US3233796A - Device for thoroughly emptying boot silos - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 8, 1966 Filed April 2l,

A. REIMBERT 3,233,796

DEVICE FOR THOROUGHLY EMPTYING BOOT SILOS 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. s, 196s A. REMBERT 3,233,793

DEVICE FOR THOROUGHLY EMPTYING BOOT SILOS Filed April 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 9

United States Patent Oiliee 3,233,796 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 7 Claims. (l. zzz-464) This invention relates to devices for thoroughly emptying boot silos for grains or pulverulent materials which are equipped either with a vertical anti-dynamic tube associated or not with an inclined discharge tube, or simply with an inclined centering discharge tube when the boot discharge orifice is disposed eccentrically.

In either case it is known to provide at the lower end of the anti-dynamic tube or of the inclined tube which underlies the discharge orifice a collar or flange having substantially the shape of an inverted funnel of which the lower edge somewhat spaced above the upper edge of said discharge orice projects therefrom when seen in horizontal plane, thus permitting the complete discharge of the silo, the residual material in the bottom of said boot passing between the walls of said boot and the edge of said funnel-shaped collar or iiange at the end of the discharge operation. Of course, the relative spacing of these two members should be calculated with a view to prevent the passage of the siloed mass oi material until the latter ows through the anti-dynamic tube or the inclined tube, the pressure exerted by the upper strata of said material producing till then, in the gap thus left between said two members, a kind of wedging of said material as a function of its internal angle of friction. On the other hand, when the pressure of said upper strata of material has decreased sufliciently as a consequence of the discharge in progress through the discharge tube, the flow should be started and completed by causing the material to pass through said gap. However, it is frequently observed that the known funnel-shaped collar or liange disposed at the lower end of the discharge tube is subjected in the inoperative conditions to stress in proportion to the height and density of the siloed mass. Therefore, this funnel-shaped member is liable to deteriorate inasmuch as its position on the end of a tube mounted inside the silo increases its fragility and makes its mounting or replacement rather awkward.

It is the essential object of the present invention to provide a boot-silo discharge device having the same function as the arrangement broadly described hereniabove but which is free of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the device of this invention being applicable to any boot-silo having a central or eccentric discharge orifice.

With this object in View, the present invention provides a device capable of discharging completely a silo for storing granular or pulverulent materials, which comprises a boot and is equipped with an inclined discharge tube connected or not to a vertical anti-dynamic discharge tube or a tube acting as a centering member, the lower end of said inclined tube coacting with said discharge orifice of said boot and also with an auxiliary adjustment member with a view to thoroughly emptying of the silo, this device being characterized in that the lower end of said inclined discharge tube underlying the boot opens into a kind of funnel surrounding the lower end of said boot and having an inherent discharge aperture, the discharge orifice of said boot also opening into said funnel, the communication between said two members being adjusted by means of an inclined baiiie plate disposed therebetween in said funnel so as to provide at least y URES 4, 5 and 6, the device is further simplified.

one throttled passage such that the ow of said material through said throttled passage is permitted only at the end of the ow of material through said inclined discharge tube, thus emptying the silo completely.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of this invention and of the manner in which the same may be carried out in practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example typical forms of embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a section taken upon the line I-I of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plane view from beneath of the device;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the same device;

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are views corresponding to FIG- URES l, 2 and 3 respectively, but showing an alternate form of embodiment of the device of this invention;

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 are likewise and respectively a sectional View, a plane view from above and a vertical section taken upon the line IX-IX of FIGURE 7, showing a third form of embodiment of this invention;

FIGURES 10, ll and 12 are an axial elevational section, a horizontal section taken upon the line XI-XI of FIGURE l2, and a side elevational view of a modified form of embodiment, and

FIGURE 13 is a diagram illustrating the application of this invention to a silo boot having an eccentric discharge orice.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a silo boot having substantially the shape of a frustum of a pyramid having a square base, the inner space 2 of the silo being provided with a conventional discharge orifice 3 also of quadrangular con-figuration. The silo is provided with a conventional anti-dynamic discharge tube i which in this example is juxtaposed to the inner wall of the silo and formed with perforations 5. This tube 4 extends through the boot 1 and is connected to the inclined discharge tube proper 6 disposed externally of this boot and applied preferably (but not compulsorily) against the outer face thereof, as shown. At its lower portion this tube 6 opens into a kind of substantially quadrangular funnel 7 formed at its lower end with a discharge aperture 8 odset verti-v cally and laterally in relation to the discharge orifice 3i of the hopper. This funnel is bound on the left-hand side (as seen in FIGURE l) by a transverse wall 9 in-` clined to the vertical and merging into the lower dis-- charge aperture 8 at a point A. This inclined Wall 9 is: combined with a bafiie plate 10 secured on the lower edge of the outiiow orice 3 and directed transversally eg. substantially at right angles to said wall 9. Between the free edge B of this baiiie plate 10 and the wall 9 a gap 11 is provided. As clearly shown in FIGURES 2. and 3, the baiiie plate 10 extends throughout the width of funnel 7.

