Silo elevator

Claim 2

An elevator for use with a silo and like structures having an upper wall portion comprising a first support section mountable on the upper wall portion of the silo, a second carriage section movable up and down the silo, one of said sections including guide means, said guide means having a pair of laterally spaced pulleys rotatable on separate generally parallel means, an elongated flexible tension member having end portions and a midportion trained over said pulleys for guidEd shifting of the tension member relative to the guide means, fixed means on said one section located adjacent said pulleys to retain the tension member on said pulleys, the other section including reversible driven winding means, the end portions of said tension member extending toward said winding means and being partially wound on said winding means, and first abutment means secured to the portion of the tension member between the pulleys and second abutment means secured to the portions of the tension members leaving the pulleys, said first and second abutment means engageable with said pulleys and fixed means to establish limits of shifting of said tension member relative to said guide means to provide a safety stop in the event of a cable breakage.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said one section comprises said first support section.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 including a pair of parallel upstanding guide rails, a plurality of horizontal cross braces extending and secured between said rails at elevations spaced longitudinally therealong, said braces including means intermediate said rails adapted for attachment to a wall portion of said silo, said second carriage section including follower means guidingly engaged with said rails for movement therealong.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 wherein said carriage section includes a lift platform projecting outwardly to one side of a plane containing said rails, the edge portion of said platform adjacent said plane being pivotally supported from said carriage section for oscillation of said platform about a horizontal axis generally paralleling said plane between a generally horizontal position and an upstanding position spaced closely adjacent and generally paralleling said plane.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 including a pair of parallel upstanding guide rails, a plurality of horizontal cross braces extending and secured between said rails at elevations spaced longitudinally therealong, said braces including means intermediate said rails for attachment to a wall portion of said silo, said second carriage section including follower means guidingly engaged with said rails for movement therealong, said carriage section including a pivoted ratchet-type safety pawl swingable through said plane for engagement with the outer surface of the wall of said silo.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 wherein said first support section includes generally aligned spaced apart inverted U-shaped mounting portions adapted for downwardly embracingly engaging circumferentially spaced portions of the upper marginal edge of the wall portion of said silo.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 including a pair of parallel upstanding guide rails, a plurality of horizontal cross braces extending and secured between said rails at elevations spaced longitudinally therealong, said braces including means intermediate said rails adapted for attachment to a wall portion of said silo, said second carriage section including follower means guidingly engaged with said rails for movement therealong.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 7 wherein said carriage section includes a lift platform projecting outwardly to one side of a plane containing said rails, the edge portion of said platform adjacent said plane being pivotally supported from said carriage section for oscillation of said platform about a horizontal axis generally paralleling said plane between a generally horizontal position and an upstanding position spaced closely adjacent and generally paralleling said plane.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 1 wherein said carriage section includes a pivoted safety pawl swingable to a position for engagement with fixed means to hold the carriage section at a selected elevation.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 1 wherein said winding means include a pair of coaxial winding spools supported for simultaneous rotation in the same direction.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 1 including upstanding elongated track means for support from the outer walL surfaces of said silo, said second carriage section being engaged with said elongated track means for guided movement therealong.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 11 wherein said track means have lower end portions in engagement with a stationary support.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 1 wherein said winding means is mounted on upper portions of the carriage section, said tension member located in substantial linear extension between the winding means and the guide means.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 1 wherein said pulleys are rotatably mounted on shaft means secured to a plate member and said fixed means are secured to the plate member and extend adjacent outer peripheral portions of the pulleys.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 1 wherein the fixed means are arcuate guards extended adjacent outer peripheral portions of the pulleys.

Claim 17

An elevator usable with a structure such as a silo or the like with a generally upright body having an upper portion comprising fixed support means attachable to the upper portion of the body, a carriage movable up and down relative to said body, flexible cable means having end portions, holding means on the support means operatively connecting a portion of the cable means to the support means, said holding means having a pair of spaced pulleys carrying the cable means, generally parallel means rotatably mounting said pulleys, and fixed means located adjacent said pulleys to retain the cable means on the pulleys, abutment means secured to the cable means and engageable with the fixed means and pulleys to limit movement of the cable means relative to the pulleys, spool means rotatably mounted on the carriage, said ends of the cable means being connected to the spool means, and drive means on the carriage for rotating the spool means in one direction to wind the cable means on the spool means and selectively rotating the spool means in the opposite direction to unwind the cable means from the spool means; said abutment means includes first abutment means secured to the middle portion of the cable means located between the pulleys and second abutment means secured to the portions of the cable means leaving the pulleys to provide a safety stop in the event of cable breakage.

