Abstract:
A bulk feed bin providing storage, transport and dispensation of a quantity of particulate animal feed, the container having a gravity feed hopper with an upper sliding lid, a lower feed chute with a spring-loaded sliding closure, the bin providing an elevated lower base portion supporting the bin having a pair of skid rail slots use in lifting each bin with a skid loader or other lift equipment. 
     Each bin is stackable upon another, with each upper sliding lid being opened or closed while stacked and each chute sliding closure selectively opening and closing while stacked to evacuate the bin contents.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    A bulk feed bin providing storage, transport and dispensation of a quantity of particulate animal feed, the container having a gravity feed hopper with an upper sliding lid, a lower feed chute with a spring-loaded sliding closure, the bin providing an elevated lower base portion supporting the bin having a pair of skid rail slots use in lifting each bin with a skid loader or other lift equipment. 
         [0004]    Each bin is stackable upon another, with each upper sliding lid being opened or closed while stacked and each chute sliding closure selectively opening and closing while stacked to evacuate the bin contents. 
         [0005]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0006]    A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or general purpose. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present stackable bulk feed storage bins, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art. 
         [0007]    Prior art bulk feed devices located for sale or being held under prior art patent do not provide stackable containers nor are they of a profile capable of transport in the bed of a standard pickup. 
         [0008]    They also do not have the ability to provide a user with other appliances and contemplated with the bin being the only required portable components within a feed distribution system. 
         [0009]    In U.S. Pat. No 6,408,787 to Clark, a feed bin is disclosed having a upper hinged lid, a lower slide plate below a tapered bin and an inner grate assembly to break up clumps in the feed product. It is intended for use suspended from a corral fence by a rear clip or wall of a horse trailer. It is not intended for use in a stacked or multiple unit assembly. Clark is also provided in a design patent, issued under U.S. Pat. No. D435706. 
         [0010]    In U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,833 to Runyon, a pickup bed mounted feed distribution device presents an elongated box or hopper with a tapered bottom bin supplying a lower side distribution auger with a granular content for distribution into fee troughs. The Runyon bin comprises an upper lid which is opened for the introduction of feed into the bin, a lower frame supporting the bin bottom and auger above the bed of the pickup, and a side chute which is hinged to be folded up for transport and down during auger active distribution of the feed content. It is a single stack apparatus. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The livestock industry relies upon particulate feed for food supplements for livestock and other animals. This particulate feed comes in two forms—bagged feed and bulk feed. Bagged feed is generally transported by trucks and comes stacked upon pallets or is sold in individual bags of feed. Bulk feed is delivered by truck or rail and is loaded either into a truck bed after purchase by a front end loader or is dispensed in a container by a hopper. A purchaser is most often required to pick up their bulk feed from a local feed store and either haul it with their own equipment or rent and/or borrow a transport vehicle to haul it to their location for storage and subsequent use. 
         [0012]    The prior art demonstrates special trailers which are provided to haul and store bulk particulate feed—some of them even having built-in dispensaries to off-load the contained feed. When these devices are empty, the user simply takes them back for a refill or uses another means to deliver replacement feed for a next feeding. 
