U.S. patent application number 09/779057 was filed with the patent office on 2001-09-20 for storage bin for particulate materials.
Invention is credited to Epp, Dwayne S., Epp, Richard J..
Application Number | 20010022308 09/779057 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23292113 |
Filed Date | 2001-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010022308 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Epp, Richard J. ; et
al. |
September 20, 2001 |
Storage bin for particulate materials
Abstract
A grain storage bin has a circular bin floor structure and a
cylindrical bin wall upstanding from the floor. A bin aeration
system includes a perforated air discharge tube mounted
diametrically across the bin supported on a frame above the floor
from one side with an air supply duct for supplying air from a fan
through the wall. The floor structure is divided diametrically into
two separate half sections. A rectangular discharge duct extends
from a feed opening at a center of the bin horizontally under the
horizontal support surface to a discharge outside the wall of the
bin with a belt having parallel runs along the duct, a first
opening at the center of the bin and a second opening adjacent the
wall so that the material within the bin can fall onto the upper
run of the belt to be carried to the side for discharge.
Inventors: |
Epp, Richard J.; (Fiske,
CA) ; Epp, Dwayne S.; (Fiske, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ADE & COMPANY
1700-360 MAIN STREET
WINNIPEG
MB
R3C3Z3
CA
|
Family ID: |
23292113 |
Appl. No.: |
09/779057 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09779057 |
Jan 29, 2001 |
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09330976 |
Jun 14, 1999 |
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6237813 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/185.1 ;
222/413; 222/462 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 65/466
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/185.1 ;
222/413; 222/462 |
International
Class: |
B67D 005/06 |
Claims
1. A storage bin comprising: a bin floor structure having a
circular horizontal support surface; a cylindrical bin wall
upstanding from the support surface; and a bin discharge system for
discharging material stored in the bin from the bin to a position
exteriorly of the bin, the discharge system comprising: a discharge
duct having a material transport member within the duct for
transporting the material along the duct; the duct extending from a
feed opening at a center of the bin horizontally under the
horizontal support surface to a discharge outside the wall of the
bin; the material transport member comprising a belt having an
upper run along the duct.
2. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the duct is
rectangular so as to receive the upper and lower runs of the belt
across the width of the duct.
3. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the duct has a
first slide gate at the center of the bin and the second slide gate
approximately midway between the center of the bin and the side
wall of the bin.
4. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the belt is mounted
on a belt conveyor system which allows the belt to be removed from
the duct to an opening at the end of the duct at the edge of the
floor structure.
5. The storage bin according to claim 1 wherein the belt includes
an elevator section at an end thereof outside the bin for
discharging the material from the bin into a main conveyor.
6. The storage bin according to claim 1 including a bin sweep.
Description
[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No.
09/330,976 filed Jun. 14th 1999 and now issued as United States
Patent INSERT.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a storage bin of the type
comprising a horizontal circular base with a cylindrical peripheral
wall upstanding from the base which is generally used for storing
particulate materials such as grain and other crops.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Many such bins are formed by a concrete base with the
peripheral wall formed from corrugated panels bolted to and
standing upwardly from the edge of the concrete base.
SUMMARY
[0004] It is one object of the present invention to provide an
improved discharge system for a bin of this general type.
[0005] According to an aspect of the present invention there is
provided a storage bin comprising:
[0006] a bin floor structure having a circular horizontal support
surface;
[0007] a cylindrical bin wall upstanding from the support
surface;
[0008] and a bin discharge system for discharging material stored
in the bin from the bin to a position exteriorly of the bin, the
discharge system comprising:
[0009] a discharge duct having a material transport member within
the duct for transporting the material along the duct;
[0010] the duct extending from a feed opening at a center of the
bin horizontally under the horizontal support surface to a
discharge outside the wall of the bin;
[0011] the material transport member comprising a belt having an
upper run along the duct.
[0012] Preferably the duct is rectangular so as to receive the
upper and lower runs of the belt across the width of the duct.
[0013] Preferably the duct has a first slide gate at the center of
the bin and the second slide gate approximately midway between the
center of the bin and the side wall of the bin.
[0014] Preferably the belt is mounted on a belt conveyor system
which allows the belt to be removed from the duct to an opening at
the end of the duct at the edge of the floor structure.
[0015] Preferably the belt includes an elevator section at an end
thereof outside the bin for discharging the material from the bin
into a main conveyor.
[0016] Preferably the storage bin includes a bin sweep.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a floor structure for a storage
bin according to the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the floor structure of
FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view along the lines 3-3 of FIG.
1.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the bin floor of FIG. 1
modified to include a material discharge system.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view along the lines 5-5 of FIG.
4.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view along the lines 6-6 of FIG.
5.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the floor structure of FIG. 1
showing a further modified arrangement for discharging
material.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view along the lines 8-8 of FIG.
7.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view through the bin
structure according to the present invention including an aeration
system.
[0027] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view along the lines 10-10 of
FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] A storage bin comprises a floor structure 10 to which is
attached a conventional cylindrical wall and a roof structure (not
shown). The floor structure is formed from sheet metal panels which
are welded together to form a circular base 11 defining a
horizontal circular upper surface 12. At the outside edge of the
horizontal wall 11 is defined a turned down edge flange 13. Spaced
slightly inwardly from the outer edge at the flange 13 is provided
an upstanding side wall portion 14 which extends upwardly to a top
edge 15 to which the side wall of the bin is attached by bolting in
conventional manner.
