Tote Dump Machines

Totes, sometimes called gaylords,  are large containers, typically about pallet size (about 3’ X 3’ to 4’ X 4’ and 2-5 feet high. They may be made of stainless or painted steel, plastic, wood or corrugated board. They are used to store and transport products as diverse as plastic resin, meat, nd watermelons.

Unlike hoppers, they generally do not have a way to remove contents from the bottom. Even when they do have a bottom port, it is often quicker to dump them by inverting than to drain them. Some tote designs have one side rounded on the bottom which allows them to be tilted and dumped by hand but only if dumping below floor level. Most totes will need to be lifted and then turned at least 100 degrees to dump the product.

This is where tote-dumps come in. They are designed to lift the tote so that the leading edge is above the level of the receiving hopper. They also rotate the tote in a controlled manner so that product can be dumped into the hopper either slowly or all at once.

This picture shows the dumper in the loading position with a corrugated position in position. Hydraulic cylinders with a self-contained pump swing it up its axis until the balls roll out of the Gaylord. Hydraulics are used because they are reliable and allow for more precise movement than compressed air. Tabs above the Gaylord prevent it from following the balls out of the dumper.

By making a long discharge chute and a high pivot point, the product can be dumped into fairly high receiving hoppers.

If even higher discharges are required, two stage tote-dumps are available. The tote is loaded onto the platform as above. The platform is raised vertically as high as needed, then the tote is inverted as above.

Drums and barrels may also be dumped using tote-dumpers but there are also specialized dumpers available. This grips the diameter of the drum raises it vertically, then rotates it to an inverted or semi-inverted position.