CA1069077A - Silo unloader system - Google Patents

Abstract

A SILO UNLOADER SYSTEM
Abstract of the Disclosure A silo unloader system of the bottom unloader type has a radially disposed auger mounted at the bottom of the silo for movement comprising a radial sweeping movement across the floor by a sweep drive, combined with rotation of the auger about its own axis by a rotational drive. Silage within the silo is engaged by advancing the auger into the silage and moving the silage toward a generally central silo discharge location by auger rotation. The improvement resides in the rotational drive comprising a pivotally mounted electric motor and a drive train connecting the motor and the auger at a substantially radial inner portion of the auger at about the geometric center of the silo for rotationally driving the auger from its radial inner end. In addition the sweep drive comprises a hydraulic cylinder drive mechanism operably associated with the electric motor.

Description

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f Backqround Of The Invention .
In silo bottom unloaders of my previous developments, such as my U.S. patent no. 3,817,409, issued June 18, 1974, I have utilized an auger that sweeps across the floor of a silo, in its advancing movement, and-which also rotates on its own ; axis, in xesponse to a drive that is generally centrally located with respect to a center dischargeway or passageway of a silo, at the bottom thereof. In the past, both the traversing motion and the rotational motion for driving the auger have been hydraulic. While offering many operational benefits, substantially complete hydraulic drive systems have come to be expensive, and -~in many instances prohibitively expensive. In my previous systems, the auger advance has been discontinued upon the auger;
meeting excess silage resistance. Such discontinuance has been by means of hydraulics.
The Pxesent Invention The present invention is directed toward providing a novel drive system and in a specific embodiment an economical auger drive for bottom silo discharge, wherein that portion of the drive that effects a rotation of the auger about its own axis for delivery of silage toward a generallv central discharge-way is provided by a motor, preferably an electric motor, with `'~h a drive train connecting the motor from its location outside the passageway, to a radial inner portion of the auger for driving the same. A portion of the drive train passes through the open central dischargeway and accordingly, is provided with a protector that has upper surfaces sloped so as to deflect silage from accumulating thereon. The electric motor drive is mounted in such a way that the motor is freely privotally mounted withi.n a certain predetermined range such that it can pivot in reactive response to the motor torque developed in . ,;~ .
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`` ~0~307 ' rotationally driving the auger about its own axis against excessive silage resistance. upon meeting a predetermined ...... level of resistance and wi~h consequent motor pivoting, a valve is opened to interrupt the traversing or advancing drive of the auger (the latter preferably being hydraulic) until the silage is shredded, comminuted, or the like, such as will relieve the excess resistance, at which point the motor will pivot back to its original position, for re-closing of the valve for continuing of the auger advance.
In its broad scope the invention provides a silo unloader system of the bottom unloader type in which a radially disposed . auger is mounted at the bottom of a silo for a combined auger movement comprising a radial sweeping movement of the auger across the floor caused by a hydraulically operated sweep drive means and rotation of the auger about its own axis caused by an electrically operated rotational drive means, . for engaging silage contained within the silo by advancing : the auger into the silage and moving the silage toward a generally central silo discharge'location by auger rotation, the improvement comprising, said rotational drive means comprising a pivotally mounted electric motor, including `. drive train means connecting said motor and said auger at a substantially radial inner portion of the auger at about the geometric center of the silo for rotationally driving the :~
auger from its radial inner end and, wherein said sweep drive means comprises a hydraulic cylinder drive mechanism operably associated with said electric motor and means for sensing the ;:
load on said motor and for inhibiting operation of said sweep ..
drive means when said load exceeds a predetermined amount.
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Other features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following brief descriptions of the drawing figures, detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments, and the appended claims. Other features of the apparatus disclosed herein are claimed in application Serial No. 266,136 filed November 19, lg76 of which this application is a division.

., Brief Descriptions Of The Drawing Figures .
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the bottom inside portion of a silo, wherein a bottom centrally located silage dischargeway is ill~istrated, along with an advancing auger . .
of the bottom unloader type, and a track for facilitating the advance thereof, and with the silo itself and an advancing mechanism and the auger rotational drive mechanism all being illustrated in phantom for ease of understanding.
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken through the silo floor and walls generally along the ' ~ -4-322-79 10~77 : -line II-II of Fig. 1, and with the auger being illustrated in elPvation, along with the rotational drive for the auger, and with the section being taken through the generally centrdily located silage dischargeway, and with the hydraulic sweeping or traversing drive for the auger being schematically illustrated.
~ ig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view oE the auger rotational drive, taken through the silage central dischargeway, and through the drive train for rotationally driving the auger, with the view being taken generally along a portion of the section line II-II of Fig. 1, ~-but w~erein many of the drive co~ponents are illustrated in section, and with a portion of the auger being illustrated in phantom, for purposes of clarity.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical elevational view of a portion of the rotational drive mechanism for the silo unloader s~stem illustrated in Fig. 3, taken generally along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, and wherein the various pivotal mounting components for the electric motor drive are more clearly illustrated.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectiona~ view taken yenerally along the line V-V of Fig. 4, and wherein certain operative components for the device of this invention are more clearly illustrated.
Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the belt portion of the drive chain and its protective covering .

