US 4,111,315 AGranted

Bulk-storage receptacle with helical chute

AssigneeThyssen Schachtbau GmbH

InventorPaul Hungerbach

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Abstract

A bulk-storage bin having a cylindrical wall is provided thereon with a helical chute having an inlet portion at its upper end whereby the bulk material is introduced into the bin and descends along the helical chute to be spread uniformly in the interior of the bin. The helical chute is provided as an inwardly open channel whose floor is a ramp which is inclined radially. According to the invention, in the transition region between the inlet and the remainder of the helical chute, the tangential inclination forms a continuous transition to the tangential inclination of the helical chute while the radial inclination in the transition region is always sufficient to permit the bulk material to slide along the ramp by gravitational force. This inclination thus is such that the total slope of the ramp is greater than the critical sliding angle (frictional re-ardation) of the piled material.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A bulk-storage receptacle comprising:

a structure formed with an upright wall defining a storage chamber for flowable bulk material;
means forming a helical chute opening toward said chamber and spiraling downwardly along said wall, said helical chute having a ramp receiving said material and extending generally transversely to said wall while being formed with a first tangential inclination and a first radial inclination;
a peripherally closed inlet chute disposed above said helical chute for feeding bulk material to said helical chute;
and
a transition region between said inlet chute and said helical chute provided with a ramp delivering said bulk material to said inlet chute, the ramp of said transition region having a tangential angle varying continuously from a second tangential inclination adjacent said inlet chute to said first tangential inclination at said helical chute;
said ramp of said transition region merging into said ramp of said helical chute and having over the entire length of said transition region a slope greater than the critical friction angle for said material.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.