Discharge apparatus for a shipping container

Abstract

A shipping container discharge system and method of using the shipping container discharge system includes a bulkhead liner for a shipping container with a reinforced area and a discharge sleeve extending from within the shipping container. The discharge sleeve has a discharge passage in communication with an interior space of the bulkhead liner for discharging a product from the interior space. The shipping container discharge system also includes a manifold having a first aperture and at least one attachment member. The discharge sleeve extends through the first aperture and the attachment member is attached to the reinforced area of the bulkhead liner to secure the manifold to the bulkhead liner. A high hat with a second aperture is attachable to the manifold with a portion of the discharge sleeve secured between the manifold and the high hat to prevent contamination of a product to be unloaded from the interior space of the bulkhead liner.

1 . A shipping container discharge system, comprising: 
 a bulkhead liner for a shipping container having a reinforced area and a discharge sleeve depending from proximate the reinforced area, the discharge sleeve defining a discharge passage therein in communication with an interior space of the bulkhead liner for discharging a product from the interior space;    a manifold defining a first aperture therethrough and at least one attachment member, the discharge sleeve extending through the first aperture, the at least one attachment member configured for attachment to the reinforced area to secure the manifold to the bulkhead liner; and    a high hat defining a second aperture therethrough, the high hat attachable to the manifold with a portion of the discharge sleeve secured between the manifold and the high hat to prevent contamination of the discharging product.    
   
   
       2 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , wherein the bulkhead liner is a pliable material and the reinforced area is a polymer patch attached thereto.  
   
   
       3 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , further comprising an inner sleeve depending from within the discharge sleeve and securable about the high hat.  
   
   
       4 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , wherein the manifold defines an edge shaped complementary to a surface of the shipping container, the edge positionable on the surface to support the manifold and align the first and second apertures with the discharge sleeve.  
   
   
       5 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , wherein the manifold defines a window for viewing the product during discharge from the interior space of the bulkhead liner.  
   
   
       6 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , wherein the manifold includes an attachment device for securing the high hat to the manifold.  
   
   
       7 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 6 , wherein the attachment device is at least one adjustable rod and at least one bolt and the high hat includes at least one rod receptacle, the at least one adjustable rod attachable to the at least one rod receptacle by the at least one bolt.  
   
   
       8 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment member is a pair of opposing bars.  
   
   
       9 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of cable ties and wherein the reinforced area defines a plurality of slits therethrough, each of the cable ties insertable in respective slits and securable about the pair of opposing bars.  
   
   
       10 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 1 , wherein the high hat defines a spout with a plurality of weld beads disposed thereon, the spout configured to direct the product during discharge, the weld beads configured to hold a take-away hose about an inner sleeve folded over the weld beads, the inner sleeve depending from within the bulkhead liner through the discharge sleeve to prevent contamination of the product.  
   
   
       11 . A shipping container discharge system, comprising: 
 a manifold defining an aperture therethrough and attachable to a reinforced area of a bulkhead liner for a shipping container to secure the manifold to the bulkhead liner, a discharge sleeve of the bulkhead liner extending through the aperture and secured about the manifold, the manifold configured for receiving a take-away hose for discharging a product from the bulkhead liner through the aperture and the discharge sleeve.    
   
   
       12 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 11 , wherein the manifold defines an edge shaped complementary to a surface of the shipping container, the edge positionable on the surface to support the manifold and align the aperture with the discharge sleeve.  
   
   
       13 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 11 , wherein the manifold defines a window for viewing the product during discharge from the bulkhead liner.  
   
   
       14 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 11 , wherein the bulkhead liner is a woven or extruded polypropylene or polyethylene material and the reinforced area is a woven or extruded polypropylene or polyethylene patch attached to the bulkhead liner.  
   
   
       15 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of cable ties and wherein the reinforced area defines a plurality of slits therein, each of the cable ties insertable in respective ones of the slits and securable to the manifold.  
   
   
       16 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 11 , further comprising a high hat defining a complementary aperture therethrough, the high hat attachable to the manifold with the discharge sleeve secured between the manifold and the high hat.  
   
   
       17 . The shipping container discharge system as in  claim 16 , wherein the high hat defines a spout with a plurality of protrusions disposed thereon, the spout configured to direct the product during discharge, the protrusions configured to hold a take-away hose about a complementary sleeve disposed between the protrusions and the take-away hose, the complementary sleeve depending from within the bulkhead liner through the discharge sleeve.  
   
   
       18 . A method of discharging a product from a shipping container, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a bulkhead liner for a shipping container having an external surface and an internal surface defined about a cavity therein, and at least one discharge sleeve attached to the internal surface and depending through the external and internal surfaces;    attaching a manifold to the external surface, the at least one discharge sleeve depending from the internal surface through a first aperture of the manifold; and    attaching a high hat to the manifold with a portion of the at least one discharge sleeve secured between the manifold and the high hat, the high hat defining a second aperture therethrough for unloading a product from within the bulkhead liner through the at least one discharge sleeve and the second aperture.    
   
   
       19 . The method of discharging a product as in  claim 18 , further comprising the step of attaching a reinforcement patch to the internal surface, the manifold attached to the external surface opposite the reinforcement patch.  
   
   
       20 . The method of discharging a product as in  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of slits through the external and internal surfaces and the reinforcement patch, inserting at least one cable tie into a first one of the slits, projecting the at least one cable tie from a second one of the slits, and securing the at least one cable tie about an attachment member of the manifold to attach the manifold to the external surface.  
   
   
       21 . The method of discharging a product as in  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of providing the bulkhead liner with a complementary sleeve disposed in the at least one discharge sleeve, and securing a portion of the complementary sleeve between the high hat and a take-away hose for unloading the product from the bulkhead liner through the second aperture.