As shown by this first example the device of this invention is particularly simple, economical and efficient, and requires no additional control or handling operation, since the switching from 'outflow through the conventional tubes to residual outilow takes place automatically.

In the second form of embodiment illustrated in FIG- In this alternate example only the discharge device and the inclined tube 6a are shown, but as in the preceding form of embodiment this tube is assumed to ybe connected to, say, an anti-dynamic vtube (not shown). This tube 6a opens into a box 7a similar .to the funnel 7 of the preceding example, and this box 7a has likewise at its lower end a discharge aperture 8a. The essential diiference 'between the two devices lies in the fact that the baiile plate 10a constitutes in this case an extension of the corresponding lower face of the boot and has th-e same width as the funnel 7a. The inclined Wall 9a lof funn-el '7a is secured on the outer edge of the discharge orifice 3 of the main boot. As clearly shown, the siloed material is compelled to flow .through the gap lia provided between the free edge of plate 10a .and .the wall 9a.

Referring now to the diagrammatic FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 it will be seen that they derive directly from FIGURES 4, and 6 respectively but apply to the specific case of `a solid-walled boot 1a of concrete or like material, or a boot supported directly by the door. The inclined face 9b cor-responds to the inclined face 9a of FlGURE 4. As in FIGURE 4 the balile plate lla is the extension of one of the faces 1a of the main boot .and has an edge B locate-d inside the funnel '7a. It -may be noted that in this specific examplethe lower discharge aperture Se is disposed just under the discharge oriiice 3a of the boot.

The vform of embodiment `according to the diagrams of FIGURES 10, l1 and l2 difiers from the preceding one, as proved more particularly by a comparison between the diagrammatic FIGURES 7 and l0, by the fact that it is not the boot wail ia to which the inclined discharge tube 6a is juxtaposed, but the opposite wail 1b having to, this end an extension underlying the upper end of the discharge orifice `of the boot to constitute .the battle plate 10a having a lower edge A. This plate, in combination with the lower edge B of wall 1a, constitutes the throttling gap 11a and its lower edge`A, in combination with the lower wall of the inclined tube, constitutes the gap ilb, the residual siloed material llowing automatically through these two gaps immediately when the ilow through the inclined tube 6b has ceased.

Of course, lother inclined discharge tubes connected or not .to anti-dynamic or centering discharge tubes may -be disposed -under the face 1b of the lboot and adapted to open into the same discharge funnel 8a without being provided with the device shown in FIGURE 10, the latter being sufficient per se to complete the emptying of the silo.

As clearly shown by the diagrammatic FIGURE 13 the device of this invention is also applicable to boot silos having an eccentric discharge orice. In this case the inclined discharge tube 6c is also shown as being applied against the inclined face 1c of the boot constituting the bottom of the silo 2. The upper end 6d of tube 6c extends within the silo and may be connected therein to lan anti-dynamic perforated tube, the lower end of this tube 6c opening as in the other forms of embodiment into the funnel 7 formed at its lower end with the discharge aperture 8. The throttled passage provided in the preceding forms of embodiment consists in this case of the inclined wall 9c and .the baille plate ltib registers with this wall 9c and has its edge disposed at a properly calculated spacing so that the resulting gap llc has the same function as the gaps 11, 11a and 11b of the preceding forms of embodiment.

Of course, the typical examples described hereinabove ink conjunction with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as many modifications may be brought thereto without departing from the basic principles of the invention. Although in these forms of embodiment the boots and funnels illustrated have the shape of quadrangular frustums of pyramids in order to simplify the drawings, it is clear that the invention is also applicable to apparatus and silos tof which the boots and funnels have the shape of polygonal frustums of pyramid or cone having any desired crosssectional conguration. The orice 8, Sa are provided with hand-controlled valves or shutters.

What l claim is:

l. An arrangement for emptying a silo loaded with granular or pulverulent material and having an upper portion and a bottom portion tapering towards its lower end and formed at said lower end with a discharge orifice, Sa1d arrangement comprising a substantially vertical tube having an inlet portion in said upper portion of said silo for receiving material frornsaid upper silo portion, said vertical tube extending with a lower end portion thereof through said bottom portion of said silo; a discharge tube joined at its upper end to said lower end of said vertical tube and extending inclined to the latter toward said discharge orice; funnel means located beneath said discharge orice `and communicating at an upper wider end thereof with said dis-charge orifice and with a lower end of said discharge tube, said funnel means being in part defined by a downwardly inclined wall plate having an upper edge located at one side of said discharge orice; and a downwardly inclined baffle plate having an upper edge located at the other side of said discharge orifice and in the region of said upper end of said funnel means and extending from said upper edge lof said baffle plate toward said wall plate transversally thereto with the lower free edge of said baille plate spaced a small distance from said Wall plate and deiining a restricted passage therewith, one of said plates forming substantially a continuation .of said discharge tube so as to direct material flowing therethrough against the other plate and onto the region of the latter beneath said restricted passage, so that, as long as material flows through said discharge tube, the dynamic pressure of the material iiowing there` through against said region of said other plate will prevent outliow of material from said silo through said discharge oriiice and said restricted passage.