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~ 3~2.-74 907'7 generally aloncJ the line VI-VI of Fig. 3, and wherein the sloped upper surface for deflecting silage thereoff is more clearly illustrated.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical . 5. elevational view of a portion of a preferred form of the rotational drive mechanism for the silo unloader system to that illustrated . in Fig. 3, wherein a frame is pivotally mounted, as distinguished ; from the slide mounting arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional v.iew, taken generally along the line VIII-VIII of Fi5. 7, and wherein certain operative components of the preferred frame mounting arrangement illustrated in Fig. 7 are more clearly : illustrated. ..

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Detalled Descri.~tions of the Preferred ~mbodiments Referring now to the drawings, reference is first made to Fig. 1, wherein there is illustrated a silo, generally designated by the numeral 10, as comprising generally vertical cylindrical walls 11, and a floor 19, the silo preferably : 5 being of poured concrete or like construction, and having an upper roof or enclosure (not illustrated).
A silo unloader 12 of the rotary auger type is illustrated, being generally radially disposed, from the ::
approximate geometric center of the silo toward the wall 11, ~
and being mounted for a combined motion involving both rotating about its own axis in the direction of the arrow 13 illustrated in Fig. 1, and for advancing in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 14 in Fig. 1, with its latter motion being about a centrally located axis 15 (Fig. 2).
With reference to Fig. 1, the radial inner end 16 : of the auger is bearing mounted at 17, with its shaft 18 protruding into an enclosure 20, and car.rying a sprocket 21 on the end thereof. The sprocket 21 carries a chain 22 that ~ :
in turn is connected to a sprocket 23 carrie~ on the output shaft 24 of a reducing transmission 25. The enclosure 20 is disposed about the sprocket 21 and chain, to protect the same ~ .

~Q~g(~'77 from becominy encumbered by silage or the like, and is carried by an upper plate 26 by means of bolts 27 or the like.
The upper plate 26 has a cylind~ical member 28 welded thereto at 30, and the two members 26 and 28 pivot or slide relative 5. to a fixedly disposed cylindrical support member 31, as the auger 12 advances or sweeps across the floor 19 of the silo.
Thus, the members 26 and 28 also move about the.ir axis 15, as the auger 12 advances. The fixedly mounted cylindrical support member 31 is maintained in position by being in welded engagement at 32 with spacing members 33, 34, 35 and .
36, that span a dischargeway 37 as illustrated in Fig. 3, ~ :
in order to space the members 26 and 28 from a fixedly mounted cylindrical discharge chute 38 carried by the floor 19 of the silo at the approximate geometric center thereof, generally lS concentric with the silo walls 11. It will thus be seen that, with reference to Fig. 3, the members 28 and 31 meet at a sllding or friction surface 40, and the lower outer lip or surface 41 slides on the upper surface 42 when the auger 12 advances.
The transmission 25 has an input pulley 44, to which k a pulley belt 45 is connected in the usual manner, with the pulley belt 45 extending out through the cylindrical wall 38 of the discharge chute through a hole or opening 46, to a drive pulley 47 carried on a shaft 48 of an electric moto~ 50.
A protective covering 51 of the enclosure type is provided, for encasing the pulley 44 in the manner illustrated ` ~Qg~'77 !
as 52 in Fig. 3, and having an upper surface 53 that comprises a pair of sloped surface walls 54 and 55 that meet in an apex 56, with the slopes of the walls 54 and 55 being sufficient to deflect silage that is falling downwardly 5 through the dischargeway 37 from above, off the surfaces 54 and 55, to prevent silage accumulation thereon. It will ,', be noted that the protective covering 51 also includes , sidewalls 57 and 58, and a bottom wall 6~). The protective covering 51 is carried by the left-most end of the cylindrical ' chute 38 as illustrated in Fig. 3 by suitable threaded bolt type connec,ting members 61.
The advance for traversi,ng the auger 12 across the floor 19 of the silo 10 is provided as follows. An auger back 65 is provided, also carried by the moveable plate 26 ,: . .
for movement of its left end with the member 20 and with the left end 16 of the auger 12, with the auger back extending out to an auger outer end support pOrtiOn 66 that includes an auger outer end support 67, and an auxiliary auger back 68 , extending behind an auxiliary auger portion,s 70. The outer end 71 of the main auger 12 and the auxiliary 70 are therefore ~ ' carried by the support 67 that in turn is carried by the outer end '66 of the auger back 65. The auger back 65 is, in turn securely mounted to and carried by an auger-track connector member 72. The connector nember 72 has a portion 73 that connects the auger back to a moveable cylindrically configured band 74 that is slideably carried in a g~nc?rally ~ .
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ci~cular track 75. The circular track 75 is substantially concentric withand spaced inwardly from the silo walls 11, and is disposed in the floor 19 of the silo, with an overhanging cover 76, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to prevent silage from falling into and filling the track 75.
The drive mechanism for driving the band 74 relative to the track 7S is located in a pit 77 (Fig. 1) beneath the floor 19 of the silo, and generally comprises a cylinder 78 that carries a dog ~not shown) for engaging in holes or openings (not shown) carried by the band 74, such that, when the dogs are engaged, a stroke cylinder 80 is actuated to drive both the cylinder 78 and the band 74 with which it is connected through a given stroke. This is followed by retraction of the dogs by reverse actuation of the cylinder 78, followed by withdrawal of the piston in the cylinder 80, that in turn is followed by re-engagement of the dog carried by the cylinder 78 with another hole in the band 74, etc., ~or continued intermittent drive of the band 74, in a manner not specifically forming a portion of the present invention.
The drive system embracing the cylinders 78 and 80 is a it hydraulic drive system that is the subject of another invention.
However, with specific reference to the schematic of Fig. 2, the manner in which the rotational drive for the auger 12 int.eracts with the advancing drive will be understood. The advancing drive cylinder 80 is provided with hydraulic fluid through the line 81, that ln turn receives the fluid from a . .

