CA1154928A - Grain handling method and storage apparatus - Google Patents
Grain handling method and storage apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1154928A CA1154928A CA000379732A CA379732A CA1154928A CA 1154928 A CA1154928 A CA 1154928A CA 000379732 A CA000379732 A CA 000379732A CA 379732 A CA379732 A CA 379732A CA 1154928 A CA1154928 A CA 1154928A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- grain
- silo
- mass
- inlet
- walls
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G65/00—Loading or unloading
- B65G65/28—Piling or unpiling loose materials in bulk, e.g. coal, manure, timber, not otherwise provided for
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01F—PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE
- A01F25/00—Storing agricultural or horticultural produce; Hanging-up harvested fruit
- A01F25/14—Containers specially adapted for storing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G3/00—Storing bulk material or loose, i.e. disorderly, articles
- B65G3/02—Storing bulk material or loose, i.e. disorderly, articles in the open air
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01F—PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE
- A01F25/00—Storing agricultural or horticultural produce; Hanging-up harvested fruit
- A01F25/14—Containers specially adapted for storing
- A01F2025/147—Containers specially adapted for storing the containers are specially adapted for storing or drying the products in vacuum
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Storage Of Harvested Produce (AREA)
- Filling Or Emptying Of Bunkers, Hoppers, And Tanks (AREA)
- Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
- Signal Processing For Digital Recording And Reproducing (AREA)
- Pens And Brushes (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A method of handling grain consisting of moving the grain into a silo from an elevated inlet, permitting the grain to form a natural stable triangular cross sectional mass which conforms to the cross section defined by walls of the silo, and removing the grain from a region of the base of the mass by a discharge and re-introducing the grain from the elevated inlet, thereby circulating the grain while maintaining the walls of the silo in an unstressed condition.
A method of handling grain consisting of moving the grain into a silo from an elevated inlet, permitting the grain to form a natural stable triangular cross sectional mass which conforms to the cross section defined by walls of the silo, and removing the grain from a region of the base of the mass by a discharge and re-introducing the grain from the elevated inlet, thereby circulating the grain while maintaining the walls of the silo in an unstressed condition.
Description
~5~9~8 This invention relates to a grain handl~ng method and storage apparatus o~ the type which is used when sboring cereal grain such as wheat grain. In general, however, the invention relates to a method-for storing any type of particulate material which can form, unrestricted at rest, a stable mass having an ,upper surface at a positive angle to the horizontal.
In general, cereal grain is stored in cylindrical silos mounted axially vertically. With an outlet near the bottom of such a cylindrical silo, it can often prove difficult to discharge grain from the silo since clogging occurs and the discharge rate can vary enormously while aggregates of grain form or, having formed, break up.
In a cold climate, grain may be satisfactorily stored in a silo for a period of one year or more. Conversely, a maxi-mum storage period of one month or even as little as one week may be the rule in a humid climate. The storage conditions are therefore often carefully controlled, so that the water content is less than 15~ and the ambient temperature less than 5C.
Alternatively~ or in addition, partial vacuum may be used; this gives several advantages, allowing removal of humidity at low temperatures, reducing the influence of insects and bacteria, and economising on energy consumption. However, these advantages have hitherto been offset by the cost of equipmen-t and of the silo material.
Grain at the bottom of a high cylindrical silo supports the weight of the grain above it. Although it is known to con-trol the atmospheric con~itions of grain storage, with particular :~5~
reference to tempe~ature~ humid~t~ and the concentrations of ox~-gen and carbon oxides, the lower levels of grain o~ten have less ambient oxygen and "breathe" at a lower rate than grain in the higher levels. I-t is known to store grain under nitrogen, but even under these conditions, intramolecular breathing can lead to decay.
It is desirable to prevent the aggregation of grain during storage and to ensure that the individual grains are stored under substantially uniform conditions. It is therefore conven-tional to cause movement of the grains relative to the storageatmosphere, e.g. by stirring or circulating the grain an~/or by providing natural or artificlal air-conditioning. The necessary movement can be achieved by forcing dry cool air into the grain or by discharging grain from the bottom of a silo and transferring the discharged grain to the top of the same or an adjacent silo.
