Bulk material shipping container
A bulk material shipping container including a pallet, a compartment mounted on the pallet, a material unloading assembly, and a material loading assembly.
1. A material shipping container comprising:
a pallet;
a compartment mounted on the pallet, the compartment including:
a first top corner, a first bottom corner, and a first corner section extending from the first top corner to the first bottom corner, the first corner section including first and second upright walls extending in a first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in a second different direction;
a second top corner, a second bottom corner, and a second corner section extending from the second top corner to the second bottom corner, the second corner section including first and second upright walls extending in the first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in the second different direction;
a third top corner, a third bottom corner, and a third corner section extending from the third top corner to the third bottom corner, the third corner section including first and second upright walls extending in the first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in the second different direction;
a fourth top corner, a fourth bottom corner, and a fourth corner section extending from the fourth top corner to the fourth bottom corner, the fourth corner section including first and second upright walls extending in the first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in the second different direction;
a front exterior wall connected to the first corner section and the second corner section;
a back exterior wall connected to the third corner section and the fourth corner section;
a first exterior side wall connected to the second corner section and the third corner section;
a second exterior side wall connected to the first corner section and the fourth corner section;
a front exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the front exterior wall;
a back exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the back exterior wall;
a first side exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the first exterior side wall;
a second side exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the second exterior side wall;
a first nesting support positioned adjacent to the first top corner, the first nesting support defining a first opening extending through the first nesting support;
a second nesting support positioned adjacent to the second top corner, the second nesting support defining a second opening extending through the second nesting support;
a third nesting support positioned adjacent to the third top corner, the third nesting support defining a third opening extending through the third nesting support;
a fourth nesting support positioned adjacent to the fourth top corner, the fourth nesting support defining a fourth opening extending through the fourth nesting support, the first, second, third, and fourth nesting supports configured to at least partially support a pallet of another same material shipping container;
a top wall positioned above the front exterior wall, the back exterior wall, the first exterior side wall, and the second exterior side wall; and
an interior bottom wall including:
(i) a front downwardly angled section attached to the front exterior wall and having a lower edge adjacent to a material release opening at a bottom of the interior bottom wall,
(ii) a back downwardly angled section attached to the back exterior wall and having a lower edge adjacent to the material release opening at the bottom of the interior bottom wall,
(iii) a first side downwardly angled section attached to the first exterior side wall, the front downwardly angled section, and the back downwardly angled section, and having a lower edge adjacent to the material release opening at the bottom of the interior bottom wall, and
(iv) a second side downwardly angled section attached to the second exterior side wall, the front downwardly angled section, and the back downwardly angled section, and having a lower edge adjacent to the material release opening at the bottom of the interior bottom wall; and
a plurality of wedge shaped bottom wall supports that support each of the downwardly angled sections;
a material unloading assembly positioned below the interior bottom wall, the material unloading assembly including:
(i) spaced apart guide members, and
(ii) a slidable gate including a closure member and a downwardly extending engagable member attached to the closure member, the closure member slidable on the spaced apart guide members, the closure member slidable to an open position relative to the material release opening and slidable to a closed positioned relative to the material release opening; and
a material loading assembly attached to the top wall, the material loading assembly including a cover hingedly attached to the top wall and movable from a closed position relative to an opening in the top wall and to an open position relative to the opening in the top wall, the cover remaining hingedly attached to the top wall in the open position.
2. The material shipping container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wedge shaped supports include:
(i) a front wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the front downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the front downwardly angled section,
(ii) a back wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the back downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the back downwardly angled section,
(iii) a first side wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the first side downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the first side downwardly angled section, and
(iv) a second side wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the second side downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the second side downwardly angled section.
3. The material shipping container of claim 1 , wherein the compartment includes at least one interior rigid structural support.
4. The material shipping container of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the first corner section is W-shaped,
(b) the second corner section is W-shaped,
(c) the third corner section is W-shaped, and
(d) the fourth corner section is W-shaped.
5. The material shipping container of claim 1 , wherein the compartment is entirely supported by the pallet.
6. The material shipping container of claim 1 , wherein the slidable gate is lockable.
7. The material shipping container of claim 1 , which includes a first upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the first top corner, a second upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the second top corner, a third upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the third top corner, and a fourth upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the fourth top corner.