2. An arrangement for emptying a silo loaded with granular or pulverulent material and having an upper portion and a ibotttom portion tapering towards its lower end and formed at said lower end with a discharge orifice, said arrangement comprising a substantially vertical tube having an inlet portion in said upper portion of said silo for receiving material from said upper silo portion, said vertical tube extending with a lower end portion thereof through said bottom portion of said silo; a discharge tube joined at its upper end to said lower end of said vertical tube and extending inclined to the latter toward said discharge orifice; funnel means located beneath said discharge orifice and communicating at an upper wider end thereof with said discharge orifice and with a lower end of said discharge tube, said .funnel means being in part defined by a wall having an upper edge located at one side of said discharge orifice and extending from said upper edge downwardly inclined and in the direction opposite to the inclination of said discharge tube and facing with a portion thereof the lower end of the latter; and a downwardly inclined battle plate having an upper edge located at the other side of said discharge orifice and in the region of said upper end of said funnel means and extending lfrom said upper edge of said baffle plate toward said wall transversally thereto with the lower free edge of said baffle plate spaced a small distance from said wall and defining a restricted passage therewith, said baffle plate forming substantially a continuation of said discharge tube so as to direct material flowing therethrough against said wall and onto the region of the latter beneath said restricted passage, so that, as long as material flows through said discharge tube, the dynamic pressure of the material ilowing therethrough against said region of said Wall will prevent outflow of material from said silo through said discharge orifice and said restricted passage.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said upper edge of said baille plate is connected to said discharge tube along an upper edge portion of the lower end of the latter.

4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein the lower edge of said inclined wall is located substantially centrally beneath said discharge orifice.

5. An arrangement as set -forth in claim 2, wherein References Cited by the Examiner the upper and the lower edges of said inclined wall are e both located at said one side of said discharge orifice. UNITED UTATES PATENTS 6. An arrangement as set 'forth in claim 1, wherein 2994460 8/1961 Matthews 222-149 X said baille plate is inclined in a direction opposite to 5 3029986 4/1962 Hom et al* 222-478 the inclination of said discharge tube and faces the FOREIGN PATENTS lower end of the latter. 1,031,936 6/1954 Fran '7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein 521,025 5/1940 Great Britain said vertical tube is formed in said inlet region thereof with a plurality of perforations spaced circumferentially 10 RAPHAEL M' LUPO Prmary Examiner' and vertically from each other. ROBERT B. REEVES, F. R. HANDREN, Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR EMPTYING A SILO LOADED WITH GRANULAR OR PULVERULENT MATERIAL AND HAVING AN UPPER PORTION AND A BOTTOM PORTION TAPERING TOWARDS ITS LOWER END AND FORMED AT SAID LOWER END WITH A DISCHARGE ORIFICE, SAID ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TUBE HAVING AN INLET PORTION IN SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID SILO FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL FROM SAID UPPER SILO PORTION SAID VERTICAL TUBE EXTENDING WITH A LOWER END PORTION THEREOF THROUGH SAID BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID SILO; A DISCHARGE TUBE JOINED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID LOWER END OF SAID VERTICAL TUBE AND EXTENDING INCLINED TO THE LATTER TOWARD SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE; FUNNEL MEANS LOCATED BENEATH SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE AND COMMUNICATING AT AN UPPER WIDER END THEREOF WITH SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE AND WITH A LOWER END OF SAID DISCHARGE TUBE, SAID FUNNEL MEANS BEING IN PART DEFINED BY A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED WALL PLATE HAVING AN UPPER EDGE LOCATED AT ONE SIDE OF SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE; AND A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED BAFFLE PLATE HAVING AN UPPER EDGE LOCATED AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE AND IN THE REGION OF SAID UPPER END OF SAID FUNNEL MEANS AND EXTENDING FROM SAID UPPER EDGE OF SAID BAFFLE PLATE TOWARD SAID WALL PLATE TRANSVERSALLY THERETO WITH THE LOWER FREE EDGE OF SAID BAFFLE PLATE SPACED A SMALL DISTANCE FROM SAID WALL PLATE AND DEFINING A RESTRICTED PASSAGE THEREWITH, ONE OF SAID PLATES FORMING SUBSTANTIALLY A CONTINUATION OF SAID DISCHARGE TUBE SO AS TO DIRECT MATERIAL FLOWING THERETHROUGH AGAINST THE OTHER PLATE AND ONTO THE REGION OF THE LATTER BENEATH SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE, SO THAT, AS LONG AS MATERIAL FLOWS THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE TUBE, THE DYNAMIC PRESSURE OF THE MATERIAL FLOWING THERETHROUGH AGAINST SAID REGION OF SAID OTHER PLATE WILL PREVENT OUTFLOW OF MATERIAL FROM SAID SILO THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE AND SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE.

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