A stackable container system configured to carry material includes at least one container having a first end and a second end, a holding area for the material, the holding area extending from the first end to the second end, a first opening at the second end, the material controllably releasable from the holding area through the first opening, and a chute that passes through the holding area, the chute extending from the first end to the second end, a first end of the chute including a receiving portion having a larger area than a combined area of the first opening and a second end of the chute.

A storage bin sweep system including a sweep assembly having an inboard end, an outboard end, a forward side and a rearward side and including a sweep housing extending between the inboard and outboard ends, a plurality of paddles movable on a path extending along at least a portion of the sweep assembly between the inboard and outboard ends, and an endless loop member mounted on the sweep housing and on which the plurality of paddles are mounted at spaced locations along the endless loop member. At least one of the paddles may have a front surface contoured in a manner to urge particles located forward of the paddle toward the rearward side of the sweep assembly as the paddle moves toward the inboard end of the sweep assembly.

A conveyor system comprising a conveyor and a conveyor weighing apparatus. The conveyor weighing apparatus has a load determination device for determining the load exerted the conveyor on a conveyor support. The conveyor weighing apparatus may have measurement devices for measuring the angle and speed of the conveyor. The load determination device determines the load exerted by the at least section of conveyor in both laden and unladen states, and the results are combined with the speed and angle measurements, and with known system constants, to calculate the weight of material being conveyed.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

A system for moving particles across a floor surface of a storage bin having a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the floor surface. The system may comprise a bin sweep apparatus having an inboard end for locating toward to a central area of the bin and an outboard end for locating toward a peripheral area of the bin. The system may also comprise a peripheral sweeping apparatus configured to mount on the bin sweep apparatus to sweep particles on the floor surface adjacent to the peripheral wall toward the bin sweep apparatus. The peripheral sweeping apparatus may be mounted on the bin sweep apparatus toward the outboard end thereof.

An agricultural implement for mounting on a U-shaped foundation frame supported on wheels for travel over a ground surface where the foundation frame includes first and second laterally spaced mounting beams fixed to and extending from a base. The implement is configured to perform an agricultural operation, to rest on the ground surface when in an idle position, and to attach to the foundation frame when in an operating position. The implement comprises a rigid implement portion configured to be attached to the first and second mounting beams at first and second beam locations remote from the base such that the first and second mounting beams are prevented from moving laterally with respect to each other.

The proppants processing system comprises one or more in-feed conveyors, one or more out-feed conveyors, one or more primary feed bin assemblies, one or more secondary bin assemblies, the primary and secondary bin assemblies each comprising one or more bins and one or more bin conveyors. The proppants processing system further comprises a final transport conveyor and a control unit adapted to control flow of the proppants. A method of processing proppants, the method comprising the steps of providing proppants comprising dry or wet sand; using an in-feed conveyor, transferring the proppants from a transport vehicle to one or more bins of a primary feed bin assembly; moving the proppants from the one or more bins to a feed bin conveyor; moving the proppants from the feed bin conveyor to a final transport conveyor; and using the final transport conveyor, moving the proppants to a blender.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

A system for moving particles across a floor surface of a storage bin having a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the floor surface. The system may comprise a bin sweep apparatus having an inboard end for locating toward to a central area of the bin and an outboard end for locating toward a peripheral area of the bin. The system may also comprise a peripheral sweeping apparatus configured to mount on the bin sweep apparatus to sweep particles on the floor surface adjacent to the peripheral wall toward the bin sweep apparatus. The peripheral sweeping apparatus may be mounted on the bin sweep apparatus toward the outboard end thereof.

A storage bin sweep system may include a sweep apparatus with a particulate material moving assembly configured to move particulate material toward an inboard end of the sweep apparatus and a drive unit carrying a portion of the particulate material moving assembly. The drive unit may include a surface engaging element configured to engage a surface below the sweep assembly to move the sweep apparatus with respect to the surface and a drive train configured to transmit power to the surface engaging element. The drive train may include a clutch assembly configured to transfer rotation utilizing a viscous fluid to permit a limited degree of slippage between elements of the drive train.