Improvements in Floating Silos for Storing and Preserving Food Products.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floating Silos for Storing and Preserving Food
Products.
I, LYMAN SMITH, of 218 La Salle Street, Chicago, in the County of Cook,
and State of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanical 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 invention relates to the storage of food products, and more especially to the
storage of grain, in floating storage-chambers.
The invention has for its object an improved floating grain silo for the storage of
grain in large quantities and of such construction as to protect the contents against
damage or loss by fire or water, as well as against damage or loss by fermentation
or destruction by insects or other animal life."
The invention has for its further object to avoid the great expenses inherent to
the erection of storage buildings and the construction of the transfer mechanisms,
so-called "grain-elevators," as well as the expenses for labor usually required to
prevent the destruction of grain when stored for any length of time.
I construct the receptacle in the form of a floating silo, so as to avoid the usual
expenditure of wharfage or the construction of wharves or piers, the grain being
preferably brought to and taken from the silo by vessels, it being well known that
the transfer of grain to or from a floating vessel is considerably easier than
when such grain is taken from a dock or elevator, inasmuch as a number of vessels
may load or unload at the same time, free access being had all around a floating
storage-vessel, which is not the case with grain-elevators.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a grain-silo embodying my invention, the deck
being removed.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a floating silo.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a detail view of one of the hull-frames.
Figure 5 is a detail view of a portion of the double-riveted steel plates, and
Figure 6 is a detail view of the connections or gussets of the frame.
In practice, for the storage of large quantities of grain, the hull A will have
about the following dimensions: length, two-hundred feet; width, fifty feet, and
depth, twenty-five feet in the clear.
The interior of the hull will be subdivided into any suitable number of storage-
chambers. For instance, a hull having a clear space of the dimensions given may
be divided into two equal parts by a longitudinal partition A', and the two longi-
tudinal compartments may be divided each into eight compartments by means of
cross-partitions, thereby forming sixteen storage-chambers, each of which will be
of a capacity of about twelve thousand or twelve thousand five hundred bushels,
the total capacity of the vessel being about one hundred and ninety-two thousand
to two hundred thousand bushels of grain.
The skeleton for the huil is constructed of steel frames c, having round knuckles c¹,
said frames being arranged about three feet apart, so that the number of such frames
required for a floating silo of the dimensions referred to will be sixty-six. Upon
these frames are secured the bottom and side-plates of sheet-steel a about one-
fourth of an inch thick and double-riveted, as shown in Figure 5. Before the steel
plates are secured to the skeleton the longitudinal partition is fixed in place, as well
as the cross-partitions or bulk-heads. The longitudinal partition A¹, is constructed
of suitable metal uprights a¹, preferably of T-shape in section, to which are riveted

page_text: the partition steel plates. The bulk-heads E E, which are also put in position
before the outer or shell plates are put on, are constructed of three-sixteenths
double-riveted steel plates braced or stiffened. by vertical T-braces or bars bb, the
fore-and-aft bulk-heads being provided with stringer-bars f at top and bottom
for securing the longitudinal bulk-head to the deck-beams and bottom of the
vessel.
The studding for the longitudinal partition and the studding for the cross-
partitions or bulk-heads serve to support the deck, the steel plates composing the
same being riveted together and to top and bottom cross-bars of the hull-framing.
These frames are strengthened by gussets C, as shown, and on the web c² of the
frames c is laid an inner lining c³, also preferably of steel plates, thus forming an
air-space between the bull and storage chambers to protect the grain against
damage by water due to leakage or bilge-water, means being provided, as usual,
for the removal of any water accumulating in the dead-air spaces or at the bilge.
The gunwale g is constructed of angle-steel two by three and one-half by five-
eighths.
A suitable man-hole (not shown) provided with a door adapted to hermetically
close the hole is provided for each storage-chamber, which are thus rendered
perfectly fluid-tight. Grain may therefore be stored and all air excluded
therefrom, as when the chambers are filled with grain but little air is contained
therein.
Grain in storage will evolve more or less carbonic-acid gas, and this will act as a
preservative, the oxygen present being insufficient to cause fermentation.
If found advisable, carbonic-acid gas may be introduced into the storage
chambers after the grain has been introduced by any well-known or preferred
means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
A. floating metallic silo or vessel for the storage of grain, comprising two series
of steel tanks arranged in the hull lengthwise thereof, a central metallic partition
forming the inner end wall of said tanks, to which the side partitions forming said
tanks are secured, spaces formed between the bottom of the said tanks and the true
bottom of the vessel, and interposed frames or ribs upon which said tank-bottoms
rest, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
Dated this 20th day of November 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..