US3189305A

US3189305A - Silo bracket for attaching filling chutes

Info

Publication number: US3189305A
Application number: US171088A
Authority: US
Inventors: Laverne H Willenborg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-02-05
Filing date: 1962-02-05
Publication date: 1965-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-15

Description

junei15, 1965 HQWILLEN BQRG 0 mo BRACKET FOR ATTACH'ING FILLING cfiufrnsf Filed Feb. 5, 1962 FIG. 2

24 FIG. 4-

Imn

1 liv n 22 J J INVENTOR LAVERNE WILLENBORG ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,189,305 SILG BRACKET FOR ATTACHING FILLING CHUTES Laverne H. Willenborg, Dyersville, Iowa Filed Feb. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 171,038 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-74) This invention relates to structures for the storage of materials of various kinds and to equipment employed in the filling of such structures from a remote location.

The invention relates particularly to farm structures such as silos and to the means for filling such silos including means for attaching the filling chute to the upper portion of the structure.

Heretofore when filling a silo or other structures with material, it has been necessary to hoist a filling chute to the top of the structure and to rest such chute on the upper edge thereof while the material is being forced through such chute. The material is generally moved upwardly through the filling chute by forced air pressure from a blower or by a conveyor system such as an auger. During the filling process, vibration occurs in the filling chute and the frictional engagement causes wear on the chute which soon rubs a hole therein. Prior attempts to solve this problem have proved bulky, cumbersome, expensive to produce and maintain and otherwise have proved unsatisfactory.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bracket for attachment to a structure to be filled with such bracket having means for raising the filling chute and for securing the chute in position when raised.

Another object is to provide an adjustable removable bracket having a pivoted chute receiving strap for securing such chute to the top of the silo regardless of the angularity of the chute.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, lightweight, economical silo bracket which can be successfully operated by a minimum of-workers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged side elevation of the bracket per 36;

FIG. 3, a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 4, an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5, an enlarged vertical section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Briefly stated, the invention is a bracket supported by the top of a silo or other structure to be filled and includes an adjustable clamp having a long leg and a short leg with such legs movable toward and from each other in substantially parallel relationship. The long leg is provided at its top with a pair of angularly disposed outwardly diverging angle members connected at their outer ends by a chute receiving strap member pivotally mounted at each side to the angle members. A chain is connected to the end of one of the angle members and is adapted to extend around the chute when the chute is in place and be connected to the other angle member by means of a hook connected thereto. The angle members are supported by a pair of braces from the long leg of the clamp and are connected intermediate their ends by an arcuate brace which supports a pulley used for raising the filling chute into position.

With continued reference to the drawing, a silo or other structure to be filled is provided having a series of rungs or steps 11 secured to the outside thereof to permit access to the top of the structure.

After the material which is to be stored in the silo "ice has been harvested, it is brought to the silo and an elongated pipe or chute 12 is placed at the top of the silo and the material is forced through said chute in any conventional manner as by air pressure from a blower not shown.

In order to secure the filling chute to the top of the silo, a bracket or holder 15 is provided including a twopart clamp having a long leg 16 with an outwardly turned upper flange 17 slidably connected to an inwardly turned upper flange 18 of a short leg 19. The long leg 16 and the short leg 19 are adjustable relative .to each other by means of bolts and nuts 20 received within openings 21 on opposite sides of the flange 17 and extending downwardly through slots 22 in the flange 18. It will be apparent from FIG. 4 that by loosening the nuts the short leg 19 can be moved relative to the long leg 16 and thereafter fixed in adjusted position by tightening such nuts.

To the top of the flange 17 is welded or otherwise attached a pair of outwardly diverging angle members 24 having an opening 25 at their inner ends for receiving bolts 20. The outer ends of the angle members 24 are supported by braces 26 extending diagonally upwardly from the long leg 16 of the clamp.

The outer ends of the angle members 24 are spaced apart a distance greater than the inner ends and. such outer ends are adapted to pivotally support a semicircular belt or strap 27 constructed of leather, belting or other material. The strap 27 is provided with a pin or bolt 28 on each side located substantially at the point of tangency with the angle members 24. A spacer 29 is provided between the strap 27 and each of the angle members 24 and the outer end of the bolt 28 threadedly receives a lock nut 30 to maintain the strap 27 in position. If desired, the strap 27 may be constructed of rigid material and lined with shock absorbing resilient material.

The strap 27 is adapted to receive the chute 12 and in order to secure chute within the device, a chain 32 is mounted on the outer end of one of the angle members 24 by means of a ring 33 welded or otherwise attached thereto and the outer end of the opposite angle member is provided with a hook 34 for engagement by one of the links of the chain 32.