The necessary air conditioning, circulation and/or control equip-ment is expensi~e.
In general, it may be stated that, while short-term storage of grain is not very useful, long-term storage is expensive and/or unsatisfactory.
According to the present invention, the method of hand-ling grain consists of moving the grain into a silo from an ele-vated inlet, permitting the grain to form a natural stable tri-angular cross sectional mass which conforms to the cross section defined by walls of the silo, and removing the grain from a region of the base of the mass by a discharge and re-introducing the grain from the elevating lnlet, thereby circulating the grain while maintaining the walls of the silo in an unstressed condition.
In general, cereal grain is stored in cylindrical silos mounted axially vertically. With an outlet near the bottom of such a cylindrical silo, it can often prove difficult to discharge grain from the silo since clogging occurs and the discharge rate can vary enormously while aggregates of grain form or, having formed, break up.
In a cold climate, grain may be satisfactorily stored in a silo for a period of one year or more. Conversely, a maxi-mum storage period of one month or even as little as one week may be the rule in a humid climate. The storage conditions are therefore often carefully controlled, so that the water content is less than 15~ and the ambient temperature less than 5C.
Alternatively~ or in addition, partial vacuum may be used; this gives several advantages, allowing removal of humidity at low temperatures, reducing the influence of insects and bacteria, and economising on energy consumption. However, these advantages have hitherto been offset by the cost of equipmen-t and of the silo material.
Grain at the bottom of a high cylindrical silo supports the weight of the grain above it. Although it is known to con-trol the atmospheric con~itions of grain storage, with particular :~5~
reference to tempe~ature~ humid~t~ and the concentrations of ox~-gen and carbon oxides, the lower levels of grain o~ten have less ambient oxygen and "breathe" at a lower rate than grain in the higher levels. I-t is known to store grain under nitrogen, but even under these conditions, intramolecular breathing can lead to decay.
It is desirable to prevent the aggregation of grain during storage and to ensure that the individual grains are stored under substantially uniform conditions. It is therefore conven-tional to cause movement of the grains relative to the storageatmosphere, e.g. by stirring or circulating the grain an~/or by providing natural or artificlal air-conditioning. The necessary movement can be achieved by forcing dry cool air into the grain or by discharging grain from the bottom of a silo and transferring the discharged grain to the top of the same or an adjacent silo.
The necessary air conditioning, circulation and/or control equip-ment is expensi~e.
In general, it may be stated that, while short-term storage of grain is not very useful, long-term storage is expensive and/or unsatisfactory.
According to the present invention, the method of hand-ling grain consists of moving the grain into a silo from an ele-vated inlet, permitting the grain to form a natural stable tri-angular cross sectional mass which conforms to the cross section defined by walls of the silo, and removing the grain from a region of the base of the mass by a discharge and re-introducing the grain from the elevating lnlet, thereby circulating the grain while maintaining the walls of the silo in an unstressed condition.
2 -~ 5~928 ~ n the invention, the sha~e o~ the silo, at least on its inner surface,`is determined ~ the nat~ral con~iguration, which in all cases slopes from the highest point to the base at a characteristic ~ 2 1~4 . ~
angle, which the grain adopts. For example, if grain is discharged from a single stationary outlet it naturally assumes a right conical configuration A silo of the invention may therefore be a right cone.
Alternati~ely, if the grain is discharged from an outlet moving along a straight line, the grain assumes a configuration whose horizontal cross-section is oval (also known as "race track-shaped"). A silo of the invention may have a corresponding shape.
In general, as will be appreciated, a silo of the invention has an inner surface of a configuration which grain may adopt, unrestricted at rest. A silo of the invention will usually be provided with a grain inlet and the shape of the silo will be determined in consid-eration of the configuration which the grain adopts when discharged through the inlet or9 if desired, inlets.