[0029] The horizontal circular plate 11 defining the surface 12 is
formed from a plurality of panels joined at edges 16.
[0030] The floor structure is divided into two sections 17 and 18
separated at a divide 19. In FIG. 3 the two sections are shown
bolted together and in FIG. 1 they are shown separated and ready to
be bolted together by bolts 20.
[0031] The two sections are joined together by a pair of angle iron
members 21 and 22 each of which is attached to one section of the
horizontal support wall 11 at the edge 22 thereof. Thus each angle
iron member includes a horizontal flange welded to the edge 22 and
a vertical flange extending downwardly from the horizontal wall 11
so that the two vertical flanges can be brought together and bolted
together by the bolts 20. An end plate 23 bridges the junction 24
between the edges of the side wall 14 and is attached to both edges
by bolts 25.
[0032] Thus floor structure can be divided into two sections by
removing the bolts and thus can be readily transported from place
to place for installation at a new site.
[0033] Turning now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, there is shown the same
floor structure generally indicated at 10 and the bin wall 9. In
this arrangement the floor structure is modified by the addition of
a recessed section 26 in the floor arranged at the center. The
recessed section is generally hexagonal in shape at the surface 12
and converges to an apex 27 at the bottom. One side of the
hexagonal shape receives a cylindrical tube 28 of an auger
discharge system including an auger flight 29 contained within the
tube. A feed section 30 of the auger flight projects beyond a
lowermost end 31 of the tube 28 so as to project into the recess
26.
[0034] The duct 28 is inclined upwardly and outwardly so as to exit
through the wall 9 at an opening 8 raised upwardly above the base
surface 11 and upwardly of the top edge 15.
[0035] Underneath the duct 28 is provided a base structure 32
comprising a pair of side walls 33 and 34 which extend downwardly
from a respective side of the duct 28 to the surface 12. Thus each
side wall is generally triangular and extends from a vertical edge
at the side wall 9. Each side wall has a top edge welded to and
lying along the side of the tube or duct and a third edge extending
along the surface 12. The side wall converges to an apex at the
point where the duct passes through the surface 12 into the recess
26.
[0036] The side walls 33 and 34 are inclined downwardly and
outwardly relative to a central vertical plane of the duct so as to
form in effect a "pyramid" shape thus tending to shed material away
from the duct and outwardly onto the floor so that the material can
be carried by a bin sweep 35 of conventional construction to the
recess 26. Thus the bin sweep can move position 35A at the side
wall 13 around the bin to a position 35B at the side wall 34 by
moving through an angle slightly less than 360.degree. and thus
sweep in effect the whole of the floor without leaving any material
underneath the duct 28.
[0037] Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8 there is shown a modified
discharge arrangement for use with the floor structure 10. In this
arrangement, the floor is formed with a rectangular trough 40
underneath the floor and extending along a diameter of the floor
structure from an end 41 just beyond the center outwardly to a side
edge at an opening 42 in the base of the floor structure. The
trough is covered by a top wall 43 which fully covers the trough
apart from two openings 44 and 45 each of which is covered by a
slide gate operable from the end 42.
[0038] The bin sweep 35 is arranged to rotate around the full
surface 12 since it can pass over the top surface 43 at the trough
40.
[0039] A belt conveyor arrangement 46 is provided mounted on a
frame and ground wheels 47 by which it can be moved from bin to
bin. The belt conveyor arrangement comprises a frame carrying a
belt having an upper run and a lower run on elongate track
arrangement which can be inserted into the trough 40. Thus an upper
run 48 of the belt is located directly underneath the trough and
can receive material from one or both of the openings 44 and 45.
The belt conveyor further includes an elevator section 49 carrying
the material to a discharge 50 for discharge into a conventional
main conveyor arrangement 51.
[0040] This arrangement is located wholly under the floor of the
bin structure and thus requires a raised base of the floor
structure with an inclined outer flange 13A replacing the vertical
flange 13. The height of the flange 13A is increased so a to
provide sufficient room for the trough 40.
[0041] The arrangement is particularly suitable for materials which
can be damaged by an auger flighting such as peas and the like.
[0042] Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown an aeration
system for use with the bin floor structure 10 and the wall 9. The
aeration system comprises a length of perforated tube 55 which is
connected at one end 56 to an imperforate or solid air tube 57
which extends from an opening 58 in the wall 9. The tube 55 has a
second end 59 which is spaced substantially equal distantly
relative to end 56 from the wall so that the tube sits along a
diameter of the bin floor structure. The solid air tube 57 is
connected to a fan outside the bin wall. The ducting included in
the perforated air tube and the solid air tube are supported on a
frame structure so they are carried away from the surface 12 and
above the edge 15. The ducts are carried on a pair of side rails
supported on vertical legs 61 so that each side rail is arranged on
its respective side of the tube and each side is relatively
directly attached to the top end of a respective one of the legs.
The legs are arranged at the wall 9 and thus at the wall 14. The
structure is braced by inclined angle braces 63. The rails are
connected to the outside of the tube by transverse straps 64 which
span the rails and wrap around the bottom part of the tube 55.
[0043] The tube is thus supported away from the bin floor and
provides air flow at a height of the order of three feet from the
bin floor so that the majority of the air is supplied in the
required location substantially directly in the center of the
bin.
[0044] While one embodiment of the present invention has been
described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other
embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The
invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the
appended claims.
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