Patent Publication Number: US-2003234256-A1

Title: Storage bin floor

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to floor for a storage bin, more particularly a circular metal floor constructed by pie-shaped pieces.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002] The construction and shipment of storage bins generally consists of providing large panels of different sizes for constructing the floor for the supporting bin walls. The construction and shipment of these components can be costly, time consuming and complicated. Many types of bin floors required skilled workers to construct the floor and accurate measurements and supplies sometimes have to be carefully considered.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cost effective storage bin floor for storage bins.  
       [0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide a universal and simple construction for a bin floor.  
       [0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a floor for a storage bin comprising:  
       [0006] a circular metal sheet defined by sheet pieces arranged for connection together with overlapping edges;  
       [0007] the sheet pieces including a central circular piece;  
       [0008] the sheet pieces including a plurality of generally pie-shaped pieces arranged for side by side connection along radial edges thereof so as to define a ring surrounding the central piece having a circular outer edge and with an inner circular edge defined by the pie-shaped pieces being connected to an outer edge of the central circular piece.  
       [0009] Preferably each connecting edge between one piece and the next is overlapped with an upper edge having a plurality of screw holes for receiving self-tapping screws for fastening to the underlying edge.  
       [0010] Conveniently the underlying edge is recessed by the thickness of the sheet so that the upper surface is flat.  
       [0011] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a storage bin comprising:  
       [0012] a circular metal sheet defined by sheet pieces arranged for connection together with overlapping edges;  
       [0013] the sheet pieces including a central circular piece;  
       [0014] the sheet pieces including a plurality of generally pie-shaped pieces arranged for side by side connection along radial edges thereof so as to define a ring surrounding the central piece having a circular outer edge and with an inner circular edge defined by the pie-shaped pieces being connected to an outer edge of the central circular piece;  
       [0015] and, a bin wall having a circular horizontal bottom mounting flange lying on the floor at a position adjacent to the outer edge and fastened thereto.  
       [0016] Preferably each connecting edge between one piece and the next is overlapped with an upper edge having a plurality of screw holes for receiving self-tapping screws for fastening to the underlying edge.  
       [0017] Conveniently the underlying edge is recessed by the thickness of the sheet so that the upper surface is flat.  
       [0018] Conveniently the flange is spaced inwardly from the outer edge.  
       [0019] In one preferred arrangement, the bin wall is formed of a plurality of rectangular wall pieces arranged in rows and columns such that each piece has a height from a top edge to a bottom edge forming a part of the height of the wall and each piece has a width from a first side edge to a second side edge forming part of the peripheral extent of the wall, each piece having a right angle flange at each of the top, bottom and side edges which is arranged for fastening to the corresponding flange of a next adjacent piece or, in respect to the bottom edge of a first row of the pieces, to the floor, and each piece having a curvature across its width between the side edges matching the curvature of the wall.  
       [0020] In this arrangement, each of the flanges is preferably pre-formed with holes for bolting to the corresponding flange.  
       [0021] In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided a storage bin comprising:  
       [0022] a circular metal floor;  
       [0023] and a cylindrical bin wall having a circular horizontal bottom mounting flange lying on the floor at a position adjacent to the outer edge and fastened thereto;  
       [0024] wherein the bin wall is formed of a plurality of rectangular wall pieces arranged in rows and columns such that each piece has a height from a top edge to a bottom edge forming a part of the height of the wall and each piece has a width from a first side edge to a second side edge forming part of the peripheral extent of the wall, each piece having a right angle flange at each of the top, bottom and side edges which is arranged for fastening to the corresponding flange of a next adjacent piece or, in respect to the bottom edge of a first row of the pieces, to the floor, and each piece having a curvature across its width between the side edges matching the curvature of the wall. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0025] In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:  
     [0026]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the bin floor.  
     [0027]FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section along the lines  2 - 2  of FIG. 1.  
     [0028]FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section along the lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 1.  
     [0029]FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section along similar to that of FIG. 3 showing an alternative embodiment.  
     [0030]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a part of the bin of the embodiment of FIG. 4.  
     [0031]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a part of the bin of the embodiment of FIG. 4.  
     [0032]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing an alternative arrangement for connection of the edge of one pie piece to the edge of the next.  
     [0033]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the arrangement of FIG. 7.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0034] A storage bin  1  is arranged for storing items such as grain or the like, comprises a floor structure  3  to which is attached a conventional cylindrical wall  5  and a roof structure (not shown). The floor structure is formed from pie-shaped sheet metal panels  7 . The sheets are arranged to fasten together to form a circular floor for the storage bin. Each sheet has an outer edge  9 , an inner edge  11 , an underlying side edge  13  and a overlapping side edge  15 . Each sheet is arranged for side by side connection along radial edges such that the underlying edge corresponds with the overlapping edge of the adjacent sheet. The inner edge of the sheets are connected to and overlapped by a central circular piece  17 . The connected sheets define a ring  18  surrounding the central piece having a circular outer edge  19  and with the inner edge defined by the pie-shaped pieces being connected to an outer overlapping edge  21  of the central circular piece. The overlapping edge of each sheet has a plurality of screw holes  22  for receiving self-tapping screws  23  for fastening to the underlying edge. The underlying edge is recessed  24  by the thickness of the sheet so that an upper surface  25  is flat, as best illustrated in FIG. 2. Each section having the same standard length from outer edge to inner edge width of each section from overlapping edge to underlying edge at the outer edge and inner edge respectively are sufficiently the same on each section. The sections are pre-fabricated by a manufacture and are distributed so as to be constructed on side, eliminating shipment of large panels for bin floors. The length of the sections are arranged such that one length can be used for different sized bins, providing ease of manufacture thus providing a less expensive floor structure for consumers. The bin floors do not necessitate the need for welding which will also keep the cost of construction to a minimum since the construction can mostly be done by a knowledgeable consumer.  
     [0035]FIG. 3 shows a bin wall mounting arrangement  27 . The bin wall has a circular horizontal bottom mounting flange  29  lying on the floor at a position adjacent the outer edge and fastened thereto such that a bottom edge  32  of the wall is flush against the floor. The flange as illustrated is a length of formed angle iron  36  which is fastened to an inner side  37  of the bin wall. The bin floor is constructed in a universal size such that the floor can be used for a variety of sized bins. The flange is spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the floor. The flange is fastened to the floor with self-tapping fasteners  31 . The floor, according to the size of the bin, has an overlap  33  which varies wherein the outer edge of the floor extends outwardly from an outer side  35  of the wall. The bin wall is centred on the floor producing the overlap such that one diameter of floor is manufactured for different sized bins.  
     [0036] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 , the pie pieces are connected edge to edge by self-tapping screws which pass through a hole in the top sheet and bite into the underlying edge of the underlying sheet to hold the sheet edges together. In FIGS. 7 and 8 is shown an alternative arrangement which avoids the use of screws or other fasteners at the overlying edges. In this arrangement the two pie pieces are shown and indicated at  40  and  41  respectively. The pie piece  40  has an edge flange  42  which underlies the edge of the pie piece  41 . The pie piece  40  is bent to define a vertical leg portion  43  interconnecting the main body of the pie piece  40  with the flange  42 . The vertical leg  43  has a length sufficient to receive the thickness of the edge of the pie piece  41  therein. The edge of the pie piece  41  has a flange portion  44  defining a plurality of tabs  45  which project outwardly from the pie piece along the edge of the pie piece. The tabs  45  are bent so that they lie in a plane underneath the pie piece  40  so as to project through slots in the leg  43 . The flange  42  is at a height so that it underlies the edge flange  45 . This arrangement thus provides upper surfaces  46  and  47  which are co-planar.  
     [0037] As shown in FIG. 8 the tabs have a wider end section  45 A and a neck  45 B connecting to the main body of the pie piece  41 . The leg  43  has a series of slots  48  each arranged to receive a respective one of the tabs. The width of the slot along the length of the leg is equal to or dimensioned to receive the head  45 A so that it is wider than the neck  45 B.  
     [0038] The position shown in FIG. 8 is the assembled position after the pie pieces have been pushed together and the pie piece  41  moved in the direction of the arrow A. Thus in an initial connection step, the pie pieces are brought together in a slightly misaligned position so that the outer edge of the piece  41  projects beyond the outer edge of the piece  40  and the tabs are inserted into the slots in this misaligned position. The piece  41  is then moved along the arrow A sufficient to move the head longitudinally of the junction between the pieces so that it is no longer aligned with the slot  48  and is thus prevented from moving back through the slot thus holding the edges together. The inside edge of the pie pieces is then fastened by screws to the circular edge of the central piece thus holding the structure integral.  
     [0039] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 , the construction of the bin wall is of a conventional nature in which the bin wall is attached to the bottom flange and stands upwardly therefrom. The bin wall is generally corrugated in a horizontal direction to provide the necessary vertical strength and stiffness of the wall.  
     [0040] In the embodiment of FIGS. 4, 5 and  6  is shown an alternative arrangement for the bin wall construction. In this arrangement the bin wall is formed from a series of bin wall pieces, each of which is rectangular as shown in FIG. 6 to define a top edge  50 , a bottom edge  51 , a first side edge  52  and a second side edge  53 . All of the pieces are identical and of the same dimensions. Typical dimensions might be of the order of 36 to 48 inches in width and 50 to 96 inches in height.  
     [0041] Each piece includes a main body  55  which is curved at a curvature matching the total curvature of the bin wall as shown in FIG. 5. Each of the top, bottom and side edges includes an out turned flange  57  which is arranged basically at right angles to the main body so as to project outwardly of the main body. The flanges around the peripheral edge of the piece thus provide a stiffening or strengthening effect of the piece so that it no longer requires corrugations and the main body is formed from a flat sheet simply curved into the shallowed curvature necessary to provide a radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature of the bin, which might be of the order of 10 to 20 feet in radius.  
     [0042] Each of the pieces has the flanges thereof punched to provide aligned holes allowing each piece to be connected to the next adjacent piece at the corresponding flange. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom flange  57  at the bottom edge  51  is connected to the floor  60  by bolts  61 . As shown in FIG. 5 the flange at the first side edge  53  is connected to the flange at the second side edge  52  of the next adjacent piece by bolts  61 .  
     [0043] While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.