| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus for supplying bulk material to an end user includes the step of providing a bulk material source that is at a location distant from the end user and a specially configured vessel and trailer apparatus for transporting the bulk material to the end user. The vessel is filled with bulk material at the bulk material source and then transported with a specially configured trailer. Alternatively, at source or destination, the vessel can remain as a temporary storage device, free-standing from the trailer. Other similar container configurations are provided as alternate containers for use with the method of the present invention. During transport between the bulk material source and the end user, the vessel is filled or partially filled with a selected bulk material. During transport, the vessel is in a generally horizontal position, supported by the trailer and a specially configured elevator. The vessel is unloaded from the trailer by moving the vessel longitudinally along the trailer and by transferring the vessel from a generally horizontal position upon the trailer to an elevated upright position. The vessel is then lowered from the elevated position to a lowered, final installed position that is behind the trailer. The vessel is preferably loaded with between about 1 and 50,000 pounds of bulk material. The vessel preferably has a volume of between about 500 and 2,000 cubic feet. The same trailer can be used to load an empty vessel. Specially configured outriggers help align the elevator with the vessel during loading of a vessel to the trailer. Different connecting frames can be used as an interface between the elevator and the vessel for differently configured vessels. In an alternate embodiment a trailer-rail-trailer system is disclosed wherein a trailer to transport a vessel to a first terminal, a special rail frame is attached to the vessel enabling a rail car to transport the vessel from a first to a second terminal and a trailer can transport the vessel from the second terminal to a worksite.
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