Method and apparatus for unloading silage

Claim 1

A SILO UNLOADER, COMPRISING A FRAME; AND SILAGE COLLECTING AND DISCHARGING MEANS JOURNALLED IN SAID FRAME FOR ROTATION ABOUT THE CENTER OF THE SILO, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLE MEMBER EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM A LOCATION ADJACENT THE CENTER OF THE SILO TO A LOCATION ADJACENT THE SILO WALL, ANGULARLY DISPOSED BLADE MEANS ON SAID MEMBER, A HOOD SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSING THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER AND HAVING AN OUTLET AT ITS INNER END, A MOTOR, DRIVE MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE MOTOR AND SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER, SAID DRIVE MEANS HAVING A DRIVE RATIO BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND THE ROTATABLE MEMBER IN THE RANGE OF 1:2 TO 2:1 WHEREBY SAID BLADE MEANS ROTATES ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE ROTATABLE MEMBER WITH A PERIPHERAL SPEED IN EXCESS OF 2000 FEET PER MINUTE TO DISLODGE THE SILAGE AND CONVEY THE SAME TO THE CENTER OF THE SILO FOR DISCHARGE THEREFROM, AND A DISCHARGE MECHANISM DISPOSED AT THE INNER END OF THE MEMBER AND HAVING AN INLET CONNECTED TO THE OUTLET OF SAID HOOD FOR RECEIVING THE DISLODGED SILAGE AND DISCHARGING IT TO THE INTERIOR OF THE SILO.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF UNLOADING SILAGE FROM A SILO, COMPPRISING THE STEP OF POSITIONING AN AUGER ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SILAGE IN A SILO WITH THE INNER END OF THE AUGER LOCATED ADJACENT THE CENTER OF THE SILO AND THE OUTER END OF THE AUGER LOCATED ADJACENT THE WALL OF THE SILO, CONFINING THE UPPER PORTION OF THE AUGER WITH A HOOD, ROTATING THE AUGER ABOUT THE CENTER OF THE SILO, ROTATING THE AUGER ABOUT ITS AXIS AT A SPEED SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE AUGER WITH A PERIPHERAL SPEED GREATER THAN 2000 FEET PER MINUTE TO DISLODGE THE SILAGE AND PROPEL THE DISLODGED SILAGE ALONG THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE HOOD AND CONVEY THE SAME TO THE CENTER OF THE SILO,AND DISCHARGING THE SILAGE CONVEYED TO THE CENTER OF THE SILO TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SILO.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF UNLOADING SILAGE FROM A SILO, COMPPRISING THE STEP OF POSITIONING AN AUGER ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SILAGE IN A SILO WITH THE INNER END OF THE AUGER LOCATED ADJACENT THE CENTER OF THE SILO AND THE OUTER END OF THE AUGER LOCATED ADJACENT THE WALL OF THE SILO, CONFINING THE UPPER PORTION OF THE AUGER WITH A HOOD, ROTATING THE AUGER ABOUT THE CENTER OF THE SILO, ROTATING THE AUGER ABOUT ITS AXIS AT A SPEED SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE AUGER WITH A PERIPHERAL SPEED GREATER THAN 2000 FEET PER MINUTE TO DISLODGE THE SILAGE AND PROPEL THE DISLODGED SILAGE ALONG THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE HOOD AND CONVEY THE SAME TO THE CENTER OF THE SILO,AND DISCHARGING THE SILAGE CONVEYED TO THE CENTER OF THE SILO TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SILO.