CA2219041A1 - Dry mortar mix transportable silo - Google Patents

Abstract

A transportable silo for holding mixtures of cement and mortar powders and the like. A construction site silo which is loadable and unloadable onto a tractor trailer by means of hydraulics attached to the trailer.

Description

, CA 02219041 1997-10-24 03552.0076 APPLICATION FOR A DRY MORTAR MIX TRANSPORTABLE SILO

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION
Applicant hereby claims priority based on Provisional Application No. 60/029,819 filed October 25, 1996, and entitled "Dry Mortar Mix Silo" which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to storage containers for dry mortar and concrete mixtures, and more particularly, for silos and the like for storing the same.
Prior Art The prior devices for storage of mortar and cement dry mixtures have significant limitations. Presently, hoppers for holding the dry mortar and concrete are loaded manually, which is terribly inefficient. Not only is there a great risk of construction worker injury due to falling off the hopper, or back injury due to lifting the heavy bags of mortar and concrete powder, but countless hours are wasted in loading such devices.
There are also hoppers and silos which are loaded by large bags, some holding over a ton of cement powder or mortar powder, which are forklifted above the hopper, and, with the aid of a construction worker, dumped into the hopper or silo, as the case may be. The problems associated with such devices include the requirement of having to use a forklift to lift the bag, the use of at least two construction workers to load the hopper, and the handling of the empty bags after unloading, the bags having to be folded and stored.
Another problem with the prior art hoppers and silos used at construction sites is that these hoppers and silos are usually very small, holding only a ton or so mortar or cement, and must constantly be refilled, thus resulting in the loss of even more time.

03552.0076 Thus a great need exists for a dry cement and dry mortar silo which can be easily transported, quickly filled, have a tremendous volumetric capacity, and which further can be set up, filled, emptied and moved with a minimal amount of human labor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a cement and mortar silo which can be transported to a construction site on the trailer of a truck.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a cement and mortar silo which can be pneumatically loaded with cement and mortar powder.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a silo which collects any airborne cement and mortar dust generated when the silo is pneumatically loaded with cement and mortar powder.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a silo which can be set up, loaded with mortar or cement powder, and taken down and transported by a single construction worker.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a silo which can be transported by a tractor trailer, wherein the trailer contains the means to setup and take down the silo.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a silo which does not require a crane to be set up, and which does not require the use of a forklift for the loading thereof.
Various other objectives and advantages will appear from the following description of the several embodiments of the present invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

03552.0076 The present invention includes a transportation silo system means having a silo and having a trailer for moving the silo.
The silo defines a reservoir, and the reservoir in the silo is for holding a mixture of cement, mortar, lime, gravel, sand and the like.
The silo is transported to the construction site on the trailer portion of a tractor trailer rig, and is in a horizontal position when so transported securely locked to a crib means on the trailer. At the construction site, a hydraulic cylinder raises the crib means, which is holding the silo, which in turn causes the silo to be raised to a vertical position. The silo comes to rest in a vertical orientation on its support means, which comprise four legs. The crib means unhook from the silo, and the crib means is lowered back onto the trailer. The trailer is then removed from the area after the silo is so vertically raised and situated.
Next, a supply truck carrying a charge of dry mortar or cement drives to the silo, the supply truck being equipped with pneumatic supply means. This truck pneumatically forces the dry mortar and cement into the silo, which fills the reservoir. The silo is provided with a mixture filtering means to collect any cement or mortar dust generated in this pneumatic filling process.
With the silo so loaded, there is a valve means located on the bottom of the silo, in which a mixer can be placed thereunder. A construction worker then opens the valve means to release a desired amount of cement or mortar into the mixer. The valve means is closed to stop the flow of the mortar and cement out of the silo.
After the silo is no longer needed at the construction site, the trailer is again aligned with the silo, and the crib means raised such that it rehooks to the silo. The hydraulic cylinder 03552.0076 lowers the silo onto the trailer, and the transportable silo system means is then ready to be trucked to the next construction site.
These and other novel features of the present invention are -more fully described in the following detailed description and appended claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings The accompanying drawings show the following:
Fig. 1 is a first side elevation view of a silo, partly schematic.
Fig. 2 is a top view thereof.
Fig. 3 is a second side elevation view thereof, partly schematic.
Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view thereof.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation view thereof.
Fig. 6 is a partial side elevation view of a trailer which has a crib which is can be raised and lowered.
Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 6 of the trailer with the crib raised, partly schematic.
Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof.
Fig. 9 is a rear view thereof.
Fig. 10 is a side view of the trailer illustrated with the crib raised and engaging the silo.
Fig. 11 is a plan view thereof.
Fig. 12 is a rear view thereof.
Figs. 13 through 18 are schematic side views of the trailer illustrating sequentially the loading of the silo onto the trailer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following detailed description, the same parts are indicated by the same numeral throughout the several drawings.

