Patent US3851774A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3851774A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Bottom silo unloader
Assignee: LAIDIG SILO UNLOADERS Inc
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Filing: 1973-12-05
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Granted: 1974-12-03
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Expires: 1993-12-05
Abstract
Abstract A bottom silo unloader for use in discharging moist grain from a sealed silo has a discharge tube set in the silo floor that leads from a casing in the center of the silo below floor level to the outside, and a discharge auger in the casing is driven by drive means adjacent the outer end of the tube. A pair of vertically aligned, right angle gear boxes are driven by the discharge auger and drive a sweep auger. A ring gear on which the upper gear box is mounted is rotated from the drive means to cause the sweep auger to rotate about the vertical axis of the silo and the gear boxes. A torsion arrangement suspends rotation of the ring gear when the sweep auger encounters heavy resistance to its movement around the silo.
Inventors
- 👤 J Laidig
- 👤 L Boppart
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:18
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G65/00; B65G65/30; B65G65/34; B65G65/40; B65G65/46; B65G65/466
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
235 words
In a bottom silo unloader for use in the discharge of moist grain from a sealed cylindrical silo that has a floor with a center discharge hole, in combination: a casing in said discharge hole that has an upper edge substantially flush with the floor; a discharge tube communicating with said casing beneath the floor, said discharge tube having a discharge opening outside the line of the silo wall and an airtight closure for said opening; a discharge auger in said discharge tube; drive means mounted outside the silo and drivingly connected to said discharge auger; a lower right angle gear box in the casing which has a horizontal input shaft coupled to the discharge auger; means at the bottom of the casing restricting movement of said lower gear box; an upper right angle gear box having a horizontal output shaft; a vertical shaft drivingly connecting said gear boxes; a sweep auger above the silo floor and rigidly drivingly connected to the output shaft of the upper gear box for revolving the sweep auger on its axis to feed grain into the casing; a ring gear supported in the upper part of the casing for rotation about the axis of the vertical shaft; means mounting said upper gear box on said ring gear; and means for driving the ring gear from the drive means to rotate the sweep auger about the center of the silo.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
235 words
In a bottom silo unloader for use in the discharge of moist grain from a sealed cylindrical silo that has a floor with a center discharge hole, in combination: a casing in said discharge hole that has an upper edge substantially flush with the floor; a discharge tube communicating with said casing beneath the floor, said discharge tube having a discharge opening outside the line of the silo wall and an airtight closure for said opening; a discharge auger in said discharge tube; drive means mounted outside the silo and drivingly connected to said discharge auger; a lower right angle gear box in the casing which has a horizontal input shaft coupled to the discharge auger; means at the bottom of the casing restricting movement of said lower gear box; an upper right angle gear box having a horizontal output shaft; a vertical shaft drivingly connecting said gear boxes; a sweep auger above the silo floor and rigidly drivingly connected to the output shaft of the upper gear box for revolving the sweep auger on its axis to feed grain into the casing; a ring gear supported in the upper part of the casing for rotation about the axis of the vertical shaft; means mounting said upper gear box on said ring gear; and means for driving the ring gear from the drive means to rotate the sweep auger about the center of the silo.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The combination of claim 1 in which the means for driving the ring gear includes means responsive to high resistance to rotation of the sweep auger around the silo for suspending rotation of the ring gear until the high resistance is relieved by axial revolving of the sweep auger.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
The combination of claim 2 in which the means for driving the ring gear includes a ratchet and eccentric pawl drive outside the silo, a ratchet shaft extending from the ratchet into the casing beneath the silo floor, and means on the ratchet shaft in driving engagement with the ring gear, torsional distortion of said ratchet shaft under heavy load causing the suspension of ring gear rotation by causing the ratchet to rotate reversely as the pawl withdraws from engagement with the ratchet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The combination of claim 1 which includes generally radially extending means on the vertical shaft for moving grain into the discharge auger from the portion of the casing remote from said auger.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The combination of claim 1 in which the discharge opening is in the bottom of the discharge tube beneath the outer end portion of the discharge auger, and in which there is a generally radially extending feed pin on the discharge auger shaft above said discharge opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The combination of claim 1 in which the drive means includes a motor and reduction gear box which has an input shaft driven from the motor, said gear box having an output shaft directly coupled to the discharge auger.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The combination of claim 6 in which the means for driving the ring gear includes an output member on the gear box output shaft, and means including an intermittent motion device driven from said output member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
68 words
The combination of claim 7 in which the intermittent motion device includes a counter shaft driven by the output member, an eccentric on said counter shaft, a pawl reciprocated by said eccentric, a ratchet which has teeth engaged by the pawl, a ratchet shaft extending from the ratchet beneath the silo floor into the casing, and means on the ratchet shaft in driving engagement with the ring gear.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
The combination of claim 8 in which the ratchet shaft can flex torsionally when the sweep auger encounters high resistance to rotation around the silo, said torsional flexing cauSing the ratchet to rotate reversely as the pawl withdraws from engagement with it, whereby rotation of the ring gear is suspended until said high resistance is relieved by axial revolving of the sweep auger.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
The combination of claim 1 in which the casing has flange means near its upper edge on which the ring gear rests, a plurality of gear confining members surmounting said flange means substantially in contact with the ring gear, and a ring gear retaining plate supported on the flange means slightly above the ring gear.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination of claim 10 in which the casing is rectangular, the flange means comprises a flange member in each corner, there is a rotatable gear confining member on each flange member, and the ring gear retaining plate rests on spacers about which the gear confining members rotate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination of claim 1 in which the ring gear has a circumferential array of equally spaced depending studs, and the means for driving the ring gear includes a horizontal driven shaft and a worm gear on said shaft which engages said studs to rotate the ring gear.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2635770A
Cited
US2675931A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-02 | 1978-06-03 | 1978-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-02 | 1982-06-03 | 1982-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-02 | 1986-06-03 | 1986-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |