Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GRAIN BIN HOPPER SUPPORT CONE WITH SUPPORT LEGS WHICH
ARE UNINTERRUPTED ALONG THEIR RESPECTIVE LENGTHS
BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM JUNCTIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to grain bins and more
particularly to structural bracing features of hopper support cones for grain
bins.
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, a frame system of a hopper bottom or support cone
comprises radial frame members spanning radially inwardly from support legs of
the
hopper bottom to an inverted cone shaped hopper wall at a location near a
bottom
end thereof which locates a central opening. These radial frame members are
considered to be essential components of conventional and commercially
available
hopper bottoms so as to provide sufficient support to the grain bin supported
above
the hopper cone; however, the radial frame members found in conventional
hopper
support cones obstruct access circumferentially around the hopper wall from
the
central opening upwardly along a height of the hopper wall. The obstruction of
the
radial frame members can make it difficult to manipulate the position of a
transfer
conveyor inlet such as an auger inlet below the central opening for
transferring
particulate material stored in the grain bin to another location.
Canadian Patent Application No. 2,825,610 belonging to the current
applicant schematically illustrates a hopper bottom or support cone having
support
legs connected at a bottom end by a perimeter footing. Although the support
legs are
shown to be uninterrupted along their length between a top junction with the
cone and
a bottom junction with the perimeter footing, in practice radial frame members
are
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provided between the legs and the bottom of the cone in order to rigidify the
structure
of the hopper bottom as the frame as schematically illustrated in CA 2,825,610
has
been previously found to provide insufficient support for a hopper bin
thereabove in
the absence of any additional rigidifying structure such as radial frame
members.
The applicant presents a unique solution which may overcome the
aforementioned potential shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a hopper
support cone for a grain bin comprising:
a hopper wall having an inverted cone shape so as to taper downwardly
and inwardly from a circumferentially extending peripheral edge at a top end
of the
hopper wall to a central opening at a bottom end spaced longitudinally from
the
peripheral edge along a longitudinal axis of the hopper wall;
a plurality of upright support legs supporting the hopper wall that are
located at circumferentially spaced positions thereabout;
the upright support legs spanning from a top end of the respective
support leg at or adjacent the peripheral edge of the hopper wall downwardly
to a
bottom end of the respective support leg below the central opening of the
hopper wall;
a perimeter footing support at the bottom ends of the plurality of support
legs that spans between each adjacent pair of the support legs so as to join
the
support legs for resting on a support surface;
a bottom junction joining each support leg and the footing support;
a plurality of upper bracing members each spanning radially inwardly
from a respective one of the support legs at an upper bracing location thereon
which
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is closer to the top end than the bottom end of the respective support leg to
the
hopper wall at a wall location thereon which is closer to the peripheral edge
than to
the central opening such that (i) each support leg is uninterrupted along a
continuous
portion of its length from the upper bracing location to the bottom junction
and (ii) a
continuous portion of the hopper wall between the wall location and the
central
opening is uninterrupted.
The embodiment described in more detail hereinafter functions free of
the radial frame members of the prior art by providing top and bottom
junctions at the
top and bottom ends of the support legs that brace connections between the
legs and
each one of the hopper wall and the footing support so as to rigidify a
structure of the
hopper support cone. The addition of bracing members at the top and bottom
junctions allow for a continuous intermediate portion of the length of each
support leg
to be uninterrupted and for a continuous lower portion of the hopper wall from
wall
locations of upper bracing members to the central opening to be uninterrupted.
As
such, access circumferentially around the hopper wall and along a height
thereof is
unobstructed from the central opening to the wall locations at which the upper
bracing
members are located, while the hopper bottom bin support maintains sufficient
strength to support various bins thereon.
In one arrangement, each upper bracing member comprises at least one
gusset plate disposed at the top end of the respective support leg so as to
extend
along the hopper wall from the wall location towards the peripheral edge and
along a
portion of the length of the respective support leg.
Preferably each bottom junction comprises a lower bracing member
spanning from the respective support leg at a lower bracing location thereon
which is
closer to the bottom end than to the top end of the respective support leg to
the
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footing support at a location thereon which is radially inward of the lower
bracing
location such that the continuous portion of the length of the respective
support leg
which is between the upper and lower bracing locations is uninterrupted.
Preferably each lower bracing member extends further from the
respective support leg in a transverse direction with respect to the
longitudinal axis
than in a longitudinal direction along the respective support leg.
In one arrangement, each lower bracing member comprises at least one
plate generally forming a gusset plate that is disposed at the bottom end of
each
support leg so as to extend along a portion of the length of the respective
support leg
and across a width of the footing support inwardly of the respective support
leg.
The at least one plate may extend inwardly beyond the footing support
so as to be connected thereto across an inner face of the footing support.
In one instance, the at least one plate comprises a pair of parallel side
plates respectively located at each side face of the respective support leg.
Each side plate may extend radially outwardly from the respective
support leg so as to extend outwardly beyond the footing support and connect
thereto
across an outer face of the footing support.
Each lower bracing member may include a top plate spanning between
the parallel side plates that is located at an inner face of the respective
support leg.
Each lower bracing member may include an end capping plate spanning
between the parallel side plates at innermost ends thereof. Furthermore, the
end
capping plate is thus located at an innermost end of the top plate.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a hopper
support cone for a grain bin comprising:
a hopper wall having an inverted cone shape so as to taper downwardly
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and inwardly from a circumferentially extending peripheral edge at a top end
of the
hopper wall to a central opening at a bottom end spaced longitudinally from
the
peripheral edge along a longitudinal axis of the hopper wall;
a plurality of upright support legs supporting the hopper wall that are
5 located at circumferentially spaced positions thereabout;
the upright support legs spanning from a top end of the respective
support leg at or adjacent the peripheral edge of the hopper wall downwardly
to a
bottom end of the respective support leg below the central opening of the
hopper wall;
a perimeter footing support at the bottom ends of the plurality of support
legs that spans between each adjacent pair of the support legs so as to join
the
support legs for resting on a support surface;
a top junction joining each support leg and the hopper wall;
a plurality of lower bracing members each spanning from a respective
one of the support legs at a lower bracing location thereon which is closer to
the
bottom end than the top end of the respective support leg to the footing
support at a
location thereon which is radially inward of the lower bracing location such
that (i)
each support leg is uninterrupted along a continuous portion of its length
from the
lower bracing location to the top junction and (ii) a continuous portion of
the hopper
wall from the central opening towards the peripheral edge is uninterrupted.
Preferably each lower bracing member extends further from the
respective support leg in a transverse direction with respect to the
longitudinal axis
than in a longitudinal direction along the respective support leg.
In one arrangement, each lower bracing member comprises at least one
plate generally forming a gusset plate that is disposed at the bottom end of
each
support leg so as to extend along a portion of the length of the respective
support leg
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and across a width of the footing support inwardly of the respective support
leg.
The at least one plate may extend inwardly beyond the footing support
so as to be connected thereto across an inner face of the footing support.
In one instance, the at least one plate comprises a pair of parallel side
plates respectively located at each side face of the respective support leg.
Each side plate may extend radially outwardly from the respective
support leg so as to extend outwardly beyond the footing support and connect
thereto
across an outer face of the footing support.
Each lower bracing member may include a top plate spanning between
the parallel side plates that is located at an inner face of the respective
support leg.
Each lower bracing member may include an end capping plate spanning
between the parallel side plates at innermost ends thereof. Furthermore, the
end
capping plate is thus located at an innermost end of the top plate.
Preferably each top junction comprises an upper bracing member
spanning radially inwardly from a respective one of the support legs at an
upper
bracing location thereon which is closer to the top end than the bottom end of
the
respective support leg to the hopper wall at a wall location thereon which is
closer to
the peripheral edge than to the central opening such that the continuous
portion of the
length of the respective support leg which is between the upper and lower
bracing
locations is uninterrupted and the continuous portion of the hopper wall which
is
between the central opening and the wall location is uninterrupted.
In one arrangement, each upper bracing member comprises at least one
gusset plate disposed at the top end of the respective support leg so as to
extend
along the hopper wall from the wall location towards the peripheral edge and
along a
portion of the length of the respective support leg.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of hopper support
cone according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 2-2 in Figure 1 with a gate
member at a central opening of a hopper wall omitted for clarity of
illustration.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view like that in Figure 3 but of another
embodiment of hopper support cone having a differently shaped footing support.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying figures, there is illustrated a hopper
support cone generally indicated by reference numeral 10 for supporting a
grain bin
thereon. The hopper support cone is suited for center unloading of the grain
bin. Such
hopper support cones may be formed integrally with the grain bin or may be
formed
as a separate component upon which a commercially available cylindrical bin
wall is
then supported, as in the first illustrated embodiment in which the
cylindrical bin wall is
indicated at 2.
