Modular Hopper Unit for Bulk Material Transport Truck or Trailer

摘要

A bulk material transport apparatus which includes a containment structure on a wheeled frame which is formed of perimeter wall members about a bulk material containment area, further includes at least one modular hopper unit mountable at a bottom side of the containment area for discharging contents of the bulk material containment area therethrough. The modular hopper units can be readily interchanged with other hopper units which are different in gate opening size, gate opening height, gate opening orientation, and/or other characteristics relative to one another. One optional modular hopper unit is a side discharge unit which is reversible for discharging to a selected one of two laterally opposed sides of the transport apparatus.

主权项

1. In a hopper bottom bulk material transport apparatus comprising:
a wheeled frame; a containment structure defining a bulk material containment area therein which is supported on the wheeled frame, the containment structure comprising:
a plurality of perimeter wall members disposed about a perimeter of the bulk material containment area; andat least one hopper assembly disposed at a bottom side of the bulk material containment area so as to be arranged for discharging contents of the bulk material containment area therethrough;said at least one hopper assembly including a top end supported on the wheeled frame, a gate structure proximate a bottom end for selectively discharging contents of the bulk material containment are therethrough, and a plurality of wall portions tapering downwardly and inwardly towards one another from the top end to gate structure at the bottom end; an improvement comprising said at least one hopper assembly comprising a modular hopper unit which includes the gate structure and at least some of the wall portions which are collectively separable from a remainder of the containment structure on the wheeled frame.