Bin for free flowing material

Abstract

A bin made of flexible bag material is disclosed for containing granular free flowing material and for discharging the entire mass of stored material remaining in the bin after discharge by gravity alone. The granular material is intially discharged through a discharge port of the bin by gravity until the remaining granular material forms a cone shape at its angle of repose and stops flowing out the discharge port. The bin is further emptied by forcing air into the bag to inflate an inner membrane until the remaining contents of the bin are fully discharged.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bin for free flowing granular material having a bottom resting on a support member and sides extending upwardly from said bottom, the bin comprising: (a) a generally cup-shaped, open top, double walled, flexible .Iadd.inflatable .Iaddend.bag having an inner membrane and an outer membrane, .Iadd.both with side walls and .Iaddend.both of impervious material, forming the double wall;   (b) framework means for suspending the bag in an open position without providing any lateral support for the outer membrane of the bag, the top of the bag forming the top of the bin;   (c) clamp means carried by the framework means for clamping the bag adjacent the top edge thereof to thereby support and hang the side walls of the .[.membrane.]. .Iadd.membranes .Iaddend.vertically so as to provide side walls without lateral support;   (d) a closable discharge port in the bottom of said bin extending through said inner membrane and said outer membrane and engaging said inner membrane and said outer membrane to form a substantially air tight space between said inner membrane and said outer .[.membrane.]. .Iadd.membranes, .Iaddend.said closable discharge port allowing the free flowing granular material to drain from the bin for emptying the same down to the angle of repose of the free flowing granular material when the closable discharge .[.part.]. .Iadd.port .Iaddend.is opened, thereby .Iadd.causing the material to form an inner face having a generally inverted conical shape .Iaddend.creating a void of inverted conical shape within the original mass of the granular free flowing material with the apex of the inverted conical shape at the closable discharge port; and   (e) air inlet and outlet .[.passages.]. .Iadd.passage means .Iaddend.through which air is forced or withdrawn between the inner membrane and the outer membrane;   (f) means to inflate the .[.closed.]. .Iadd.inflatable .Iaddend.bag with fluid under controlled pressure so that the .Iadd.inner membrane of the .Iaddend.bag will expand against the top edge .Iadd.of .Iaddend.the granular free flowing material remaining after creating the void of inverted conical shape .[.void.]. to force this material into the void and hence down the closable discharge opening, so that the bag will continue to expand downwardly and inwardly until .Iadd.substantially .Iaddend.all of the granular free flowing material is gradually forced into the inverted conical .[.shaped.]. .Iadd.shape .Iaddend.void and out of the closable discharge port.   
     
     
       2. A bin for free flowing granular material as recited in claim 1 wherein said discharge port includes annular clamp means for engaging said inner membrane and said outer membrane. 
     
     
       3. A bin for free flowing granular material as recited in claim 1 wherein the clamp means forms a circular perimeter and gravity holds the .[.sides.]. .Iadd.side walls .Iaddend.of said bin in a substantially cylindrical shape. 
     
     
       4. A bin as recited in claim 1 wherein said discharge port is positioned centrally in the bottom of said bin. 
     
     
       5. A bin for storing free flowing granular materials on a flat horizontal .[.floor.]. surface and emptying such materials from the bin, the materials having an angle of repose, the bin comprising: (a) an air tight, flexible, cup-shaped, double walled .Iadd.inflatable .Iaddend.bag capable of supporting free flowing granular material thereon and capable of containing fluid under pressure therein, .Iadd.both walls of the bag including side walls .Iaddend.the .[.top of the.]. bag .[.forming.]. .Iadd.having a top which forms .Iaddend.the top of the bin.Iadd.,the bin having a bottom.Iaddend.;   (b) a flat horizontal .[.floor.]. surface supporting the bag;   (c) skeletal bag support means supporting the bag from adjacent the top thereof so that the side walls of the bag without lateral support form a cup-shaped bin to be occupied by a .[.sotrage.]. .Iadd.storage .Iaddend.mass of the granular free flowing material;   (d) a closable discharge opening extending through the bag and located in the bottom of the bin to allow the free flowing granular material to drain from the bin for emptying the same down to the angle of repose of the free flowing material when the closable opening is opened, thereby .Iadd.causing the material to form an inner face having a generally inverted conical shape .Iaddend.creating a void of inverted conical shape within the original mass of the granular free flowing material with the apex of the inverted conical shape at the closable opening; and   (e) means to inflate the .[.closed.]. .Iadd.inflatable .Iaddend.bag with fluid under controlled pressure so that .[.the.]. .Iadd.an inner wall of the double walled .Iaddend.bag will expand from the top downwardly and inwardly against the top edge of the granular free flowing material remaining after creating the void of inverted conical shape to gently roll the material at the top into the void and hence down the closable discharge opening, so that the bag will continue to expand downwardly and inwardly until .Iadd.substantially .Iaddend.all of the granular free flowing material is gradually moved into the inverted conical shaped void and out of the closable discharge opening. .Iadd.   
     
     
       6.  A bin for storing free flowing granular materials on a flat horizontal support surface and emptying such materials from the bin, the materials having an angle of repose, the bin comprising: (a) an air tight, flexible, cup-shaped, double walled, inflatable bag capable of supporting free flowing granular material thereon and capable of containing fluid under pressure therein, both walls of the bag including side walls, the bag having a top which forms the top of the bin the bag having an inner and an outer wall, the bin having a bottom;   (b) skeletal bag support means supporting the bag from adjacent the top thereof so that the side walls of the bag without lateral support form a cup-shaped bin to be occupied by a storage mass of the granular free flowing material;   (c) a closable discharge opening extending through the bag and located in the bottom of the bin to allow the free flowing granular material to drain from the bin for emptying the same down to the angle of repose of the free flowing material when the closable opening is opened, thereby causing the granular material to form an inner face having a generally inverted conical shape and creating a void of inverted conical shape within the original mass of granular free flowing material with the apex of the inverted conical shape at the closable opening; and   (d) means to inflate the inflatable bag with fluid under controlled pressure so that an inner wall of the double-walled bag will expand from the top downwardly and inwardly against the top edge of the granular free flowing material remaining after creating the void of inverted conical shape to gently roll the material at the top into the void and hence down the closable discharge opening, so that the bag will continue to expand downwardly and inwardly until substantially all of the granular free flowing material is gradually moved into the inverted conical shaped void and out of the closable discharge opening.