         [0013]    It would be the intent of the present invention to provide the present stackable bulk feed storage , transport and exchange bin as a vessel use for particulate bulk feed handling. Each bin has an upper sliding lid within which the bulk feed materials are delivered to fill the bin with a chosen feed. The bin has a storage cavity defining a tapered feed hopper floor which directs the feed materials into a lower chute opening provided with a lower spring-loaded chute panel, which may opened against the spring tension to dispense the feed material through the lower chute by the activation of a laterally mounted chute lever. Each bin is filled with bulk feed at a bulk feed merchant, transported by the purchaser and stored until the feed is distributed through the floor to either another stackable bin or into a delivery container to the animal livestock after which the empty bin is transported back to the bulk feed merchant for refilling or for exchange with a filled bulk feed bin. Each bin is of a dimension to be transported in the bed of a pickup. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The following drawings are submitted with this utility patent application. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is an upper perspective view of a bulk feed transport and storage bin with phantom line indicating an stack base support upon which the bin may be set upon. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the bulk feed transport and storage bin with phantom line indicating an upper second bin stacked upon the lower bin. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the bulk feed transport and storage bin with broken lines indicating the internal configuration of the bin, including the lower tapered floor and the lower chute door in a closed position with the corresponding positioned lever. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top view of an open bulk feed transport and storage bin. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the bulk feed transport and storage bin with the lower chute door in an open position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the bulk feed transport and storage bin along section line  6 / 6  of  FIG. 5  showing the lower chute door in an open position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a section view of the bulk feed transport and storage bin as seen in  FIG. 6 , except showing the lower chute door in an open position. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    A bulk feed storage and transport bin  10 , shown in  FIGS. 1-7  of the drawings, for the bulk handling of a particulate feed for livestock or other particulate bulk material, the bin  10  defining a rectangular feed hopper  20  defining a front panel  22 , a back panel  23  and two expanded lateral side panels  24  attached to one another, an upper rim  25  defined by the upper edge  26  of the feed hopper  20 , the upper rim  25  extending upper lid slide rails  27  from each side panel  24 , each slide rail  27  defining a lateral lid slide channel  28  and an upper contoured support extension  29 , and a lower edge  40  of the hopper  20  attaching a lower tapered floor  42  forming a lower rectangular port  44  terminating into a lower opening  46 . The expanded lateral side panels  24  are expanded outward, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 , for expanded volume capacity of the hopper  20 . The hopper  20  is mounted upon a lower section  50  providing a support frame  52  and a lower support stand  53 , the lower support stand  53  defining a front section  54 , two side sections  55  and a rear section  56  defining a cavity  57 , each section attaching to the support frame  52  within the cavity  57 , the front section  54  further defining a pair of horizontally level fork slots  58  providing entry within the cavity  57  below a portion of the support frame  52  providing a point of insertion to receive lifting forks from transport equipment to lift and handle the bin  10 . A sliding lid  30  slide horizontally within the facing slide channels  28  of the upper lid slide rails  27 , the lid horizontally moved from front to back. A lower chute door  60  is slideably engaged below the lower rectangular port  44  and lower opening  46  in close proximity to the lower opening  46 , the lower chute door  60  retaining the contents of the hopper  20 ,  FIGS. 5-7 . The expanded side panels  24 , for purposes of expanded capacity of the hopper, may extend laterally without limits, provided the lower section  50  provides a dimension to be transported in the bed of a standard farm pickup, most commonly a half ton to one ton pickup bed. 
         [0023]    The lower chute door  60 ,  FIG. 5 , further defines lateral margins  62  slidably engaged within a pair of lower lateral slide rails  59  attached to the support frame  52 , a front section  63  attached to a pair of tension springs  70  on each lateral margin  62  of the lower chute door  60  and a rear section  66  attached to a pair of articulated arms  80  attached to a rotatable axle  82  below the support frame  52  by a pair of side mounted axle bearings  84  with the axle  82  extending a lever  86  being pivotal on a vertical axis along one of the side sections  55  of the lower support stand  53 . The lever  86  is moved by force into an open position,  FIG. 6 , urging the lower chute door  60  to the rear, exposing the lower opening  46  to dispense the hopper contents. When the lever  86  is without force and in a closed position,  FIG. 7 , the lower chute door  60  is returned by the tension of the springs  70  to close the lower opening  46 . The lower chute door  60  is operable whether the bin  10  is set upon a ground surface, on a elevated object or when it is stacked upon another bin  10 ,  FIG. 2 , providing each bin  10  with the ability to transfer its contents into another bin  10  below by opening the sliding lid  30  of the lower stacked bin  10  and opening the lower chute door  60  of the upper stacked bin  10  providing transfer of the contents of the upper bin into the lower bin. 
