Material or article handling – Static receptacle and means for charging or discharging – or... – Nongravity discharging means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-03-20
Werner, Frank E. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Static receptacle and means for charging or discharging, or...
Nongravity discharging means
C414S320000, C198S511000, C198S519000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203261
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for moving bulk materials. More specifically, this invention relates to reclaiming devices having scrapers which turn in a circular direction about an upstanding column in order to direct bulk material such as grain toward a central location.
2. Present State of the Art
There are a variety of different storage facilities for housing bulk materials such as grains. A typical storage facility includes a substantially enclosed housing, often referred to as a silo, having a floor. Centrally extending through the floor of the housing is an outlet. A conveyor belt is disposed below the floor in alignment with the outlet. During use, the outlet is initially closed and grains or other bulk materials are feed into the housing through an opening in the roof.
When it is desired to move the bulk material, the outlet is opened and the bulk material flows under gravity through the outlet and onto the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt then moves the material to a remote location, such as a loading dock, for shipment to a point of sale.
As a result of the floor of the storage facility being substantially larger than the outlet extending therethrough, a large portion of the bulk material remains standing on the floor surrounding the outlet. This remaining bulk material does not naturally flow into the outlet under the force of gravity. As a result, a variety of different reclaiming devices have been designed which function to move the remaining bulk material from the surrounding floor into the outlet.
Reclaiming devices typically include a scraper having a conveyor belt configuration which rotates on the surface of the bulk material. The scraper draws the bulk material into the outlet. Although scrapers come in a variety of different configurations, each of the conventional designs have their shortcomings. For example, many conventional scrapers have an elongated fixed length extending from a proximal end to a distal end. In one design, the distal end of the scraper is secured to the floor by a track that encircles the outlet. In an alternative design, the proximal end of the track is fixed just above the outlet so as to rotate in a circular fashion.
In both of the above designs, the scraper is substantially covered by the bulk material when the storage facility is filled with bulk material. Filling the bulk material over the scraper can place load stresses on the scraper and can clog or damage moving parts thereof. Furthermore, as a result of the scraper being covered by bulk material, repair, service, and/or inspection of the scraper may not be possible without having to manually move the bulk material surrounding the scraper. In addition, as a result of at least one end of the scraper being fixed at or adjacent to the floor, selective movement of the scraper is limited. Finally, scrapers having a fixed length are also limiting in that they can typically only be used in storage facilities having a specific design or configuration.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for moving bulk material in a storage facility.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for moving bulk material which does not require a movable end of the device to be buried in the bulk material when the storage facility is substantially filled with the bulk material.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for moving bulk material which includes a scraper having opposing ends that can be selectively vertically raised or lowered to adjust to the contours of a particular storage facility or configuration of bulk material.
Finally, another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing bulk material that can be selectively elongated or shortened to operate within storage facilities of different configuration.
To achieve the forgoing objectives and in accordance with the invention as broadly disclosed and claimed herein, a reclaiming device is provided for moving bulk material, such as grain, within a storage structure. The reclaiming device includes a substantially cylindrical column upstanding within the storage structure over an outlet. A track, mounted on the storage structure above the floor, concentrically encircling the column. A motorized carriage is mounted on the track so as to selectively move thereon. Extending between the top end of the column and the carriage is a boom. The proximal end of the boom is rotatably mounted to the column such that movement of the carriage on the tack results in the boom rotating around the column.
Disposed below the boom is a scraper. The scraper includes a collar that is rotatably and slidably mounted on the column. Projecting from the collar is an elongated first frame having one or more rotatable augers mounted thereon. In one embodiment, a second frame having an auger mounted thereon is mounted to the first frame so as to selectively extend and retract thereon.
First and second cables support the scraper below the boom. The first cable extends from a winch mounted on the boom to the distal end of the scraper. The second cable extends from a corresponding winch also mounted on the boom to the proximal end of the scraper. Accordingly, by selectively winding or releasing the cables on their corresponding winch, the proximal and distal ends of the scraper can be selectively raised and lowered. Furthermore, as a result of the fact that the scraper is suspended from the boom by the cables, rotation of the boom also results in rotation of the scraper around the column.
During operation, the scraper is selectively positioned by movement of the cables so as to rest against the bulk material within the storage structure. By activation of the augers, the bulk material is drawn from around the perimeter of the storage structure to an outlet through which the bulk material exits. By rotation of the scraper around the column, the pile of bulk material is uniformly drawn down.
The inventive reclaimer system has a variety of unique benefits over the prior art. Specifically, the scraper can be raised up against the boom during filling of the storage structure with bulk material so that scraper is never covered up by the bulk material. As a result, minimal stress is placed on the scraper by the bulk material. In addition, the scraper is always openly exposed so as to be easily accessible for inspection, maintenance, and repairs.
The fact that the scraper can selectively extend and retract is also an advantage in that the scraper can be used in storage structures having different or changing configurations. Furthermore, the ability to selectively raise and lower opposing ends of the scraper facilitates greater control over the movement and positioning of the bulk material.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3232456 (1966-02-01), Buschbom
patent: 3358856 (1967-12-01), Weibull
patent: 3363785 (1968-01-01), Kucera
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patent: 3658169 (1972-04-01), Potthoff
patent: 3847289 (1974-11-01), Fischer
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patent: 4773808 (1988-09-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 4775278 (1988-10-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 3422569 (1985-12-01), None
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Automated Reclaim Systems for Dome Storeage, Cambelt International Corporation, 1997.
South David B.
South Phillip Barry
Dome Technology, Inc.
Werner Frank E.
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
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