Patent ID: 9365370
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: B63B,B65G

Claim Text:
1. A storage and reclaim system for bulk material, said system comprising: a support surface for supporting a stockpile of bulk material, said support surface being defined by a plurality of individual material support structures geometrically arranged and positioned with reference to each other so that the support surface defines a continuous structure; each of the material support structures in turn comprises a funnel-like structure having a floor surface sloping towards a corresponding discharge opening fitted with a discharge control gate; a flow switch for detecting a state of non-flow of the bulk material through a corresponding discharge control gate; and an array of vibrators for each of the material support structures mechanically connected to the material support structures so as to introduce vibrational energy into the funnel-like structures sufficient to either avoid a stable reclaim cone or to destabilize a stable reclaim cone which may form in order to maintain material discharge flow when the corresponding discharge control gate is opened; and wherein each conical floor surface has a slope of 5 to 12 degrees relative to horizontal such that the slope is too shallow for the bulk material to flow by gravity apart from the vibrational energy.