Each inlet may be stationary or movable.
A silo of the invention may also be provided with an outlet through which the grain can be removed, e.g.
under gravity or under vacuum, suitably in conventional manner. Preferably, the silo is provided with a grain outlet corresponding to each grain inlet~in a manner which allows grain removal to be a substantially exact mirror of the grain filling process. This may be achieved by providing a grain outlet in a manner such that it removes grain from around the base of ~ mass deposited from a corresponding grain inlet. As a portion of ~he grain is removed from around the base of the mass, the natural tendency of the grain is to form a mass o~ the same shape as be~ore removal, but progressively ~5~g~8 smaller. This is a mirror of the na-tural tendency of the grain mass to form a particular configuration determined by the path, if any, of the inle-t and then to retain that configuration while increasing in size as more grain is added to the mass from the inlet.
The inner surface of the silo which ~s substantially parallel to the sloping surface of the~a~ may ex-tend Y throughout the height of the storage space. It will usually extend through at least 30%, preferably at least 10 50% and usually at least 75% of the height of the space, any remainder usually being vertical. Thus, for the particular example of a right conical mass of grain, the silo may have a conical top portion and a right cylindrical base, a conical top and conical base portions 7 1~ and a cylindrical intermediate portion. Alternatively, it ma~ be a truncated cone or, preferably, a full cone.
A silo of the invention will usually have an internal capacity of at least 30, and often at least lOO,m'. It may have a capacity similar to conventional 20 sil~s.
A silo of the invention can be partially or wholly filled with grain. In either case,~the only pressure borne by the grain can be independent of any restriction of the shape of the silo.
~ ~Grain of the type which can be stored in apparatus of the invention may form a slope, with respect~to the horizontal, of more -than 20, 25 or 30~, but seldom more than 45 or~ more usually, 35. The desired angle of the inner surface of the silo can of course be determined in advance for -the particular grain which is - to be s-tored. If the silo is to be used for the storage o~ various types of grain with different angles of slope, the shape of the inner surface of the silo will usually be determined in consideration oi the grain with the ~ 8 steepest slope. By "substantially parallel", I mean that the respective slop~s of the grain and the inner surface of the silo are within lO~, more preferably within 5, and most preferably within 2. rne inner wall of the silo may therefore be at an angle of from lO to 55 to its base, for the grain described abo~e.
Since the inner surface of the silo conforms to the natural shape of the grain, unrestricted at rest, -the surface of the silo is statically non-stressed by the grain. This is in distinction to a conventional silo and allows the novel silos to be constructed from cheaper materials. Even when a partial vacuum is applied, the lesser internal and external stresses allow relatively cheap construction with respect to known silos, particularly when the novel silo is a right cone.
It is a particular advantage of the present invention that the material of the cone can be non-self-supporting, i.e. -the inner surface of the silo can rest on the masSof grain and continue to conform to the con-figuration of the latter as grain is introduced into, or removed from, the silo. For example, a silo of the - invention may comprise a cone or other suitable config-uration of a flexible material such as rubber. Alterna-tively, a rigid sloping silo roof may be contained within fixed walls between which the roof can move vertically.
~- ~ For example, during grain removal, a flexibl~-or "floating"
roof will move downwards and this can assist even discharge.
A silo of the invention may be formed of flexible wal~ which are fixed at least a-t the base and also, if desired, at the apex, e.g. by a pillar. When grain is stored ln such a silo, under partial vacuum, without filling it, the ~alls may bow inwards. In this case, it will be convenient to consider the angle at which the the walls are set in the unbowed state. In general, of ,~
.
.
_._ _ ___.___.___._. ._____~.. ___ ` .____~._.__. _._._.__~._~.. _ __.~ _ ~._~_ .__ . _.~_.. _.. _.. ~.. _~_.. ~` .. ~._. _.. __`._._.. ~.. _~0.__~.~1~~ .~
.. ~_~.