03552.0076 Also the words mix and mixture, designated by the numeral 60, pertain to a dry granulated form of mortar, cement, lime, gravel, sand, and the like, and any combinations thereof, such combinations of dry particulate construction materials well known to those skilled in the art.
Turning now to Figs. 1-5, a silo means according to the present invention is shown generally at 56. Silo 56 includes a container storage means 4 comprising a cover means 7, an upper surrounding cylindrical sidewall portion 3, and a lower surrounding conical sidewall portion 5, the cover 7 and upper and lower portions 3 and 5 defining a reservoir 10 for holding the mixture 60. Figs. 6-9 show a transportation means, generally designated 6, which includes a truck 91 and a trailer 54 which, as discussed below, carry and transport the silo 56. Figs. 10-18 show the transportable silo system means 2, which includes the trailer 54 and the silo 56. The silo 56 is illustrated in both a horizontal position 15 on trailer 54 when transported, and in a vertical position ll while in use at a construction site 58.
Returning now to Figs. 1-5, the silo 56 is shown in a vertical standing position 11, as it would appear at the construction site 58, and in condition to be loaded with a charge of the mixture 60. The mixture 60 is supplied to the silo 56 from a mixture supply source means 22 in the form of a supply truck 62 which is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The supply truck 62 is equipped with pneumatic supply means 24, and carries in it a load or charge of the mixture 60. A filling means, generally designated 14, includes pneumatic filling conduit means 16 in pneumatic communication with the pneumatic supply means 24 on the supply truck 62 and with a turbulence box 64 on silo 56.
The turbulence box 64 is for settling the pneumatic flow of the mixture 60, upon its entry into silo 56, and such turbulence boxes are well known to those skilled in the art.

