Method Of Erecting A Grain Bin

Abstract

A method of erecting a grain bin is disclosed herein which substantially reduces the time and effort involved in erecting grain bins. The method comprises the steps of (1) forming a trench in the desired configuration of the foundation; (2) attaching wallsheets to a series of reticulated reinforcing and screed members; (3) positioning the members with the wallsheets attached thereto horizontally and upstandingly in the trench; and (4) pouring concrete in the trench to form the foundation. The reticulated reinforcing and screed members are of inverted L-shaped configuration and unitary construction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of erecting a grain bin and, more particularly, to a novel reticulated reinforcing and screed member and its use.

Building methods for small buildings have failed to keep pace with other technological innovations. In the construction of grain bins, the foundation forms are first painstakingly constructed, reinforcing wire and means for attaching the wall-sheets secured in the forms, and concrete poured. The foundation is then cured and wallsheets are attached to the foundation. In addition to the time and expense required in constructing these bins, the wallsheets and foundation generally do not fit perfectly thereby leaving openings for rodents to enter the bin.

The method of this invention is designed to reduce the time, effort, and financial outlay in constructing grain bins or other small buildings. The reticulated reinforcing and screed members described herein are advantageously utilized in this method.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of erecting a grain bin comprising the steps of (1) forming a trench in the desired configuration of the foundation; (2) attaching a series of wallsheets to the upper portions of a series of reticulated reinforcing and screed members, which members are of sufficient strength to support the wallsheets; (3) positioning the reinforcing and screed members and the attached wallsheets in the trench in an upstanding position; (4) and pouring concrete in the trench to form the foundation. This invention also relates to the foundation per se and, more specifically, to the reticulated reinforcing and screed members disclosed herein.

The principle object of this invention is to provide a method of erecting a grain bin.

Another object is to provide reinforcing and screed members which can advantageously be utilized in this method.

Still another object is to provide a foundation for a grain bin utilizing the reinforcing and screed members described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grain bin utilizing the foundation containing the reinforcing and screed members of this invention with a portion thereof cut away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of two wallsheets attached to a reinforcing and screed member.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the wallsheets attached to the reinforcing and screed member.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a reinforcing and screed member positioned in a trench, the trench being partially cut away.

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of the reinforcing and screed member with a wallsheet attached thereto. Also shown in FIG. 5 is a form holding clamp and the form which defines the outer, uppermost portion of the foundation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, a grain bin 11 (FIG. 1) erected by the method of this invention and utilizing the foundation 12 (FIG. 5) of this invention is illustrated in the drawings. The reticulated reinforcing and screed members 13 are essential components of the foundation 12 and the construction method disclosed herein. Wallsheets 14 are attached to the reinforcing and screed members 13 by suitable attaching means 16 (FIG. 3).

More specifically, he reinforcing and screed members 13 (FIGS. 1--5) may be formed from separate reinforcing members 17 and screed members 18. The reinforcing members 17 may be manufactured in any configuration and are generally made in the configuration of the desired foundation 12. For grain bins 11 in particular, the usual and preferable configuration is arcuate.

The reinforcing members 17 (FIGS. 3-5) generally comprise a series of horizontally disposed and vertically spaced rods 19 and a series of vertically disposed and horizontally spaced rods 21. The rods 19 and 21 are affixed together in a gridiron configuration, generally by welding the rods 19 and 21 together. When a foundation 12 of circular configuration is desired, the horizontally disposed rods 19 are formed in an arcuate configuration with the desired diameter. Although the gridiron configuration disclosed herein is preferred, any reticulated reinforcing member 17 can be utilized herein.

The screed members 18 (FIGS. 3-5) are preferably affixed to the uppermost portion 22 of the reinforcing members 17 and are horizontally disposed. The screed members 18 are utilized as a leveling device in forming the top surface 23 (FIG. 5) of the inner portion 24 of the foundation 12 and are, therefore, disposed proximate the top surface 23. The screed members 18 are affixed to the reinforcing members 17 so that they extend inwardly of the reinforcing members 18.

Preferably, the screed members 18 (FIG. 3) comprise the uppermost portion 26 of the vertical rods 21. The rods 21 are bent or formed inwardly so that the uppermost portion 26 is perpendicular of the vertical portion 27. The uppermost portion 26 extends inwardly of the reinforcing members 17 when the reinforcing and screed members 13 are utilized in constructing a foundation 12 for a grain bin 11 or other building.

The reinforcing and screed members 13 can advantageously be of unitary construction and are of an inverted L-shaped configuration as shown in FIG. 5. To be useful in the method of this invention, the reinforcing and screed members 13 utilized in the foundation 12 must be of sufficient strength to support the lower tier 28 of wallsheets 14 (FIG. 1). The structural requirements can be calculated by determining the desired configuration of the building 11 and the weight of this lower tier 28.

The foundation 12 (FIG. 5) claimed herein has an inner portion 24 and an outer portion 29 with the reinforcing and screed members 13 being centrally disposed between the inner portion 24 and the outer portion 29. The inner and outer portions 24 and 29 are generally formed from poured concrete.

As shown in FIG. 5, the reinforcing members 17 are disposed in an upstanding position and the screed members 18 are horizontally disposed. The reinforcing members 17 (FIG. 1) are disposed in the configuration of the foundation 12 and horizontally aligned. The screed members 18 are rigidly affixed to the uppermost portions 22 of the reinforcing members 17 and extend inwardly toward the inside of the grain bin 11 or building. Concrete is poured to the top surface of the screed members 18 to form the top surface 23 of the inner portion 24 of the foundation 12. The upper surface 31 of the outer portion 29 of the foundation 12 preferably slopes downwardly and outwardly from the reinforcing members 17 to provide proper drainage for the grain bin 11.

