Auto weigh automatic tank filling system

Abstract

The auto weigh automatic tank filling system provides an automatic system for filling a tank of a dry bulk tank trailer with bulk material that is properly distributed through the length of the tank interior volume and is at a weight limit for safe and legal operation of the dry bulk tank trailer.

Description

AUTO WEIGH AUTOMATIC TANK FIULING SYSTEMBackground

[0001] FIG. 1 is a representation of the typical construction of a dry bulk tank trailer 10. The dry bulk tank trailer 10 of the type represented in FIG. 1 is used in transporting bulk materials having a powder-like or granular form that can be conveyed from a storage source of the material to the tank of the trailer by air conveyance. The dry bulk trailer 10 represented in FIG. 1 is only one possible configuration of a dry bulk tank trailer, and there are various other configurations of dry bulk tank trailers.

[0002] The dry bulk tank trailer 10 includes a tank 12 for storing the dry bulk material when transported. A filtration system 14 communicates with the interior of the tank 12. The filtration system 14 filters air discharged from the tank 12 into the environment after the air has been employed in conveying the dry bulk material into the tank 12 during loading of the tank. A fill pipe 16 communicates a source of dry bulk material 18 (e.g., a storage silo, a railcar, another dry bulk trailer, or other storage system or source of material) with the tank 12. The dry bulk tank trailer 10 is designed to receive dry bulk material by air conveyance from the source of material 18, through the fill pipe 16 and into the interior of the tank 12 by a vacuum pressure created in the tank. Because air is used to convey the bulk material into and out of the tank 12 of the dry bulk tank trailer 10, the air employed to convey the bulk material is at some point discharged into the environment. The air discharged from the tank 12 into the environment is filtered prior to being discharged. The air is filtered by the vacuum filtration system 14.

[0003] In some embodiments, the dry bulk tank trailer 10 includes a fill system having a branching fill pipe provided by a Y-shaped branching coupling 22. A Y-shaped branching coupling 22 is represented in FIGS. 2 and 3. The branching coupling 22 connects to the fill pipe 16 and branches into a front connection to the front fill pipe 24 and a rear connection to the rear fill pipe 26. The front fill pipe 24 extends internally within the tank 12 to a region near the front of the interior volume of the tank. The rear fill pipe 26 extends internally within the tank 12 to a region near the rear of the interior volume of the tank 12.

[0004] A front valve and a rear valve are provided on the respective front fill pipe 24 and rear fill pipe 26. The front valve can be selectively opened and closed to fill or cease filling the front region of the interior volume of the tank 12 with bulk material. The rear valve can be selectively openedand closed to fill or cease filling the rear region of the interior volume of the tank 12 with bulk material.

[0005] When the tank 12 of the dry bulk tank trailer 10 is loaded with bulk material, it is desirable to load the trailer 10 to an accurate weight in order to ensure that the dry bulk material is transported efficiently and within legal, safe weight load limits. Currently, the driver of the trailer 10 is required to be focused on the weight of the trailer 10 as it is being loaded and to stop the loading process at the correct time and the correct weight of the trailer 10. However, the driver often has other tasks to perform when preparing to operate the trailer 10. These other tasks can distract the driver from the process of loading the trailer 10 which can sometimes lead to an overfill and overweight trailer or an underfill and underweight trailer.

[0006] Currently, a driver determines the weight of a loaded trailer 10 from the air pressure in the airbags of the suspension system of the trailer. Pressure sensors monitor the air pressure of the airbags and communicate signals to a gauge viewed by the driver. The air pressure in the air suspension system is read from the gauge that is calibrated to provide an indication of the weight of the loaded trailer 10 based on the air pressure in the airbags of the air suspension system. As the tank 12 of the trailer 10 is filled with bulk material, the driver must focus their attention on the pressure gauge to determine when the tank 12 is fully loaded and to cease the tank filling process.

[0007] As well as ensuring that the trailer 10 is loaded to the correct total weight, it is important to make sure that the load in the tank 12 is correctly distributed in the tank with the correct amount of the total weight of a bulk material at the front of the tank and at the rear of the tank. As the tank 12 is loaded with bulk material, the driver controls the loading process by first loading the front of the tank 12 to a desired portion of the total weight through the front fill pipe 24 of the trailer, and then closes a front valve and opens a rear valve to load the tank 12 through the rear fill pipe 26 until the tank 12 of the trailer 10 is fully loaded.

[0008] As described above, the current process for loading the tank 12 of a dry bulk tank trailer 10 requires a substantial amount of the drivers attention and input to avoid an overloaded tank or an underloaded tank, or a disproportionately loaded tank.Summary

[0009] The auto weigh automatic tank filling system of this disclosure provides an automatic system for filling a tank of a dry bulk tank trailer with bulk material that is properly distributedthrough the length of the tank interior volume and is at a weight limit for safe and legal operation of the dry bulk tank trailer.

