Ring type silo unloader
AssigneeVan Dusen & Co., Inc.
InventorFrederick E. Van Dusen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a silo unloader which has a center ring supported through a support framework from a single centrally located cable, and a silo unloader is mounted for rotation relative to the ring. The ring is held from rotation through the use of a torque arm, and the unloader is driven for rotation by the same motor which powers the other standard silo unloader components. A chain encompasses the support ring and the drive sprocket and motor orbits around the ring with the silo unloader, which moves in a circular path for gathering and unloading silage through conventional means. The assembly can be suspended at the top of silos in which it is used.
Claims29
A silo unloader for use in an upright wall silo comprising an annular ring track means mounted within said silo, a silage gathering and discharge device, track engaging means to guide such silage gathering and discharge device for rotation relative to said track means while in engagement with silage in the silo, means to restrain said ring track means from rotation within said silo, and drive means to drive said silage gathering and discharge device rotationally around said track means, comprising power means mounted on said silage gathering and discharge device, an endless flexible member surrounding the outer surface of said ring track means, said power means including a rotationally driven member for engaging said endless flexible member, said rotationally driven member being positioned on the outside of said ring track means and driving said silage gathering and discharge device and said driven member around said ring track means.
A silo unloader for use in an upright wall silo comprising an annular ring track mounted within said silo, a silage gathering and discharge device, track engaging means to guide such silage gathering and discharge device for rotation relative to said track while in engagement with silage in the silo and drive means acting between the track and the silage gathering and discharge device to drive the silage gathering and discharge device rotationally around said track said track being of smaller diameter than the silo and being movable transversely to the wall during use, means to support said track comprising a plurality of elongated members attached to said track at annularly spaced locations adjacent the peripheral edges thereof and extending upwardly and inwardly toward a central axis of said track, means to support the upper ends of the elongated members at a position spaced above the plane of said track to thereby provide suspension for the track, a plurality of chordal brace means, each connected to said track and extending in chordal relation to said track, each brace means having its opposite ends fixed to said track at spaced locations to form internal braces resisting radial deformation of said track.
A silo unloader assembly for use in an upright wall silo comprising a support ring, a silage gathering and discharge device rotatably mounted on said support ring, power means to rotate said silage gathering and discharge device relative to said support ring, means to restrain said support ring from rotation relative to said silo wall, first means to releasably connect said means to restrain said support ring from rotation to said support ring with said support ring held in a first position with a desired annular sector of said support ring in a first annular sector of said silo, and second means to releasably connect to said support ring said means to restrain said support ring from rotation to said support ring with said support ring held in a second position with said desired annular sector of said support ring in a second annular sector of said silo.
A silo unloader assembly for use in a silo comprising an annular, generally circular support ring having a central generally upright axis, a silage gathering and discharge device mounted on said support ring for rotation about said central axis while supported on said support ring, power means mounted on said silage gathering and discharge means to rotate said silage gathering and discharge device relative to said support ring while it is in engagement with silage in the silo, means to restrain said support ring from rotation relative to said silo wall, an endless flexible drive member surrounding and drivably engaging a wheel like member driven by said power means about an axis generally parallel to said central axis and positioned on the exterior of said support ring and spaced from said support ring, said endless flexible member encompassing said wheel like member and said support ring and being in drive engagement with said wheel like member whereby when said wheel like member is rotated it drives itself and the silage gathering and discharge device around the support ring.
A silo unloader assembly for use in an upright silo having an annular wall including an annular ring like track having a track central axis, means to support said track comprising a framework including a plurality of more than two struts having tension and compression load carrying capabilities attached to said track at annularly spaced locations adjacent the peripheral edges thereof and extending upwardly and inwardly toward a central axis of said track, means to fixedly connect all of said struts together adjacent the central axis of the track at a position spaced above the plane of said track comprising plate means, a sleeve mounted on said plate means, said sleeve having an axis substantially coaxial with said track central axis, cable support means including a portion rotatably mounted within said sleeve and secured from axial movement out of said sleeve in upward direction, cable means for adjustably supporting said track relative to a silo through said cable support means, and releasable means acting between said sleeve and the cable support means to prevent rotation of said cable support means relative to the axis of said sleeve during use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.