FFor drivers transporting dry bulk goods such as sand and cement powder, bottom drop tees which allow the operator to gravity dump over a pit, grate or conveyor are often used. Other bottom drop tees can be opened with a hand or foot, but closing requires the operator to maneuver on the ground, using two hands to secure the bottom drop door. Ultraflo, one of the most established suppliers to the dry bulk trailer market, has recently released the Tee Rx, a revolutionary, patent-pending bottom drop tee that allows the operator to open and close the tee easily using a hand or foot from a standing position.
“The problem is that these trucks are about eight feet wide and low to the ground, so to close the tees currently on the market, you have to get down on your knees, squat down on the ground, and reach over the trailer discharge system,” Mike Lurk, general manager at Ultraflo said. “The primary advantage to the Tee Rx is that it allows you to use your foot to close it while you’re standing up.”
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The Tee Rx enhances driver safety and improves the operator experience, allowing the bottom drop tee to be easily opened or closed in a fraction of the time, with far less effort.
“Everything is right in front of you where you can see it,” Lurk said. “You don’t have to guess where things hook or catch.”
“The primary advantage to the Tee Rx is that it allows you to use your foot to close it while you’re standing up.” To prevent inadvertent opening of the tee, Ultraflo has included a safety latch that releases during the normal opening operation. An integrated catch keeps the door in the vertical position so it’s completely out of the media’s path during gravity discharging, leaving it in a convenient position for closing and sealing the tee in one fluid motion. This also keeps the handle oriented upward with plenty of ground clearance in the event the door isn’t properly closed and secured.
The Tee Rx works with any valve and handle combination—no special handles are required for clearance or operation. It has been designed to withstand the abuse of demanding applications. Choose from aluminum for food grade media or Ultraflo’s proprietary Ultra Tuff materials.
“The Ultra Tuff material is ideal for highly abrasive applications such as sand,” Lurk said. “This material has been shown to last as much as three times as long as other competitive products.”
For more information, contact call 800-950-1762 or go to www.ultraflovalve.com.
