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US 4,709,519 AGranted
Modular floor panel system
OwnerAllen C. Liefer, Gilbert L. Loewen +1inventors
InventorsAllen C. Liefer, Gilbert L. Loewen, Paul J. Magathan
Life of this patent
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OwnerAllen C. Liefer, Gilbert L. Loewen +1inventors
InventorsAllen C. Liefer, Gilbert L. Loewen, Paul J. Magathan
Estimating the term…
A floor panel system for use in grain storage and drying bins is disclosed which uses modular perforated floor panels each of which is hemmed across the width of the panel at predetermined points along its length so that panels of various lengths can be provided readily by breaking standard panels along any appropriate selected hem. The hems also reinforce the panels. Each modular floor panel may have a complete hem at one end and a half hem or flange at the other end such that the panels can be readily aligned and interlocked end-to-end by inserting the half hem or flange of one panel into the full hem of a succeeding panel. A transverse clip may be used to hold together two abutted modular floor panels end-to-end and for reinforcing purposes where high floor loads are contemplated. Adjacent panels are abutted together along the sides and are held together by fitting the side lips into rails or support beams. These rails in turn are resiliently gripped in notches cut into the top edges of the side walls of V-shaped posts. The beam can be fit into these posts and resiliently held by the legs of the post, as when the post is squeezed and then released.
A modular grain bin floor comprising in combination:
An elongated modular grain bin floor panel formed of an integral piece of bendable sheet metal and comprising opposite side edges, two opposite ends, a plurality of modules of said sheet metal arranged end-to-end in a series from one of said ends of said panel to the other and forming a substantially continuous upper surface of said panel from one of said ends to the other, a transverse hem of said sheet metal extending downwardly relative to said upper surface and integrally joining each adjacent pair of said modules and providing transverse support for said panels, and each of said hems providing means for facilitating severance of said modules, whereby at least one of said modules can be separated from said modular floor panel along one of said hems.
In a grain storage bin comprising a plurality of contiguous elongated floor panels and means for supporting said elongated panels above a base, the improvement which comprises each of said elongated panels being formed of an integral piece of bendable sheet metal and including a plurality of modules disposed in end-to-end relation to one another and forming a substantially continuous upper surface extending the length of said panel, a transverse hem of said sheet metal joining each adjacent pair of said modules, each of said hems extending transversely of the respective panel and downwardly relative to said upper surface to provide transverse support for said panel and including means for facilitating severance of selected modules from said elongated panel and comprising a bight portion and two side walls extending from said bight and integral with the panel portion on the respective side of said hem whereby each of said elongated floor panels can be readily severed at any such hem.
A method of forming a floor in a grain storage bin comprising providing elongated floor panels formed of bendable sheet metal, each having a substantially continuous upper surface and transverse hems extending transversely of the respective panel and downwardly relative to said upper surface to provide transverse support for said panel and each of said hems providing means for facilitating severance of said panels at modular spacings, and severing said panels into desired lengths by bending and breaking at selected hems.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.