CA1287726C - Silo - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A silo has a guide arranged along the silo container, and the guide has a stop at the upper portion of the silo. A coupling element can slide along the guide, which can be coupled with a tippable loading frame of a transport vehicle by means of a cable. This arrangement simplifies the loading and unloading of the silo onto or off of the transport vehicle.

Description

~2877~6 1~78-121A SILO
RR:570 BACKGROUNU OF THE INVEN~ION
Field of the Inventlon This invention rela~es to improvements in material storage silos.
Prior Ar~
A silo having an attachment device for connecting the upper part of the silo to a tippable loading frame o~
a transport vehicle is known through prior use. Silos of this type are used, for example, to store cement or gypsum on cons~ruction sites. They are relatively large and must therefore be transported horizontally. To load such a Xnown silo on a transport vehicle, the vehicle approaches close to ~he silo. The loading ~ame is tipped up into a nearly vertical position, in which it rises above the silo. ~he upper ~nd o~ the ~ilo is then connected to the loading frame with cables. As the loading frame is lowered~ the silo is tipped and loaded .
onto the loadi~g frame.
The disadvantage of this silo is that both during loading and unloading an operator must climb o~to the silo in order to connect or disconnect the ~able to or from the attachmen~ device. There is a need in the art to eliminate this disadvantage~

SUMMARY OF_THE INVENTION
In accordanca with the invention there ls provided a 3ilo having an ttachment device for connecting the uppex portion of the silo to a tippable loading frame of a transport vehicle. The attachment device comprises at least one vertically extending fixed guide extending along the silo container, a ~top on the guide at the upp~r portion of the silo, and a coupling element slidable along the guide fox connecting th~ silo via a cable to the tippable lQading frame. When the cable i disengaged, the 3~ coupling element is in its lowermo t end position, e.g., at ~L2~3~72 1 a shoulder height of the operator. The cable can therefore easily be connected with the connecting device. As the ca~le is drawn ln, the coupling element fir~t slides up _ _ . .

_ _ . _ _ ~877Z~

to the stop in the upper portion of the silo, whereupon the silo, like the conventional silo, can be loaded onto the transpoLt vehicle. ~uring unloading, the silo is first set down in the conventional manner. As the cable is further unwound, the coupling element slides down to its lower end position, where it again can be easily detached from the cable.

sRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWIN~S
.. _ .. . . . _ _ FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the embodiment according to FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section through the embodiment according to FIG. 3; and FIGS. 5 through 7 are the steps in loading the silo according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2, two support members 4 are connecteA to a side wall 3 of a silo container 2, which support members 4 serve as legs for the upright silo 1 and as supports during transport.
A guide bar 20 is attached to the side of each of the support members 4. The upper end of each bar 20 is bent at 21 to form stops 6 which are reinforced by plates 22 connected to the members 4 by connection blocks 23. The lower ends of the bars 20 are also connected with the members 4 by rneans of spacers 24.
The bars 20 are surrounded by a coupling element 7, which in the exemplary embodiment according to Figs. 1 and 2 includes two parallel plates 27, which are rigidly connected with each other by two rods 28, 29. The bars 20 are arranged with play in the space between the plates 27 and rods 28, 29, so that the coupling element 7 can slide freely along the bars 20 between the spacers 24 and ~2~72~i the upper stops 6. A sleeve 33 is a~,tached to one plate 27, and a bolt 31 provided with a grip 32 is guided in this sleeve 33. The bolt 31 is prebiased into the illustrated basic position by a spring (not shown) in the sleeve 33, where it projects into a bore in the opposite plate 27. sy pulling on the grip 32 in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2), one can couple or uncouple an end loop of a cable 8 to or from the coupling element 7.
The silo according to Figs. 3 and 4 also has two support members 4 connected with the side wall 3 of the silo container 2, Here the guide 5 consists of a longitudinally split circular tube 40 which is welded to the side of the support member 4. An upper stop block 41 and an additional lower stop block 44 for the coupling element 7 are connected with the tube 4. The coupling element 7 here includes a bar 41 which is guided with play in the tube 40 and has an arm 42 projecting radially therefrom. The arm 42 projects through the slot 43 in the tube 40 and is hingedly connected with two plates 45 by means of a pin 44. The plates 45 are riveted together by means of an additional pin 46. A sleeve 47, in turn, is attached to one plate 45, and a bolt 49 which is also provided with a grip 48 is guided in this sleeve 47. The bolt 49 is prebiased by a spring (not shown) into the illustrated position where it projects into a bore in the opposite plate 45. The coupling element 7 according to Figs. 3 and 4 is activated in the same manner as that according to Figs. 1 and 2.
The loading of the silo 1 onto a transport vehicle is illustrated in Figs. 5 through 7. First, the vehicle 12 backs up to the silo 1 and pivots its loading frame 13 into a nearly vertical position by means of two telescop-ing cylinders 14. The cables 8 are wound out to such an extent that their end loops can be coupled to the coupling elements 7, which are in the lower end position ~l28'7~26 (Figs. 2 and 4). The cables 8 are then partially reeled up (Fig. 6), whereby the coupling elements 7 slide up along their guides 5. The vehicle 12 then backs up somewhat until it almost contacts the silo 1. The cables 8 are reeled up further until the coupling elements 7 abut their upper stops 6. As the vehicle's loading frame 13 is lowered, the cables 8 also cause the silo 1 to tip (Fig. 7) and finally be loaded onto the loading frame 13, whereby it rests on its support members 4. The unloading takes place in the reverse order.

Claims (7)

1. Silo having an attachment device for connecting the upper portion of the silo to a tippable loading frame of a transport vehicle, with improvements characterized by the attachment device comprising at least one vertically extending fixed guide extending along the silo container, a stop on the guide at the upper portion of the silo, and a coupling element slidable along the guide for connecting said silo via a cable to said tippable loading frame.

2. Silo according to claim 1 in which the attach-ment device includes two parallel guides each having a slidable coupling element.

3. Silo according to claim 1 in which the guide includes a bar arranged parallel to the side wall of the silo, both ends of which bar are attached to a support member connected with the silo container and which bar is surrounded by the coupling element with play,

4. Silo according to claim 3 in which the upper end of the bar is bent to form the stop.

5. Silo according to claim 1 in which the guide is a hollow, split tube connected with the silo and the coupling element is slidably guided in said tube.

6. Silo according to claim 5 in which the hollow split tube has a circular cross-section, and the coupling element includes a cylindrical rod guided with play in the tube, which rod also has an arm projecting radially through the split in the tube.

7. Silo according to claim 5 or 6 in which the hollow tube is attached to a support member connected with the silo.