Abstract:
Disclosed are structures for protecting the lower corners of containers used for storing and shipping agricultural commodities, and related methods of use. More particularly, removable reinforced feet or toes for protecting the lower corners of agricultural commodity bins are disclosed. The reinforced feet or toes are resistant to damage and may be easily removed, repaired and replaced. In embodiments of the invention, the feet or toes are provided with one or more removable reinforcement structures that may be removed and replaced by new structures when worn or damaged, without requiring removal of the feet or toes themselves.

Description:
This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/790,723, filed on Mar. 8, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/650,422 filed on May 22, 2012, which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to containers for harvesting and shipping agricultural commodities, and more particularly to removable reinforced feet or toes for agricultural commodity bins that are durable and resistant to damage and may be easily repaired or replaced, and related methods of use. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Reusable bins have long been in use for storing and transporting agricultural commodities. A typical agricultural storage bin includes a base and four sides, with an open top. The base of a typical bin is supported by a pair of rails which are provided in parallel along two opposite sides of the base. Some bins include a third parallel rail in the center. The rails typically define pairs of parallel slots for receiving the arms of a forklift for raising, lowering, and moving the bin. 
     In use, agricultural bins are typically moved extensively: to or from fields for filling with agricultural products, around warehouses and cold storage facilities, stacked on top of each other, loaded onto trucks using forklifts, etc. Loaded bins (containing agricultural products) are shipped to production areas such as a cannery, packing house, etc. Under normal conditions, the bins may be subjected to significant stress and/or abuse which often results in damage to the bin. Such damage may occur, for example, when a forklift operator drags a bin across a cement floor or other surface, particularly a rough surface. A forklift operator may also misalign the forks with the fork slots in a bin causing the fork to impact one or more of the support rails of the bin with significant force. The support rails of such containers may also experience damage when insufficiently raised during transport (e.g., the operator of a forklift uses the edges of the forks to slide a container on the floor without lifting the container, or without lifting it sufficiently) causing the rails to scrape across the floor or other abrasive surfaces. 
     The corners of agricultural bins are often subjected to the greatest damage resulting from uneven or rough handling as the bins are moved about. Since agricultural bins are frequently stacked, the corners require strength to support tall stacks of bins. If a bottom corner of a foot or toe of a bin has been damaged, it may not properly distribute the weight of that bin (including any bins above it) to the bin(s) below, resulting in an unstable stack of bins. Often the bottom corners of agricultural bins become so damaged that they are rendered unusable, requiring replacement of the rails that support them, or replacement the entire base of the bin. 
     Even a small amount of damage to one area of a support rail may require replacement of the entire rail (which runs along an entire bottom side of a bin), resulting in wasteful expenditures on replacement rails. Additionally, replacement of one or more damaged rails of an agricultural bin requires significant labor, including disassembling the bin and replacement of the damaged rails. Because of these costs, bins with damaged rails may continue to be used until the damage becomes so severe that the bin becomes unusable, at which point the damaged bin may simply be scrapped and replaced (at significant cost). 
     It is therefore desirable to provide sturdy, reinforced and inexpensive feet or toes for use on agricultural commodity bins that are resistant to damage, and that may be easily repaired, removed and/or replaced in the event of damage, thus providing an alternative to replacement of an entire support rail or an entire bin. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides durable and resilient replacement feet (sometimes also referred to herein as toes) for use on agricultural commodity bins, and related methods of use, repair, and replacement. Embodiments of the feet or toes of the present invention are provided with reinforcing features, preferably but not necessarily made of metal, which resist damage from the harsh environments where the agricultural bins are used. The feet or toes of the present invention may be used to replace the rails on existing agricultural bins. For example, a single rail that extends along the underside of one side of an existing bin may be replaced by two such feet or toes, one at each end (corner) of one side of the bin. Similarly, a rail extending along the underside of the opposite side of the bin may be replaced by two additional feet or toes, so that one foot or toe may be provided in each corner of the bin. 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, reinforcement is provided at or near the outside edges and/or corners of the feet or toes. In some embodiments, the reinforcement is in the form of a removable bolt which may be screwed directly into the foot or toe, or engaged with a nut. Such a bolt assembly may be used to hold the foot or toe against the bottom of an agricultural bin, but it may also be provided only for reinforcement. In these embodiments, the bolt assembly itself (with nut, if provided) may be removed and replaced when damage occurs due to regular usage after wear and tear. This will reinforce the foot or toe, without necessarily replacing the entire foot. 
