A funnel bucket apparatus is configured to be mountable to typical loader machinery for depositing flowable material at a deposit site. The apparatus includes a bucket and a funnel cover connected by hinges, a discharge chute attachment, a bucket vibrator, and a hydraulic actuator system. An operator controls the actuator system to move the bucket and funnel cover between open and closed positions such that the bucket retains typical loading functions while the apparatus is in the open position. When the bucket is loaded with material, the operator controls the actuator system to move the apparatus into the closed position and positions the apparatus over the deposit site. Material flows through a discharge opening in the funnel cover, through the discharge chute attachment, and down to the deposit site. Efficient and controllable flow rate of material may be facilitated by the bucket vibrator.

A device is provided for layered manufacture of at least a three-dimensional product by an additive manufacturing technique based on a powder. The invention therefore relates to a device for the layered manufacturer of a product based on a powder, in particular a metal powder.

This device is fitted with a build chamber with a vertically movable build platform on which said product is manufactured and contains a powder dispenser for application of the successive powder layers on the build platform in a horizontal build surface. The powder dispenser can be moved back and forth over the build surface along a horizontal dispensing direction in order to apply said powder layers.

Moreover, the device contains a hopper that must contain said powder in order to supply powder to the powder dispenser. This hopper has a bottom with a dosing opening that lets out into the build chamber and that works in combination with a dosing valve. More specifically, the dosing valve enables a measured quantity of powder to flow out of the hopper.

An intermodal container for transporting frac proppant, such as frac sand, and/or other types of granular material is disclosed. The intermodal container is designed to receive frac sand from a quarry or other frac sand supply source. Once the container is filled with material, the container is loaded onto a transportation device and transported to a well site. Once received at the well site, the containers can be stacked and the frac sand stored until needed. Once the frac sand is needed, the containers are placed on a base unit and the container discharges its contents onto a conveying system formed as part of the base unit. The conveying system directs the frac sand to a blending location. The empty intermodal containers can be removed from the base unit and loaded onto a transportation device to be refilled at a mine site.

A gate control system that provides repeatable and reliable gate position sensing in a fully open position, a fully closed position, or both. In various embodiments, proximity sensors are maintained in biased contact (continuously or intermittently) with the gate panel throughout the travel range of the gate panel. The system may also include anti-fouling or self-cleaning of the proximity sensor(s), whereby the proximity sensors are cleared of materials that would otherwise interfere with the repeatability of the position sensing.

A bulk material shipping container unloader having an expandable supporter, a pallet receiver supported by the extendable supporter, and a material director supported by the pallet receiver.

A bulk material shipping container unloader having an expandable supporter, a pallet receiver supported by the extendable supporter, and a material director supported by the pallet receiver.

A cargo container is modified to carry a fracing proppant such as sand from a quarry or source to the frac site. Openings are cut in the top and bottom of a cargo container and hydraulically operated sliding doors are placed there under. A hopper module with the walls being inclined to approximately the angle of repose for the proppant is installed inside the cargo container. The hopper module is sealed inside the cargo container so that a proppant enters through the top opening at the quarry and flows out through the bottom opening at the fracing site.

A mechanism for precisely controlling a slide gate to provide certain and secure location of a sliding gate in a path of flowable dry bulk material, the mechanism including a rack and pinon gear with a shaft with a diameter hole therethrough for receiving a pin therethrough when the sliding gate is in a desired position. The swing arm is configured to inhibit removal of the pin and thereby prevent unwanted movement of the gate from the desired position. The swing arm is configured for selectively prohibiting accidental and/or intentional but unauthorized removal of the pin depending upon types of objects being placed through the open hole in the swing arm and the first fixed arm open hole.

A modular shipping apparatus comprising: at least one base for a cargo container; each base having at least two spaces and each of spaces is formed by a left rectangular opening and a right rectangular opening, at least one wheel assembly is attached in one of the spaces, the base has a center portion that forms a first channel between the center portion and one of the openings and forms a second channel between the center portion and another one of the openings, a shipping container with a bottom interior and having at least two tracks attached to the bottom interior, wherein at least a portion of each of the at least one wheel assemblies attached in one of the at least two spaces slides along one of the at least two tracks.

Embodiments of methods and systems of transferring proppant for fracking to reduce risk of production and release of silica dust at a well site are provided. An embodiment of a method can include positioning a plurality of containers each having proppant for fracking contained therein onto a conveyor at a well site, downwardly discharging proppant from each respective container of the plurality of containers, funneling proppant from the one or more outlets of each of the plurality of containers through a plurality of conveyor hoppers, receiving proppant onto the conveyor belt, conveying proppant on the conveyor to a chute, and depositing the proppant into the chute for use in a blender or other location at the well site.