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a combination forward-reversing valve 82 (which valve controls whether or not the cylinders 78 and 80 will effect a forward o~ reversin~ direction of drlve for the band 74) and with the valve 82 being provided hydraulic fluid -from the fluid supply 83 by means of a pump 84 passing through a rotary valve 85 on its way through the line 86 to the valve 82. Upon opening of the normally closed valve 85 (which occurs when the : auger meets excessive resistance from silage such that the motor 50 pivots under the reactive torque generated upon meeting suc~ :
resistance and thereby opens the valve 85), the hydraulic fluid that is pumped by the pump 84, to the.valve 85, throùgh the lines 87, 87' may be dumped back into the supply 83, through the line 88. . .
~ith particular reference to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the motor 50 is provided with brackets 100, 101 that are connected to the motor 50 by suitable fasteners 102, ; and with the brackets 100 and 101 being welded or otherwise suitably secured at 103 to the suitable angle members 104, 105. The angle members 104, 105, together with upper and lower frame members 106 and 107, also suitably welded as illustrated comprise an internal frame for the motor 50, generally designated as 108. The output shaft 48 of the motor 50 passes through the horizontal frame portion 106, as suitably journaled in a pillow block bearing 111, that in turn is carried by horizontal ~ .

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outer frame portion 112, of the outer or more rigidly mounted frame g~nerally designated by the numeral 113.
The lower inner frame portion 107 is also journaled for free pivotal movement at 114, by a bearing member S carried by the lower portion 115 of outer frame 113.
- The frame 113 is carried in substantially rigid condition on four threaded members 120, 121, 122, and 123, all substantially identical in construction. The members 120 through 123 are fixedly connected by welding, or are in threaded connection in cylindrical wall 38, as illustrated for member 120, and each have a nut member 124 in threaded engac3ement therewith, the outer end of which is disposed in spring-compressing relation against a compression spring 12S, the opposite end of which is in engagement against an .
associated surface 126 of the rigid frame member 113, and with an unthreaded shank portion 127 of the threaded member 120 passing through oversized holes 128 and 128',and with an enlarged head portion 131 of each of the members 120, facilitating a capturing of the frame 113 against outward movement. It will be noted that the springs 125 are selected '~
to substantially rigidly hold the frame 113 against motion, . .
but will cushion the frame 113, to protect it against shocks.
The w~ight o the motor S0 and frame 113 and related components is carried by suitable slide lugs 132 and 133, welded.or otherwise .
suitably secured to the frame 113, and in sliding engagement . . ' , --}~-- , :: 3.~2-74 ~0~()77 , on upper surfac~s o~ channel men~ers 134 and 135, respectively.
Upon tr~versing movement of the auger 12 in the direc~ion of the arrow 14 of Fig. 1, and wi.th rot~tion of the auger about its own axis as indicated by the arrow 13 in Fiq. 1, whereupon the fliting 9 on the auger conveys silage radially inwardly to a position above the open chute 38 the auger 12 may encounter resistance upon meeting excessively hard packed silage. Rather than damac3ing the mot~r 50, or damaging drive compon~nts that otherwise provide rotational drive or the sw~eping drive by forcing the auger drive systems to labor, a means is provided for discontinuing te~porarily . ~`
the advance movement of the auger, by discontinuing the drive of the cylinder 80, in turn by discontinuing tlle provision of hydraulic fluid to the cylinder 80. This is done by opening of the rotatable ball valve 85. U~on thc motor.50 encountering such resistance, the motor, normally driving for example in the direction of belt drive illustrated for the belt 45 by the arrow 129 of Fig. 5, will tend to pivot . in the direction of the arrow 119 of Fig. 5, such pivoting movement being in reactive response to the motor torque develope~
in driving the auger against the e~ccessive sila~e resistance.
~s the motor 50 pivots in the direction of the arrow 121 in r i~. 5, a lucJ 90 c~rried thereby will move a threade~l adjustable linkage 91 that in turn will pivot lever 92 that rotates a ball 85a so that its throu~h-hole 85b is pivoted from the closed osition i~ strale.l itl ri~. 5 to an opell va].ve t~o.sition aligncd wi~h hyclraulic line~s 87' and 88 for delivery of hydraulic fluicl back to supl~ly 83.