     In some embodiments, a recess is provided to receive the bolt head or a related structure so that it is generally flush with the bottom of the foot or toe when installed, preventing it from protruding out from the foot or toe assembly. The bolt head or related structure may be of any suitable shape, with the recess matching that shape. Normal wear and tear at the corner is expected to cause damage to the foot or toe itself, potentially causing exterior (e.g., metal, ceramic, rubber, or plastic material) portions of the foot to be dented, broken, and/or dislodged. However, the reinforcing assembly in the foot or toe is highly resistant to damage, such that even if some exterior portions of the foot may be damaged during normal use, that damage is stopped at the location of the reinforcement (such as the bolt head). The closer the reinforcing assembly is to an outside edge or corner of the foot, the less damage the foot will encounter before being stopped by the reinforcing assembly. 
     It is to be appreciated that multiple reinforcement assemblies or pieces of the types described herein may be provided in a single foot or toe of the present invention in order to provide increased resistance to damage. The reinforcement assemblies of the present invention are easily removed and replaced without necessarily replacing the foot or toe itself. However, even in the event of catastrophic damage to the foot or toe, replacement of the entire foot or toe with reinforcement assembly(ies) is a simple and inexpensive process allowing the agricultural bin to be placed back into use in a short time without compromising the integrity of the bin. 
     In various embodiments, numerous other and different kinds of reinforcement and reinforcing pieces may be provided in removable or permanent form, individually or with one or more other reinforcement embodiments described herein, preferably but not necessarily made of metal for increased resistance. For example and without limitation, a reinforcing piece may form the entire foot or toe, or the lower corner of the foot, or it may form (or cover or be attached to) only some portion thereof or a single foot or toe may be provided with one or more bolt assemblies together with an L-shaped corner reinforcement piece. It is preferred that the reinforcement(s) be made of metal because they will be less susceptible to damage and will resist wear and tear for longer periods of time than plastic, wood or other structural materials. Additionally, the reinforcement(s) may have a substantial thickness to increase the durability thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the head of the bolt may be of a large size to cover a greater area and provide greater resistance to damage. In some embodiments, a washer or other similar structure may be provided with or under the bolt head to provide a larger area of resistance to damage. Whatever form or size such a bolt assembly takes, it is preferred that there be a corresponding recess to receive the head and/or washer of the bolt assembly so that it does not protrude out from the bottom plane of the foot or toe (which could cause the bin to be uneven or tilted when at rest). 
     In some embodiments, the foot or toe itself may be made of durable and/or resilient material such as a rigid plastic, and the cross section of the foot or toe may include a plurality of plastic or other reinforcement areas in addition to one or more metal reinforcement pieces (such as, without limitation, the bolt assemblies discussed above). The additional reinforcement areas may be provided in the form of additional ribs, braces or cross-pieces, or thicker sections made of plastic or metal. It is to be appreciated that in some embodiments, the foot or toe and the reinforced portions may be part of a single molded plastic piece. In other embodiments these reinforcement features may be added on, such as the addition of internal or external metal reinforcement pieces. 
     Some important features of embodiments of the present invention include: (1) a durable and/or resilient corner foot or toe for an agricultural storage bin, (2) the reinforcement structure(s) in the foot or toe being easily replaceable; (3) the foot or toe itself being replaceable without having to remove the entire storage bin base or rail, and/or (4) the foot or toe being reinforced at or near the corner. The reinforcement may be one or more bolt assemblies, or other or additional reinforcement pieces provided at various locations in the foot or toe. The reinforcement may also be one or more sturdy (preferably metallic) pieces may cover and attach to the entire foot or toe, or some portion of the foot or toe, such as the lower corner of the foot or toe. In a further alternative, foot or toe itself may be a metal structure having structural reinforcements, such as webbing, ribs, and cross pieces that lend additional stability and strength. 
