Patent ID: 6948887

Claim:
A container for use in transporting particulate materials, said container comprising: (a) a plurality of product compartments, with each such compartment having a material outlet in communication therewith through which particulate material in the compartment may be discharged; (b) a gas-tight bulkhead separating a pair of adjacent product compartments; (c) an unloading system that is adapted for removal of particulate materials from the product compartments, said unloading system including: (i) a source for supplying a pressurizing gas; (ii) one or more top air conduits connecting the pressurizing gas source to the product compartments for conveying pressurizing gas to the product compartments; (iii) a material conveying conduit that is in fluid communication with a plurality of the material outlets, which conduit includes a discharge end through which particulate material may be unloaded; which unloading system is adapted for: (iv) selectively pressurizing one or more of the product compartments so that particulate material may be discharged through the material outlet of a product compartment that is pressurized; (v) entraining material that is discharged through a material outlet in the material conveying conduit and conveying such material to the discharge end of the conduit.