~L~5~
course, a pillar may be used to support -the apex oE a silo of the invention, e.g. a central pillar for a conical silo, whether or not the material of the walls is flexible.
It is a particular advantage of silos of the present in-vention that they can be simply adapted to allow circulation of ; the grain therewi~hin, without the need for means for trans-ferring grain from the bottom thereo-f to -the top of the same, or another, silo. Accordingly, storage apparatus of the in-vention comprises therewithin means which can move along a path within the silo and can transfer grain from one point -to another along its path. In order to allow satisfactory working of the transfer means, it is desirable tha-t the grain inlet should of itself allow, or should be controlled such that it allowsl at least part of the base area of the silo to remain uncovered by grain.
This aspect of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figures 1 to 3 are vertical cross-sections through three different embodiments of silos of the invention containing grain;
and Figure 4, located on the same sheet as Figure 1, is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure l;
Figure 5, located on the same sheet as Figure 2, is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 2;
Figure 6, located on the same sheet as Figure 3, is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 3;
Figures 1 and 3 show circular silos of triangular cross-section and Figure 2 is a conical silo, each having walls 1.
- 6a -Each silo is shown containing grain 2 which ~' :
~1549~3 .
stands unrestricted at rest but does not fill the silo.
me silo shown in Figure 2 includes a cen-tral pillar 3.
me degree to which the grain fills the silos shown in Figure. 1 . .is illustrated in the plan view of Figure 4. The grain cove:rs one-half of the floor of -the silo plus the area under two semi-conical faces bounded by the lines 4 and 5. The dot-dash line 6 represents the path of travel of means (not shown) : which can transfer grain ~rom the bottom of the face 4 to the face 5. When a given amoun-t of grain is removed from the face 4, the remaining grain naturally assumes :. the same configuration as before, but terminating a-t the line 3'. ~When the same amount of grain is transferred to the face 5, the grain at that face naturally assumes the same configuration as before but terminating a-t line 4'. By continuous transfer using the transfer means passing along the path 67 the faces of the grain precess around the silo and the grain is thoroughly circulated entirely from within.
~ ~ A similar arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5, a plan view of the partially filled silo-sho.wn in Figure 2. me proximity of the faces 5 and 6 shown in Figure 5 is determined by the degree to which the silo is Pilled with grain and the relative diameters of the pillar
angle, which the grain adopts. For example, if grain is discharged from a single stationary outlet it naturally assumes a right conical configuration A silo of the invention may therefore be a right cone.
Alternati~ely, if the grain is discharged from an outlet moving along a straight line, the grain assumes a configuration whose horizontal cross-section is oval (also known as "race track-shaped"). A silo of the invention may have a corresponding shape.
In general, as will be appreciated, a silo of the invention has an inner surface of a configuration which grain may adopt, unrestricted at rest. A silo of the invention will usually be provided with a grain inlet and the shape of the silo will be determined in consid-eration of the configuration which the grain adopts when discharged through the inlet or9 if desired, inlets.
Each inlet may be stationary or movable.
A silo of the invention may also be provided with an outlet through which the grain can be removed, e.g.
under gravity or under vacuum, suitably in conventional manner. Preferably, the silo is provided with a grain outlet corresponding to each grain inlet~in a manner which allows grain removal to be a substantially exact mirror of the grain filling process. This may be achieved by providing a grain outlet in a manner such that it removes grain from around the base of ~ mass deposited from a corresponding grain inlet. As a portion of ~he grain is removed from around the base of the mass, the natural tendency of the grain is to form a mass o~ the same shape as be~ore removal, but progressively ~5~g~8 smaller. This is a mirror of the na-tural tendency of the grain mass to form a particular configuration determined by the path, if any, of the inle-t and then to retain that configuration while increasing in size as more grain is added to the mass from the inlet.
