Remotely Operable Lid for Storage Bins

The present invention relates to lids for storage bins, more particularly, a lid which may be operated from a place remote from its location.

Storage facilities used on a farm such as silos and grain storage bins typically have round access openings located at the apex of their roof. Traditionally, this opening has been covered by some sort of covering disc which is usually hinged so that it may be manually opened. Unfortunately, this arrangement requires the user to climb up a ladder, usually provided for, to open and close the opening as needed. This procedure is both time consuming and potentially dangerous. In order to overcome this problem, a device has been needed to permit the operator to remotely open and close this access opening from ground level. Furthermore, this device must be inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and adaptable for use on already existing bins. The present invention provides all of these advantages and overcomes the disadvantages of prior art systems.

The present invention comprises a remotely operable lid apparatus for use with a storage bin including a cover plate, a pair of guides for carrying the edges of the plate such that the plate may slide laterally within the guides, means for remotely moving the plate so as to open and close the opening, and means for attaching the guides to the bin over the opening, including a band shaped member to encompass a ridge around the access opening of the lid.

According to another feature of the invention, pulleys and cables are used for remotely moving the plate within the guide members.

The invention may be made adaptable to existing bins or made an integral part of new bins.

Various advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a storage bin with the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section as seen from line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section as seen from line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical detailed section as seen from line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing part of a storage bin;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing an alternative form of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1 a storage bin 10 with an access opening 11 and a remotely operable lid apparatus generally designated by the numeral 12 mounted thereon. The lid apparatus 12 includes a lid carrying mechanism 14 shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2-5, and a rope and pulley arrangement 16. As seen in FIGS. 2-5, lid carrying mechanism 14 includes a cover plate 18 having a bottom face 19, and edges 23, 25 and 29, which is carried in slidable engagement with guides 20 and 22. Guides 20 and 22 are box-shaped with a gap 24 in an inner wall of the guide. Gap 24 is sufficiently wide to admit cover 18 therewithin. Guides 20 and 22 are held spaced apart a fixed distance by end members 26 and 28. Member 26 is shaped like guides 20 and 22 having a gap 24 therein. Members 26 and 28 and guides 20 and 22 are joined so as to create an outer rectangular perimeter in which cover 18 is confined. The spacing of guides 20 and 22 and therefore the length of members 26 and 28 is defined as sufficiently wide such that the outer edges 23 and 25 of cover 18 extend beyond gap 24 and into the interior of guides 20 and 22 but not in tight abutment with the inner walls 21 of the guides 20 and 22. It is desirable to make cover 18 as wide as possible without exceeding the above-defined limitations in order to prevent binding of the lid by a torqueing force which may cause it to bind on the guides when the lid is opened or closed. Also, ridge 27 of the cover is received within slot 24 within the member 26 and contacts an inner surface 29 thereof when the cover 18 is fully closed. See FIGS. 2 and 4

Mounted on cover 18 are eyelets 30 and 32 which are preferably welded to the top surface of cover 18. The eyelets may be located toward opposite edges of cover 18. Mounted on end member 28 is a fixed pulley 34. Mounted on a side wall of bin 10 is bracket 36 having two holes (not shown) drilled therein about 100 mm apart as guides for ropes 42 and 44 described hereinafter. Further down the wall of bin 10 may be mounted a cord guide 38 with an aperture 40 therein for receiving a rope or cord.

A pair of ropes 42 and 44 are used for remotely moving cover 18 so that storage bin access opening 11 can be opened and closed. Rope 42 is attached at one end to eyelet 32, then threaded around pulley 34, through one hole in guide 36, through the aperture 40 in guide 38 and finally extends downward to a point reachable by a person standing on the ground. The second length of rope 44 is attached to eyelet 30 and is similarly routed through the other hole in guide 36 and through aperture 40 in guide 38 to a point reachable from an operator on the ground.

In operation, rope 44 is drawn downward in order to cause cover 18 to slide over access opening 11 of bin 10. Pulling rope 42 causes cover 18 to move within guides 20 and 22 so as to uncover access 11 permitting the entry or removal of materials within bin 10.

In order to attach lid carrying mechanism 14 to bin 10, a steel rim 46 is welded to the bottom sides of guides 20 and 22 and end member 26 at points where the rim comes in contact with these members. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, rim 46 is sized to snugly receive flange 48 of bin 10 which extends vertically from access opening 11 of bin 10. Fasteners 50 and 52 may be used to secure steel rim 46 to flange 48, although if rim 46 and flange 40 are properly sized they are unnecessary. In another embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, steel rim 46 is split at point 54 and a small section of the rim is removed so that the ends of the rim do not touch each other at point 54. Attached at the end of rim 46 on both sides of point 54 are right angle members 56 and 58 which are welded to rim 46. Members 56 and 58 are bored to receive adjustable fasteners 60. After the rim is placed concentrically around over flange 48, fastener 60 is tightened thereby bringing members 56 and 58 closer to each other, tightening rim 46 around flange 48.

In order to assure that cover 18 seals tightly against the top edge 62 of flange 48, notches 64, 66 and 68 are cut into flange 48. The notches are cut from edge 62 of flange 48 and extend downward a distance equal to the distance from cover 18 to the bottom edge of guide 20 or 22. Distance 70 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 delineates this distance. When lid carrying mechanism 14 is set in place on bin 10 over access 11 with rim 46 concentrically aligned around flange 48, edges 72, 74 and 76 will define a plane parallel and just slightly below the bottom face 19 of cover 18. This will result in a seal against all but the smallest particulate matter entering access 11 when cover 18 is in its closed position.

Another embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. In order to accommodate the entry of large pieces of material entering the access, such as corn cobs or the like, it may be desirable to move eyelets 30 and 32 from the center of cover 18 to points closer to guide 20 or 22. Similarly pulley 34 must be moved in alignment with the eyelets. Because pulling cover 18 from a point off its center may cause a turning torque, it is desirable to have the edges 23 and 25 of cover 18 which are carried in guides 20 and 22 to come as close to abutment with the inner walls 21 of the guides as possible as shown in FIG. 5. This will result in the least possible binding by preventing any substantial turning of cover 18 which might result in binding at points along wall 21.

To prevent accumulation of rain water within guides 20 and 22 and member 24, drain holes 80 are cut into the bottom face of these members as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. The other end of guides 20 and 22 (adjacent member 28) is open to allow drainage at that end.

Although other materials may be used, number 10 gauge steel is preferred.

Numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, and the novel features thereof, which are pointed out in the appended claims. The disclosure, however, is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principle of the invention to the full extend intended by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.