Improvements in Grain and like Silos or Storage Bins.
Year: 1896

page_text: .Date. of Application, 13th .Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left 13th Oct. 1896-Accepted. 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grain and like Silos or Storage Bins.
I JAMES DONALDSON of 25 Tower Buildings, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
This invention has reference to silos or storage bins in which grain or granular
material is stored in. bulk, such silos or bins being usually in the form generally of
chambers of comparatively small sectional area, and of considerable depth, and
with one or more horizontal divisions or floors in them with apertures or shoots
through which the grain is discharged from one floor to another.
The present invention has, amongst other things, for its objects, to provide an
improved construction of silos or bins by which the strength of such structures is
improved, the capacity increased, a better action of discharge or movement of
grain from one floor to another, and generally to improve the. construction and
manner of action or operation of such structures.
According to the present invention the floors or divisions of silos are provided
with two or more discharge openings or shoots at or near the sides thereof,.the
floor or bottom being so made as to slope towards the shoots, and take the form of
hoppers. By this construction and arrangement according to the number of shoots
or spouts there will be provided so many vortices or descending columns of grain
within the silo or bin, and there will thereby be drawn from different portions of
the silo or bin the grain contained or existing there, whereby a uniform sample of
the contents will be drawn off continuously. Also, by this construction the filling
which exists in the case of ordinary central spout silos, to provide the necessary
slope upon the supporting arch, and by which space or capacity is wasted, is
obriated. And, further, the resultant of the forces due to the weight of grain is
directed inwards, and so relieves the walls of outward pressure in this respect.
This invention may be applied to different forms of silos or bins, whether square,
circular, hexagonal, or polygonal in plan. According to the different forms of the
silos and the number of discharge shoots or spouts, the shape and construction
of the floors or divisions will vary, but in all, they will be sc formed that each
spout forms a nucleus of a hopper, the sides or walls of which slope upwards and
away from the outlets and walls, while the grain will be directed away from the
centre of the silo.
The divisions, bottoms, or floors of the silos may be made, as brickwork arching,
iron or steel, wood or of any suitable material.
Dated this 11th day of January 1896.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Grain and like Silos or Storage Bins.
I, JAMES DONALDSON of 25 Tower Buildings, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object is to provide silos and bins for storing grain, with advantages in
construction as regards strength, capacity of contents, and the maintainance or
regulation of a uniform discharge in quality or sample of grain contained.
With such silos and bins generally, the bottoms are hoppered centrally, or made
sloping towards one central outlet to which the grain contained in the bin descends
in one central stream directly above the discharging outlet; whereas the grains
not in the direct vortex remains in the bin undisturbed until the central column is
drawn off. Therefore the grain drawn off is not of a uniform sample of the whole
contents. Further, the bottoms of such silos or bins-centrally hoppered as is
customary when formed upon an arch built of brickwork or masonry-the outlet
is of necessity in the centre or highest portion of the arch, and to provide the
requisite slope of hoppering to enable the grains to run by gravitation towards the
outlet, an undesirable amount of brickwork concrete or other material is required
to fill up the space around the walls over the spring of the arch and in the corners
of the bin.
Such excessive quantity of material adds greatly to the weight to be borne by
the arch or supports, and deducts from the capacity of the bin.
The hoppered bottoms of silos as arranged in my invention also contain the
virtue of directing the resultant of the weight contained inwardly upon the bottom,
relieving the walls. Whereas previous methods divert the resultant outwards
against the walls, creating undesirable elements of leverage and instability.
In my invention, for the purpose of obviating these disadvantages I place the
discharge outlets at the lowest part of the arch in the corners formed by the
junction of the springing of the arch with the walls, or intermediate between
the corners alongside the walls, using two or more outlets, according to the
sectional plan and shape of the bin, each outlet forming the nucleus of a hopper.
The hopper bottoms are sloped upwards and away from the outlets and walls at
either side of the bin, meeting at an apex at the top of the arch longitudinally and
transversely at right angles to the centre line of the arch, if the bin be square or
oblong in section, and radially if of hexagon or cylindrical form, the grain being
thus directed away from the centre or highest point of the arch.
Thus the material required to form the sloping sides of the hoppering, is very
much lessened in quantity and bulk, also the number of draw off spouts or outlets
used sets in motion an equivalent number of vortices or descending columns of grain
within the silo or bin, thus drawing grain from equivalent portions of the bin alike
equalizing the gravitation and enabling a uniform sample of the contents to be
continuously drawn of.
The improvements according to my invention apply equally to the bottoms of
silos or bins constructed of iron or timber, the iron or wood girders being suitably
placed to support an arched or angled bottom.
The girders or bearers may be ca ried from wall to wall horizontally or
diagonally or be made in the form of roof principal backs, upon which the iron
plating or boarding of the hoppering is built, or when requisite, supported upon
pillars or stanchions carrying the silo walls, or supported by central pillars or
stanchions placed vertically or diagonally, the principle and object being the same
of whatever the material or form of construction of the bins or silos.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Referring to the illustrations, Figures 1 and 2 represent sectional elevation and
plan of an oblong silo built of brick, stone or concrete, with an arched bottom,.
hoppered to four outlets. Figures 3 and 4 represent a similar silo built of timber
with angled plank bottoms carried on girders. Figure 5 and 6 represent longi-
tudinal and transverse sections of a silo built of brick or similar material, with
angled bottom carried on girders, as in Figures 3 and 4.
Figures 7 and 8 represent sectional elevation and plan of a square silo with walls
of timber and bottom constructed on the roof principle form.
Figures 9 and 10 are a square silo of brick or other material, with diagonal
girders supported angled bottom sloping towards two opposite corners and with
two outlets.
Figures 11 and 12 represent a silo of circular form, the bottom hoppered for two
outlets.
Figures 13 and 14 a similar circular silo with four outlets and roof principal
supports.
Figures 15 and 16 represent an hexagonal silo with the bottom hoppered for four
outlets and with central supporting pillars.
Figure 17 is a similar silo angled for two outlets.
Figure 18 represents an arched brick silo as ordinarily constructed (which is not
claimed) shewing the excess of material required to hopper centrally and the vortex
or form taken by the descending grain to the one central outlet.
In the drawings, the different parts are represented by the following letters :-
a. Walls.
c, c, c. Hoppering.
b. Draw off spouts.
d. Brick arch or equivalent support.
d. Auxiliary supporting girders.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is :-
/
1. The herein described improvement in silos or storage bins, namely, silos or
storage bins having a plurality of discharge spouts and inclined bottoms, arranged
and adapted to act substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. A silo or storage bin for grain or granular material having a plurality of
discharge spouts disposed near the walls of the silo or bin, and having the bottom.
in two or more distinct slopes or hopperings, by which the grain or material is
discharged in a plurality of streams, and is directed in its discharge away from the
central part of the silo, or bin outwards, towards said spouts; substantially as set.
forth with reference to and shewn in the drawings.
3. The construction of silos or storage bins for grain or similar material, with a
plurality of discharge spouts, and hoppered bottoms inclined towards or leading to
said spouts or inclined towards same, particularly as shewn in and set forth with
reference to the different figures, or sets of figures of the drawings, (excepting.
Figure 18), respectively.
Dated this 12th day of October 1896.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.