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~(:)696~7~7 ~`he m~rnber 90 is carried by lever arm 1~7 that in turn is securely an~ rigidly carried by the ~ivotal frame member 108 that is mounted for pivotal movernent with the motor 50 ~y mcans of the previously discussed brackets 100 and 101. A stop memher 128 is provi(led, in the form of a threaded member, in threaded engagement through the member 127, for limiting the pivotal movement of the motor 50 in the direction of the arrow 121, for abutment o the threacled member 128 against the more rigidly mounted frame member 113, as illustrated in o Fig. 4. A compression s~ring 130 is provided, for keeping the rnotor in its usual unpivoted position, and for offering an initial predetermined resistance to pivoting of the motor 50, helow which level, the resistance encountered by the rotating auger will not discontinue the advancing drive oE the auger, ~ stop 132' is also provided, carried by the horizontal portion 114 of pivotal inner frame 108, for enyagernent against horizontal portion 112 of outer frame member 113, upon the motor pivoting bac~ to its initial position illustrated in . Fig. 5, upon re-closincJ of the valve 85 when the ball 85 returns ) to its closed ~osition illustrated in Fig. 5, for facilitating a limiting of the arc of movement of the motor 50 as determined by t}-e stops 132' and 128. When the valve 85 is closed, fluid is free to pass to the member 82 through line 8G, whereupon advancing (or retraction, depenc3ing upon thc setting of the reversing valve 82) movement of the auger will re-occur.

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With reference now to Figs. 7 and 8, a preferred mounting arrangement for the more rigid frame designated 113 in Fig. 4 is illustrated, rather than the sliding lugs 132, 133 on the frame members 134, 135, respectively. In the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8, the motor 150 is mounted in a pivotal inner frame 151 in the identical manner to that illustrated and described with respect to the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5, and the pivotal inner frame 151 is mounted in and carried by the outer frame 152 in a manner essentially identical to that illustrated for the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5. However, the frame 152 of Figs. 7 and 8, while being substantially similarly constructed to that construction described for the frame 113 of Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with a different means of mounting it. The frame 152 is illustrated as having a horizontal member 153, a lower member generally parallel to the horizontal member 153 (not illustrated), and connecting vertical members 154 and 155.
The arcuate member 38 is provided with a support 156, welded or otherwise suitably carried thereby at 157, that in turn carries fixed portions of a hinged member, comprising vertically spaced-apart upper and lower end portions 158 and 160, with an intermediate casing portion 161. The upper and lower members 158 and 160 are provided with outwardly protruding ears 162 and 163, each with slotted holes 164 therein, for receipt of threaded bolt members 165 therein, for connecting ~9(~77 mounting plates 166 and 167 of that portlon of the hinge that is carried by the frame 152. The plates 166 and 167 are thus connected to the mounting portions 158 and 160 by the bolt-type fasteners 165, with the slotted holes 164 allowing for adjustment upon assembly. The hinge portion 161 carries a shat 168 that is engaged by the mounting plates 166 and 167, at its ends, whereby, as the member 152 is pivoted, in turn pivoting the upper and lower connecting lugs 170 and 171, and in turn pivoting the end caps 166 and 167, the shaft 168 provides a basis for pivotal movement of the frame member 152 relative to the discharge chute 38.
A frame support 175 is welded at 176 or otherwise suitably carried by a support 177, that in turn is carried by the wall of the discharge chute 38 a-t 178, and provides a vertical support for the frame 152, at its left end as viewed in Figs. 7 and 8. A piece of angle iron or the like 180 is welded or otherwise suitably carried at 181 by the left upper end of the vertical member 154 of the frame 152, and in turn carries a threaded member 182 vertically disposed therein, 20 and adjustably positioned by means of nuts 183 and 184, with the threaded member 182 carrying a bolt head or other suitable supporting foot 185 at its lower end. The bolt head 185 will normally rest on the upper surface 186 of the member 175, but is adjustably positionable therealong, and in the event of shock or abrupt motion being transmitted to the frame 155, ~9~