The hopper support cone 10 comprises a hopper wall 12 which takes
the shape of an inverted cone. Thus, the hopper wall extends at a downward and
inward incline in a tapering fashion from a circumferentially extending
peripheral edge
14 at a top end to a central opening 16 at a bottom end. A suitable gate
member 17 is
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mounted across the central opening for selectively enclosing the opening. The
peripheral edge 14 and the central opening 16 are coaxially aligned with
respect to a
vertically oriented longitudinal axis of the hopper wall and thus are
longitudinally
spaced from one another. Moreover, the peripheral edge 14 corresponds
approximately in diameter to the diameter of the cylindrical bin wall 2 such
that the
cylindrical bin wall is arranged to be supported directly on or above the top
peripheral
edge of the hopper wall 12.
The hopper support cone includes a plurality of support legs 18 for
supporting the hopper wall in a position spaced above a support surface. The
support
legs 18 are located at equally circumferentially spaced positions about the
hopper wall
12. Each support leg carries the hopper wall with a top end 18A of the
respective
support leg located near the top end of the hopper wall 12 so as to be closer
to the
peripheral edge 14 than to the central opening 16. The respective leg 18 spans
vertically downwardly, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hopper wall
12, from the
top end 18A of the respective support leg that is at the peripheral edge of
the hopper
wall to a bottom end 18B of the support leg which is downwardly below the
central
opening 16 such that the central opening is held spaced above the support
surface. In
the illustrated embodiment, the support legs 18 are tubular and are
rectangular, for
example square, in cross-section transverse to their length. Furthermore, the
illustrated embodiment of Figures 1-3 shows six support legs; however, in
other
embodiments, a number of the support legs may be different than that shown in
accordance with the first illustrated embodiment.
The hopper support cone 10 includes an annular perimeter footing
support 20 mounted at the bottom ends 18B of the support legs. The footing
support
20 spans between each adjacent pair of the legs 18 so as join all of the legs
for
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resting on the support surface. As such, the footing support is arranged to be
supported on the support surface such as the ground or a suitable foundation
so as to
lie in a generally horizontal plane with a diameter which corresponds
approximately to
the diameter of the cylindrical bin wall 2 to be supported thereon. In the
illustrated
embodiment, the footing support 20 is an endless tubular member which is
circular in
shape (in plan view). However, in other embodiments, the annular perimeter
footing
support may be in the form of a polygon with a number of sides or segment
equal to
the number of the support legs 18. For example, as in Figure 4 and indicated
at 20',
the annular perimeter footing support may be octagonal in shape so as to
locate each
one of the eight support legs of a second illustrated embodiment at a
respective
vertex of the octagon shaped footing support. Further to the diameter of the
footing
support, a width of the tubular member is greater than a thickness of the
support leg
measured across the width of the tubular member which forms the footing
support.
The support legs 18 are positioned on the footing support 20 such that outer
faces
19A of the support legs that face outwardly away from the hopper wall are
generally
aligned in a vertical plane with a peripheral outer face 20A of the footing
support
about an outer periphery thereof. Since the footing support's tubular member
is wider
in a transverse direction than a thickness of the respective support leg 18, a
peripheral inner face 20B of the footing support about an inner periphery
thereof is
spaced radially inwardly from inner faces 19B of the support legs that face
inwardly
towards the hopper wall. The inner face 20B of the footing support is also
spaced
radially outwardly from the central opening 16 such that the central opening
is
locatable directly over the support surface.
Further to the support legs 18, the hopper support cone 10 includes top
and bottom junctions 30 and 40 respectively located at top and bottom ends 18A
and
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18B of the support legs. The top junctions 30 join each support leg 18 and the
hopper
wall 12, and the bottom junctions 40 join each support leg 18 and the footing
support
20. As such, the top and bottom junctions are suited for bracing or
strengthening
connection of the legs 18 to each of the hopper wall 12 and the footing
support 20
5 thereby rigidifying the hopper support cone.
More specifically, each top junction 30 comprises an upper bracing
member 32 such as a gusset plate which is mounted centrally relative to the
inner
face 19B of the support leg so as to be centered relative to a width of the
support leg
18 that is taken or measured along the circumference of the footing support
20. The
10 upper bracing member 32 spans radially between the respective support
leg 18 at an
upper bracing location thereon, indicated at `UB', and the hopper wall 12 at a
wall
location thereon which is indicated at 'W'. The upper bracing location UB on
each leg
is closer to the top end 18A than to the bottom end 18B of the respective
support leg.
