CARGO CONTAINER TO DELIVER SAND TO A FRAC SITE
A cargo container is constructed to carry a fracing proppant such as sand from a quarry or source to the frac site. An open frame the size of a standard cargo container has an enclosed hopper therein. Upper sliding gate at a top hatch provides for loading the hopper, and a lower sliding gate in a bottom hatch provides for unloading the hopper. The bottom of the hopper is at an angle slightly above the angle of repose of the fracing proppant carried therein.
1 . A cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant such as sand from a source to a frac site, the cargo container comprising:
a frame the size of a standard cargo container;
a hopper contained within said frame and secured thereto, said hopper having side walls, a bottom and a top;
a lower hatch in said bottom of said hopper;
a lower gate in said lower hatch;
a fluid operated lower cylinder connected to said lower gate;
an upper hatch in said top of said hopper;
an upper gate in said upper hatch;
a fluid operated upper cylinder connected to said upper gate;
said fluid operated upper cylinder operating said upper gate to fill said hopper with said fracing proppant, said fluid operated lower cylinder operating said lower gate to empty said fracing proppant from said hopper.
2 . The cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 1 wherein said lower gate is a sliding type gate.
3 . The cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 2 wherein said lower gate presses against cam blocks when closed.
4 . The cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 3 wherein said upper gate is a sliding type gate.
5 . The cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 1 wherein said bottom of said hopper is sloped downward to said lower gate, said slope being equal to, or greater than, the angle of repose of said fracing proppant.
6 . The cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 5 wherein corners of said frame are standard corners for cargo containers.
7 . The cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 6 wherein said corners are casting with holes for receiving twist-lock fasteners therein.
8 . A method of manufacturing a cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant from a source to a frac site including the following steps:
building an open frame the size of a standard cargo container, corners of said frame being casting the same as corners of said standard cargo container;
constructing a hopper within said open frame, said hopper having walls, a downwardly sloping bottom and a top;
installing a lower hatch with a lower sliding gate operated by a lower cylinder in a lower opening of said downwardly sloping bottom;
securing an upper hatch with an upper gate operated by an upper cylinder in an upper opening of said top of said hopper;
said upper cylinder operating said upper gate in said top for filling said hopper with said fracing proppant, said lower cylinder operating said lower sliding gate in said downwardly sloping bottom to empty said fracing proppant from said hopper, slope of said downwardly sloping bottom being equal to, or greater than, angle of repose of said fracing proppant.
9 . The method of manufacturing a cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 8 wherein said upper gate is a sliding type gate.
10 . The method of manufacturing a cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 9 wherein said lower cylinder and said upper cylinder are connected to a control panel wherein a pressurized fluid is applied to either (a) said upper cylinder for said filling or (b) said lower cylinder for said emptying.
11 . The method of manufacturing a cargo container for carrying a fracing proppant as recited in claim 10 wherein no part of said cargo container extends outside said frame.