Abstract:
A structure, box or hopper for transportation which is formed from a combination of polymers and steels. In one embodiment, polymers comprise the body of the hopper which is in direct contact with the load being transported. In this way, the polymers bear the impact and wear and tear caused by the material being transported. The present invention further comprises various systems for fastening the steel portion of the hopper to the polymeric portion including the use of adjustable elastomeric ropes for supporting a weight bearing rubber mat.

Description:
This application is based on Application No. 873-2003, filed in Chile on Apr. 30, 2003, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to structures used for the transportation of goods and more particularly to compositions and constructions for such structures. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   There are, at present, many forms of structures which are employed as containers, receiving boxes and/or hoppers for mining, construction and for other activities involving the transportation of rocks, gravel and ballast from mining deposits or in connection with other industrial activities. These structures are often deployed under various and sometimes very difficult geographic and weather conditions. The variability of the material transported and the surrounding environment can create additional difficulties. For example, materials can vary based upon, among other things, weight, chemical composition and adhesion. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity also come into play. 
   In general, the design and construction of these boxes or containers do not specifically address the particular characteristics of the application for which the they are intended. For example, design and construction does not generally take into account the weight or adhesion of the material to be transported or the environment in which such containers or boxes are to be used. Most designs differ only by the particular shape, and such designs are based on technical specifications and design parameters that have not significantly varied over time. Similarly, the type of material with which such structures are built has not significantly changed over the years. These structures are and have been almost exclusively formed from steel in its different formats and characteristics. 
   On the other hand, industrial activity in general, and construction activity and mining applications in particular have changed over the years in response to, among other things, a global drive to reduce operating costs by investing in and developing programs leading to processes and inputs with the greatest technological advantage, which may in turn lead to a lower cost for products and services and towards environment-friendly solutions. 
   The great distances to be traveled by trucks when transporting ore for processing and storing require a strong and generally wear resistant structure for holding the material. Additionally, quality and safety and the efficacy and durability of the structure for holding various materials including ore are currently critical to overall success in these specific lines of business. 
   At present, the aforementioned structures, container boxes and hoppers are for the most part built entirely with steel plates. The steels used are of different strengths and thicknesses which together and in various combinations make up the universe of available structures. Unfortunately with this approach, various drawbacks exist with respect to particular applications. One particular problem is the resulting non-uniform distribution of the material transported over the structure&#39;s body which eventually generates an excess wear of the truck&#39;s tires. Another unsolved problem is the effect of the stresses on the steel due to impact and abrasion conditions, both in the filling and pouring of materials into the container boxes. Problems that can arise during filling operations can result in time and resources being lost due to the required maintenance processes designed to enhance the life of the structures as well ensure safety and other desirable operating characteristics. 
   Additionally, design problems and the nature of steel as a material typically results in large numbers of impacts high degrees of noise resulting during loading and transport. Also, depending on the external environment and the material&#39;s humidity content, with current steel hoppers, the material transported can sometimes become bonded or adhered to the steel structure of the hopper, thus dramatically reducing efficiency in connection with the unloading of the material. Regular maintenance work is required to be performed on these steel structures as a result of damages from impacts and abrasion to the metal surfaces. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is thus a primary object of the present invention to provide a structure or box for transport which overcomes many of the deficiencies found in the prior art. A preferred from of the structure of the present invention is embodied as a box or hopper for transportation. Instead of being manufactured entirely of steel, the container of the present invention is formed as a mixed structure of polymers and steels. In this way, polymers form the body of the hopper at the portion where the load resides. As a result, the impact and wear and tear caused by the material transported is borne by the polymer portion of the structure which is, in turn, incorporated with the structure&#39;s steel portion through various systems and methodologies for fastening, adjusting and suspension as disclosed herein. The metal portion of the structure, on the other hand, acts as a fastening and supporting element for the polymeric component and is not subject to wear and tear and impacts resulting from the material to be transported. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of the hopper of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustration of the rubber parts of the hopper of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustration of the longitudinal and transversal beams of the hopper of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the beam and the two side faces of the hopper of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the hopper of the present invention illustrating the beams which act as housing for ropes and the fastening system. 
       FIG. 6  is a close-up view of the fastening system of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is an illustration of the rubber bottom of the hopper of the present invention with specific indication of its volume increase towards the rear or back portion. 
       FIG. 8  is an illustration of the ropes and related portions of the fastening system of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is an illustration of ropes on the lower part of the hopper of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a side view of the hopper of the present invention particularly illustrating rubber blocks over the side walls of the hopper. 
       FIG. 11  is an illustration of the side and front walls of the hopper of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
   The present invention for a novel mining hopper is now described. In the description that follows, numerous specific details are set forth for the purposes of explanation. It will, however, be understood by one of skill in the art that the invention is not limited thereto and that the invention can be practiced without such specific details and/or substitutes therefor. The present invention is limited only by the appended claims and may include various other embodiments which are not particularly described herein but which remain within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
   According to the present invention, and as generally illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a structure  100 , such as, for example, a mining hopper, for transporting materials, is built from multiple materials wherein polymers form a significant portion of the total structure. According to one preferred embodiment, portions of structure  100  such as the bottom  110 , side walls  120 , front section  130 , visor  140  and other external areas are manufactured from polymers or a combination of steel parts and polymers. 