03552.0076 The reservoir 10, which has a capacity of for example 33 tons of the mixture 60, is filled by activating the pneumatic supply means 24 on supply truck 62. This pneumatically forces mixture 60 from supply truck 62, through the pneumatic filling conduit means 16, into turbulence box 64, and then into reservoir 10. Such pneumatic filling systems for dry materials are well known to those skilled in the art. The filling continues until the supply truck 62 is emptied of mixture 60, or until a desired amount of the mixture 60 is loaded into the reservoir 10.
During the pneumatic filling of the reservoir 10, a dust 61 may be generated, which is just airborne mixture 60, and which may not settle into reservoir 10. To control the dust 61, a mixture filtering means 18 is provided, which comprises a baffling means 66, and an exit tube 68. The baffling means 66 processes the air 23 exiting silo 56, through the exit tube 68, by causing a large amount of the dust 61 to settle into the baffle means 66, and fall into the reservoir 10. This cleanses the air 23 exiting silo 56, and the air 23 in the exit tube 68 leaving the silo 56 is thus greatly filtered of dust 61. Of course, there are also other types of air scrubbing devices which are available for use in the embodiments of the present invention, these devices being well known to those skilled in the art and all within the scope of the present invention.
With the silo filled as described above, a construction worker need only open the valve means 12 at the lower end of silo 56 to gravity feed mixture 60 out of reservoir 10. The valve means 12 can be embodied as a butterfly valve. The mixture 60 exiting the silo 56 can be permitted to fall into a mixer 70 properly positioned under the valve means 12, and the appropriated amount of water can be added to the mixture 60 in the mixer 70. The distance between valve 16 and mixer 70 is determined by the support means 8, which hold up and support silo 03552.0076 56. Support means 8 comprises four legs 9, preferably made of steel, welded to silo 56, which also preferably is made of steel.
Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a fill inlet structure 71 which may be used for a number of reasons. The fill inlet structure 71 communicates with reservoir 10, and has a cover 26 attached to its opening 76 by hinge 28. Platform access ladder 78 permits a construction worker to climb to platform 80, at which time the construction worker can perform a variety of tasks. If the reservoir 10 is empty of the mixture 60, the construction worker can open the cover 26, and climb onto the cleaning ladder means 32, which is located on surrounding internal sidewall 30 of silo 56. The construction worker can descend cleaning ladder means 32, and clean reservoir 10 of any mixture 60 which has accumulated or otherwise undesirable built up due to usage of silo 56 and the passage of time.
Also, in the event that the reservoir 10 is empty, and needs more of the mixture 60, or needs a topping off amount of the mixture 60, and there is not a supply truck 62 available for filling as fully described above, silo 56 of the present invention can be manually filled with the mixture 60. For manual filling, a construction worker climbs platform access ladder 78, and positions himself or herself on the platform 80, and opens the cover 26. A forklift means 74 is provided, shown schematically in Fig. 3. The forklift means 74 lifts a bag means 72 loaded with the mixture 60 above opening 76, and the construction worker opens the bag means 72 and pours mixture 60 into reservoir 10. The bag means 72 can contain about 1 ton or one cubic yard of mixture 60, and in this manner, the present invention provides an alternative embodiment for manually filling the reservoir 10 with the mixture 60.
Transporting silo 56 to the construction site 58 is illustrated generally in Fig. 18, which illustrates an embodiment CA 022l904l l997-l0-24 03552.0076 of the present invention in which the silo 56 iS in a horizontal position, designated by numeral 15, on the trailer 54. In Fig. 6 trailer 54 iS illustrated in its unloaded state. The silo 56 iS
transported on the trailer 54 to and from construction sites, this being possible due to the numerous attributes of trailer 54.
Trailer 54 has wheels 82 attached thereto, and springs and shocks 84 and 86 respectively for absorbing shocks generated when the wheels 82 roll over potholes and the like. The shocks and springs 84 and 86 attach to a foundation frame 88 which has a trailer hitch 90 at towing end 92 shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The series of support beams 94 are for absorbing torsional loads and the like imparted on the foundation frame 88. Also, a trailer jack located at 96, which may be set to an appropriate height by way of a hand crank 97, is provided to support the towing end 92 of the trailer 54 when there is no tractor or truck 91 coupled to trailer hitch 90. The trailer jack 96 thus supports the towing end 92 of the trailer 54.
