said main support arms, auxiliary struts, and said shoe-connecting means are relatively disposed when in the erected condition that pivot pins on said auxiliary bracing struts are disposed substantially in the middle of said vertical slots.

Claim 33

The system of claim 24, further including detachable support shoes adapted to detachably receive in upwardly open cavity portions thereof the respective free ends of said main support arms, said support shoes adapted for direct engagement with a support surface.

Claim 34

The system of claim 29, wherein said shoes include at least a partial general funnel-shape guide in conjunction with the upwardly open cavity portions.

Claim 35

The system of claim 29, wherein said main support arms are disposed so as to diverge apart at their free ends, and said system further including shoe-connecting means capable of working under tension and which shoe-connecting means has a predetermined length greater than the width of said container apparatus in the area of the connection of said main support arms so as to preclude exceeding of a predetermined divergence of said main support arms on the supporting surface.

Claim 36

The system of claim 24, wherein said second support means further include wide support shoes with means pivotally connecting them on a horizontally axis on the free ends of said framework for engagement upon the support surface; and said first and second support means being relatively disposed to provide an inertia of torsion between the various support members thereof so as to allow for equal distribution of weight between the respective support shoes of each support means.

Claim 37

The system of claim 32, wherein said wide support shoes have means mounting them for rotation about a generally vertical axis such that they can provide increased lateral stability in the operative condition, and can be retracted so as to narrow the lateral width of said shoes not to exceed that of the framework when in the transporting condition.

Claim 38

The system of claim 33, wherein said framework and wide support shoes thereof have means for mounting the same so as to permit said shoes to pivot freely about the horizontal axis when in an outwardly rotated position providing the increased lateral stability, but is such as to preclude shoe movement when the storage container apparatus is in the transport position.

Claim 39

The system of claim 22, further including a pocket-like receptacle and means mounting it above the top end of said container, said receptacle having outwardly tapering walls and disposed to guidingly receive and support the extensible free end of said handling arm means carried by said vehicle chassis.

Claim 40

The system of claim 22, further including cooperatively interengageable means respectively on said container at a bottom central portion thereof and correspondingly on said vehicle chassis at a rearward portion for facilitating effective centering and proper orientation of said container relative to said chassis during preparation for transporting same.

Claim 41

The system of claim 22, wherein the bearing means include at least one transversely extending and upwardly open partially cylindrical bearing member on a rearward part of said vehicle chassis, and a complemental essentially cylindrical surfaced bearing member disposed on a correspondingly rearward or bottom part of said volumetric container and pivotally mountable in said upwardly open bearing member.

Claim 42

The system of claim 37, including a movable lock device with means for selectively locking and unlocking the bearing members in assembled association.

Claim 43

The system of claim 38, wherein said lock device includes a retaining hook with biasing means biasing it to locked position, and the means for selectively unlocking it include control level and cable means operatively connected with said retaining hook to move it to an unlocked position.

Claim 44

The system of claim 37, wherein the upwardly open bearing member includes means defining an upwardly and rearwardly facing inclined slotway for guidingly receiving said cylindrical surfaced bearing member therein.

Claim 45

The system of claim 22, wherein said storage container and said vehicle chassis have respectively interengageable and selectively lockable retaining means at respectively top and forward-end portions to help longitudinally orient and retain said storage container on said vehicle chassis when in the transporting condition.

Claim 46

The system of claim 22, further comprising on said vehicle chassis at rearward, laterally opposite sides two separate pairs of auxiliary aligned horizontally disposed support members, a first pair being fixed on said chassis and said free ends of said arms of said first support means of paragraph (a) carried thereon when said storage container is in the horizontal transport position; and a second pair of the said support members disposed somewhat rearwardly and lower than said first fixed pair, said second pair being laterally extensible and retractable in character and adaptable to be extended for predeterminable support of the respective free ends of said first support arms in the course of operations attendant the loading and unloading of said storage container.

Claim 47

The system of claim 22, wherein said vehicle chassis includes discharge guide means at a rearward end for directing the contents of said storage container clear of said chassis when desired when in the transporting position.

Claim 48

The system of claim 22, wherein said vehicle chassis includes discharge guide means at a rearward end for directing the contents of said storage container clear of said chassis when desired when in the transporting position.

Claim 49

In a method for loading a storage container apparatus such as a silo-tank assembly upon a wheeled vehicle having pivotable and selectively extensible and retractable handling arm means disposed adjacent a forward end of the vehicle, the storage container apparatus comprising an elongated container which is adapted to be supported on a generally horizontal support surface in a stabilized generally upright but inclined off-vertical operative position by first support means including two support arm means pivotably connected at their ends to the container near an upper end of the container, and the arms having free ends adaptable for engaging said support surface, and also to be supported by second support means which are mounted at a lower end of the container and which have free ends adaptable for engaging said support surface; the steps comprising: 1. placing the vehicle in a position in which it extends between said support arm means of said first support means, including placing a rearward end of said vehicle in an intermediate position between said free ends of said support arm means and said free ends of said second support means;

