WO2016023079A1

WO2016023079A1 - Collapsible mobile silo

Info

Publication number: WO2016023079A1
Application number: PCT/AU2015/050456
Authority: WO
Inventors: Adam John BENSON
Original assignee: Undercon Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-08-12
Filing date: 2015-08-12
Publication date: 2016-02-18
Also published as: AU2015303832B2; AU2015303832A1

Abstract

A collapsible mobile silo (1) for storing and delivering flowable materials and that is readily transportable and erectable. The collapsible mobile silo (1) has a collapsible frame structure with a silo supporting part (10) and a transportable part (11). The silo part (10) has two end portions (101, 102) spaced apart by at least one side rail (121) connected to the end portions (101, 102) and a side wall (103) situated between and connected to the end portions. The side wall (103) is adapted to be taught when the collapsible mobile silo is in an erected state and loosened when the collapsible mobile silo is in a collapsible state. The side rail has two portions (114, 115) that are pivotally connected to one another so as to allow the two portions to be co-axially aligned when the collapsible mobile silo is in an erected state and to pivot relative to each other when collapsing the collapsible mobile silo to the collapsible state. The transportable part (11) has two horizontally extending spaced apart rails (111) with wheels (119) so to allow the collapsible mobile silo (1) to be transported in a collapsed state. At least one upright (112) has one end pivotally attached to a distal end of one of the horizontal rails (111) and the other end of the upright (112) attached to the upper most end portion (101) the silo supporting part (10). The lower most end portion (102) of the silo supporting part (10) is pivotally attached to the opposite distal end of each of the horizontal rails 111. At least one cross brace (113) extends between a horizontal rail (111) and the side rail (121) where the cross brace (113) is pivotally connected to a respective horizontal rail (111) and is pivotally connected to one of the portions of the side rail (121) adjacent the pivot connection. The silo supporting part (10) and the transportable part (11) are arranged and adapted, due to the pivotal connections and raising and lowering means, to move from an erected state to a collapsed state so as to allow the collapsible mobile silo to be easily transported when in the collapsed state and able to store and dispense flowable materials when in the erected state.

Description

Collapsible Mobile Silo

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a Collapsible Mobile Silo for storing and delivering flowable materials and that is readily transportable and erectable.

Background of Invention

There are many bulk storage silos available in the market place capable of storing a wide variety of products from every Industry market place. The most common use of bulk silos is in the agricultural sector where silos are used to store grain for on farm use, production mills, feed lots, export terminals, etc. Another common use for silos is for the storage of cement powder and fly ash powder used in the formation of ready mixed concrete.

Silos as a general rule are vertical cylinders with a cone shaped base to funnel the contents to a collection point for discharge. Most silos are constructed from light gauge steel with heavy members to give structural support.

One of the main problems encountered with silos is that they are not easily transportable. Most silos are fixed structures and are too bulky and heavy to transport as a whole. Those silos that are transportable usually exceed the maximum allowable road width, for example 2.5 meters in New South Wales in Australia. As a result special pemiits need to be obtained prior to transport and certain requirements need to be met to comply with the permit such as licensed escort vehicles leading and following the load, correct signage, limited time of day travel windows, limited travel routes, height and width restrictions and specialized transport trailers.

The further main problem is erecting the silos once on site. Secure engineered foundations need to be in place to receive the silo. A suitable crane must be sourced and have access to site with licensed and competent tradesmen to install the silo. These requirements need careful planning and significant costs are incurred to achieve them.

Vertical silos have a significant negative visual impact on the surrounding area and are limited by the proximity of overhead power lines and services. Prior References:

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications may be referred to herein; this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or in any other country.

Definitions:

It is acknowledged that the term 'comprise' may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term 'comprise' shall have an inclusive meaning - i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term 'comprised' or 'comprising' is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible mobile silo that ameliorates some of the disadvantages and limitations of the known art or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Summary of Invention

In a first aspect the invention resides in a collapsible mobile silo for storing and delivering flowable materials and that is readily transportable and erectable, the collapsible mobile silo includes a collapsible frame structure with a silo supporting part and a transportable part; wherein:

a) the silo supporting part includes two end portions spaced apart by at least one side rail connected to the end portions and a side wall situated between and connected to the end portions, the side wall is adapted to be taught when the collapsible mobile silo is in an erected state and loosened when the collapsible mobile silo is in a collapsible state; the side rail has two portions that are pivotally connected to one another so as to allow the two portions to be co-axially aligned when the collapsible mobile silo is in an erected state and to pivot relative to each other when collapsing the collapsible mobile silo to the collapsible state; and