Similarly, the wall location W is closer to the peripheral edge 14 than to the
central
opening 16 of the hopper wall. In the illustrated embodiment which employs
gusset
plates 32 disposed at the top ends 18A of the support legs as the upper
bracing
members, a free edge 32A of the respective gusset plate spans between the
upper
bracing location UB and the wall location W. Also, a leg edge 32B of each
gusset
plate 32 extends along an upper portion of the length of the respective leg 18
between
the top end 18A thereof and the upper bracing location UB thereon.
Furthermore, a
wall edge 32C of the respective gusset plate extends along the hopper wall 12
from
the top end 18A of the respective support leg to the wall location W on the
hopper
wall. Thus, the upper bracing members 32 provide rigidity in directions along
the
longitudinal axis of the hopper wall 12 and in transverse directions with
respect to the
hopper wall's longitudinal axis.
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Furthermore, each bottom junction 40 comprises a lower bracing
member 42 forming an assembly of plates in the illustrated embodiments. The
lower
bracing member 42 spans from the respective support leg 18 at a lower bracing
location thereon, indicated at 'LB', radially inward to the footing support
20. The lower
bracing location LB is closer to the bottom end 18B of the respective support
leg than
to the top end 18A thereof.
The lower bracing member 42 is sized larger across the width of the
tubular member of the footing support 20, as indicated at WFS', than it is
sized along
the length of the respective support leg 18. As such, the lower bracing member
42
extends further from the respective support leg 18 in a transverse direction
relative to
the longitudinal axis of the hopper wall 12 than in a longitudinal direction
along the
respective support leg 18.
In the illustrated embodiments, the lower bracing member 42 includes a
pair of parallel side plates 44 which are vertically oriented and respectively
located at
each side face 19C, 19D of the respective support leg so as to overlap same.
Each
side plate 44 generally forms a gusset plate so as to have a gusset-like
structure.
That is, each side plate 44 is generally inverted U shaped so as to have a top
portion
44A which extends along a portion of the length of the respective leg 18 and
across
the width of an upper face of the tubular member of the footing support 20.
The
respective side plate 44 wraps about an inner edge at the upper face of the
footing
support so as to extend radially inwardly beyond the inner face 20B of the
footing
support and downwardly below the upper face thereof and thus have an inner
portion
44B of the side plate connected across the inner face 20B of the footing
support. Also,
the respective side plate 44 wraps about an outer edge at the upper face of
the
footing support 20 so as to extend radially outwardly beyond the outer face
20A of the
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footing support and downwardly below the upper face thereof and thus have an
outer
portion 44C connected across the outer face 20A of the footing support. Thus,
the top
portion 44A of each side plate is generally trapezoidal in shape, having a
free edge 45
extending inwardly and downwardly from the inner face 19B of the support leg
in a
direction generally towards a center of the footing support 20 below the
central
opening 16 of the hopper wall that forms part of a triangular portion of the
trapezoidal
top portion that is located at the inner face 19B of the support leg 18
between same
and the footing support 20.
Further to the parallel side plates 44, each lower bracing member 42
includes a top plate 46 spanning horizontally between the side plates. The top
plate
46 is located at the inner face 19B of the respective support leg and has a
top face
which is flush with the free edges 45 of the side plates 44.
In addition, each lower bracing member 42 includes an end capping
plate 48 spanning horizontally between the side plates 44 at the inner
portions 44B
thereof. The end capping plate 48 is spaced inwardly of the inner face 20B of
the
footing support so as to be located at innermost ends 47 of the side plates 44
with an
exposed face of the end capping plate 48 in flush alignment with innermost
ends of
the side plates.
As such, the top and end capping plates 46, 48 close a space between
the side plates 44 at the inner face 19B of the respective support leg 18.
According to the upper and lower bracing members 32 and 42 described
hereinabove, a continuous intermediate portion of the length of each support
leg 18 is
uninterrupted between the top and bottom junctions 30 and 40, that is between
the
upper and lower bracing members 32, 42 and more specifically between the upper
and lower bracing locations UB and LB, and a continuous lower portion of the
hopper
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wall 12 which is between the wall location W and the central opening 16 is
also
uninterrupted. Thus, access to the hopper wall circumferentially around the
central
opening 16 from the central opening to the wall locations W is unobstructed.
Furthermore, access between each pair of adjacent support legs 18 is
unobstructed
by the lower bracing members 42 which extend radially with respect to the
longitudinal
axis of the hopper wall 12. This lack of obstructions may be suitable for
manoeuvering
and manipulating a transfer conveyor such as an auger under the central
opening 16
for unloading the grain bin.
In alternative embodiments, the upper bracing member 32 may
comprise a pair of parallel gusset plates respectively located at each side
face of the
respective support leg.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein
above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same
made,
it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification
shall be
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