Claim 18

An elevator usable with a structure such as a silo or the like with a generally upright body having an upper portion comprising fixed support means attachable to the upper portion of the body, a carriage movable up and down relative to said body, flexible cable means having end portions, holding means on the support means operatively connecting a portion of the cable means to the support means, said holding means having a pair of spaced pulleys carrying the cable means, generally parallel means rotatably mounting said pulleys, and fixed means located adjacent said pulleys to retain the cable means on the pulleys, abutment means secured to the cable means and engageable with the fixed means and pulleys to limit movement of the cable means relative to the pulleys, spool means rotatably mounted on the carriage, said ends of the cable means being connected to the spool means, and drive means on the carriage for rotating the spool means in one direction to wind the cable means on the spool means and selectively rotating the spool means in the opposite direction to unwind the cable means from the spool means; said abutment means includes first abutment means secured to the middle portion of the cable means located between the pulleys and second abutment means secured to the portions of the cable means leaving the pulleys to provide a safety stop in the event of cable breakage.

Claim 19

The elevator of claim 16 including a generally upright track assembly, means movably mounting the carriage on the track assembly, and means mounting the track assembly on the body.

Claim 20

The elevator of claim 17 wherein the track assembly has lower ends in engagement with a stationary support.

Claim 21

The elevator of claim 16 wherein the spool means is mounted on the upper portion of the carriage, said cable means located in substantial linear extension between the spool means and holding means.

Claim 22

An elevator usable with a silo or the like with a generally upright body having an upper portion comprising a fixed support section attachable to the upper portion of the body, a carriage section movable up and down relative to said body, a generally upright track assembly, means mounting the track assembly on the body, means movably mounting the carriage section on the track assembly, one of said sections including guide means, said guide means having pulley means, means rotatably mounting said pulley means, elongated flexible cable means trained over said pulley means, fixed means on said one section located adjacent said pulley means to retain the cable means on said pulley means, spool means rotatably mounted on the other section, said cable means connected to the spool means and located in substantial linear extension between the spool means and the pulley means, and drive means for rotating the spool means in one direction to wind the cable means on the spool means and selectively rotating the spool means in the opposite direction to unwind the cable means from the spool means, and abutment means secured to the cable means and engageable with the fixed means and pulley means to limit movement of the cable means relative to the pulley means; wherein saId abutment means include first abutment means secured to the portion of the cable means located on one side of said pulley means and second abutment means secured to the portions of the cable means on the other side of the pulley means to provide a safety stop in the event of cable breakage.

Claim 23

An elevator usable with a silo or the like with a generally upright body having an upper portion comprising a fixed support section attachable to the upper portion of the body, a carriage section movable up and down relative to said body, a generally upright track assembly, means mounting the track assembly on the body, means movably mounting the carriage section on the track assembly, one of said sections including guide means, said guide means having pulley means, means rotatably mounting said pulley means, elongated flexible cable means trained over said pulley means, fixed means on said one section located adjacent said pulley means to retain the cable means on said pulley means, spool means rotatably mounted on the other section, said cable means connected to the spool means and located in substantial linear extension between the spool means and the pulley means, and drive means for rotating the spool means in one direction to wind the cable means on the spool means and selectively rotating the spool means in the opposite direction to unwind the cable means from the spool means, and abutment means secured to the cable means and engageable with the fixed means and pulley means to limit movement of the cable means relative to the pulley means; wherein saId abutment means include first abutment means secured to the portion of the cable means located on one side of said pulley means and second abutment means secured to the portions of the cable means on the other side of the pulley means to provide a safety stop in the event of cable breakage.

Claim 24

The elevator of claim 20 wherein the track assembly has lower ends in engagement with a stationary support.

Claim 25

The elevator of claim 20 wherein said pulley means are rotatably mounted on shaft means secured to a plate member and said fixed means are secured to the plate member and extend adjacent outer peripheral portions of the pulley means.

Claim 26

The elevator of claim 20 including an arm means swingably mounted on the carriage, said arm means movable in a position for engagement with fixed means to support the carriage at a selected elevation.