OPENABLE CONTAINER BASE

Abstract: A container base including a rectangular base frame (2) with four sides defining an opening through the base frame, a base bottom (1) which is pivotally connected at (6) to the base frame (2) at or closely adjacent one side thereof and latch means (50) to releasably retain the base bottom (1). The base frame (2) has one or two hinged triangular flaps (29) on the base frame sides (9) adjacent the lateral support flanges (10a and 10c) which fold down when the base bottom is opened to form a chute for dispensing the container contents. The container base can also have four wall panels (27) which releasably engage with the base using slots (8) and hooks (22); and abutment means for either a top lift (34-37) or elevated (40-48) arrangement device to raise the container and allow the bottom to open.

Description: OPENABLE CONTAINER BASE This invention relates to a base for a container whereby the flowable contents of the container can be discharged. It is a requirement of many containers that the contents be readily bottom discharged by gravity. Such containers are particularly useful for the carriage of bulk dry materials of a discrete nature. To this time devices have been provided which allow side discharge through a side of the container and bottom discharge through a funnel in the base of the container or attached thereto. This invention provides a container base (hereinafter for convenience called a base) which has many advantages over known arrangements for the discharge of flowable materials from containers. Generally the base includes a four sided base frame defining an opening and a pivotally connected base bottom which can be pivoted relative to the base frame as required to cover and uncover the opening. In a preferred embodiment there are flaps connected to the base frame which deploy as the base bottom pivots with respect to the base frame to provide directional control of the discharge of material from the container of which the base forms part. The base may be for or form part of a container which is preferably but not necessarily of the type which comprises four interconnectable wall panels which can be mounted on and removed from the base in a simple manner. This form of container because of its collapsible nature has great attraction as a container for repeated use in the transport of material from a place of manufacture to a place of use where the contents can be readily discharge through the container base. Broadly, the invention can be said to provide a container base for or forming part of a container, where the base includes a rectangular base frame with four sides defining an opening through the base frame, a base bottom which is pivotally connected to the base frame at or closely adjacent one side thereof and latch means to releasably retain the base bottom in covering relationship with the opening through the base frame. Preferred embodiments of the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.l is an exploded schematic perspective view of one for of a container base according to the invention with associated wall panels of an enclosure for coupling to the base, Fig.2 is a an exploded enlarged view of another form of the container base of the invention, Fig.3 is a fragmentary sectioned view on the section line 3-3 of Fig.2 as it would appear when the components of the container base are secured together, Fig.4 is a schematic side view of the base of the invention as shown in Fig.2 with enclosure forming wall panels coupled to it to make a container and with the base closed, Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig.4 with the base in the open condition, Fig.6 is a front view of the container of Fig.4, Fig.7 is a top view of the container of Fig.6 showing some possible shapes for discharge flow diverter flaps, if fitted, Fig.8 is a front view of the container of the Fig.7 showing discharge flow diverter flap positioning when the base is in the open condition, Fig.9 is a top view of the container in the Fig.8 condition, Fig.10 is a top view of a container in the Fig.4 condition showing another form of discharge flow diverter flap, Fig.11 is a front view of a container as shown in Fig.10 with the base bottom open showing the disposition of the discharge flow diverter flap, Fig.12 is a schematic side elevation of a container in a device to facilitate use of the base of this invention, Fig.13 is a view similar to Fig.12 but with the container base in the open condition, and Fig.14 is a is a schematic perspective view of another form of device to facilitate use of the base of this invention, As shown in Figs.l and 2 the container base comprises a base bottom 1 in the form of a pallet with a cover sheet 2 and there is a hole 3 in each of the outer pallet bearers 4. The container base also includes a four sided base frame 5 defining an opening and it is pivotally connected by pivot pins 6 to the bearers 4 of the base bottom so it can pivot with respect to the base frame 5. The base bottom can have other forms and need not be a pallet and cover sheet arrangement. Figs.l and 2 show two different pallet