   In a preferred embodiment, structure  100  includes a floor  150  for the storage of material. This floor  150  is formed as a rubber mat  150  hanging on a plurality of elastomeric ropes  160 , which after being placed parallel to each other, adjust to the shape of the side walls  120  of structure  100  via a fastening system (not shown) made up of clamps and bolts, so that the stress on ropes  160  can be controlled. Hanging rubber mat  150  is preferably a single body and is manufactured using polymers which are selected to be resistant to abrasion and impacts. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates mat  150  and associated components in greater detail. The thickness of mat  150  can vary depending upon the application but is preferably determined according to the area bearing the greatest impact and abrasion stress required by the different applications. The steel components of structure  100  act as a supporting and fastening element. As can be seen from  FIG. 2  and as discussed in greater detail below, various other rubber mat sections may be included to protect the metal portion of the hopper of the present invention 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , frame  310  is constructed in a preferred embodiment using a series of longitudinal, straight beams  320  separated from each other by the distance equal to the beams of the truck chassis. Frame  310  may be square shaped, rectangular or some other shape as required or desirable based upon the truck chassis and other factors. Additionally, frame  310  includes a plurality of transverse beams  330  which are placed equidistant from one another and perpendicular to longitudinal beams  320 . 
   In a preferred embodiment, the two ends of the transverse beams  330  are supported by two additional longitudinal beams  340  which are parallel to and of the same length as longitudinal beams  320 . Additional longitudinal beams  340 , in turn, accommodate round or square cavities (see  FIG. 5 ) which house the adjustment and supporting mechanism  520  for the rubber guy cables  510  which support rubber hanging mat  150  of the hopper structure  100 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , it may been seen that fastening and supporting mechanism  520  may be made up of a metal plate box  610  with a hole in the outer end, which houses an adjustment bolt  620  screwed to a metal latch  530  to support the rubber cables  510  on each end, which in turn supports the mat  150  forming the bottom of hopper structure  100 . 
   Frame  310  is set within steel support structure  370  which comprises three walls: front wall  130  and side walls  120  (see  FIG. 1 ). Side walls  120  may be of a substantially triangular shape reinforce in the upper edge by a pentagonal steel beam, which runs the whole length of front wall  130  and houses in its upper portion rubber blocks  190  which make up a protecting side edge for the top of side walls  120 . Side walls  120  are located over longitudinal beams  340  which, in turn, house fastening and supporting system  520 . Fastening and supporting system  520  may contain a plurality of small holes which allow for bolt fastening of the side wall rubber mats  170  which cover the surface of both side walls  120  and which provide the function of shielding side walls  120  against impacts and abrasion. 
   Front wall  130 , may be built from steel and is located in the front end of structure  100 , and may have a hyperbolic hexagonal base and rectangular shape reinforced in its outer face by a set of C cross-section horizontal and vertical beams. Front wall  130  may contain a variable number of small holes on its surface which allow for the use of fastening bolts in order to place rubber mat  180  which protects front wall  130 . In a preferred embodiment, rubber mat  180  is formed as a single piece with a continuous thickness. 
   Both front wall  130  and side walls  120  contain fastening metal structures in their lower ends, which with their holes, allow for fastening protection plates over the front and longitudinal end of the rubber mats. To the upper end of front wall  130 , a metal plate which projects to front wall  130  may be provided to act as a visor to protect the front portion of the truck against possible falling or displacement of the material transported, This steel visor  140  is made up of a low-thickness steel plate reinforced in its lower part with longitudinal and transversal beams of the C type and covered on its surface by rubber mat  180  made up of a single continuous thickness piece and fastened with bolts and performing the function of covering the steel area (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). 
   As mentioned above, the thickness of rubber mat  150  which acts as the bottom is variable and determined according to the area where the impact and abrasion is greatest in the different applications required. This same characteristic may be employed to construct the rear portion or final third of the hanging rubber mats  180  and  170  wherein a greater thickness or volume and with a tilting degree not over 20% allows the formation of a better filling cone, thus enabling a better and more efficient filling of the hopper  100 . This further avoids spillage of the material transported. 
   In order to analyze the design of the hanging rubber mats  170  and  180 , the theory of the maximum deformation energy is employed. According to this theory, it is expected that the fault caused by fluency occurs when the total deformation energy of a unit volume is equal to or exceeds the deformation energy value of the same volume corresponding to the flow strength in stress or compression. From this, it is derived that the polymer behaves as just one resisting body. Also, the turning force of the vehicle holding transporting structure  100  is absorbed by hanging rubber mats  170  and  180  and scattered among the complete structure via elastomeric ropes  160 . Also, shock loads are substantially dampened as the rubber mats acts as “hammock”. Consequently, the traditional concept of supporting and resisting the hopper in the process of loading, unloading and transporting is dramatically changed, since the weight of the material transported, as well as the wear produced by the load transported, wholly lies in the rubber structures and the elastomeric ropes  160 , while the steel portion of structure  100 , acts only as a support for the polymers and not as a wear element. 
   Rubber mat  150  hangs over ropes or strings  160  manufactured as polyester fibers covered with rubber. Each of these ropes  160  may be individually adjusted relative to the supporting structure, thus allowing for the presence of a nominal distance between rubber mat  150  and the lower steel structure of structure  100 , which situation allows for simple and safe maintenance (See  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). In order to provide the necessary elasticity, all ropes  160  are oriented parallel to one another, thus allowing that these may endure some narrowing during the loading process and even return to their original length when structure  100  is emptied. Ropes  160  are fastened to structure  100  through a mechanism which in turn allows for the fastening and stress adjustment of each component (See  FIGS. 6 ,  8  and  9 ). 
   At the bottom of structure  100 , the front section or the inside front wall of the hopper is covered with rubber and fastened to the rubber bottom by mechanical fastening or blocks made up of steel or rubber in order to protect the joints against impacts and abrasion. The front rubber mat  180  covers the inner front section of the hopper thus allowing for the reduction of the thickness of the steel used in this section and provides for front rubber mat  180  absorbing all impact and abrasion. In one embodiment of the present invention, removable and adjustable rubber blocks are mechanically placed in different outer sectors of the container box body, so that they may shield and/or dampen of the material which may fall or come out of the container box, with the clear benefit of protection for the box, tires, the cabin of the truck and the operator of the unit. 
   As regards the hopper&#39;s side walls  120 , these are in turn made up in their whole upper portion by a “strand” or rubber blocks which become incorporated through such mechanical means as bolt fastening, with a part of its inner body being coated by rubber and allowing for reduction in the steel thickness acting as support (See  FIGS. 4 and 10 ). 
   In one embodiment, the visor or upper front section of the hopper  140 , like the bottom of the hopper, may include a rubber mat hanging over transversal elastomeric ropes, which are in turn adjusted to the edges of visor  140  through a mechanical fastening system and being flanked, if necessary, by adjustable and removable rubber blocks  190 , which function to prevent the overflowing of the material transported. 
   The stress adjustment system or mechanism for the elastomeric ropes  160  is made up of a cast steel latch, through which the elastomeric rope is hooked, held up and stressed by the action of two bolts which, once incorporated to the hopper by the outside, go through the cast portion and form a system which is incorporated with beams  340  in the form of round or square cavities placed in a parallel over the whole length of beams  340 . This stress adjustment mechanism allows for adaptation to different types of ore, thus allowing for the optimization of the operation of the same (See  FIGS. 6 and 8 ). 
   The wear ranges or margins of the rubber mat making up the bottom, the absorbing and shielding outer rubber blocks and of the mat and retaining rubber blocks, which make up the visor and front section, may be monitored at regular specific intervals and their useful life may be accommodated by replacement as necessary. Since these rubber elements are wear resistant and due to the way in which they are fastened to the hopper&#39;s body, which make them easily and quickly removable, the regular monitoring of these may indicate damage or excessive wear and once being detected, the component may be repaired quickly and safely. 
   Among the advantages provided by the present invention is the reduction of the weight of structure  100  by several tons depending on the size of the truck which, combined with the improved hanging of the useful load, gives the possibility of increasing said load without increasing the truck rolling resistance. 
   Additionally, the present invention provides an excellent solution to the problem of transporting sticky material. The rubber mats in act to prevent or minimize the dirt or gravel from becoming stuck or adhered under cold weather conditions, since it is permanently moving during the transport. During the pouring process, elastomeric ropes  160  return to their original length and bend rubber mat  150 , thus forcing out any material which has remained bound at the bottom or in the corners. Wastes of the material transported and adhered to structure  100 , are almost completely eliminated according to the present invention. 
   Another advantage of the present invention is its feature of automatically centering the load. The rubber mat  150 , when supported by ropes  160 , forms a concave shape and the material loaded in the body tends to rest at the mat&#39;s center, thus resulting in a reduction of uneven forces in the structure of chassis and tires. This characteristic allows in turn that the unloading speed decreases with the rubber mat  150  showing a better performance to abrasion characteristic. 
   An additional advantage of this hopper relates to the health of the operator or driver of the truck. The transmission of vibrations to the cabin during the loading, traveling and unloading is substantially lower than in the case of traditional steel hoppers. Also, the noise of the hopper&#39;s loading and unloading is another issue which may affect the environment and which has also received much attention in the industry. It is evident that even a relatively short period of exposure to strong noises may cause a permanent damage to human hearing and to the whole community near these activities. In this respect, and since structure  100  is largely structured in rubber, it absorbs the noise produced during the filling and pouring process. In addition, the ease and safety in connection with the changing of the rubber components make this apparatus preferable in most if not all industrial applications. 
   The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims, and by their equivalents.