Discharge apparatus for a silo

Abstract

An apparatus for discharging fine material from a silo with a cylindrical wall 2 and a bottom 3 provided with a central hole 11 and a discharge aperture 4, comprises: a cylindrical skirt 5 suspended from the wall above the bottom and having a crenellated edge formed of projections 6 alternating with spaces 7; a mobile discharge arm 8, having a central connection and two ends trapped in a peripheral zone between the skirt and the periphery of the bottom, for transferring fine material to the discharge aperture; rollers 9, 10 disposed on the ends of the arm for directing the displacement of the arm in cooperation with the skirt; a central revolving shaft 13 passing through the central hole to engage the central connection for rotating the arm; and first and second actuating cylinders 17, 18 acting on the central shaft in substantially perpendicular directions for alternately moving the shaft along the periphery of the central hole such that when a first roller advances on a route outside a projection a corresponding end of the arm advances under the projection, and the second roller is trapped in a space.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.