The inner surface of the silo which ~s substantially parallel to the sloping surface of the~a~ may ex-tend Y throughout the height of the storage space. It will usually extend through at least 30%, preferably at least 10 50% and usually at least 75% of the height of the space, any remainder usually being vertical. Thus, for the particular example of a right conical mass of grain, the silo may have a conical top portion and a right cylindrical base, a conical top and conical base portions 7 1~ and a cylindrical intermediate portion. Alternatively, it ma~ be a truncated cone or, preferably, a full cone.
A silo of the invention will usually have an internal capacity of at least 30, and often at least lOO,m'. It may have a capacity similar to conventional 20 sil~s.
A silo of the invention can be partially or wholly filled with grain. In either case,~the only pressure borne by the grain can be independent of any restriction of the shape of the silo.
~ ~Grain of the type which can be stored in apparatus of the invention may form a slope, with respect~to the horizontal, of more -than 20, 25 or 30~, but seldom more than 45 or~ more usually, 35. The desired angle of the inner surface of the silo can of course be determined in advance for -the particular grain which is - to be s-tored. If the silo is to be used for the storage o~ various types of grain with different angles of slope, the shape of the inner surface of the silo will usually be determined in consideration oi the grain with the ~ 8 steepest slope. By "substantially parallel", I mean that the respective slop~s of the grain and the inner surface of the silo are within lO~, more preferably within 5, and most preferably within 2. rne inner wall of the silo may therefore be at an angle of from lO to 55 to its base, for the grain described abo~e.
Since the inner surface of the silo conforms to the natural shape of the grain, unrestricted at rest, -the surface of the silo is statically non-stressed by the grain. This is in distinction to a conventional silo and allows the novel silos to be constructed from cheaper materials. Even when a partial vacuum is applied, the lesser internal and external stresses allow relatively cheap construction with respect to known silos, particularly when the novel silo is a right cone.
It is a particular advantage of the present invention that the material of the cone can be non-self-supporting, i.e. -the inner surface of the silo can rest on the masSof grain and continue to conform to the con-figuration of the latter as grain is introduced into, or removed from, the silo. For example, a silo of the - invention may comprise a cone or other suitable config-uration of a flexible material such as rubber. Alterna-tively, a rigid sloping silo roof may be contained within fixed walls between which the roof can move vertically.
~- ~ For example, during grain removal, a flexibl~-or "floating"
roof will move downwards and this can assist even discharge.
A silo of the invention may be formed of flexible wal~ which are fixed at least a-t the base and also, if desired, at the apex, e.g. by a pillar. When grain is stored ln such a silo, under partial vacuum, without filling it, the ~alls may bow inwards. In this case, it will be convenient to consider the angle at which the the walls are set in the unbowed state. In general, of ,~
.
.
_._ _ ___.___.___._. ._____~.. ___ ` .____~._.__. _._._.__~._~.. _ __.~ _ ~._~_ .__ . _.~_.. _.. _.. ~.. _~_.. ~` .. ~._. _.. __`._._.. ~.. _~0.__~.~1~~ .~
.. ~_~.
~L~5~
course, a pillar may be used to support -the apex oE a silo of the invention, e.g. a central pillar for a conical silo, whether or not the material of the walls is flexible.
It is a particular advantage of silos of the present in-vention that they can be simply adapted to allow circulation of ; the grain therewi~hin, without the need for means for trans-ferring grain from the bottom thereo-f to -the top of the same, or another, silo. Accordingly, storage apparatus of the in-vention comprises therewithin means which can move along a path within the silo and can transfer grain from one point -to another along its path. In order to allow satisfactory working of the transfer means, it is desirable tha-t the grain inlet should of itself allow, or should be controlled such that it allowsl at least part of the base area of the silo to remain uncovered by grain.
This aspect of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figures 1 to 3 are vertical cross-sections through three different embodiments of silos of the invention containing grain;
and Figure 4, located on the same sheet as Figure 1, is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure l;
Figure 5, located on the same sheet as Figure 2, is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 2;
Figure 6, located on the same sheet as Figure 3, is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 3;
Figures 1 and 3 show circular silos of triangular cross-section and Figure 2 is a conical silo, each having walls 1.