forms, the former being a four way entry pallet and the latter a two way entry pallet. The base frame 5 includes, in the illustrated embodiment, an inner rail 7 which is of inverted U configuration with slots 8 in the upper face 9 of the rail, which is also the bottom portion of the inverted U. Upstanding from the rail upper face 9 there is a discontinuous flange made up of sections 10a, 10b, 10c and lOd. The flange sections 10a, ,c, are terminated short of the corners of the rail 7 to provide gaps 11a,b,c, for reasons to be explained. The flange lOd on the fourth side of the rail 7 terminates short of both ends of the corresponding side of the rail 7 to accommodate two latch means 50 and provide a further notch lid. The latch means 50 can be best seen in Fig. 3. Each comprises a front plate 13 and a top plate 14 slidably supported on bars 15 between the legs 16 of the inverted U channels forming the rail 7. There are tension springs 17 to drawn the plates 13 against the ends of the bearers 4 and the front edge of the batten 18. The front plates 13 each have an inwardly directed lug 19 which underlies the top batten 18 and thereby prevents the base bottom 1 pivoting relative to the base frame 5 until the latch members are withdrawn against the action of the springs 17. The manner of use of the base is seen in Figs.4 and 5. These figures illustrate an enclosure 20 mounted on the base to form a container. The enclosure 20 comprises four interconnected wall panels 21 each provided with hooks 22 for hooking engagement in the slots 8 in the rail 7. The hooking engagement involved a double movement, first a vertical movement to enter the hooks 22 into the slots 8 and then a lateral movement to engage end portions of the hooks below the rail 7 at the ends of the slots 8. The notches 11a,lib,lie,lid facilitate the hooking movements and the positioning of the slots and the hooks on the wall panels is such that when the hooks are properly engaged the ends of the wall panels will be in the abutting relationship illustrated in Fig.l. When so arranged coupling means at the corner of the wall panels will prevent the reverse cycle of movement thereby retaining the enclosure coupled to the container base. The upstanding flanges 10a,10b,10c,lOd act as lateral support members on the base frame for abutting engagement by the wall panels to relieve the wall panel hooks 22 from outwardly directed loads applied to the wall panels. Preferably the wall panels each comprised a frame made of tubular elements including two upright corner posts 23 connected by top, middle and bottom rails 24,25 and 26 respectively. There is a lining panel 27 fixed to the inner faces of the frames of the wall panels. It is to be understood that wall panels of an alternate construction can be used if desired and minor features of design may nee to be changed to accommodate such other constructions. It is however essential that the wall panels include or are provided with abutment surfaces for reasons to be explained later. The top rails 24 in the wall panels illustrated in Fig.l constitute appropriate abutment surfaces. The panels 21 are interconnected at their respective corner posts 23 by any suitable means and in Fig.l releasable coupling means indicated 28 are provided as the interconnection means. The base as illustrated in Fig.l is provided with two flaps 29. The flaps have opposed parallel sides 30 and 31 with the sides 30 hingedly connected to the sides of the base frame 7 adjacent the flanges 10a and 10c. The length of the sides 30 approximates the distance between the sides 10b and lOd of the base frame 7. The sides 31 of the flaps are shorter than the sides 30 and the ends of the sides 30 and 31 are joined by angled sides 32. The design of the flap angle side 32 is such that when the base bottom is opened to a predetermined extent the angled sides 32 will bear on cover sheet 2. The inclined surface of the cover sheet 2 and the inclined surfaces of the flaps 29 will form a three sided chute for the discharge of material from the container towards the open front of the chute, that is beneath the base frame side lOd. Desirably there will be a hopper or other device, such as a delivery chute to another piece of equipment, to collect the material discharged from the container. The front elevations ' Figs.6 and 8 show the container with base closed and base open as just described and the Figs.7 and 9 are corresponding top views. In an alternative flap form the flaps 29a could be as shown in full lines in Fig.7 If a side discharge is required a single flap 29b as shown in Fig.10 can be provided, this will require a side plate 33 as part of a container support, see Fig.11. Means to maximise the advantages to be obtained from a container with a base as disclosed above will now be described. Several arrangements of container support are possible. There are two main arrangements which can be classified as 'top lift' and 'elevated'. In the 'top lift' arrangement the container is raised in a manner which will not interfere with the opening of the base bottom and as it is raised the base bottom opens in a controlled