         [0024]    The lower chute door  60 ,  FIGS. 5-7 , further defines an H-shaped panel with the lateral margins  62  being elongated with a door panel section  64  being defined by the same dimension as the lower opening  46  of the lower rectangular port  44  with each lateral margin  62  defining a forward spring anchor point  65 , each spring anchor point  65  receiving a first end  72  of each tension spring  70 , with a second end  74  of each tension spring  70  mounted to the support frame  52  below the fork slots  58  to avoid damage to or interference with the operation of the springs  70  and attached lower chute door  60 . The lower chute door  60  further defines a rear section  66  extending a pair of door tabs  67  attaching a pivotal link  68 ,  FIGS. 6-7 , each link  68  further attaching to one of the pair of articulated arms  80  attached to the axle  82  which move in cooperation to convert the vertical axial rotation of the rotatable axle  82  caused by movement of the lever  86  into a horizontal linear force against the lower chute door  60  and against the tension springs  70  to compel the lower chute door  60  to movement towards the rear. Release of the lever  86  returns the chute door  60  to the closed position without force required from the user. The lower chute door  60  would be closed automatically when no force is present and opened only by intentional force. 
         [0025]    The exchange format use of the present bulk feed bin  10  is patterned after the propane tank exchanges, where a consumer exchanges their empty portable tank for a full tank repeatedly as opposed to having to wait for the tank to be filled at a location or for a feed delivery service to fill the tank. The bins  10  can also be delivered by the feed merchant to the rancher or consumer with multiple feed bins on a trailer, delivering full bins and retrieving empty ones on a subscription route. Each bin is adapted for use independently, while mounted upon a pair of lower support stands, attached to the lower section of the bin, or while mounted upon a stack base support A,  FIGS. 1 and 3 , upon which the bin is mounted, the stack base support receiving buckets or other smaller quantity transport devices. 
         [0026]    The bulk feed bins  10 , being ideally suited for inclusion within other systems, can be provided as integrated vehicle or implement transport systems or simply used independently. The fork slots  58  provide transport capability so that each bin  10  can be moved with skid steering equipment, tractors with hay forks, or a fork lift implements at the farm and ranch location or at the distributor. The slide rails  27  and support extensions  29  allow the bins to be stacked upon one another for storage or transport with the support extensions  29  of the lower stacked bin  10  securely supporting the lower support stand  53  of the upper stacked bin  10 , while allowing the upper sliding lid  30  and the lower chute door  60  to be opened and closed independently while stacked,  FIG. 2 . This stacking also provides the bins  10  with the option to transfer contents from an upper stacked bin into a lower stacked bin, leaving the lower bin filled and for use while the upper bin is removed and taken in for refill or exchange or simply emptying a bin while suspended above another. Other uses will be apparent once the full utility of the device is understood by those skilled in the art and the industry. 
         [0027]    The primary benefits of having the bulk feed bins  10 , as disclosed, lies within the ability of a user to purchase, haul and deliver particulate feed in bulk quantities, reducing the handling required in bagged feed, and also providing the storage bin in the disclosed profile, which allows for each storage bin to be carried within the bed of a pickup, as disclosed previously, or hauled on a flat bed semi-trailer which would provide transport for up to  26  storage bins per level, or  52  storage bins in a two-high stacked and secured transport. Another advantage over other storage bins lies within each upper bin being stacked upon a lower bin and maintaining the ability to empty the upper bin contents into the lower bin by the operation of the sliding lid and the lower chute door while stacked. 
         [0028]    This enables the user to empty the lower storage bin, or other component integrated within a feed distribution system, and then dispense the contents of an upper storage bin into the lower storage bin or other component. The now empty upper storage bin may then be replaced with a newly filled storage bin, with the lower storage bin remaining in place while the upper storage bin is repeatedly refilled or replaced. 
         [0029]    It is contemplated that the feed storage bin  10 , due to its disclosed utility, can be integrated with other accessory implements, including an auger to move the particulate feed horizontally for delivery into feed troughs or to other mobile devices (filed contemporaneously with the present application), or pickup beds, feed spreaders, feed mixers, uplift devices, or a replacement accessory on a front end loader. It can be used as part of an overall feed delivery system at a farm or ranch or feed lot, with the bins used like a cartridge to constantly refill the system with a supply of bulk feed. While the feed storage bin has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.