- 6a -Each silo is shown containing grain 2 which ~' :
~1549~3 .
stands unrestricted at rest but does not fill the silo.
me silo shown in Figure 2 includes a cen-tral pillar 3.
me degree to which the grain fills the silos shown in Figure. 1 . .is illustrated in the plan view of Figure 4. The grain cove:rs one-half of the floor of -the silo plus the area under two semi-conical faces bounded by the lines 4 and 5. The dot-dash line 6 represents the path of travel of means (not shown) : which can transfer grain ~rom the bottom of the face 4 to the face 5. When a given amoun-t of grain is removed from the face 4, the remaining grain naturally assumes :. the same configuration as before, but terminating a-t the line 3'. ~When the same amount of grain is transferred to the face 5, the grain at that face naturally assumes the same configuration as before but terminating a-t line 4'. By continuous transfer using the transfer means passing along the path 67 the faces of the grain precess around the silo and the grain is thoroughly circulated entirely from within.
~ ~ A similar arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5, a plan view of the partially filled silo-sho.wn in Figure 2. me proximity of the faces 5 and 6 shown in Figure 5 is determined by the degree to which the silo is Pilled with grain and the relative diameters of the pillar
3 and:the silo. For a decreasingly wide pillar 3, the ~configuration shown in Figure 5 tends to-that shown in Figure 2t for a given degree of grain filling.
The effective grain storage volume oP ~he silo shown in Figure 2 is the same as for that shown in :~Figure 3.~.However, for an increasingly thick pillar 3 '`
.
:. . , : ' .
~s~
or an increase in the centra:l area o~ a silo as shown in Figure ~, it may be desirable to hold less grain within the silo, in order to avoid contact of the faces 4 and 5~ the limit case, the g:rain mass may be a right cone whose base is shown in Figure 6, a plan view of the silo shown in Figure 3.
~ y using transfer means of the type described, apparatus of the invention can provide con-tinuous and, ~ if desired,~full automated aeration and circulation7 without exposing the ambient atmosphere to dust or the storage space to, say, bacteria. While this aspect of the invention has been illustrated with reference to a circular precession, it is also applicable to other configurations of silos of the invention, e.g. in which two separate masses of grain are held. Particularly ~or circular precession o~ the type illustrated, it is ~preferred that the transfer means should move in a path substantially parallel to the inner sur~ace o~ the silo.
Ground space for the situation of silos is often 20 ~ at a premium in, for example~dockyards. It will be ` appreciated that, for a given storage voluma; a silo of the invention may take up more ground space than a cylindrical silo. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage in certain places,~ where there may be much 25~ `unused ground space. Without taking into account the ; ground area,~however, the surface:volume ratio~or a conical silo is smaller than for a cylindrical silo.
This again has the advantage of saving the material from which the silo is constructed.
.
' ' : : :
.
.
:
: :: : :
., ~
The effective grain storage volume oP ~he silo shown in Figure 2 is the same as for that shown in :~Figure 3.~.However, for an increasingly thick pillar 3 '`
.
:. . , : ' .
~s~
or an increase in the centra:l area o~ a silo as shown in Figure ~, it may be desirable to hold less grain within the silo, in order to avoid contact of the faces 4 and 5~ the limit case, the g:rain mass may be a right cone whose base is shown in Figure 6, a plan view of the silo shown in Figure 3.
~ y using transfer means of the type described, apparatus of the invention can provide con-tinuous and, ~ if desired,~full automated aeration and circulation7 without exposing the ambient atmosphere to dust or the storage space to, say, bacteria. While this aspect of the invention has been illustrated with reference to a circular precession, it is also applicable to other configurations of silos of the invention, e.g. in which two separate masses of grain are held. Particularly ~or circular precession o~ the type illustrated, it is ~preferred that the transfer means should move in a path substantially parallel to the inner sur~ace o~ the silo.
