Silo unloader and method

Claim 1

IN A BOTTOM UNLOADER FOR A SILO HAVING A FLOOR WITH A CENTRAL OPENING AND A CYLINDRICAL WALL, IN COMBINATION: RADIAL SWEEP ARM MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME HAVING AN AXIAL END SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION ON THE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE SILO AND A FREE END SPACED FROM THE SILO WALL; CARRIAGE MEANS SUPPORTING THE FREE END OF THE ARM MEANS ON THE FLOOR, SAID CARRIAGE MEANS INCLUDING TOOTHED DRIVE MEANS; DRIVE TRACK MEANS ON THE FLOOR ON WHICH THE DRIVE MEANS RIDES, SAID TRACK MEANS HAVING TEETH ENGAGED BY THE TOOTHED DRIVE MEANS AND BEING GENERALLY CONCENTRIC WITH THE WALL; MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVE MEANS TO ROTATE THE SWEEP ARM ABOUT THE SILO; PRIMARY CONVEYOR MEANS ON THE SWEEP ARM MEANS TO MOVE MATERIAL FROM ADJACENT THE TRACK MEANS INTO THE CENTRAL OPENING IN THE DOOR; MEANS ON THE CARRIAGE MEANS FOR DISPLACING MATERIAL FROM THE DRIVE TRACK MEANS INTO THE PRIMARY CONVEYOR MEANS; AUXILIARY CONVEYOR MEANS POSITIONED RADIALLY OUTWARD WITH RESPECT TO THE PRIMARY CONVEYOR MEANS TO MOVE MATERIAL FROM THE SPACE BETWEEN THE WALL AND THE TRACK MEANS INTO THE AREA TRAVERSED BY THE PRIMARY CONVEYOR MEANS; AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID PRIMARY AND SAID AUXILLARY CONVEYOR MEANS.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF HANDLING SILAGE IN A SILO HAVING A FLOOR, A WALL PROVIDED WITH AN ACCESS OPENING EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM FLOOR LEVEL, A CLOSURE FOR SAID OPENING, AND A ROTATING SILO UNLOADER ACCESSIBLE THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: CORING A PORTION OF THE SILO WHICH EXTENDS A SHORT DISTANCE INWARDLY FROM SAID OPENING AND WHICH EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM FLOOR LEVEL APPROXIMATELY TO THE TOP OF THE UNLOADER; FILLING THE SILO WITH SILAGE WHILE LEAVING SAID PORTION OF THE SILO CORED SO THERE IS A VOID IN THE SILAGE IN THE PORTION SO CORED; CUTTING AND REMOVING THE SILAGE FROM THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE SILO IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE FLOOR WHILE LEAVING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW WALL OF MATERIAL ADJACENT THE SILO WALL WHICH IS BROKEN ONLY BY SAID CORE; REMOVING THE CLOSURE AND UNCORING SAID PORTION OF THE SILO THROUGH THE ACCESS OPENING AND REPLACING THE CLOSURE; AND CUTTING AND REMOVING THE MATERIAL FROM SAID WALL OF MATERIAL STARTING FROM SAID VOID AND PROGRESSING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE INTERIOR OF THE SILO.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF HANDLING SILAGE IN A SILO HAVING A FLOOR, A WALL PROVIDED WITH AN ACCESS OPENING EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM FLOOR LEVEL, A CLOSURE FOR SAID OPENING, AND A ROTATING SILO UNLOADER ACCESSIBLE THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: CORING A PORTION OF THE SILO WHICH EXTENDS A SHORT DISTANCE INWARDLY FROM SAID OPENING AND WHICH EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM FLOOR LEVEL APPROXIMATELY TO THE TOP OF THE UNLOADER; FILLING THE SILO WITH SILAGE WHILE LEAVING SAID PORTION OF THE SILO CORED SO THERE IS A VOID IN THE SILAGE IN THE PORTION SO CORED; CUTTING AND REMOVING THE SILAGE FROM THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE SILO IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE FLOOR WHILE LEAVING A RELATIVELY SHALLOW WALL OF MATERIAL ADJACENT THE SILO WALL WHICH IS BROKEN ONLY BY SAID CORE; REMOVING THE CLOSURE AND UNCORING SAID PORTION OF THE SILO THROUGH THE ACCESS OPENING AND REPLACING THE CLOSURE; AND CUTTING AND REMOVING THE MATERIAL FROM SAID WALL OF MATERIAL STARTING FROM SAID VOID AND PROGRESSING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE INTERIOR OF THE SILO.