The trailer 54 has a hydraulic control means at 98, which allows an operator to control raising means 34 and the hydraulic outrigger means 100, which is fully described below. A hydraulic supply source means is shown schematically as the box 99 in Fig.
7. The hydraulic supply source means 99 may be provided on the truck 91, with the truck engine generating the hydraulic flow, such devices being well known to those skilled in the art.
The hydraulic outrigger means 100 are best seen in Fig. 12, which also shows the first and second stabilization bars 102 and 104 respectively, which extend from the foundation frame 88, the first and second stabilization hydraulic cylinders 106 and 108 respectively, which extend perpendicularly from the first and second stabilization bars 102 and 104, and the first and second foundation plates 110 and 112, respectively. It is desirable that the first and second stabilization hydraulic cylinders 106 CA 022l904l l997-l0-24 03552.0076 and 108 are capable of being independently actuated by the hydraulic control means 98, SO that if unlevel terrain is encountered, the operator can extend the first and second stabilization hydraulic cylinders 106 and 108 the appropriate amount to account for such unlevel terrain.
Fig. 9 illustrates in further detail the raising means 34, which includes boosting means 42 and crib means 40, the boosting means 42 having a hydraulic cylinder 52. The crib means 40 iS
movable between a first position 36 in which it is horizontally aligned with and resting on trailer 54 and a second position 38 in which it is elevated off the trailer 54 and vertical with respect to the trailer 54. The crib means has a first end designated 44, and a second end designated 46. The foundation frame 88 has support beams 94 attached thereto, and load beams 130 are attached to the support beams 94. As described below, the raising and lowering of crib means 40 by hydraulic cylinder 52 iS possible due to first, second, third, fourth and fifth pivot members 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128, respectively. The load beams 130 have the first pivot member 120 pivotally affixed therebetween. The first pivot member 120, to which the hydraulic cylinder 52 and lower arms 118 are attached, permits the hydraulic cylinder 52 and the lower arms 118 to rotate, when the operator raises and lowers the crib means 40. The lower arms 118 are pivotally attached to upper arms 116 by the second pivot member 122. The second pivot member 122 permits the upper arms 116 and the lower arms 118 to rotate relative to one another as the crib means 40 iS raised and lowered. The third pivot member 124 pivotally connects the upper arms 116 to the hydraulic cylinder 52, thus permitting the upper arms 116 to pivot with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 52 as the crib means 40 iS
raised and lowered by hydraulic cylinder 52. The fourth pivot member 126 pivotally connects the upper arms 116 to the crib .
03552.0076 means 40, which allows the upper pivot arms 116 to rotate relative to the crib means 40 as the hydraulic cylinder 52 raises and lowers the crib means 40. The crib means 40 is, at its second end 46, attached to the fifth pivot member 128, which also attached to a crib support beam 95.
To raise and lower the crib means 40, the operator goes to the hydraulic control means 98, which gives complete control of the hydraulic cylinder 52 to the operator. Such hydraulic control devices are well known to those skilled in the art. To raise crib means 40, when the crib means 40 is initially at rest on the foundation frame 88 as illustrated in Fig. 6, the operator directs the hydraulic cylinder 52 to begin extending. This immediately causes the hydraulic cylinder 52 to apply a force against the first and third pivot members 120 and 124, respectively, and causes the upper arms 116 and the lower arms 118 to begin to raise in a direction away from the foundation frame 88. At the same time, at the second pivot member 122, the upper and lower arms 116 and 118 are rotating relative to one another, and the crib means 40 lifts off foundation frame 88 pivoting about the fifth pivot member 128, while simultaneously the upper arms 116, which are lifting crib means 40, begin to rotate relative to crib means 40 about the fourth pivot member 126.
In this manner, the crib means 40 is moved from a resting position, designated 39 on the foundation frame 88 illustrated in Fig. 6, to a raised position designated 41 in Fig. 7. Also shown in Fig. 7 is the angle, designated 132, which crib means 40 makes with the foundation frame 88 when the crib 40 is raised. The angle 132 achievable by the hydraulic cylinder 52 acting upon the crib 40 is desirably greater than 90 degrees, to facilitate the loading and unloading of silo 56, the procedure for which is fully described below.

