An asphalt batcher has top and bottom coupling flanges that bolt to a silo, conveyor, and related apparatus. The batcher includes a receptacle for selectively receiving and retaining materials. The receptacle has a material splitter to divide material flowing into the batcher into at least two separate funnels. Adjacent to the outlet, each of the funnels have a receptacle side wall opening. At least one pair of removable batcher gate assemblies are readily inserted into and removed from the receptacle side wall openings. Each batcher gate assembly has a batcher gate door. The pair of batcher gate doors are placed offset from center, closer to the opposed outer walls, and open toward each other and therefore the center to guide materials from the batcher receptacle body out of the batcher and into the silo center. Receptacle side wall access doors provide inspection of and access to the two funnels.

An apparatus for handling bulk material, the apparatus comprising a spreader configured for attachment to a crane, the spreader having a spreader body having a first engagement formation. The apparatus includes a bulk material storage cradle having a first side member and a second side member, the first and second side members defining two opposing longitudinal side walls which are spaced relative to each other to define an internal bulk material storage receptacle. The bulk material storage cradle has a second engagement formation, and at least one gate member having a proximal end hingedly connected to a lower portion of the first side member and a distal end having a third engagement formation configured to selectively engage with a fourth engagement formation located at a lower portion of the second side member. The first engagement formation is selectively engageable with the second engagement formation to secure the spreader to the bulk material storage cradle. The third engagement formation is selectively disengageable from the fourth engagement formation to release the gate member from the second side member.

A side opening intermodal shipping container has a fixed base, end walls, back wall and part of a roof. A movable entire side wall is connected to a movable partial roof. The movable partial roof is hinged to the fixed roof part. Hydraulic cylinders rotate the movable side wall and roof part, opening an entire side and a portion of the top within a limited clearance space. A large object may be loaded into the container and removed from the container indoors.

A side opening intermodal shipping container has a fixed base, end walls, back wall and part of a roof. A movable entire side wall is connected to a movable partial roof. The movable partial roof is hinged to the fixed roof part. Hydraulic cylinders rotate the movable side wall and roof part, opening an entire side and a portion of the top within a limited clearance space. A large object may be loaded into the container and removed from the container indoors.

A flexible tank is used to transport bulk liquids or semi-liquid materials inside of a multi-modal shipping container. It has water proof inner layers and an outer layer, which are formed and welded together to have seams at both ends of the flexible tank. A discharge valve is provided at one end of the flexible tank and an additional piece of material, referred to as a cape, is attached at the other end of the flexible tank. The flexible tank is situated in the container so that the end with the discharge valve is at the container opening and the end with the attached cape is at the rear of the container. The cape can be used by equipment positionable at the opening of the container to completely discharge the bulk liquids or semi-liquid materials from the flexible tank by pulling and winding up the cape and the layers of the flexible tank from the rear of the container.

Storage structures suitable for being mounted on a trailer or truck, and for holding heavy, large format goods, are disclosed. The storage structures have at least a two-tier construction, in which metal rails or the like are assembled into three panels that are spaced apart to define two adjacent storage compartments or cages, one sized to hold mats, sheets, or the like, and the other tailored to support the first compartment and provide additional storage. The storage compartments may have equal lengths but different widths. The storage structures may include at least one pair of parallel fork tubes, or two orthogonally oriented pairs of fork tubes, to allow the storage structure to be picked up by a forklift truck on one, two, or more sides of the storage structure. The structures may also include lifting lugs, and one or more pull-out units.

The present invention discloses an autonomous unmanned vehicle (500) designed to absorb collision impact for delivering the packages to the delivery destinations. The unmanned vehicle (500) is capable of operating autonomously on paved roadways or pathways. The present invention includes a hollow platform (107) for enclosing control systems, a bottom frame (106) secured to the hollow platform (107) for receiving a load, a top frame (103) for sheltering the load from the top; a collapsible shell (109) forming an encasing for enclosing the load, having protrusions for protection of load from collision impact, a plurality of retractable members (104) for expanding and contracting of the shell structure, a plurality of outwardly protruding wheels (108) configured at each corner of the hollow platform (107) for vehicle movement, and a driving mechanism for controlling toggling movement of the retractable members (104) between various positions. In consideration that the vehicle does not carry passengers, the size and/or motor power of the vehicle may be significantly reduced as compared to conventional passenger vehicles.

The present invention discloses an autonomous unmanned vehicle (500) designed to absorb collision impact for delivering the packages to the delivery destinations. The unmanned vehicle (500) is capable of operating autonomously on paved roadways or pathways. The present invention includes a hollow platform (107) for enclosing control systems, a bottom frame (106) secured to the hollow platform (107) for receiving a load, a top frame (103) for sheltering the load from the top; a collapsible shell (109) forming an encasing for enclosing the load, having protrusions for protection of load from collision impact, a plurality of retractable members (104) for expanding and contracting of the shell structure, a plurality of outwardly protruding wheels (108) configured at each corner of the hollow platform (107) for vehicle movement, and a driving mechanism for controlling toggling movement of the retractable members (104) between various positions. In consideration that the vehicle does not carry passengers, the size and/or motor power of the vehicle may be significantly reduced as compared to conventional passenger vehicles.

A vehicle includes a base, a pair of wheel sets mounted underneath the base in a spaced apart relationship to each other, at least one coupling members mounted on at least one end of the base along longitudinal axis of the vehicle, an enclosure upstanding on the base and having a pair of side wall structures, a pair of end wall members and a roof member joining upper edges of each of the pair of side wall members and the pair of end wall structures, the enclosure defining an interior compartment of the railway freight car and an apparatus configured to move the enclosure in a vertical direction relative to the base.

A flexible tank is used to transport bulk liquids or semi-liquid materials inside of a multi-modal shipping container. It has water proof inner layers and an outer layer, which are formed and welded together to have seams at both ends of the flexible tank. A discharge valve is provided at one end of the flexible tank and an additional piece of material, referred to as a cape, is attached at the other end of the flexible tank. The flexitable tank is situated in the container so that the end with the discharge valve is at the container opening and the end with the attached cape is at the rear of the container. The cape can be used by equipment positionable at the opening of the container to completely discharge the bulk liquids or semi-liquid materials from the flexible tank by pulling and winding up the cape and the layers of the flexible tank from the rear of the container.