Intermodal container for shipping and storage of roofing granules

Abstract

The present application is a method of handling bulk granular material. First, an intermodal container is filled with the granular material at a processing facility. The filling is done in such a manner as to minimize segregation of the granular material. The filled container is then stored until an order for the granular material is received from a customer. Upon receiving an order, the intermodal container containing the granular material is transported from the manufacturing facility to the customer. Once at the customer's location, the customer can dispense the granular material from the filled intermodal container, wherein the intermodal container has been designed to minimize segregation of granular material during the dispensing step.

1 . A method of handling bulk granular material, the method comprising: 
 filling an intermodal container with granular material at a granular material processing facility;    minimizing segregation of the granular material during the filling step;    storing the filled intermodal container until an order for granular material is received from a customer; and    transporting the filled intermodal container from the manufacturing facility to the customer upon receiving the customer order.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transporting the filled intermodal container comprises placing the intermodal container on a standard shipping platform.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising: 
 storing the filled intermodal container at a customer facility until the granular material therein is required for use.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  and further comprising: 
 moving the filled intermodal container to a dispensing station of a manufacturing process where the granular material is required;    dispensing granular material from the filled intermodal container at the dispensing station; and    minimizing segregation of the granular material during the dispensing step.    
   
   
       5 . A method of handling bulk granular material with minimal segregation of the granular material, the method comprising: 
 providing an intermodal container comprising a plurality of hoppers;    filling the hoppers of the intermodal container with a selected granular material for each hopper;    storing the intermodal container;    transporting the intermodal container upon receiving a request for an amount of granular material from a customer; and    storing the granular materials in the intermodal container at a customer facility until the granular materials are required for use.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  and further comprising: 
 dispensing the granular materials from one or more of the hoppers of the intermodal container at the customer facility.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein filling the hoppers of the intermodal container comprises filling each hopper based on a request by the customer for an amount of selected granular material.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein filling the hoppers of the intermodal container comprises filling each of the plurality of hoppers with a plurality of roofing granules at a roofing granule processing facility.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  and further comprising: 
 dispensing the roofing granules from one or more hoppers of the intermodal container;    loading one or more hoppers of the intermodal container with a raw material for use in manufacturing a roofing granule after the roofing granules have been dispensed; and    transporting the raw material to the roofing granule processing facility.    
   
   
       10 . A method of supplying a customer with bulk granular material while minimizing segregation of the granular material due to transport and storage, the method comprising: 
 obtaining a request from a customer for an amount of bulk granular material;    loading an intermodal container having a plurality of hoppers with granular material, wherein each hopper contains an amount of granular material corresponding to the request by the customer; and    transporting the intermodal container to the customer.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 storing the intermodal container until a transport vehicle is available.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein transporting the intermodal container to the customer comprises transporting the intermodal container using a standard shipping platform.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 storing the intermodal container at the customer until the bulk granular material therein is required for use.    
   
   
       14 . An intermodal container for handling of homogenous bulk granular material comprising: 
 a parallelepiped having two opposite side walls, two opposite end walls, a top wall and an opposite bottom wall, the walls defining a volume therein;    at least one loading port in the top wall;    at least one unloading port in the bottom wall; and    at least one hopper constructed within the volume defined by the walls comprising: 
 a main storage area in communication with the loading port;  
 a lower hopper portion in communication with the unloading port;  
 a mechanism to minimize segregation of the bulk granular material while loading the material into the hopper through the loading port; and  
 an apparatus to minimize segregation of the bulk granular material upon unloading the material from the hopper through the unloading port.  
   
   
   
       15 . The intermodal container of  claim 14  wherein the mechanism to minimize segregation while loading comprises a grid adjacent the loading port.  
   
   
       16 . The intermodal container of  claim 14  wherein the mechanism to minimize segregation while loading comprises members mounted between the side and end walls in the main storage area.  
   
   
       17 . The intermodal container of  claim 14  wherein the mechanism to minimize segregation while loading comprises a cone mounted below the loading port in the main storage area.  
   
   
       18 . The intermodal container of  claim 14  wherein the apparatus to minimize segregation upon unloading comprises the lower hopper portion comprising sloped walls at an angle from a horizon that is greater than the angle of repose of the bulk granular material.