Patent ID: 11867044
Assignee: PROPPANT EXPRESS SOLUTIONS, LLC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  E | IPC B  E

Claim 0:
1. A proppant dispensing system, comprising:
a plurality of proppant container systems each of which include
a proppant container, said proppant container including a container frame supporting a proppant reservoir, the proppant reservoir having a top, a bottom, and one or more sidewalls defining a reservoir between the top and the bottom, the bottom being closed to prevent flow of proppant from the reservoir through the bottom when proppant resides in the reservoir, the top being provided with means for permitting proppant to flow into the reservoir when the proppant container is in vertical or upright position, the top being provided with means for permitting proppant to flow out from the reservoir when proppant resides in the reservoir and the proppant container is tipped; and
a cradle with dimensions complementary to the proppant container for retention of the proppant container in the cradle, the proppant container residing in the cradle and being selectably removable therefrom;

a support frame rising from ground beneath the support frame and supporting each cradle of the plurality of proppant container systems in a manner permitting tipping motion of the cradle to a sufficient degree facilitating flow of proppant from the reservoir when proppant resides in the reservoir and the proppant container and cradle are tipped;
a plurality of tipping mechanisms respectively mounted between each cradle and the support frame, the tipping mechanisms including an actuator that is configured for selectively moving the cradle between a tipped position such that proppant flows from the reservoir when proppant resides in the reservoir and an untipped position such that proppant does not flow from the reservoir when proppant resides in the reservoir,
a central hopper positioned to receive proppant flowing directly from within each proppant container of the plurality of proppant containers when each proppant container of the plurality of proppant container systems is respectively tipped,
a horizontal conveyor belt system positioned to receive proppant from the central hopper;
a blending unit, and
an elevator conveyor equipped with a metering system to receive proppant flowing from the horizontal conveyor and lift the proppant towards the blending unit.