DEVICE FOR DISCHARGING PULVERULENT PRODUCTS CONTAINED IN A SILO

DISPOSITIF POUR DEGARNIR UN SILO DE SON CONTENU PULVERULENT

English Abstract

IN THE CANADIAN PATENT OFFICE
PATENT APPLICATION
entitled : DEVICE FOR DISCHARGING PULVERULENT
PRODUCTS CONTAINED IN A SILO.
Applicant : GUERY S.A.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Device for discharging pulverulent products
contained in a cylindrical silo, the discharge of said
products taking place in an appropriate part of the
lower periphery of the silo.
A radial horizontal arm is equipped with an
Archimedean screw, said arm being placed in the immediate
vicinity of the lowest part of the silo and being mounted
on a turret.
A fixed vertical shaft, placed inside the turret
co-axially to the silo, is provided with a first pinion
which cooperates with a second pinion wedged on the shaft
of the Archimedean screw. Means are also provided to
rotate the arm and the turret about the axis of the silo.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property of privilege is claimed, are defined as
follows:
1. A device for discharging pulverulent products
contained in a cylindrical silo, the discharge of said products
taking place in an appropriate part of the lower periphery of
the silo, said device comprising a radial horizontal arm
equipped with an Archimedean screw, said arm being placed
in the immediate vicinity of the lowest part of the silo and
being mounted on a turret while a fixed vertical shaft is placed
inside the turret co-axially with the silo and is provided
with a first pinion which cooperates with a second pinion wedged
on the shaft of the Archimedean screw, whereas means are
provided to drive the arm and turret in rotation about the
axis of the silo, wherein a cylindrical bin of diameter smaller
than that of the silo and having an upper tray constitutes both
the support for the device and the lowest part of the silo,
which bin comprises a flange which extends radially as far as
the cylindrical wall of the silo and defines a peripheral
groove with said upper tray and wherein said drive means are
constituted by an endless chain housed in said groove and
coupled to the outer end of the horizontal arm, said groove
further presenting an opening in which is placed a sprocket-
wheel which cooperates with the chain and is driven by a motor
situated inside the bin.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chain
is provided with horizontal blades extending radially,
situated in the immediate vicinity of the flange of the bin.
3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one
opening is provided in the flange of the bin, said opening

constituting a discharge conduit and being equipped with an
adjustable closing off member.

Description

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The present invention relates to a device for dis-
charging pulverulent products contained in a silo.
Devices for emptying flat-bottomed silos containing
granulated or pulverulent products are already known, par-
ticularly from French Patents 1 256 579 and 2 4~9 04~.
These devices however necessitate some rather important
masonry works be~fore they can be used and moreover, they
are relatively complex and e~pensive.
The object of the present invention is to propose a
device of the aforesaid type which is adapta~le to silos
of all types, said device being designed to be just laid
and secured on a flat ground. In known manner, a silo-
emptying device comprises a radial horizontal arm equipped
with an Archimedean screw, said arm being situated in the
immediate vicinity of the lowest part of the silo. Said
arm is further mounted on a turret whose pivoting axis
substantially coincides with the axis of the silo. A fixed
: vertical sha~t, placed inside the turret supports a first
pinion which cooperates with a second pinion wedged on the
shaft of the Archimedean screw, whereas means are provided
to drive the arm and turret in rotation about the axis of
thç s.ilo.
According to the invention, a cylindrical bin
of smaller diameter than the silo, constitutes both the
support for the the device and the base part of the silo,
said b i n comprising a Elange which extends radially as
: far as the cylindrical wall of the silo and defines a
peripheral groove with the plate projecting at the top of
the b i n . Said groove is a means of housing an endless
chain to which is coupled the outer end of the pivoting
arm, and presents an opening in which is situated a
sprocket-wheel which cooperate with the chain and is driven
by a motor situated inside the bin.
The invention will be more readily understood on
reading the following description with reEerence to the

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accompanying drawings, in which :
- Figure l is a diagrammatical elevational and
cross-sectional view of a silo equipped with a discharging
device according to the invention.
; S - Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in
Figure l.
Referring to the drawings, these show a cylindrical
silo designated by the general reference 1, placed above
a discharging device designated by the general reference
2.
The device support, which is also the bottom part
of the silo, is constituted by a cylindrical bin 3 whose
base 3a simply rests on a flat ground where it is anchored
by any suitable means. The diameter of the bin 3 is
smaller than that of 'che cylindrical wall la of the silo
and comprises at its upper part and at some distance
below upper tray 3b, a flange 5 which extends radially
as far as the wall la of the silo on which it is fixed by
any suitable means.
The outer periphery of flange 5 is joined to the
base 3a o the bin via appropriate reinforcing elements
preferably open-work elements.
The aforedescribed structure is rigid enough to
support the weight of the silo and of any granulated or
pùlverulent materials contained therein; in addition, the
tray 3b projecting at the top of the bin, and the flange
5 define together with the cylindrical wall 3c of the
bin, a peripheral groove 7, the function of which is
specified hereinafter.
A vertical shaft 8 is fixed on the base 3a of the
bin, substantially co-axial to the silo, and acts as a
pivot Eor the discharging device proper, now to be
described.
A turret 9 i5 mounted for pivoting about the shaft 8
said turret actually supporting a radially-fltted hori-

2~52~7~
zontal arm 10. Said arm is equipped with an Archimedean
screw 11 whose sha~t 12 can pivot inside bearings pro-
vided on the turret. Arm 8 carries a first pinion 8a
which is fixed and meshes with a second pinion 12a
wedged on the shaft 12.
The outer end of shaft 12 is mounted for pivoting
inside a vertical support 13, which sùpport is fixed
on one of the links of an endless chain 14 situated
inside groove 7 of the bin 3.
Support and running members are obviously provided
to help moving the chain 14 inside the groove 7, this
being done in conditions set out hereinafter.
Some of the links of the chain 14 are fitted with
blades 15 which are preferably radial and situated in the
immediate vicinity of the upper surface of the flange 5.
Said flange also presentSat least one opening 5a, which
can be closed off by an adjustable valve 18 and which is
designed~to enable the products to flow out of the silo
to be collected and transported by any suitable means.
Finally, a motor 16 is preferably housed inside
the bin 3 and its shaft carries a sprocket-wheel 17
which cooperates with the links of chain 14 due to an
opening 7a provided in the groove 7.
The device according to the invention works as
follows .
The rotation of motor 16 rotates the sprocket-wheel
17 and as a result moves the chain 14 inside its circular
housing 7. The support 13 joined to the chain 14 moves
horizonkal arm 10 which, then, pivots, together with
the turret 9, about vertical shaft 8 Due to the coopera-
tion of the two pinions 8a and 12a, the shaft 12 pivots
on its axis so that Archimedean screw 11 carries away
the products contained in the silo and pours them on to
the flange 5. At the same time, the blades 15 scrape the
products deposited on the fl~nge and bring them to
opening 5a through which they are d~scharged.