Ground space for the situation of silos is often 20 ~ at a premium in, for example~dockyards. It will be ` appreciated that, for a given storage voluma; a silo of the invention may take up more ground space than a cylindrical silo. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage in certain places,~ where there may be much 25~ `unused ground space. Without taking into account the ; ground area,~however, the surface:volume ratio~or a conical silo is smaller than for a cylindrical silo.
This again has the advantage of saving the material from which the silo is constructed.
.
' ' : : :
.
.
:
: :: : :
., ~
Claims (4)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of handling grain consisting of:
moving the grain into a silo from an elevated inlet, permitting the grain to form a natural stable triangu-lar cross sectional mass which conforms to the cross section de-fined by walls of the silo, and removing the grain from a region of the base of the mass by a discharge and re-introducing the grain from the elevated inlet, thereby circulating the grain while maintaining the walls of the silo in an unstressed condition.
moving the grain into a silo from an elevated inlet, permitting the grain to form a natural stable triangu-lar cross sectional mass which conforms to the cross section de-fined by walls of the silo, and removing the grain from a region of the base of the mass by a discharge and re-introducing the grain from the elevated inlet, thereby circulating the grain while maintaining the walls of the silo in an unstressed condition.
2. The method of claim 1, including moving the elevated inlet such that it defines a circular locus.
3. The method of claim 1, including moving the elevated inlet such that it defines an oval locus.
4. The method of claim 2 or 3, including moving the discharge in the same locus and at the same speed as the inlet.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8019717 | 1980-06-17 | ||
| GB8019717 | 1980-06-17 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1154928A true CA1154928A (en) | 1983-10-11 |
Family
ID=10514085
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000379732A Expired CA1154928A (en) | 1980-06-17 | 1981-06-15 | Grain handling method and storage apparatus |
Country Status (9)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0053156A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS57500825A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR8108651A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1154928A (en) |
| DK (1) | DK65982A (en) |
| IN (1) | IN155278B (en) |
| NO (1) | NO820404L (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1981003650A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA814050B (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USRE32536E (en) * | 1982-07-06 | 1987-11-03 | Storage system for granular materials | |
| US4454807A (en) * | 1982-07-06 | 1984-06-19 | Wolstenholme Paul P | Storage system for granular materials |
| US4493248A (en) * | 1982-07-06 | 1985-01-15 | Wolstenholme Paul P | Storage system for granular materials |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2730150A (en) * | 1953-10-26 | 1956-01-10 | Bemis Bro Bag Co | Storage bins |
| US2895400A (en) * | 1955-05-09 | 1959-07-21 | Concord Supplies And Equipment | Grain storage bag |
| US3727656A (en) * | 1969-09-19 | 1973-04-17 | D Luders | Grain storage |
| FR2261945A1 (en) * | 1974-02-26 | 1975-09-19 | Lafarge Sa | Stock piling cement clinker under cover - gravity used to extract material from centre without waste |
-
1981
- 1981-06-09 WO PCT/NO1981/000021 patent/WO1981003650A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1981-06-09 BR BR8108651A patent/BR8108651A/en unknown
- 1981-06-09 JP JP56501839A patent/JPS57500825A/ja active Pending
- 1981-06-09 EP EP81901553A patent/EP0053156A1/en not_active Ceased
- 1981-06-15 CA CA000379732A patent/CA1154928A/en not_active Expired
- 1981-06-16 ZA ZA814050A patent/ZA814050B/en unknown
- 1981-06-17 IN IN654/CAL/81A patent/IN155278B/en unknown
-
1982
- 1982-02-11 NO NO820404A patent/NO820404L/en unknown
- 1982-02-16 DK DK65982A patent/DK65982A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO1981003650A1 (en) | 1981-12-24 |
| EP0053156A1 (en) | 1982-06-09 |
| IN155278B (en) | 1985-01-12 |
| JPS57500825A (en) | 1982-05-13 |
| ZA814050B (en) | 1982-01-27 |
| DK65982A (en) | 1982-02-16 |
| NO820404L (en) | 1982-02-11 |
| BR8108651A (en) | 1982-05-11 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |