Abstract:
A storage building is provided. The building includes an exoskeleton with an interior cover. The exoskeleton is formed from horizontal rings connected by trusses. The building typically stores particulate material, including grain and other crops. The exoskeleton bears the load of the stored material, and allows for storage of greater amounts of material.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/103,454 filed Oct. 7, 2008 and herein incorporates the provisional patent application by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a storage facility, and more particularly, to a coned storage facility used typically for storage of grain or other crops. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    Stored crops such as grain are traditionally stored in two main ways: (1) by covering a large pile of the stored crop with a tarp to shield the crop from moisture, insects, rodents, sun, birds, and wind or (2) storing the crop in a permanent, vertical storage building, such as a grain bin. 
         [0006]    In the pile storage form, typically the grain is poured onto a support, floor, or foundation into a pile and then covered. A fence generally encloses the grain storage area and then the cover is secured to the fence. 
         [0007]    The tarp or cover rests against the crop and is held on by fans that must run at all times. The fence and cover are not strong enough to withstand the pressure of more grain than settles in a pile within the confines of the fence. The amount of the crop to be stored is essentially limited to the angle of repose of the crop, or the internal angle between the surface of the pile and the horizontal surface. Thus, the store capacity of this system is not very great. 
         [0008]    When the grain is needed, the cover is discarded and all of the grain in that pile must be removed at the time the cover is discarded. Every time the cover is removed, such as every season or every year, the cover must be replaced. There is no way to check the grain quality without compromising the cover; once recovery of the crop begins, the whole pile must be picked up. Further, because the fans must run at all times an electricity failure may dislodge the cover, and the constantly running fans may over-dry the crop. 
         [0009]    The need exists for crop storage wherein larger amounts of crop can be stored, the user can fill or empty the storage building without compromising the cover, and fans or electricity are not required to keep the cover attached. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    One object of the present invention is to provide a storage bin that allows for filling and emptying without compromising the cover. 
         [0011]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a crop storage building that has greater storage capacity than that of previous storage buildings. 
         [0012]    An additional object of the present invention is to provide a storage building that has a greater storage capacity than that of previous storage buildings, yet uses the same area of land. 
         [0013]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a crop storage building that works like a traditional permanent crop building, but has the advantages of a cover building and the economics of temporary storage. 
         [0014]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following specification, drawings, and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a view of the storage building of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a view of the trusses, foundation and floor of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a view of the cover of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a view of the cover of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view of the storage building of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a view of the floor and trusses of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a view of a storage building of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a view of a storage building of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , the invention comprises storage building  10  with an exoskeleton frame  12  and a cover  14 . The exoskeleton frame  12  includes a series of rings  16  held together by trusses  18  that all together form a conical, beehive, pyramid, or frustum shaped storage building. The exoskeleton  12  attaches to a cover  14 , generally a cover made from polyethylene fabric or metal sheeting, such as light-gauge corrugated galvanized sheeting. The exoskeleton  14  design allows loading of the product onto the structure itself. This is in contrast to the prior art in which the product can only be loaded onto the foundation; the prior art structures do not support the product vertically. 
         [0024]    The exoskeleton  12  system is manufactured from a sturdy material, such as steel in the preferred embodiment. The truss system may also be made of aluminum or other sturdy materials. The cover can be made from polyethylene fabric, PVC or light gage steel sheeting or light gauge corrugated galvanized sheeting. 
         [0025]    In  FIG. 2 , a concrete slab  20  is provided. The slab  20  also includes footings  22  or other foundation. A plurality of trusses  18  extend from the slab upward at a desired angle, such that the trusses  18  form the sloping shape of the building  10 . These trusses  18  are connected to the concrete foundation  22  using connectors  24 , such as anchor bolts. Circular rings  16  are provided that taper in diameter and attach to the trusses  18 . The trusses  18  are typically in segments that extend the length of the space between the circular rings  16 , or between the concrete foundation  22  and the first circular ring  16 , although the invention is not limited to trusses that are segmented in this way. Individual trusses  18  could curve up the height of the building. The attachment of the rings  16  to the trusses  18  is accomplished with fasteners  25 , typically a moment reducing connector such that the moment will transfer to the ground. In one embodiment, an insert connection is used with the truss tube and bolts. The angled trusses  18  and the tapered rings  16  form the exoskeleton  12  of the building  10 . 
         [0026]    As seen in  FIG. 3 , a cover  14 , typically of fabric or metal, attaches to the inside of the exoskeleton  10 . The cover material may be doubled up at the lower end of the building  10 . In one embodiment, sheets of light gauge galvanized metal sheeting are bolted together in a staggered or overlapping bricklike manner to completely cover the inside of the exoskeleton, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The cover  14  proves a tight seal between the product and outside conditions. 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 3 , additional cables  30  may run around the circumference of the cover to provide additional tension to the cover  14 . The cover  14  has cable pockets  32  to secure the cables  30 . The cables are provided in the spaces between the horizontal rings  16 . 
         [0028]    In  FIG. 5 , a loading conveyor  40  transports product up the side of the building  10  and deposits the product into the building through an opening  41  at the top of the building. The conveyor support  42  is connected to the exoskeleton  12 , thereby eliminating the need for a separate conveyor support. 
         [0029]    Product is removed from the building  10  in several ways. In one embodiment, in  FIG. 2 , a drain  42  is provided in the concrete slab  20  through which product is removed, typically with an auger. In another embodiment, a gate  44  opens to a tunnel  46  that houses a removal conveyor  48 . The removal conveyor  48  moves the product out of the building for transport or other use. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 6 , there is no concrete foundation  22 . Instead, the horizontal ring  16  is attached to the floating slab  20  of concrete. 
         [0031]    The trusses  18  come together and terminate at the top of the building. A cap  60  or lid on the building is provided that includes an opening pour material. The top of the building is also weather-tight. 
         [0032]    Additional features include sensor cables  50  to detect conditions such as temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and moisture. These cables  50  are attached to the cover  14 , typically where the cover  14  meets the horizontal rings  16 . 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 5 , aeration fans  51  are provided inside the building  10 . Vents  36  are also provided, typically where the horizontal rings  16  meet the angled trusses  18 . 
         [0034]    An access portal  52  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The access portal  52  allows a person to check on the product inside the building, and also provides an exit through which to remove product. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 7-8  show various shapes of the buildings  10  of the present invention. 
         [0036]    The building of the present invention addresses many of the problems with traditional product storing facilities. The building  10  allows for unbalanced product loads without compromising the structure of the building. For example, when grain is removed from a building, the sticky nature of the grain causes tunnels and pockets to form such that the grain is no longer evenly distributed within the building. In traditional grain storage systems, the building pulls to one side or collapses. The exoskeleton  12  of the present invention does not pull or collapse when unbalanced loads are present. 
         [0037]    Similarly, traditional storage buildings may collapse on a side under pressure of snow drifts or wind. The exoskeleton  12  of the present invention does not collapse in these circumstances. The angle of the trusses  18  prevents such a collapse. 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the trusses  18  have a 44° angle. Other angles are possible; the invention is not limited to a 44° angle. The resulting building may be very tall, typically more than one hundred feet tall, and in some instances more than 200 feet tall. A standard pile storage system can store around 1.5 million bushels of grain, while this invention allows for storage of much larger amounts, such as 4.5 million bushels of grain. 
         [0039]    The user can fill and unload the structure multiple times without removing or replacing the cover. More of the product can be placed in the structure than in the traditional pile cover method because the structure can support grain pressures at steeper angles than the angle of repose of the grain. This invention utilizes a combination of vertical and angle of repose (pile) storage. Because the crop is supported by the exoskeleton instead of the cover, fans are not required to run at all times and aeration can be used to keep the crop in good condition instead of holding the cover in place. 
         [0040]    Generally the invention can be used with the same footprint as that used in the pile storage systems, but allows for a larger volume of crop to be stored on the same size footprint, as the capacity is not limited to the angle of repose of the product. 
         [0041]    The invention also has advantages over traditional grain bin buildings that have a roof and walls. In prior art grain bins, any damage to the result would also compromise the vertical sidewall. In the present invention, there is minimal structural support between the lid or top of the invention and the side, so damage to the lid will not compromise the sides. 
         [0042]    In an additional embodiment, the exoskeleton  12  and cover  14  replaces traditional cylindrical storage buildings. In this embodiment, the horizontal rings  16  are not tapered to form a cone and the trusses  18  are not angled. Instead, the rings  16  are of equal size to form a cylinder and the trusses  18  are vertical, generally perpendicular to the ground. The exoskeleton  12  and smooth interior makes it easy to completely and efficiently remove product from the building, as product does not get caught on any interior girders or trusses. 
         [0043]    The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present inventions. The foregoing embodiments and the methods described herein may vary based on the ability, experience, and preference of those skilled in the art. Merely listing the steps of the method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method. The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the claims are so limited. Those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the invention can be used for any crops, including grain or any other harvest. The invention can be used with non-crop items, such as equipment, bagged materials, items on pallets, salt, coal, earthen materials, fertilizer, or cement.