Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
A silo for storage and homogenization of powder-like commodities, such as flour, comprising a housing defining a chamber and having an outlet; inlet means for receiving the commodity into said housing; means communicating with said outlet for discharging the commodity from said housing; a bottom wall inclined downwardly towards said outlet; a hollow cone positioned in said housing and upwardly spaced from said bottom wall and having an open underside and an apex formed with a ventilation opening communicating with said chamber; means for admitting air in upward direction into the commodity beneath said cone, so that the air rises therein and escapes through said ventilation opening; and aerating means surrounding said ventilation opening for aerating the commodity in said chamber in the region about said ventilation opening.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
128 words
A silo for storage and homogenization of powder-like commodities, such as flour, comprising a housing defining a chamber and having an outlet; inlet means for receiving the commodity into said housing; means communicating with said outlet for discharging the commodity from said housing; a bottom wall inclined downwardly towards said outlet; a hollow cone positioned in said housing and upwardly spaced from said bottom wall and having an open underside and an apex formed with a ventilation opening communicating with said chamber; means for admitting air in upward direction into the commodity beneath said cone, so that the air rises therein and escapes through said ventilation opening; and aerating means surrounding said ventilation opening for aerating the commodity in said chamber in the region about said ventilation opening.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The silo of claim 1, wherein said ventilation opening is conical with a cone tapering towards said outlet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The silo at claim 2, wherein said aerating means is defined by an outer wall, said outer wall being circumferentially spaced from said ventilation opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The silo of claim 3, wherein said outer wall is cylindrical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
11 words
The silo of claim 3, wherein said outer wall is conical.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The silo of claim 3, wherein said apex of said cone is provided with an upper surface, said aerating means being positioned on said upper surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The silo of claim 6, further including means for supporting said cone within said housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The silo of claim 7, wherein said cone includes an outer rim on said underside thereof, said rim being spaced from said bottom wall to define an annular gap therebetween.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The silo of claim 8, wherein said discharging means include a plurality of pneumatic chutes extending radially towards said outlet and circumferentially spaced from one another.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The silo of claim 9, wherein said air admitting means include a plurality of ventilating elements located beneath said cone and circumferentially spaced from one another.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The silo of claim 10, wherein said supporting means include a plurality of supporting bars connected to said cone.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The silo of claim 11, wherein said supporting bars are spaced in a circumferential direction and located between the successively positioned pneumatic chutes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The silo of claim 11, wherein each of said ventilating elements has a sector-like shape and includes two adjacent surfaces inclined relative to each other, said surfaces sloping downwardly towards said outlet.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The silo of claim 13, wherein said bottom wall has an upper surface, said pneumatic chutes and said ventilating elements extending along said surface and occupying at least 80% of said surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The silo of claim 11, wherein said housing is bounded by an enlongated peripheral wall.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The silo of claim 15, wherein said supporting bars extend parallel the axis of elongation of said housing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The silo of claim 15, wherein said supporting bars are inclined in a direction of tapering of said cone.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The silo of claim 17, wherein said supporting bars are supported outside of said upper surface of said bottom wall.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The silo of claim 18, wherein the clearance between said outer rim of said cone and said peripheral wall of said housing substantially corresponds to the distance between said rim and said bottom wall.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The silo of claim 16, wherein said outlet is positioned in said bottom wall and centrally relative to said peripheral wall.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The silo of claim 19, further including a tunnel interpositioned between said discharging means and said outlet, said outlet being located in said peripheral wall.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The silo of claim 21, including a sloped internal wall, said tunnel extending transversely of said peripheral wall and being defined by said bottom wall and said sloped internal wall.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The silo of claim 22, further including additional silos and a mixing silo, said tunnel being connected to said mixing silo.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The silo of claim 11, wherein said ventilating elements are supplied by air independently from one another and for different periods of time.