Patent ID: 9394102
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: B60P,B65D,B65G

Claim Text:
1. A method of transporting proppant, the method comprising: positioning one or more containers having an outlet in each of the one or more containers on a top surface of a separate support structure positioned at a well frac site, the separate support structure overlying and being spaced apart from a conveyor to convey the proppant away from the one or more containers when the proppant is gravity-fed from the one or more containers, through the support structure, and onto the conveyor through openings in the support structure closely aligned with the respective outlet of the one or more containers thereby reducing an amount of particulate matter released into the air at the frac site, a bottom of the container being positioned in contact with the top surface of the support structure; moving a gate, via an actuator, positioned proximate one or more of the outlets of the one or more containers between an open position and a closed position to enable the proppant to discharge from the container and onto the conveyor, the proppant flowing along one or more ramps that funnel the proppant toward the outlets of the one or more containers, the ramps extending from walls of the one or more containers to the outlet; receiving the proppant in one or more hoppers positioned between the one or more containers and the conveyor to reduce the amount of particulate matter at the frac site, the top surface of the support structure being arranged between the one or more containers and the one or more hoppers, wherein the one or more containers comprise a plurality of containers and the one or more hoppers comprise a plurality of hoppers, each hopper of the plurality of hoppers substantially aligned with a corresponding overlying container of the plurality of containers to enable loading, emptying, and removal of individual containers of the plurality of containers in a continuous loading and emptying operation of the remaining containers of the plurality of containers; positioning the plurality of containers and the plurality of hoppers in a corresponding side-by-side configuration to substantially align the corresponding containers of the plurality of containers with the corresponding hoppers of the plurality of hoppers along at least a portion of a length of the conveyor, and the actuator arranged to move the gate between the open position and the closed position also extends to a receptacle, the receptacle extending upwardly from the top surface of the support structure to engage the gate when the one or more containers are positioned thereon; and transporting the proppant along the conveyor to a site in close proximately to a fracturing site.