manner. The container is maintained raised until empty and then lowered to cause the base bottom to close. In the 'elevated' arrangement the container with the base bottom locked closed is supported in a raised condition by means which will not hinder the opening of the base bottom and at an elevation that will allow the base bottom to open to a predetermined extent. The base bottom latching means is then released and the base bottom is opened in a controlled manner. After the discharge of the container contents the base bottom is closed and the container is removed from the supporting device. Examples of one top lift arrangement is schematically shown in Figs.12 and 13. As illustrated the container comprised of the base 1 and an assembly of wall panels 21 is supported on a stand 49 and there is a hoist 34. The hoist has two spaced part-rotatable shafts 35 fitted with dogs 36 operable by a handle 37. The hoist 34 is lowered over the top of the container with the dogs 36 retracted and when the dogs 36 are at an elevation below the top rails 24 of the wall panels 21 the shafts 35 are rotated by the use of the handle 37. This causes the dogs 36 to extend sufficiently to engage under the top rails 24 of two opposed wall panels 21 (the rails 24 constitute abutment surfaces) as the hoist 34 is raised. As the hoist is raised the base bottom (now released of the latching restraint which secures it to the base frame) will open and this is achieved in a controlled manner by means of a supporting roller 38, see Fig.13. In another top lift arrangement as illustrated in Fig.14 there is a support frame 39 including posts a pair of posts 40 and a pair 41 joined adjacent the bottoms by a sub-frame 42 which includes rollers 43 which are the equivalent of the roller 38 of the arrangement of Figs.12 and 13. There is a raisable U shaped arm 44 slidably supported on the post pairs 40,41 and there are two lifting cylinders 45 to raise and lower the U shaped arm 44. Within the limbs 46 of the arm 44 there are shafts (not shown but the equivalent of the shafts 35 of Figs.12 and 13) and each arm 44 carries dogs 36 of the type and for the same purpose as the dogs 36 of Figs.12 and 13. In the connecting limb 47 of the arm 44 there is a drive shaft geared to the shafts within the limbs 46. The drive shaft has a lever arm (also within the connecting limb 47) connected to the piston rod of a piston in the cylinder 48. Movement of the piston in the cylinder 48 in one direction by a driving fluid (e.g.compressed air) will cause the drive shaft to rotate and the interconnected driven shafts to rotate and the dogs 36 to move between retracted and extended positions. The supply of driving fluid to the cylinder 48 can be controlled by, for example, a valve operated by the arm 44. The valve is held depressed when the arm 44 is in a position to receive a container. In that position the dogs 36 will be located below the abutment surfaces of the container, i.e. the top rails 24 sufficiently to allow the dogs 36 to extend as the arm 44 commences to rise to release the valve to direct fluid to the cylinder 48. Likewise in a lowering operation the dogs will be retracted when the valve is operated by the lowering arm to cause the dogs 36 to retract. This will allow the container to be removed by a fork lift truck. During the raising of the container by the arm 44 through the dogs 36 the base bottom will be supported on the rollers 43, the functioning of this device is similar to that of the device shown in Figs.12 and 13. In the 'elevated' arrangement referred to above, the container with base closed would be mounted on an elevated support, as by a fork lift truck, in a manner which would not interfere with the opening of the base bottom. The latch for the base bottom would be released whilst the base bottom was supported, as by the fork lift truck. The base bottom would then be lowered until it engages an abutment which would limit the extent to which the base bottom could be opened. The forks of the fork lift truck could be provided with a suitable support, for example one incorporating rollers or moving belts or very low friction surfaces for engagement by the front edge of the base bottom as it is lowered. After assisting with the opening the base bottom the fork lift truck can used for other purposes until the empty container has to be removed from its support. At this time the reverse procedure to that outlined above would be adopted. It is to be understood that the above examples of 'top lift' and 'elevated' arrangements for the discharge of the contents of a container having the base of the present invention have been described in principal. There are various ways of constructing the devices for handling top lift and elevated discharge from containers fitted with the base of the invention without departing from the inventive concepts herein disclosed. By way of example, changes can be made to the means for actuating the fingers 36. In an alternative arrangement the cylinder 48 can be replaced by a mechanical means, such as a plunger activated by the placement of the container in the U shaped arm 44.