will allow for sli~ing movement of the frame 152 by means of : the head 185 of the threaded member 182 sliding alon~ the surface 186, while t~le frame 152 pivots at the location of the pivot shaft 168. Thus, the arranyement specifically , depicted in Figs. 7 and 8 allows for an original adjustment : of the position of the frame 152 and tlle motor 150 carried thereby, and also allows for movement of the frame ln the event of accessive shock or impact, should it occur. The position of the frame 152 away from the outer wall of the discharge chute 38 may be adjusted by means of a threaded member 187, in tllreaded adjustment with the vertically disposed leg 188 of the angle 180, that in turn carries a threadcd boss 190 that is adjustably disposed along the member 187, and which engages one end of a compressioll spring 191, th~ other end of which is in engagement against the member 177 as illustrated in Fig. 8, whereby a given spring force rnay be provided by means of the spring 191 normally urging the left-most end of the frame 152 as it appears in Fig. 8, away from the ~all 38 of the discharge chute, which compressive force must be overcome before the left-most end of the frame may be moved toward the discharge chute 38. It will apparent that adjustments of these features are provided, but that the present arrangement allows for pi~otal movement of the frame 152 either for purposes of mounting adjustment, or for absorption of shocks S and the like.

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It will ~eapparent from the foregoing that the invention provided herein utilizes the normally undesirable reactive torque of the motor, by controlling the same, in order to automatically discontinue and continue the advancing drive, and consequently the advancing motion of the auger, depending upon the ability of the auger movement t~ move agaillst the silaye at any given time. The control function is therefore automatic.
t will be apparent that various modifications may be made in the details of construction, as well as in the use and operation of the system and components thereof, of the present invention, all within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. .

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a silo unloader system of the bottom unloader type in which a radially disposed auger is mounted at the bottom of a silo for a combined auger movement comprising a radial sweep-ing movement of the auger across the floor caused by a hydraulically operated sweep drive means and rotation of the auger about its own axis caused by an electrically operated rotational drive means, for engaging silage contained within the silo by advancing the auger into the silage and moving the silage toward a generally central silo discharge location by auger rotation, the improvement comprising, said rotational drive means comprising a pivotally mounted electric motor, including drive train means connecting said motor and said auger at a substantially radial inner portion of the auger at about the geometric center of the silo for rotationally driving the auger from its radial inner end and, wherein said sweep drive means comprises a hydraulic cylinder drive mechanism operably associated with said electric motor and means for sensing the load on said motor and for inhibiting operation of said sweep drive means when said load exceeds a predetermined amount.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a portion of said drive train means comprises a pulley belt drive.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said central silo discharge location comprises a substantially open dischargeway generally concentrically disposed at the center of the silo connecting the silo with a zone therebeneath, with a first portion of the drive train means being located in the dischargeway and spaced radially inwardly of portions of the open dischargeway leaving generally vertically directed silage discharge openings.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said motor is mounted at a location radially outside said dischargeway, and with a second portion of said drive train means traversing said discharge openings connecting said motor and said first portion of said drive train means.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said second portion of said drive train means is provided with a drive train protector for protecting said second drive train portion from silage falling through said opening.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said protector includes at least one sloped upper surface having a slope sufficient to deflect vertically falling silage thereoff.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said second portion of said drive train means comprises a pulley belt drive.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said protector substantially completely encases said pulley belt drive.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein said means for sensing the load on the motor comprises means mounting said motor for pivotal movement in reactive response to torque developed therein in rotating the auger against silage, and means connecting said rotational drive means and said sweep drive means for inhibiting operation of the sweep drive means in response to pivotal movement of the rotational drive means.