[0010] The auto weigh automatic tank filling system can be included as a component part of a newly constructed dry bulk tank trailer or can be retrofit to an existing dry bulk tank trailer.

[0011] The system is employed with a dry bulk tank trailer of the type having a front fill pipe extending between a front interior volume region of the tank and a fill pipe at the rear of the trailer, and a rear fill pipe extending between a rear interior volume region of the tank and the fill pipe at the rear of the trailer.

[0012] An automatically operated front valve is provided on the front fill pipe. The front valve can be a solenoid operated valve or another equivalent type of automatically operated valve.

[0013] An automatically operated rear valve is provided on the rear fill pipe. The rear valve can be a solenoid operated valve or another equivalent type of automatically operated valve.

[0014] An air pressure sensor is operatively communicated with the air suspension system of the dry bulk tank trailer. The air pressure sensor senses the air pressure of an airbag of the air suspension system.

[0015] A control device is provided on the trailer and is operatively communicated with the front valve, the rear valve and the air pressure sensor. The control device controls selective opening and closing operation of the front valve and the rear valve based on the air pressure of the air suspension airbag sensed by the air pressure sensor.

[0016] In operation of the system, a selector switch on the control device is manually operated to select auto weigh operation. The control device then operates the front valve to open communicating the fill pipe at the rear of the trailer with the front fill pipe. This initiates loading of the front of the tank with bulk material. As the front of the tank is loaded with bulk material the pressure sensor monitors the weight of the bulk material added to the tank by the air pressure sensed in the air suspension airbag. At a predetermined value of the air pressure sensed in the air suspension air bag, the control device automatically closes the front valve while opening the rear valve. Opening the rear valve communicates the fill pipe at the rear of the trailer with the rear fill pipe. This initiates loading of the rear of the tank with bulk material. As the rear of the tank is loaded with bulk material the pressure sensor continues to monitor the weight of the bulk material added to the tank by the air pressure sensed in the air suspension air bag. At a predetermined valueof the air pressure sensed in the air suspension airbag, the control device automatically closes the rear valve.

[0017] In the above manner the auto weigh automatic tank filling system loads the tank of the dry bulk tank trailer with bulk material while distributing proportions of the total weight of the bulk material to the front of the tank and to the rear of the tank and limiting the total weight of the bulk material loaded in the tank.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] FIG. 1 is a representation of a side elevation view of a conventional dry bulk tank trailer.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a representation of a partial side elevation view of the rear of a dry bulk tank trailer employing the auto weigh automatic tank filling system of this disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a representation of a rear elevation view of the rear of the dry bulk tank trailer of FIG. 2 employing the auto weigh automatic tank filling system of this disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a representation of a control device of the auto weigh automatic tank filling system.Detailed Description

[0022] FIG. 2 is a representation of a side elevation view of the rear of a bulk tank trailer employing the auto weigh automatic tank filling system of this disclosure. FIG. 3 is a representation of a rear elevation view of the bulk tank trailer of FIG. 2. The auto weigh automatic tank filling system of this disclosure is designed to be retrofit on an existing bulk tank trailer or incorporated into the construction of a new bulk tank trailer. For example, the auto weigh automatic tank filling system could be used with the vacuum filtration system for a dry bulk trailer that is the subject of International Patent Application No. PCT / US2022 / 054369 which is incorporated herein by reference. The auto weigh system is represented in FIGS. 2 and 3 as being employed on the earlier described dry bulk tank trailer 10 of FIG. 1. Reference numbers used in the description of component parts of the trailer 10 of FIG. 1 are used in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0023] As described earlier, the dry bulk tank trailer 10 includes a tank 12 and a filtration system 14 communicating with the interior of the tank 12. A fill pipe 16 communicates a source of dry bulk material with the tank 12. A Y- shaped branching coupling 22 communicates the fill pipe 16 with the front fill pipe 24 and the rear fill pipe 26 of the trailer 10.

[0024] An automatically operated front valve 34 is provided on the front fill pipe 24. The front valve 34 can be a solenoid operated valve, a pneumatically operated valve or another equivalenttype of automatically operated valve. The automatic front valve 34 can be selectively opened and closed to fill or cease filling a front portion of the interior volume of the tank 12 with bulk material through the front fill pipe 24.

[0025] An automatically operated rear valve 36 is provided on the rear fill pipe 26. The rear valve 36 can be a solenoid operated valve, a pneumatically operated valve or another equivalent type of automatically operated valve. The automatic rear valve 36 can be selectively opened and closed to fill or cease filling a rear portion of the interior volume of the tank 12 with bulk material through the rear fill pipe 26.