The grain bin 11 (FIG. 1) of this invention comprises the foundation 12 described above having a series of wallsheets 14 juxtaposed of the upper portion 22 of the reinforcing members 17 and the outer portion 29 of the foundation 12. Because the grain bins 11 are usually of circular configuration, the wallsheets 14 necessity are of arcuate configuration. To lend strength to the 14 of the wallsheets 14 are also preferably corrugated and readily attachable together with bolts, rivets or the like.

The lower portions 32 (FIG. 5) of the wallsheets forming the lower tier 28 are utilized, when attached to the reinforcing members 17, as an outer form for the inner portion 24 of the foundation 12. Additionally, the wallsheets 14 can be embedded in the foundation 12 to prevent rodents from entering the grain bin 11.

Attaching means 16 are utilized to secure the wallsheets 14 to the reinforcing members 17. The attaching means 16 (FIG. 3) can be a rectangular metal strip 33 securable about the reinforcing members 17 and attachable to the wallsheets 14. The particular attaching means 16 is not critical in this invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a suitable roof 34 is utilized with the grain bin 11 of this invention. The roof 34 shown is standard for grain bins 11.

The preferred configuration for the grain bin 11 and the foundation 12 of this invention is circular. In this preferred embodiment, the wallsheets 14 and the reinforcing members 17 are, of course, arcuately formed.

In the method of erecting the grain bin 11, the above described reinforcing and screed members 13 and wallsheets 14 are utilized. The first step of this method comprises forming a trench 36 in the desired configuration of the foundation 12. Preferably, prior to forming the trench 36, the construction site is leveled. The trench 36 is then formed, usually circularly, to a depth of at least 10 inches and a width of about 12 inches. No forms are utilized in this method; at the proper time the trench 36 is merely filled with concrete.

A series of wallsheets 14 are then attached to a series of reinforcing and screed members 13 by attaching means 16 as shown in FIG. 2. The wallsheets 14 are attached to the uppermost portions 22 of the reinforcing members 17 on the side opposite the screed members 18. The wallsheets 14 extend downwardly about 6 to about 18 inches from the top 37 of the reinforcing members 17 and in juxtaposition with the members 17. The reinforcing members 17 should be of sufficient strength to support the lower tier 28 of wallsheets 14.

The reinforcing and screed members 13 and the attached wallsheets 14 are then positioned in the trench 36 in an upstanding position with the screed members 18 extending inwardly of the reinforcing members 17 (FIGS. 1 and 5). The reinforcing members 17 should be centrally disposed in the trench 36 and horizontally aligned whereby all of the screed members 18 are disposed in the same horizontal plane.

In this position, the lower portions 32 of the wallsheets 14 serve as forms to define the outer upper most surface 38 of the inner portion 24 of the foundation 12. The outer, uppermost surface 39 of the outer portion 29 of the foundation 12 can be defined by a form 41 held in a specially designed form-holding clamp 42 (FIG. 5). The form-holding clamp 42 comprises a U-shaped end 43 for holding the form 41 and a 7-shaped end 44 for securing the clamp 42 to the reinforcing member 17. The ends 43 and 44 are joined together by a leg 46.

Prior to pouring the concrete, the form holding clamp 42 is secured in the reinforcing member 17 and the form 41 is removably secured in the clamp 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the clamps 42 extend outwardly of the reinforcing members 17 and the form 41 is secured on the periphery of the foundation 12.

The concrete is then poured in sufficient amount to fill the trench 36 to thereby form the foundation 12. The concrete, on the inside of the wallsheets 14, is filled to substantially the same plane as the screed members 18. It is convenient, in this method, to also pour the floor 47 of the bin 11 at this same time. To provide proper drainage, the floor 47 should slope downwardly from the center of the bin 11 to the foundation 12.

On the outside of the wallsheets 14, the concrete is filled to slightly above the lower portion 32 of the wallsheets 14 and preferably the concrete slopes downwardly from the wallsheets 14. Rodents are thereby prevented from entering the grain bin 11 and water will not seep into the bin 11.

Although a preferred embodiment has been described herein, various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be made.

Claims

I claim:

1. A method of erecting a grain bin comprising the steps of:

forming a trench in the desired configuration of the foundation for the grain bin;

attaching a series of wallsheets to the upper portions of a series of reticulated reinforcing and screed members, said reinforcing and screed members being of an inverted L-shaped configuration and of sufficient strength to support the weight of said wallsheets;

positioning said reinforcing and screed members and said attached wallsheets in said trench and in an upstanding position with said screed members extending inwardly of said reinforcing members;

pouring concrete in said trench to form a foundation, the inner portion of said concrete being filled to substantially the same plane as the screed members and the outer portion of said concrete being filled to slightly above the bottom of said wallsheets.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said trench is of circular configuration and said reinforcing and screed members and said wallsheets are of arcuate configuration and wherein said reinforcing and screed members and said attached wallsheets are positioned centrally in said trench in horizontal alignment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein, prior to pouring said concrete, form-holding clamps are secured in said reinforcing and screed members, said clamps extending outwardly thereof; and wherein forms are removably secured in said clamps and define the outer, uppermost portion of said foundation.