8. A material shipping container comprising:
a first top corner, a first bottom corner, and a first corner section extending from the first top corner to the first bottom corner, the first corner section including first and second upright walls extending in a first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in a second different direction;
a second top corner, a second bottom corner, and a second corner section extending from the second top corner to the second bottom corner, the second corner section including first and second upright walls extending in the first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in the second different direction;
a third top corner, a third bottom corner, and a third corner section extending from the third top corner to the third bottom corner, the third corner section including first and second upright walls extending in the first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in the second different direction;
a fourth top corner, a fourth bottom corner, and a fourth corner section extending from the fourth top corner to the fourth bottom corner, the fourth corner section including first and second upright walls extending in the first direction, and third and fourth upright walls extending in the second different direction;
a front exterior wall connected to the first corner section and the second corner section;
a back exterior wall connected to the third corner section and the fourth corner section;
a first exterior side wall connected to the second corner section and the third corner section;
a second exterior side wall connected to the first corner section and the fourth corner section;
a front exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the front exterior wall;
a back exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the back exterior wall;
a first side exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the first exterior side wall;
a second side exterior wall support bracket connected to an exterior side of the second exterior side wall;
a first nesting support positioned adjacent to the first top corner, the first nesting support defining a first opening extending through the first nesting support;
a second nesting support positioned adjacent to the second top corner, the second nesting support defining a second opening extending through the second nesting support;
a third nesting support positioned adjacent to the third top corner, the third nesting support defining a third opening extending through the third nesting support;
a fourth nesting support positioned adjacent to the fourth top corner, the fourth nesting support defining a fourth opening extending through the fourth nesting support, the first, second, third, and fourth nesting supports configured to at least partially support another same material shipping container;
a top wall positioned above the front exterior wall, the back exterior wall, the first exterior side wall, and the second exterior side wall;
an interior bottom wall including:
(i) a front downwardly angled section attached to the front exterior wall and having a lower edge adjacent to a material release opening at a bottom of the interior bottom wall,
(ii) a back downwardly angled section attached to the back exterior wall and having a lower edge adjacent to the material release opening at the bottom of the interior bottom wall,
(iii) a first side downwardly angled section attached to the first exterior side wall, the front downwardly angled section, and the back downwardly angled section, and having a lower edge adjacent to the material release opening at the bottom of the interior bottom wall, and
(iv) a second side downwardly angled section attached to the second exterior side wall, the front downwardly angled section, and the back downwardly angled section, and having a lower edge adjacent to the material release opening at the bottom of the interior bottom wall; and
a plurality of wedge shaped bottom wall supports that support each of the downwardly angled sections;
a material unloading assembly positioned at below the interior bottom wall, the material unloading assembly including:
(i) spaced apart guide members, and
(ii) a slidable gate including a closure member and a downwardly extending engagable member attached to the closure member, the closure member slidable on the spaced apart guide members, the closure member slidable to an open position relative to the material release opening and slidable to a closed positioned relative to the material release opening; and
a material loading assembly attached to the top wall, the material loading assembly including a cover hingedly attached to the top wall and movable from a closed position relative to an opening in the top wall and to an open position relative to the opening in the top wall, the cover remaining hingedly attached to the top wall in the open position.
9. The material shipping container of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of wedge shaped supports include:
(i) a front wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the front downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the front downwardly angled section,
(ii) a back wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the back downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the back downwardly angled section,
(iii) a first side wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the first side downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the first side downwardly angled section, and
(iv) a second side wedge shaped bottom wall support partially supporting the second side downwardly angled section between opposing spaced apart side edges of the second side downwardly angled section.
10. The material shipping container of claim 9 , which includes at least one interior rigid structural support.
11. The material shipping container of claim 9 , wherein:
(a) the first corner section is W-shaped,
(b) the second corner section is W-shaped,
(c) the third corner section is W-shaped, and
(d) the fourth corner section is W-shaped.
12. The material shipping container of claim 9 , wherein the slidable gate is lockable.
13. The material shipping container of claim 9 , which includes a first upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the first top corner, a second upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the second top corner, a third upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the third top corner, and a fourth upwardly extending stacking guide adjacent to the fourth top corner.