03552.0076 Crib means 40 is provided with hook means 48 which are used to releasably engage with the silo 56. The hook means 48 include an upper hook pair 134 and a lower hook pair 136, the lower hook pair having first hook 135 and second hook 137, the upper hook pair having third hook 139 and fourth hook 141. The hooks may be embodied as having a generally semicircular shape. Shown in Fig.
7 is latch system 154, which includes first latch 140, which is shown in open position 142. The first latch 140 is pivotally mounted to the crib means 40 by a latch pivot 138, the latch having a latch pin hole 144. The first latch 140 is retained in the open position 142 due to a pin 146 inserted into a crib pin hole 148 in the crib means 40, which prevents the movement of the first latch 140. Illustrated in Fig. 6 is the first latch 140 in a closed position 150. The closed position is achieved by removing the pin 146 from the crib pin hole 148, rotating the first latch 140 to the closed position 150, at which position, the latch pin hole 144 aligns with the crib pin hole 148. Then the pin is inserted therein, locking the first latch 140 in the closed position 150. In the closed position 150, the first latch 140 and the first hook 135 define a locking region designated 152. A second latch 143, a third latch 145, and a fourth latch 147 operate in conjunction with the second hook 137, the third hook 139, and the fourth hook 141 respectively, in an identical manner as the first latch 140 and the first hook 135 operate, to achieve open and closed positions, as fully shown and described above.
At some point, the silo 56 will have to be loaded onto the trailer 54, in order to transport the silo 56 to a new location, or to otherwise move the silo 56 for various reasons. With the silo 56 in the vertical position 11, as illustrated in Figs. 1-5, the trailer 54 would be moved adjacent to a loading side 156 of the silo 56, which is illustrated in Fig. 4. The loading side CA 022l904l l997-l0-24 03552.0076 156 has thereon a first frame bar 162 and a second frame bar 164 securely attached to the silo 54, and securely connected between the first and second frame bars 162 and 164 iS an upper loading bar 158, and a lower loading bar 160. The frame bars 162 and 164 are generally perpendicular to the loading bars 158 and 160.
Trailer 54 iS backed against the loading side 156, and the trailer 54 iS uncoupled from the truck 91 shown in Fig. 7. The trailer jack 96 iS then operated by handle crank 97 to raised the towing end 92 of the trailer 54 off the truck 91, and then the truck 91 may be moved out of the immediate area.
Next, the operator goes to the hydraulic control means 98 and activates the hydraulic outrigger means 100. The first and second stabilization bars 102 and 104 are extended away from trailer 54, the first and second stabilization hydraulic cylinders 106 and 108 are then actuated, which in turn causes the first and second foundation plates 110 and 112 to contact the ground 166, and the operator continues actuating the first and second hydraulic cylinders 106 and 108 until the wheels 82 of trailer 54 are raised off the ground 166. The extended hydraulic outrigger means 100 are illustrated in Fig. 12, and the positioning of trailer 54 next to the loading side 156 of silo 56 is illustrated in Fig. 13.
Next, the operator must raise the crib means 40, and does so by actuating the hydraulic cylinder 52 from the hydraulic control means 98. The mechanics of what occurs during this actuation, as well as the mechanics describing the raising of crib means 40 iS
fully discussed above. The crib 40 iS raised such that the upper hook pair 134 iS placed immediately above the upper loading bar 158, and the lower hook pair 136 iS placed immediately above the lower loading bar 160, and this is illustrated in Fig. 14. The angle 132 the crib 40 makes with trailer 54 iS perhaps 95 degrees.

