Abstract: Apparatus for transporting frac sand and/or proppant for use in standard ISO intermodal containers and for delivering frac sand and/or proppant to well sites. Configured for being inserted into a container and adapted for transporting frac sand and proppant from a quarry or other frac sand supply source to a well site. A plurality of inlet ports disposed atop the roof, with the inlet ports receiving the frac sand from a frac sand supply source into a funnel-hopper, and a plurality of outlet ports for receiving the frac sand and proppant within the funnel-hopper and delivering the frac sand and proppant proximal to the well site. An in situ valve apparatus disposed within the hopper assembly for effectuating industry standard continuous pressurized discharge of stored frac sand material into a discharge pipe for delivery downhole.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing granular material to a loading hopper preparatory to processing includes a receptacle receiving material prior to processing thereof by machinery supplied by the hopper with a top including a first valve for selectably connecting the receptacle to vacuum or ambient air, a conduit for drawing vacuum in the receptacle, a conduit for connecting the receptacle to a supply of the granular material, a second valve for selectably permitting material flow from the receptacle into the hopper, and a sensor control for temporarily adjustably closing the first valve and opening the second valve responsively to detected presence of a suitable amount of material in the receptacle.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing granular material to a loading hopper preparatory to processing, provide an at least partially transparent receptacle for receiving material prior to processing machinery supplied by the hopper with the receptacle having a top, a valve for selectably connecting the receptacle to vacuum or to ambient air, vacuum drawn in the receptacle, a conduit connecting the receptacle to a supply of granular material, a valve selectably permitting material flow from the receptacle into the hopper and control temporally adjustably closing the first valve and opening the second valve responsively to visually detected presence of a suitable amount of material in the receptacle.

Abstract: A vacuum type sewage collecting system, for collecting sewage from a plurality of houses or the like, stores sewage in a sewage reservoir and then delivers the sewage to a sewage treatment station through a vacuum valve and a vacuum sewage pipe. A controller is provided for properly controlling opening/closing operations of the vacuum valve. The controller includes a first vacuum chamber connected to the vacuum sewage pipe via a fluid flow resisting device, a second vacuum chamber likewise connected to the vacuum sewage pipe, an atmospheric pressure introducing unit for introducing an atmospheric pressure into the first vacuum chamber when a detected quantity of sewage stored in the sewage reservoir exceeds a predetermined value, and a shifting unit for selectively introducing negative pressure to the vacuum valve to open or close the latter depending on the present differential pressure between the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for operation periodically to move particulate material from a first level to a higher second level using air entrained to move in a loop. The apparatus includes a pick-up coupled in the loop and positioned in the material at the first level so that the material is entrained in the air loop, and a separator above the second level which is also coupled in the air loop and which is operable to strip the material from the air. The separator has an exit above which the material is collected and an actuator is operable periodically to collect batches of the material in the separator at the exit. A closure is coupled to the exit and operable to release a batch at the second level after each period of operation of the actuator.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for operation periodically to move particulate material from a first level to a higher second level using air entrained to move in a loop. The apparatus includes a pick-up coupled in the loop and positioned in the material at the first level so that the material is entrained in the air loop, and a separator above the second level which is also coupled in the air loop and which is operable to strip the material from the air. The separator has an exit above which the material is collected and an actuator is operable periodically to collect batches of the material in the separator at the exit. A closure is coupled to the exit and operable to release a batch at the second level after each period of operation of the actuator.