In order to hoist the filling chute 12 into position the angle members 24 are connected intermediate their ends by an arcuate brace 36 which preferably is lower in its center than it is on either end. The central lower portion of the brace 36 is provided with a ring 37 to which is connected a pulley 38 having a sheave 39 adapted to receive a rope or cable 40.

In the operation of the device a worker carries the bracket 15 to the top of the silo 10 by climbing the steps or rungs 11. The bracket is fastened over the top of the silo by positioning the long leg 16 against the outside of the silo and moving the short leg 19 toward the long leg until the short leg engages the inner surface of such silo. When the bracket is in position the rope 40 is passed through the pulley 38 and the opposite end of such rope is fastened to the chute 12, whereupon workers on the ground can pull the chute up to the top of the silo. When the chute reaches the top of the silo the worker at the top places such chute within the strap 27 and passes the chain 32 around the outside of the chute and connects such chain to the hook 34 to maintain the chute in position.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

3 What is claimed is: 1. A removable bracket for attaching a filling chute to the top of a silo comprising (A) an adjustable clamp having (1) a long leg for disposition exteriorly of a silo, (2) a short leg for disposition within a silo, (3) said short leg being movable relative to said long leg, (4) means for securing said legs in adjusted position, (13) a pair of outwardly diverging angle members mounted on said long leg,

(1) braces connecting the outer ends of said angle members and said long leg, (C) a chute receiving strap disposed between the outer ends of said angle members and being (1) pivotally connected thereto, (2) constructed of shock absorbent material, (D) a chain carried by one of said angle members and adapted to extend around a chute,

(1) hook means on the other of said angle members for securing said chain, (B) an arcuate brace connecting said angle members intermediate the ends thereof and having (1) a lower central portion, (2) a ring about said central portion, and (3) a pulley connected to said ring whereby said bracket can be clamped to the upper edge of said silo and utilized to raise the filling chute into position and thereafter to secure said chute to a silo.

2. A device for application on the upper end of a silo to support a filling chute in a position that material may be discharge therethrough into the silo and thereafter said device removed, said device comp-rising a bracket having a portion adapted to hook over the upper end of the silo wall and extend downwardly along the interior of the silo sufiiciently to insure retention in place, said bracket also having a portion of a length to extend downwardly on the exterior of the silo wall sutficiently to provide an extended support for said bracket, a pair of spaced filling chute supporting arms fixed to said bracket and extending outwardly therefrom, a relatively soft, hi hly flexible strap extended between and pivotally connected to the outer portions of said arms for receiving the filling chute and accommodating the angle and configuration thereof, and means for disposition around the remote side of the chute from said highly flexible member for fastening the chute in place.

3. The structure of claim 2 having means fastened to said bracket for raising and lowering the chute.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,5 3 8,449 1/51 Freshwater 248229 2,870,984 1/59 Koser 248-229 FOREIGN PATENTS 315,339 2/34 Italy.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A REMOVABLE BRACKET FOR ATTACHING A FILLING CHUTE TO THE TOP OF A SILO COMPRISING (A) AN ADJUSTABLE CLAMP HAVING (1) A LONG LEG FOR DISPOSITION EXTERIORLY OF A SILO, (2) A SHORT LEG FOR DISPOSITION WITHIN A SILO, (3) SAID SHORT LEG BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID LONG LEG, (4) MEANS FOR SECURING SAID LEGS IN ADJUSTED POSITION, (B) A PAIR OF OUTWARDLY DIVERGING ANGLE MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID LONG LEG, (1) BRACES CONNECTING THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ANGLE MEMBERS AND SAID LONG LEG, (C) A CHUTE RECEIVING STRAP DISPOSED BETWEEN THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID ANGLE MEMBERS AND BEING (1) PIVOTALLY CONNECTED THERETO, (2) CONSTRUCTED OF SHOCK ABSORBENT MATERIAL, (D) A CHAIN CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID ANGLE MEMBERS AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND AROUND A CHUTE, (1) HOOK MEANS ON THE OTHER OF SAID ANGLE MEMBERS FOR SECURING SAID CHAIN, (E) AN ARCUATE BRACE CONNECTING SAID ANGLE MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND HAVING (1) A LOWER CENTRAL PORTION, (2) A RING ABOUT SAID CENTRAL PORTION, AND (3) A PULLEY CONNECTED TO SAID RING WHEREBY SAID BRACKET CAN BE CLAMPED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID SILO AND UTILIZED TO RAISE THE FILLING CHUTE INTO POSITION AND THEREAFTER TO SECURE SAID CHUTE TO A SILO.