[0026] An air pressure sensor 38 is operatively communicated with an airbag 40 of the air suspension system of the dry bulk trailer 10. The air pressure sensor 38 senses the air pressure in the air bag 40 of the air suspension system.

[0027] A control device 42 is provided on the dry bulk tank trailer 10. The control device 42 is operatively communicated with the front valve 34, the rear valve 36 and the air pressure sensor 38. For example, the control device 42, the front valve 34, the rear valve 36 and the air pressure sensor 38 could all be operatively communicated in electrical communication or another equivalent means of communication. The control device 42 automatically controls selective opening and closing operation of the front valve 34 and the rear valve 34 based on the air pressure in the airbag 40 of the air suspension system sensed by the air pressure sensor 38. As represented in FIG. 4, the control device 42 has a manually operated selector switch 44. The selector switch 44 can select between auto weigh operation of the automatic bulk tank filling system, closing the front valve 34 and the rear valve 36 and thereby closing the respective front fill pipe 24 and rear fill pipe 26, opening the front valve 34 and the front fill pipe 24, or opening the rear valve 36 and the rear fill pipe 26.

[0028] In operation of the auto weigh automatic tank filling system to automatically fill the tank 12 of the dry bulk tank trailer 10, the selector switch 44 on the control device 42 is manually operated to select “Auto Weigh” operation. This causes the control device 42 to automatically operate the front valve 34 to open and open communication between the fill pipe 16 at the rear of the dry bulk tank trailer 10 with the front fill pipe 24. This communicates vacuum pressure in the tank 12 through the front fill pipe 24, the front valve 34, the branching coupling 22 and the fill pipe 16 drawing bulk material through the fill pipe 16, the branching coupling 22, the front valve34 and the front fill pipe 24 to the front region of the interior volume of the tank 12. This initiates loading of the bulk material in the front of the tank 12.

[0029] As the front of the tank 12 is loaded with bulk material the pressure sensor 38 monitors the increase in air pressure in the airbag 40 of the air suspension system which is indicative of an increase in the weight of the bulk material added to the tank 12. At a predetermined value of the air pressure in the airbag 40 sensed by the air pressure sensor 38, the control device 42 automatically closes the front valve 34 while opening the rear valve 36. Opening the rear valve 36 communicates the vacuum pressure in the tank 12 through the rear fill pipe 26, the rear valve 36, the branching coupling 22 to the fill pipe 16 drawing bulk material through the fill pipe 16, the branching coupling 22, the rear valve 36 and the rear fill pipe 26 to the rear region of the interior volume of the tank 12. This initiates loading of the rear of the tank 12 with bulk material.

[0030] As the rear of the tank is loaded with bulk material the pressure sensor 38 monitors the increase in the air pressure in the airbag 40 of the air suspension system which is indicative of a further increase in the weight of bulk material added to the tank 12. At a predetermined value of the air pressure in the airbag 40 sensed by the air pressure sensor 38, the control device 42 automatically closes the rear valve 36 thus completing loading of the tank 12 with bulk material at a safe load limit for operation of the dry bulk tank trailer 10.

[0031] As various modifications could be made in the construction of the auto weigh automatic tank filling system and its method of operation herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Claims

Claims1. An automatic bulk tank filling system comprising: a trailer; a dry bulk tank on the trailer; a front fill pipe extending between a front interior volume of the dry bulk tank and a source of dry bulk material; a rear fill pipe extending between a rear interior volume of the dry bulk tank and the source of dry bulk material; a front valve on the front fill pipe, the front valve being operable to open and thereby open communication of the front interior volume of the dry bulk tank with the source of dry bulk material through the front fill pipe, and the front valve being operable to close and thereby close communication of the front interior volume of the dry bulk tank with the source of dry bulk material through the front fill pipe; a rear valve on the rear fill pipe, the rear valve being operable to open and thereby open communication of the rear interior volume of the dry bulk tank with the source of dry bulk material through the rear fill pipe, and the rear valve being operable to close and thereby close communication of the rear interior volume of the dry bulk tank with the source of dry bulk material through the rear fill pipe; and a control device operatively communicating with the front valve and controlling opening and closing the front valve and operatively communicating with the rear valve and controlling opening and closing the rear valve.

2. The automatic bulk tank filling system of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor, the sensor being operable to produce a signal that is representative of a weight of bulk material in the dry bulk tank, the sensor operatively communicating with the control device.

3. The automatic bulk tank filling system of claim 2, further comprising: the sensor being a pressure sensor that senses air pressure in an air suspension air bag supporting the trailer.

4. The automatic bulk tank filling system of claim 3, further comprising: the front valve being an automatically operated valve; and the rear valve being an automatically operated valve.

5. The automatic bulk tank filling system of claim 3, further comprising: the front valve being an electrically operated valve; and the rear valve being an electrically operated valve.

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