Claims: - 12 - CLAIMS : - 1. A container base for or forming part of a container, said base including a rectangular base frame with four sides defining an opening through the base frame, a base bottom which is pivotally connected to the base frame at or closely adjacent one side thereof and latch means to releasably retain the base bottom in covering relationship with the opening through the base frame. 2. A base as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base is part of a container comprising said base and four wall panels upstanding from the four sides of the base frame. 3. A base as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base is for a container and the base frame includes first elements of a coupling means for releasable engagement by second elements of said coupling means on four interconnectable wall panels which when interconnected by connecting means constitute an enclosure which combines when coupled to said base frame to form a container. 4. A base as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the base bottom is adapted for engagement by a lifting apparatus. 5. A base as claimed in claim 3 wherein said coupling means first elements comprise slots in the base frame and said second elements comprise at least two hooks on each wall panel requiring first vertical and then horizontal movement of a wall panel to effect coupling of the wall panel to the base frame and said connecting means when subsequently engaged preventing reverse disengaging movements of said wall panels, lateral support members on the base frame outboard of the slots in the base frame for abutting engagement by the wall panels to relieve the wall panel hooks from outwardly directed loads applied to the wall panels by goods within the enclosure formed by said wall panels. 6. A base as claimed in any one of claims l to 5 including two flaps which respectively have first edges hingedly connected to the base frame sides which lie adjacent said one side of the base frame and extend inwardly therefrom, the length of said first flap edges is substantially equal to the dimension of the base frame opening from said one side of the base frame to the opposite side thereof, each flap has a first end edge which lies adjacent and substantially parallel to said base frame opposite side and an angled end edge which extends from adjacent the intersection of the said one side of the base frame and the base frame side to which the respective flap is hinged towards the other of said flaps, the angle of said flap angled end edges being such that for a predetermined angular opening of said base bottom relative to said base frame the said angled end edges of said flaps will bear on said base bottom. 7. A base as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 including two flaps which each have three sides and of substantially right angle triangle shape, said flaps have respective first sides hinged to the base frame sides which lie adjacent said one side of the base frame and extending inwardly into said base frame opening, said flap first sides being substantially equal to the dimension of the base frame opening from said one side of the base frame to the opposite side thereof and the hypotenuses of the respective flaps extend from adjacent the intersection of the said one side of the base frame and its adjacent sides to adjacent the mid-length point of the base frame side opposite said one side of the base frame. 8. A base as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 including a flap which has three sides and is of substantially right angle triangle shape, said flap has a first side hinged to a base frame side which lies adjacent said one side of the base frame and extends inwardly into said base frame opening, said flap first side is substantially equal to the dimension of the base frame opening from said one side of the base frame to the opposite side thereof and the hypotenuse of the flap extends from adjacent the intersection of the said one side of the base frame and the side of the base frame to which the flap is hinged to adjacent the diagonally opposite intersection of the base frame sides. 9. A base as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 when forming part of a container having four wall panels where at least some of said panels have upper edges provided with abutment surfaces to be engaged by container support means to hold the container elevated to the extend that the frame bottom after release of said catch means can adopt a pivoted open condition permitting contents of the container to discharge. 10. A base as claimed in claim 9 where said abutment surfaces are for engagement by container support means that can rise and fall vertically. 11. A base as claimed in claim 9 where said abutment surfaces are for engagement by container support means which has a fixed elevation. 12. A base as claimed in claim 10 where said abutment surfaces are for engagement by pivotally movable fingers on a lifting frame where the fingers are movable between an operative position for engagement with the abutment surfaces on the container wall panels which lie adjacent the wall panel mounted at said one side of said base frame a non-operative position by finger moving means. 13. A base as claimed in claim 12 where said abutment surfaces are for engagement by pivotally movable fingers mounted on a lifting frame connected to extensible struts adapted to raise and lower said lifting frame. 14. A base as claimed in claim 12 where said abutment surfaces are for engagement by pivotally movable fingers mounted on a lifting frame which is raised and lowered by cables and a cable winding means. 15. A base as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 where said frame bottom is adapted to be supported during its pivotal opening and closing movements by a fixed position supporter. 16. A base as claimed any one of claims 12 to 15 where the container of which the base forms part is adapted to actuate said finger moving means when the abutment surfaces of said container walls are placed in working relationship with said lifting frame.

Inventors: KARPISEK LADISLAV STEPHAN, KARPISEK, LADISLAV, STEPHAN
Applicants: KARPISEK LADISLAV STEPHAN, KARPISEK, LADISLAV, STEPHAN
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65D19
IPC codes: B65D19, B65D90