b) the transportable part includes two horizontally extending spaced apart rails with transportable means so to allow the collapsible mobile silo to be transported in a collapsed state, at least one upright with one end pivotally attached to a distal end of one of the horizontal rails and the other end of the upright attached to the upper most end portion the silo supporting part, the lower most end portion of the silo supporting part is pivotally attached to the opposite distal end of each of the horizontal rails, at least one cross brace that extends between a horizontal rail and the side rail where the cross brace is pivotally connected to a respective horizontal rail and is pivotally connected to one of the portions of the side rail adjacent the pivot connection, wherein the silo supporting part and the transportable part are arranged and adapted, due to the pivotal connections and raising and lowering means, to move from an erected state to a collapsed state so as to allow the collapsible mobile silo to be easily transported when in the collapsed state and able to store and dispense flowable materials when in the erected state.

Preferably, the silo supporting part forms a cylinder when the collapsible mobile silo is in the erect position.

Preferably, the raising and lowering means is a hydraulic ram. Preferably, the pivot connections are hinges. Preferably, side wall is made from a flexible material.

Preferably, the flexible material is made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fabric. Preferably, the transportable means are wheels.

Preferably, the transportable part has retractable support legs to support the collapsible mobile silo when in the erected and use position. Preferably, the collapsible mobile silo is a trailer capable of being towed by a vehicle.

Preferably, the collapsible mobile silo has adjustable bracing pivotally connected to the upright of the transportable part, the bracing is adapted to be moveable between a collapsed state during transportation of the silo and an erect state when the silo is to be used, such that in the erect state the bracing forms a right angle triangular configuration extending outwardly from the collapsible frame structure

Any other aspects herein described Brief Description

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front side perspective view of a collapsible mobile silo in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a rear side perspective view of the collapsible mobile silo as shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear side perspective view of a collapsible mobile silo in a collapsed state in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a front side perspective view of the collapsible mobile silo as shown in figure 3 with a vehicle.

Figure 5 is a top view of the collapsible mobile silo as shown in figure 4. Figure 6 is a side view of the collapsible mobile silo as shown in figure 4. Figure 7 is a front view of the collapsible mobile silo as shown in figure 4. Description of the Preferred Embodiment(s):

The following description will describe the invention in relation to preferred embodiments of the invention, namely a collapsible mobile silo. The invention is in no way limited to these preferred embodiments as they are purely to exemplify the invention only and that possible variations and modifications would be readily apparent without departing from the scope of the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a collapsible mobile silo 1 in an erected state. The silo 1 has a silo portion 10 mounted on a transportable collapsible frame structure 11. The side wall 103 of the silo portion 10 is connected to two end portions, namely top end 101 and bottom end 102. Extending between the top end and bottom end are a pair of spaced apart side rails 121 (only one shown in figure 1 & 2) consisting of two rails 114, 115 pivotally connected to another, preferably via a hinge 120. A curved support 104 extends between the two spaced apart rails 121 in order to provide support to the side wall of the side wall 103 of the silo portion 10.

The transportable collapsible frame structure 11 has two horizontally extending spaced apart rails 111 with wheels 119 to allow the collapsible mobile silo 1 to be transported in a collapsed state, preferably towed by a vehicle 20 (see figures 4 to 7). Effectively the width of the transportable collapsible frame structure 11 is same width of a standard vehicle so that it is able to be transported on roads in the same or similar way to vehicles towing trailers. The transportable collapsible frame structure 11 has an upright 112 with one end 1121 pivotally attached to a distal end 1111 of each rail 111 and the other end 1122 attached to the top end 101 of the silo portion 10. The bottom end 102 of the silo portion is pivotally attached to the opposite distal end 1112 of each of the rails 111. Pair of cross braces 113 extend between the horizontal rails 111 and the side rails 121 where each cross brace is pivotally connected to a respective horizontal rail 111 at a position toward the front of the horizontal rail 111 and is pivotally connected to the rail 115 just adjacent the hinge 120. The transportable collapsible frame structure 11 has retractable support legs 117 to support the silo when in the erected and use position. Hydraulic rams 118 situated at the rear of the of the transportable collapsible frame structure 11 are attached to the frame structure and to the rear end 102 of the silo portion 10 where the hydraulic rams are used to collapse and erect the collapsible mobile silo 1. When the rams 118 are activated the frame 111 collapses through the collection of pivot points (hinges) and geometric mechanical advantages applied to the upright 112, brace 113 of the frame structure 111 and the side rail 121 of the silo portion 10. Self-locking pins couple the members together without the need of manual engagement. Figures 3 to 7 show the collapsible mobile silo 1 in a collapsed state ready for transportation - for ease of showing the structural elements the side wall 103 is not shown in figures 3 to 7. To erect the silo the hydraulic rams 118 are activated to extend the uprights 112 and brace 113 which in turn causes the side rails 121 to extend the top end and side walls in to the use position (as shown in figures 1 & 2). When the frame is safely in the use position additional fasteners can be put in place prior to filling the silo cylinder. To level the mobile silo prior to filling and to transfer the gross weight to the foundation material, four heavy duty 10 tonne adjustable support legs 117 are installed at the points of maximum load on the frame structure 11.