CA 022l904l l997-l0-24 03552.0076 Next, the operator lowers the trailer by controllably retracting the first and second hydraulic stabilization cylinders 106 and 108 of the hydraulic outrigger means 100 by adjusting the hydraulic control means 98. The trailer 54 iS only lowered to the extent that the upper hook pair 134 comes to rest on the upper loading bar 158, and the lower hook pair 136 comes to rest on the lower loading bar 160. This is illustrated in Fig. 15.
At this point, the operator then goes to the latch 140, and moves the latch from the open position 142 to the closed position 150, and uses the pin 146 to lock the latch 140 in the closed position. The procedure for doing this fully discussed above, and the operator closes the second latch 143, the third latch 145 and the fourth latch 147 as well. Thus, the hook means 48 traps the upper loading bar 158 and the lower loading bar 160.
The next step in placing the silo 54 on trailer 56 iS
illustrated in Fig. 16. The operator then reactivates the first and second stabilization hydraulic cylinders 106 and 108 respectively, and once again raises the wheels 82 off the ground 166. When this is done, silo 56 iS raised off ground 166, as it is now fixedly attached to the crib 40, and raises with the raising trailer 54 and associated crib 40.
Next, as illustrated in Fig. 17, the crib 40 iS lowered by the operator controlling hydraulic cylinder 52 from the hydraulic control means 98. The lowering continues until the silo 56 comes to rest on a saddle means 114 on trailer 56. The saddle means 114 can be coated with materials such as rubber which would protect the silo 56 from being damaged when it comes to rest on trailer 54, and would further minimize damage due to rough road surfaces such as potholes and the like when trailer 54 iS
transported. The silo 56 iS now in the horizontal position 15.
Of course, the operator can take safety precautions, such as 03552.0076 chaining and shackling the silo 56 to the trailer 54 to ensure the silo 56 does not shift during transportation.
Fig. 18 illustrates the retracting of the hydraulic outrigger means 100. With the silo 56 locked to the crib 40 on trailer 54 as shown in Fig. 18, the truck 91 can then back up to and couple to the trailer hitch 90, and tow the trailer 54 and silo 56 to a new construction site. Upon arrival at the new construction site, the silo 56 is unloaded from trailer 54 by first uncoupling the truck 91 from the trailer hitch 90, raising the towing end of the trailer 92 off the truck with the trailer jack 96, driving the truck 91 out of the immediate area, and then raising the wheels 82 of the trailer 54 off the ground 166 by actuating the hydraulic outrigger means 100. Next, the hydraulic cylinder 52 is actuated, which causes the crib means 40 to raise silo 56 to the vertical position 11. The operator can insert shims and the like under the legs 9 of the silo 56, in order to level the ground 166 before the silo 56 is placed thereon.
Next, with the silo 56 on the ground 166, the operator removes the pin 146 which is in the latch pin hole 144 and crib pin hole 148, moves the latch to the open position 142, and places pin 146 into the crib pin hole 148 to maintain the open position 142. The operator repeats this process with respect to the second, third and fourth latches 143, 145 and 147, respectively. The hook means 48 are no longer fixedly attached to the upper and lower loading bars 158 and 160. The hydraulic outriggers 100 are then used to further raise the trailer, such that the upper hook pair 134 and lower hook pair 136 are raised off the upper loading bar 158 and off the lower loading bar 160.
The operator next lowers the crib 40 by retracting the hydraulic cylinder 52 by adjusting the hydraulic control means 98. The hydraulic outriggers 100 are then fully retracted, and the truck 91 may recouple to the trailer 54 and move it out of the CA 022l904l l997-l0-24 03552.0076 immediate area. Reloading silo 56 onto trailer 54 iS
accomplished as fully discussed above.
In the event of an emergency, or if otherwise necessary, the present invention is provided with lift-ing ring 168, which is attached to the upper portion 3 of the silo 56. The lifting ring 168 can receive a cable or chain from a crane say, and the crane could be used to lift silo 56 by the lifting ring 168.
Hence, the present invention meets all of the objectives previously set forth and satisfies a long felt need in the construction industry for a large capacity, easily fillable and transportable silo.
There are other embodiments of the present invention which are in the scope of the present invention. These include replacing the hook means 48 with, for example, brackets and the like for attaching the silo 56 to the crib 40, and the use of hydraulic clamps to attach the crib 40 to the silo 48.
It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, steps, and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to describe the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
What is claimed is:

Claims (13)

1. A silo for a mixture, comprising:
a support means adapted to rest on a supporting surface such as the ground;
container storage means defining a reservoir, the reservoir for holding the mixture, the support means for supporting the container storage means above ground;
mixture supply source means for providing the mixture;
filling means in communication with the mixture supply source means and the reservoir, for delivering the mixture into the reservoir; and valve means in opening and closing type communication with the reservoir, the valve means for controllably releasing the mixture from the reservoir.

2. The silo according to claim 1, further comprising:
the filling means having a pneumatic filling conduit means;
the mixture supply source means having a pneumatic supply means, the pneumatic filling conduit means being in pneumatic communication between the reservoir and the pneumatic supply means, the pneumatic supply means pneumatically moving the mixture from the mixture supply source means through the pneumatic conduit filling means and to the reservoir.

3. The silo according to claim 2, further comprising:
the container storage means having mixture filtering means attached thereto for capturing any airborne mixture generated when the pneumatic supply means delivers mixture to the reservoir which does not settle in the reservoir.

4. The silo according to claim 3, wherein the mixture filtering means has a baffling means to capture any airborne mixture generated when the pneumatic supply means delivers mixture to the reservoir which does not settle in the reservoir.

5. The silo according to claim 1, further comprising:
a portal means fixed to the container storage means, and in a portal type relationship with the reservoir, the portal means allowing access to the reservoir.

6. The silo according to claim 5, wherein the portal means has a cover which is hingedly attached to the portal means, the cover being openable such that the mixture can be added to the reservoir through the portal means.

7. The silo according to claim 6, further comprising:
cleaning ladder means, and wherein the container storage means has a surrounding internal sidewall, the cleaning ladder means being attached to the surrounding internal sidewall and extending from the portal means to the valve means, the cleaning ladder means being accessible from the portal means and for permitting access to the reservoir for cleaning the surrounding internal sidewall and valve means.

8. The silo according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is selected from the group consisting essentially of mortar, cement, lime, gravel, stone, and sand.

9. A transportable silo system comprising:
a transportable silo;
a transportation means for releasably holding and transporting the silo; and a raising means affixed to the transportation means for raising and lowering the silo between a first position at which the silo is horizontally positioned on the transportation means and a second position at which the silo is vertically elevated with respect to the transportation means.

10. The transportable silo according to claim 9, further comprising:
the transportation means having a trailer;

the raising means having boosting means and crib means, the crib means having a first end and a second end, the second end being pivotally attached to the trailer, and the boosting means being pivotally attached to the crib means between the first end of the crib means and the second end of the crib means and pivotally attached to the trailer, the boosting means controllably moving the silo between the first position and the second position;

11. The transportable silo according to claim 10, further comprising:
the crib means having hook means;
the silo having support means and hook receiving means, such that at the first position, the hook receiving means are lockably engaged to the hook means of the crib means, and at the second position, the hook means of the crib means is releasable from the hook receiving means, such that at the second position, the raising means is completely removable from the silo, and the support means are for supporting the silo when the raising means is removed from the silo.

12. The transportable silo according to claim 10, wherein the trailer has a hydraulic control means, and wherein the boosting means comprises a hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic control means for controlling the hydraulic cylinder to achieve the first position and the second position.

13. The transportable silo according to claim 12, wherein the trailer has hydraulic outrigger means actuatable by the hydraulic control means, the hydraulic outrigger means lifting the trailer and stabilizing the trailer when the raising means is moved between the first position and second position.
15. A method for filling a silo with a mixture comprising the steps of:
defining a reservoir for the mixture in the silo;

providing a supply of the mixture; and pneumatically filling the reservoir with the mixture.
16. A method for filling a silo with a mixture according to claim 15 comprising the further step of filtering any airborne mixture generated during the pneumatic filling which does not settling in the silo.
17. A method for filling a silo with a mixture according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of providing the silo with a portal means, a cleaning ladder means, and a surrounding internal sidewall, and positioning the cleaning ladder means on the internal sidewall so that it is accessible from the portal means.
18. A method for transporting a silo comprising the steps of:
positioning a trailer having a crib means next to the silo;
providing the crib means with hook means and the silo with hook receiving means;
raising the crib means and lockably engaging the hook means on the crib means with the hook receiving means on the silo; and lowering the crib means to which the silo is attached onto the trailer.
19. A method for transporting a silo according to claim 18 comprising the further steps of:
transporting the silo on the trailer to a construction site and bringing the trailer to a stop;
raising the crib means which raises the silo;
disengaging the hook means from the hook receiving means;
and lowering the crib means.
20. The method for transporting a silo according to claim 19, comprising the further step of actuating hydraulic outriggers to raise the trailer when it is stopped before raising the crib means.