     In an exemplary use, reinforced feet or toes of the present invention are installed underneath the corners of an agricultural bin, either before the bin is used or as replacements to existing rails. The bins are then placed into use where the reinforcement features of the feet or toes resist damage from wear and tear as the bin is raised, lowered, loaded, unloaded and transported from one location to another, adding longevity to the usefulness of the bin. In the event that a foot or toe is damaged, the reinforcement structure(s) or the foot or toe itself may be easily, inexpensively, and quickly removed and replaced without requiring the removal or replacement of any of the other structures or feet or toes, allowing the bin to be placed back into service in a short time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is further illustrated by the following drawings. 
         FIG. 1 -A is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a reinforced foot of the present invention for use with an agricultural bin. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , rotated relative to the view of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2 -A is a perspective bottom view of an alternative embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective end view showing upper and side surfaces of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3 -A is a perspective end view showing upper and side surfaces of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 2 -A. 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4 -A is a top perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 -A. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates several alternative embodiments for metallic reinforcement structures of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates further alternative embodiments for metallic reinforcement structures of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating a removable corner piece. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating a different removable corner piece. 
         FIG. 9  is an environmental view showing installation of embodiments of the present invention onto an agricultural commodity bin. 
         FIG. 10  is a detail view of the exploded corner of  FIG. 9  showing how an embodiment of the present invention is installed onto an agricultural commodity bin. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the illustrated embodiments of the invention. While the invention will be described in reference to the following detailed embodiments, it will be understood that the description is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. The invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. 
     Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or equivalent structure throughout the several views, and referring particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 10 , it is seen that the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a generally rectangular foot structure  11  having a rounded outer corner configured to attach to a corner of an agricultural crate or bin  31 . The agricultural bins  31  typically have a rigid plastic structure with side supports or rails running along opposite sides of the bottom of the bin, as described above. The side supports typically have a width in the range of about two inches to about a foot (e.g., about 3 inches to about 7 inches, or any value or range of values therein). To add structural support, the side supports may have a pattern of reinforcements, including web-like patterns of ribs, plates, cross pieces, pegs, and other patterns in the body that help to support and distribute weight. In some embodiments, the presently disclosed foot structures may be tailored to have a complementary shape to the end corners of rails of a particular type of agricultural bin, to allow the foot or toe and the rail of the bin to interlock creating a tight connection. An example of such an embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 9-10  where locking tabs  35  on the foot  11  interlock with openings  33  on bin  31 . In such embodiments, additional fastening means may not be necessary. In other embodiments, the foot or toe may be usable with many different styles and models of agricultural bins. For example, the bin foot or toe may also be manufactured to have different sizes and different arrangements of reinforcing pegs and other structures to accommodate bins of various designs. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , in the exemplary illustrated embodiments, the foot or toe  11  generally has rectangular shape adapted to fit a corner of an agricultural bin. The bin foot or toe  11  may have a flat lower surface  15  and a rounded corner  13  that corresponds to a corner of an agricultural bin. Near the corner  13 , one or more openings  17  may be provided for receiving one or more bolts  21  or other objects (e.g., metal rods, screws, and lockable pins) made of a durable and/or resilient material such as metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloys, and other metals and alloys). In preferred embodiments, a recessed area  22  is provided in surface  15  around opening  17  to receive the head  24  or other wide portion of the bolt or other object  25  (such as a washer) that is to be inserted into opening  17 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 -A and  10 . The recess may have various shapes (e.g., round, various polygonal shapes with sharp or rounded corners, rectangular, square, ellipses, etc.) and sizes (e.g., having a width, length, or diameter in a range from about ¼ inch to about 3 inches, or any value therein) to accommodate various washers, bolt heads, screw heads, nuts, and other fastening or locking structures, such as those shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In some embodiments, bolt  21  may be provided in the form of a screw, and opening  17  may be threaded such that screw  21  may be screwed directly into opening  17 , without the need for a corresponding nut  23 . In other embodiments, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , bolt  21  passes through opening  17  and threads into a nut  23  on the opposite side. In some embodiments, the head of the bolt or screw may be enlarged, or a washer may be provided, or both, to increase friction between the reinforcing structure and the bin foot or toe, thereby holding the reinforcing structure in place through collisions and impacts. For instance, the head  24  of bolt  21  may be enlarged for more frictional resistance to wear and tear (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), and recessed area  22  may be correspondingly shaped to receive the large head  24 . In some embodiments, bolt  15  may be provided with a washer or other structure  25  for more frictional resistance to wear and tear (as shown in  FIG. 6 ), and recessed area  22  may be correspondingly shaped to receive this structure  25  or a part thereof. 
     In further embodiments, additional openings  17  (optionally with associated recesses  22 ) may be provided in lower surface  15  to receive additional bolts  21 , or other similar reinforcing structures, preferably located near corner  15  to provide greater resistance to wear and tear. In such embodiments, the bin foot or toe may include, for example and without limitation, 2 to 6 holes for receiving reinforcing structures located near the corner of the bin foot. For instance, the plurality of holes may be located in a curve pattern along the corner of the bin foot or toe such that each of the plurality of holes is about equidistant from the edge of the bin foot or toe. In further embodiments, holes may be arranged in a triangular, linear or other suitable pattern. 
     In some embodiments, one or more reinforcing strips, brackets, and/or corner covers  26  may be attached to or installed in the bin foot or toe to provide further durability to the bin foot or toe and/or to provide a barrier to impacts on the corner of the bin foot or toe. These additional reinforcing structures may comprise metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum, aluminum alloys, and other metal materials), rigid durable plastics (e.g., thermosetting plastics formed from phenol resins, epoxy resins, polyimides, polyurethanes; vulcanized rubber; polyester fiberglass; etc.), and/or durable ceramic materials (e.g., composite ceramics comprising silica, alumina, zirconia, carbides, etc.). These structures  26  may be provided around the outside edge or perimeter of the foot or toe to resist wear and tear. For example, and without limitation,  FIG. 7  illustrates a reinforced corner piece or big toe  26  that is shaped to conform to the rounded corner of foot  11 ; and  FIG. 8  illustrates an L-shaped reinforcement bracket for attachment to the corner of foot  11 . It is to be appreciated that any of the structures shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , as well as other suitable reinforcement structures may be provided as alternatives to or in addition to any of the reinforcement structures described herein. The lower corner of the bin feet may have a surface or recessed area that is complementary to the reinforcing strips, brackets, and/or corner covers to provide a secure fit with the reinforcing foot or toe of the present invention. 
     In some embodiments, corner  13  of foot  11  is provided with a removable reinforcing nose ( 77 ) which is held in place using a nut and bolt assembly. Nose  77  is similar to bracket  26  of  FIG. 7 , and is preferably made of metal, but may alternatively be made of a durable plastic or ceramic material. Because nose  77  is positioned at the corner  13  of foot  11 , it resists wear and tear on the foot or toe  11 , lengthening the useful life of the foot or toe. The head  24  of bolt  21  further resists damage to foot or toe  11 . If damaged, nose  77  is easily removed by disassembling the nut and bolt, and attaching a different nose  77  and/or a different bolt. 
     In other embodiments, corner  13  of foot  11  is provided with a removable L-shaped strip ( 81 ) which may be held in place using a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies. Strip  81  is similar to bracket  26  of  FIG. 8 , and is preferably made of metal, but may alternatively be made of a durable plastic or ceramic material. Because strip  81  is positioned at the corner  13  of foot or toe  11 , it resists wear and tear on the foot or toe  11 , lengthening the useful life of the foot or toe. The head  24  of supporting bolts  21  further resists damage to foot or toe  11 . If damaged, strip  81  is easily removed by disassembling the nut and bolt assemblies, and attaching a different strip  81  and/or different bolt(s). 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate different bolts  21  with optional nuts  23 , and other reinforcement structures  26  that may be attached to or incorporated into the reinforced bin feet or toes of the present invention, preferably close to the outer corner.  FIG. 6  illustrates a large planar structure and an L-shaped bracket that may be attached to the bottom of a foot or toe  11 , optionally in a corresponding recessed area, so as to keep the foot or toe stable and level when in use, and provides additional protection to the agricultural bin rails. Alternatively, a corner cover enclosing the curved portion of the bin foot or toe corresponding to the corner of the agricultural bin may be attached to the bin foot or toe. The corner cover may have one or more hole(s) for receiving bolt(s)  21  and may be attached to the bin foot or toe  11  by the one or more bolt(s)  21 , or the corner cover may be configured to snap or lock into position on bin foot or toe  11 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . In further embodiments, one or more horizontal and/or vertical straps may be attached to the exterior of the bin foot or toe, optionally in corresponding recessed areas in the bin foot or toe  11 . The corner cover may be large enough to cover the all or portions of the outer sidewalls and/or the bottoms surfaces of the bin foot or toe  11 . It is to be appreciated that numerous other reinforcing structures are contemplated within the scope of the invention and that these are only exemplary embodiments of some such structures that may be used. 
     In some embodiments, reinforced areas may be provided in the foot or toe  11  itself, in the form of a web-like pattern of ribs, braces, cross-pieces, or thickened sections  29 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . These pieces or sections  29  may be provided in a variety of sizes, shapes and thicknesses to provide additional reinforcement in the foot or toe itself. It is to be appreciated that in some embodiments, the foot or toe  11  and the reinforced portions  29  may be part of a single molded piece. In other embodiments these internal reinforcement features  29  may be added on. For example, additional internal metal or ceramic reinforcements may be added to the bin foot or toe  11 . 
     In use, reinforced bin feet or toes  11  of the present invention are installed underneath the corners of an agricultural bin, either before the bin is used or as replacements to existing rails. The bin feet or toes  11  may be designed to have a complementary shape to the corners of the agricultural bin. Many agricultural bins are formed from molded plastics (e.g., high density polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.) and the side support structures of such bins have particular patterns of ribs, thickened portions, and other supporting structures. The bin feet or toes  11  can be designed to accommodate certain patterns in the underside of various agricultural bin rails. For instance, the bin foot or toe  11  may have a corrugated outer wall that corresponds to ridges in the wall of rail of a particular agricultural bin. Alternatively, the bin foot or toe may be adapted to fit a number of bins of a standard size. In such embodiments, the bin foot or toe may have a curved outer wall and a flat floor inside of the outer wall, and one or more holes for receiving screws, bolts, or lockable pegs for securing the bin foot to the rail of the agricultural bin. Optionally, either or both of the outer wall and floor of the bin foot or toe may have a sturdy, but compressible material (e.g., a dense polyurethane foam or other polymeric foam) to engage the structural pattern in the rail of the agricultural bin when the bin foot or toe is bolted, screwed, or otherwise secured to the side support of the agricultural bin. 
     Once the bin feet or toes are attached, the agricultural bins are then placed into use where the reinforcement features such as  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  29  of the feet or toes resist damage from wear and tear as the bin is raised, lowered, loaded, unloaded and transported from one location to another, adding longevity to the usefulness of the bin. The flat bottom surface  15  allows for an easily stackable surface. In some embodiments, the bin feet or toes may have recesses that are complementary to corners formed by upper walls of the agricultural bin allowing the agricultural bins to be stacked in a nested manner. 
     In the event that any of the reinforcement structure(s) are damaged, they may be easily, inexpensively and quickly removed (for example, a bolt  15  may be unscrewed from opening  17 ) and replaced (another bolt  15  is screwed into opening  17 ) without requiring the removal or replacement of any of the other structures or the foot or toe  11  itself, allowing the bin to be placed back into service in a short time. In the event that a foot or toe  11  is severely damaged, it may be easily, inexpensively and quickly removed and replaced in a similar manner. 
     The present invention provides novel reinforced and inexpensive feet or toes for use on agricultural commodity bins that are resistant to damage, and that may be easily and quickly repaired, removed, and/or replaced in the event they are damaged, at low cost and without requiring replacement of an entire bin or support rail. 
     It is to be understood that variations, permutations, and modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof. In particular, one or more features of an exemplary embodiment as described herein may be practiced in conjunction with one or more features of other exemplary embodiments, all such of which are within the scope of the invention. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but only in accordance with the appended claims when read in light of the foregoing specification.