Bracing for wind loading is provided by four lock in diagonal braces that swing out from the vertical members of the silo.

In order to provide stability to the collapsible frame structure 11 when in the erect state (as shown in figures 1 & 2), additional telescopic bracing 13 can be connected to the main upright 112 in the vertical position and the trailer sub-frame in the horizontal position with a jacking leg 131 connected to the terminating junction of the bottom beams 132, 135 and angled telescoping beams 133, 134 of the bracing 13. The jacking leg 131 provides adjustment to ensure the silo is fundamentally stable when in the erected state. The telescopic beams 133, 134 consist of 2 x RHS beams that slide one inside the other, secured to the main upright 112 and horizontal beams 132, 135 with swivel pins and when extended create a right angle triangle.

The side wall 103 of the silo forms a silo storage cylinder and is made from heavy duty thermoplastic polyurethane TPU fabric with excellent corrosive and abrasive capabilities. The cylinder fabric is UV protected, fire resistant and Anti static. The cylinder fabric is foldable so as to allow silo to be collapse and be taught when the silo is in the erected state. The TPU fabric is attached to the support frame with straps in a manner that allows it to fold up inside the support frame without the need to remove it.

The collapsible mobile preferably has a narrow width of 2.4 meters such that it is able to meet the maximum vehicle width compliance rules. The low GVM of 4.495 gives greater scope to the range of tow vehicles and reduces the on road costs. The silo can be used for storing most bulk liquids including petroleum fuel and oil, molasses and some corrosive solutions.

When the silo is used for storing powders such as cement and fly ash a unique air ripple slide carries the dry product to the point of discharge ensuring minimal retention of product in the silo. For conveyance of product from the silo a screw elevator with 90 degree articulation capability is included in the configuration.

The collapsible mobile silo preferably has the following specifications:

• Capacity Volume: 18 Cubic Meters

• Capacity SWL: 27,000kg

• Tare Weight: 4,400 kg

• Aggregate Weight: 31,400kg

The outstanding features of the collapsible mobile silo are:

• the ease of transport with a low trailer GVM of 4.5 tonne.

• extremely low profile of 3m high by 2.4m wide x 6m long.

• the absolute ease of erection through the one function hydraulic lift system.

• excellent stability,

• no permanent footings required,

• low centre of gravity compared to traditional silos,

• low profile,

• low maintenance costs,

• fast and easy to relocate when and where you want. Variations

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is hereinbefore described.

Claims

Claim 1 : A collapsible mobile silo for storing and delivering flowable materials and that is readily transportable and erectable, the collapsible mobile silo includes a collapsible frame structure with a silo supporting part and a transportable part; wherein:

b) the transportable part includes two horizontally extending spaced apart rails with transportable means so to allow the collapsible mobile silo to be transported in a collapsed state, at least one upright with one end pivotally attached to a distal end of one of the horizontal rails and the other end of the upright attached to the upper most end portion the silo supporting part, the lower most end portion of the silo supporting part is pivotally attached to the opposite distal end of each of the horizontal rails, at least one cross brace that extends between a horizontal rail and the side rail where the cross brace is pivotally connected to a respective horizontal rail and is pivotally connected to one of the portions of the side rail adjacent the pivot connection.

wherein the silo supporting part and the transportable part are arranged and adapted, due to the pivotal connections and raising and lowering means, to move from an erected state to a collapsed state so as to allow the collapsible mobile silo to be easily transported when in the collapsed state and able to store and dispense flowable materials when in the erected state.

Claim 2: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silo supporting part forms a cylinder when the collapsible mobile silo is in the erect position.

Claim 3 : The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the raising and lowering means is a hydraulic ram. Claim 4: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot connections are hinges.

Claim 5: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall is made from a flexible material.

Claim 6: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible material is made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fabric.

Claim 7: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transportable means are wheels.

Claim 8: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transportable part has retractable support legs to support the collapsible mobile silo when in the erected and use position.

Claim 9: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the collapsible mobile silo is a trailer capable of being towed by a vehicle.

Claim 10: The collapsible mobile silo as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the collapsible mobile silo has adjustable bracing pivotally connected to the upright of the transportable part, the bracing is adapted to be moveable between a collapsed state during transportation of the silo and an erect state when the silo is to be used, such that in the erect state the bracing forms a right angle triangular configuration extending outwardly from the collapsible frame structure.