US 12,246,926 B2
Bulk material retrieval and transport system and methods
Kirk Holmes, Perrysburg, OH (US); Steven Will, Sylvania, OH (US); Manfred Robert Romstöck, Freudenberg (DE); and Guenther Josef Mlynar, Wertheim-Bettingen (DE)
Assigned to Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc., Perrysburg, OH (US)
Filed by Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc., Perrysburg, OH (US)
Filed on Oct. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/492,548.
Application 17/492,548 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/061,302, filed on Oct. 1, 2020, granted, now 11,912,608.
Prior Publication US 2022/0106123 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 3/04 (2006.01); B65D 88/26 (2006.01); B65D 90/20 (2006.01); B65D 90/48 (2006.01); B65G 69/18 (2006.01); B66F 9/06 (2006.01); C03B 3/00 (2006.01); G01G 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 3/04 (2013.01) [B65D 88/26 (2013.01); B65D 90/205 (2013.01); B65D 90/48 (2013.01); B65G 69/18 (2013.01); G01G 13/00 (2013.01); B66F 9/063 (2013.01); C03B 3/00 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bulk material transporter, comprising:
a hollow transport bin having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being located at a tapered bottom portion of the bin;
an inlet closure having an open position for receiving bulk material and a closed position for blocking the inlet while not actively receiving bulk material;
an outlet closure having an open position for discharging bulk material from the bin and a closed position blocking the outlet while not actively discharging bulk material; and
a cradle that supports the bin in an upright orientation during receiving of bulk material through the inlet and discharging of bulk material through the outlet, wherein the cradle supports the bin along a perimeter of the bin,
wherein at least a portion of a wall of the hollow transport bin is formed from a pliable material that is elastically deformable in a flexural mode such that, after being deformed from an original shape, the material returns to the original shape.