Patent ID: 6179070
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: B63B,B63G,E21B

Abstract:
A vacuum tank apparatus, comprising:a) a frame having a plurality of comers reinforced by structural comer columns;b) the frame including a base having a structural, generally horizontally extended base that includes a plurality of base perimeter beams, said columns connected structurally to said base at said perimeter beams;c) the upper end portion of said frame including a plurality of upper perimeter beams, said columns being structurally connected to said base and said upper perimeter beams;d) a shaped hopper supported by the frame internally of the base and upper perimeter beams, the hopper including an interior and a sidewall comprised of a plurality of inclined wall sections, each wall section including an upper end portion that connects to said frame at said perimeter beams and a lower end portion that extends to another lower end portion of another inclined wall section;e) an outlet header at the bottom of the hopper next to the lower end portions of the inclined wall sections and including a discharge outlet for discharging material from the hopper interior;f) a top wall of the hopper having multiple hatches including a first hatch near a first upper perimeter beam and a second hatch next to the second upper perimeter beam that is parallel to the first upper perimeter beam.