Apparatus for mixing and unloading pulverulent material

Claim 2

In apparatus for mixing and unloading pulverulent material stored in a silo, said apparatus including at least one row of two or more aeration troughs positioned end to end in the floor of said silo, each of said aeration troughs having airtight opposite sides, an airtight bottom, an air permeable top, a forward end and a rearward end, the improvement comprising: each of said aeration troughs having at least one opening in said rearward end, and having a number of pairs of aligned openings in said forward and rearward ends, the number of said pairs of aligned openings in a first of said aeration troughs in said row being equal to the total number of aeration troughs in said row minus one, the second trough in said row and each successive trough having one less pair of aligned openings in said forward and rearward ends thereof than the trough just preceding it in said row; separate airtight compartments providing communication between each pair of aligned openings in the forward and rearward ends of said aeration troughs disposed within said aeration troughs; means for connecting each of said openings in the rearward end of said second aeration trough in said row to the openings in the forward end of said first aeration trough in said row, and for connecting the openings in the rearward end of each successive aeration trough with the openings in the forward end of the aeration trough just preceding it in said row; and means for connecting a source of compressed air to each of said openings in the rearward end of said first aeration trough.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for connecting each of said openings in the rearward end of said second aeration trough in said row to the openings in the forward end of said first aeration trough in said row, and for connecting the openings in the rearward end of each successive aeration trough with the openings in the forward end of the aeration trough just preceding it in said row, comprises: elongated resilient tubular members each having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion of said tubular members slidably secured in said openings in said rearward ends of said aeration troughs in said row, and said rearward portion of said tubular members slidably secured in said openings in said forward end of adjacent aeration troughs in said row.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 which is further characterized to include each of said elongated resilient tubular members having a first groove extending around the entire outer periphery of said forward portion of said member, and a second groove extending around the entire outer periphery of said rearward portion of said member, each of said grooves being slidably secured in one of said openings and having a continuous surface for sealingly contacting the entire inside periphery of said openings.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said separate airtight compartments disposed within said aeration troughs comprises: a pair of side baffles parallel to each other and parallel to said opposite sides of said aeration trough, attached to said forward and rearward ends and bottom of said aeration trough; and a top baffle attached to said side baffles and attached to said forward and rearward ends of said aeration troughs. 5. Apparatus for mixing and unloading pulverulent material from a silo, said silo having a downwardly sloped floor and having a pulverulent materiAl discharge valve positioned at a low point in said floor, comprising: a plurality of aeration troughs positioned end to end in said floor forming at least one row extending transversely across said floor to said discharge valve; each of said aeration troughs having airtight opposite sides, an airtight bottom, an air permeable top, a forward end facing said discharge valve and a rearward end facing away from said discharge valve, and having at least one opening in said rearward end, and an equal number of openings in said forward and rearward ends thereof, aligned with each other, the total number of aligned openings in the ends of the first of said aeration troughs at the end of said row opposite from said discharge valve being equal to twice the total number of aeration troughs in said row minus two, the second aeration trough and each successive aeration trough in said row having one less opening in said forward end and one less aligned opening in said rearward end thereof than the aeration trough just preceeding it in said row; separate airtight compartments connecting each pair of aligned openings in said forward and rearward ends of said aeration troughs disposed within said aeration troughs; means for connecting each of said openings in the rearward end of said second aeration trough to the openings in the forward end of said first aeration trough, and for connecting the openings in the rearward ends of each successive aeration trough with the openings in the forward end of the aeration trough just proceeding it in said row; and means for connecting a source of compressed air to each of said openings in the rearward end of said first aeration trough.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for connecting each of said openings in the rearward end of said second aeration trough in said row to the openings in the forward end of said first aeration trough in said row, and for connecting the openings in the rearward end of each successive aeration trough with the openings in the forward end of the aeration trough just preceding it in said row comprises: elongated resilient tubular members each having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion of said tubular members slidably secured in said openings in said rearward ends of said aeration troughs in said row, and said rearward portions of said tubular members slidably secured in said openings in said forward ends of adjacent aeration troughs in said row.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 6 which is further characterized to include each of said elongated resilient tubular members having a first groove extending around the entire outer periphery of said forward portion of said member, and a second groove extending around the entire outer periphery of said rearward portion of said member, each of said grooves being slidably secured in one of said openings and having a continuous surface for sealingly contacting the entire inside periphery of said openings.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of said separate airtight compartments disposed within said aeration troughs comprises: a pair of side baffles parallel to each other and parallel to said opposite sides of said aeration trough, attached to said forward and rearward ends and bottom of said aeration trough; and a top baffle attached to said side baffles and attached to said forward and rearward ends of said aeration troughs.