Claim 50

In a method for loading a storage container apparatus such as a silo-tank assembly upon a wheeled vehicle having pivotable and selectively extensible and retractable handling arm means disposed adjacent a forward end of the vehicle, the storage container apparatus comprising an elongated container which is adapted to be supported on a generally horizontal support surface in a stabilized generally upright but inclined off-vertical operative position by first support means including two support arm means pivotably connected at their ends to the container near an upper end of the container, and the arms having free ends adaptable for engaging said support surface, and also to be supported by second support means which are mounted at a lower end of the container and which have free ends adaptable for engaging said support surface; the steps comprising: 1. placing the vehicle in a position in which it extends between said support arm means of said first support means, including placing a rearward end of said vehicle in an intermediate position between said free ends of said support arm means and said free ends of said second support means;

Claim 51

extending said handling arm means to engage and support an upper part of said storage container apparatus; 3. pivoting said support arm means out of engagement with said support surface in a direction toward said container while supporting the storage container apparatus by said handling arm means; 4. retracting said handling arm means and thereby allowing said storage container apparatus to tilt about said free ends of said second support means under the effect of the force of gravity to an intermediate position of engagement of a predetermined lower part of said storage container apparatus with a corresponding predetermined placed bearing means on the vehicle;

Claim 52

extending said handling arm means to engage and support an upper part of said storage container apparatus; 3. pivoting said support arm means out of engagement with said support surface in a direction toward said container while supporting the storage container apparatus by said handling arm means; 4. retracting said handling arm means and thereby allowing said storage container apparatus to tilt about said free ends of said second support means under the effect of the force of gravity to an intermediate position of engagement of a predetermined lower part of said storage container apparatus with a corresponding predetermined placed bearing means on the vehicle;

Claim 53

continuing to retract said handling arm means and thereby allowing said storage container apparatus to tilt about said bearing means under the effect of the force of gravity and thereby raising said free ends of said second support means off said support surface until said container bears on and is supported by said vehicle in a generally horizontal transport position; and 6. pivoting said support arm means reltaive to said container to a position substantially alongside said container while in the course of said tilting of said storage container apparatus.

Claim 54

continuing to retract said handling arm means and thereby allowing said storage container apparatus to tilt about said bearing means under the effect of the force of gravity and thereby raising said free ends of said second support means off said support surface until said container bears on and is supported by said vehicle in a generally horizontal transport position; and 6. pivoting said support arm means reltaive to said container to a position substantially alongside said container while in the course of said tilting of said storage container apparatus.

Claim 55

The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of pivotally linking the vehicle to said free ends of said second support means before allowing said storage container apparatus to tilt about said free ends of said second support means, to thereby preclude sliding movement of said container and its attached second support means away from said vehicle.

Claim 56

In a method for unloading a storage container apparatus such as a silo-tank assembly to an erected operative position from a wheeled vehicle having a pivotable and selectively extensible and retarctable handling arm means disposed adjacent a forward end of the vehicle, the storage container apparatus comprising an elongated container which has a generally horizontal transport position in bearing relation to the vehicle and includes first support means having two support arm means pivotably connected at their ends to the container near a front end of the container on the vehicle, and further includes second support means which are mounted at a rear end of the container; the method steps comprising:

Claim 57

In a method for unloading a storage container apparatus such as a silo-tank assembly to an erected operative position from a wheeled vehicle having a pivotable and selectively extensible and retarctable handling arm means disposed adjacent a forward end of the vehicle, the storage container apparatus comprising an elongated container which has a generally horizontal transport position in bearing relation to the vehicle and includes first support means having two support arm means pivotably connected at their ends to the container near a front end of the container on the vehicle, and further includes second support means which are mounted at a rear end of the container; the method steps comprising:

Claim 58

extending said handling arm means while maintaining a free end of same in engagement with a front end part of the storage container apparatus and thereby commencing upwardly tilting of the storage container apparatus about bearing means located on the vehicle adjacent a rearward part of the storage container apparatus until free ends of said second support means come in contact with a generally horizontally support surface; 2. continuing to extend said handling arm means and thereby further upwardly tilting said storage container assembly about said free ends of second support means in contact with said support surface until said container reaches a generally upright but inclined off-vertical operative position; 3. pivoting said two support arm means of said first support means relative to said container until free ends of said support arm means come in contact with said support surface and stabilize said container in said operative position thereof; and 4. thereafter retracting said handling arm means to enable the vehicle to move away from said storage container assembly.

Claim 59

extending said handling arm means while maintaining a free end of same in engagement with a front end part of the storage container apparatus and thereby commencing upwardly tilting of the storage container apparatus about bearing means located on the vehicle adjacent a rearward part of the storage container apparatus until free ends of said second support means come in contact with a generally horizontally support surface; 2. continuing to extend said handling arm means and thereby further upwardly tilting said storage container assembly about said free ends of second support means in contact with said support surface until said container reaches a generally upright but inclined off-vertical operative position; 3. pivoting said two support arm means of said first support means relative to said container until free ends of said support arm means come in contact with said support surface and stabilize said container in said operative position thereof; and 4. thereafter retracting said handling arm means to enable the vehicle to move away from said storage container assembly.

Claim 60

The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of initially detachably linking said vehicle to said free ends of said second support means before extending said handling arm means to preclude sliding movement of said container and the attached second support means away from said vehicle; and ultimately unlinking the vehicle from said free ends of said second support means after completing the erected unloading of said container in a stabilized operative position thereof.