GB2203180A

GB2203180A - Ventilated grain floor structures

Info

Publication number: GB2203180A
Application number: GB08707958A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Ian Bartlett; Roger Charles Balls
Original assignee: NAT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMEMT C
Current assignee: NAT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMEMT C
Priority date: 1987-04-03
Filing date: 1987-04-03
Publication date: 1988-10-12
Also published as: GB8707958D0

Abstract

A discontinuous floor structure for a crop storage unit e.g. grain, comprises overlapping elongate N-sectioned elements 12 arranged to support the grain 18 as shown and allow an upward (or downward) floor of ventilating air between the elements 12. <IMAGE>

Description

FLOOR STRUCTURES The present invention relates to floor structures and in particular, but not exclusively, to an aerated floor structure for use in a storage unit for crop e.g. for grain or other particulate or like sub-divided materials.

Conventional grain storage units comprise bins or silos having a perforated grain-supporting continuous floor structure through which a flow of air is passed to ventilate the unit and prevent the grain going mouldy.

The drawback of the existing storage units is that the floor perforations may become blocked with grain resulting in unsatisfactory ventilation of at least some areas of the unit.

Any object of the present invention is to provide a floor structure in which this danger of blockage is significantly reduced.

According to the present invention, a discontinuous material-supporting floor structure for a storage unit for crop or other particulate or like sub-divided material, comprises a series of laterally adjacent non-planar elongate elements each having upper and lower side regions, the upper side regions of the elements extending towards and overlapping one said adjacent element and the lower side regions of the elements extending upwardly towards and being overlapped by the second said adjacent element.

Conveniently, said upper side regions of the elements extend downwardly towards the adjacent element.

Conveniently, the lower or the upper and lower side regions of each said element, as the case may be, extend substantially vertically towards the adjacent element or elements.

Conveniently, in this latter case, the overlapping portions of the elements or these portions and the portions overlapped, extend in or substantially in horizontal planes.

Optionally, the floor structure includes means for providing a generally upward or downward flow of fluid through the discontinuities in the structure but if desired, induced flows may be relied upon instead.

Conveniently, e.g. when the particulate material is a crop, then the fluid may be air e.g. to maintain crop temperature and remove moisture.

Alternatively, some other gaseous fluid might be used in place of air e.g. in a fumigation process to kill pests or, where the crop comprises potatoes, to suppress sprout formations and thereby stop potato growth while in store.

As a further alternative, the fluid may be a liquid e.g.

heating water where the crop comprises flower bulbs and it is desired to raise the bulbs to an appropriate temperature to kill eel worm.

In use, material initially escaping downwardly through the discontinuities in the structure will cease to flow therethrough when sufficient material has accumulated on the lower parts of the elements for the material there to be able to adopt its angle of repose.

The invention also includes a material storage unit incorporating a floor structure according to the present invention.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of an aerated floor structure according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is an end view of the same structure drawn to a larger scale and illustrating its use for grain.

Thus referring now to the drawings, the floor structure 10 of a grain storage unit comprises a series of laterally spaced elongate elements 12 of roughly N-shaped cross-section when viewed end-on with the vertically extending side regions 14, 15 of each element 12 overlapping or overlapped by respective horizontal portions 16, 17 of the adjacent elements 12.

As will best be seen from Figure 2, which shows the grain 18 in place, the grain will pour through the discontinuities in the structure until sufficient grain has collected on the lower crop-supporting regions of the N-shaped elements 12 for it to be able to attain its angle of repose at which time the flow of grain will cease. Conveniently, to reduce the amount of material escaping in this way, the adjacent parts of the adjacent elements are close e.g. about 1 cm away from one another for grain storage purposes.

Typically, the lateral edge-to-edge dimension of the elements when the structure is viewed in plan is about 4.5 cms, the corresponding dimensions for each horizontal portion (when present) is about 1.5 cms and the vertical extent of the elements when viewed end-on is about 1.75 cms with the corresponding dimension of each side region about 1 cm.

Conveniently, a fan or blower (not shown) may be used to provide an air flow in the plenum chamber 22 below floor structure 10. The arrows in Figure 2 indicate, by way of example, a generally upward flow of ventilating air through the floor discontinuities.

Optionally, to ensure no material can pass through into the air supply ducts from the plenum chamber, a mesh or grating 23 may be fitted as shown in Figure 2. This would'also make the device rodent-proof. The spacing of the grid - on item 23 is conveniently such as to result in its having approximately 2.5 mm gaps and 1 mm solid.

Although, as indicated earlier, the illustrated design of floor structure may be varied to suit crops of significantly different repose angle to that of grain, this is not usually considered necessary where the discontinuities in the structure are not such as to allow the free flow of crop therethrough.

Thus the illustrated structure would be satisfactory, for example, for use in a crop storage unit for potatoes or other root crop, say, but in these cases, the gratings 23 would preferably be omitted from the structure.

Claims

1. A discontinuous material-supporting floor structure for a storage unit comprising a series of laterally adjacent non-planar elongate elements each having upper side regions and lower side regions, the upper side regions of the elements extending towards and overlapping one said adjacent element and the lower side regions of the elements extending upwardly towards and being overlapped by the second said adjacent element.

2. A structure as claimed in Claim 1 in which said upper side regions of the elements extend downwardly towards the adjacent element.

3. A structure as claimed in Claim 2 in which the lower or the upper and lower side regions of each said element, as the case may be, extend substantially vertically towards the adjacent element or elements.

4. A structure as claimed in Claim 3 in which the overlapping portions of the elements or these portions and the portions overlapped, extend in or substantially in horizontal planes.

5. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim including means for providing a generally upward or downward floor of fluid through the discontinuities in the structure.

6. A floor structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

7. A material storage unit comprising a floor structure as claimed in any preceding claim.