US2945271A - Bulk storage system - Google Patents

Description

July 19, 1960 Filed July l, 1957 w. D.. coE ETAL 2,945,271

BULK STORAGE SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ['*f/j n HEg/v 7- BULK STORAGE SYSTEM William D. Coe and Howard S. Murray, Milton-Freewater,

Oreg.; said Murray assigner to said Coe Filed July 1, 1957, Ser. No. 669,158

2 Claims. (Cl. 21-109) such material from onestorage location to another re-v quires that the loose material be taken from one large bin in a loose condition, loaded in a bin type conveyance of some type and then unloaded in a loose condition at a newly desired location. Again, when it .was desired to clean such material, a similar'procedure was used to transport the grain or seed'to a cleaning plantrwhere it was cleaned, sacked and, if desired, fumigated in an air tight chamber while in the sacked condition. These prior art methods required large money outlays in permanent installations and much time and labor expense in handling.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide means for reducing the fixed capital required for the provision of facilities for the bulk storage of grain and to reduce the cost of time and labor involved in handling, treating and storing the grain.

It is a second object to provide a plurality of standardized metal boxes or cells which may be handled conveniently by a modern type of lift truck, which cells can be stored in multiples on any flat hard surface and which can be transported on any at conveying surface.

It is a third object to provide such cells each of which has a completely open top and to provide a simple top cover which can be stored, stacked or handled-conveniently yin multiples thereof but which are individually light in weight and easy for one man to apply to an individual cell.

VIt is a fourth object to provide such a cell formed of metal plate and shapes in simple form requiring a minirnum of material.

it is a fth object to provide such a cell generally rectangular in over all plan and side elevation, one side of the cell having a hole formed therethrough near its i upper edge with cover means for the hole rotatably secured to the side for rotation between two positions of cover for the hole with uncover positions between the two cover positions.

It is a sixth object to provide such a cell with a hole through an upper side wall and means for alternately covering said hole with a vermin proof breather screen 2,945,271 Patented July 19, 1960 Yice -hole in each cell for breathing or fumigation accessible on the outside of the two cell wide stack.

It is an eighth object to provide such cells with laterally spaced supporting means on the bottoms thereof to provide sufficient separation of the cells in vertical stacks for placing the supporting forks of a lift truck and for maintaining the bottom cell of the stack oi the supporting ground or other supporting surface.

1t is a ninth object to provide a fountain needle for penetrating ,the rubber grommet cover of the hole in the side of such a cell for the purpose of injecting a fumigating iluid into the cell.

lIt is a tenth object to provide such a needle with a storage chamber for uid under pressure, an intermediate measuring chamber for 4closes of such fluid and means for alternately opening said measuring chamber to the storage chamber and to the needle.

How these and .other objects are attained are explained in the following description referring `to the attached drawings in which n v U Fig. lfshows a storage yard of this 'system in which spaced blocks of laterally, longitudinally and vertically closely spaced cells are tiered. t

Fig. Z'shows an enlarged side view of the fragment 2 of one of the cell blocks of Fig. l.

Fig.v 3 shows a sectional view along the line Fig. 2. p

, Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the novel fountain needle used for fumgation of the material stored in accordance with the system of this invention;

Like numerals of reference refer tolke parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. l is shown a storage yard in accordance with the present system in which a hard flat platform having any suitable surface like concrete, black top, wood or well drained and rammed earth supports multiples of the cells of this invention tiered as shown in blocks two cells wide, four cells high, and of any desired length but preferably not over 25 cells long. Since the cells individually are preferably cubes of four foot overall dimensions the preferred block of cells would be 8 ft. wide, 16 ft. high and ft. long. The width limitation is fixed by the re quirement that each cell must face on an aisle. The height limitation is not xed but is a practical limitation for the use of commonly available lift trucks. The length limitation is not xed but it is found that-fifty feet is a good limit for a lift truck to work into an aisle of minimum width. The aisle width should be about 12 feet to give working space for the lift truck.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged side View of the fragment 2 taken from the nearest cell block shown in Fig. l. VIn Fig. 2 are shown a front elevation of cell 12 and fragments of cells 11 and 13 withV the cells stacked as shown i-n Fig. l.

As. shown for cell 12.v in Fig. 2, each of the cells is in the form of a hollow rectangular truncated pyramid open at the top and formed of about 16 gage steel sheets. The cell is reinforced around the top with a metal angle 14 about 3 inch by 3 inch in size and welded to the side -1 '24 isV such as to allow ventilation E sheets. Welded to the underside of the bottoni sheet 1S of the cell in laterally spaced parallel relation are three Ueshaped supporting skids lo. These details are not shown in the schematic yard drawing of Fig. l.

Between each of the vertically stacked cells is a cover 17 made of any suitable material of which hardboard such as Masonite three sixteenth inches thick has been found satisfactory. Such covers are placed over the iilled cell whenever there is likelihood that thecontents might be harmed or contaminated. When the `cell isfhandled with the cover on, the cover i7 is sealedall aroundr the edge to thecell top angle 14 with any suitable a'dhesively applied, tape such as the tape used in sealingi the enclosures of spaces to be fumigated. To eliminate congestion of unnecessary drawing detail the sealing. tape is not shown in the figures.

WihenV grain is handled andstored during the harvest season, the cells of grain are -usuallynot covered until brought to the storage yard and placed in position. Then theV cell is covered with a cover 17 before thenext upper cell is placed on the cover effectively toy hold the cover tightly on the cell. In this caseV the top cells of the block have their covers held onby sealing or other desired method.

Rotatably secured to each of the cells as shown for cell 12in Figs. 2 and 3 is a cover strap .'i held by shouldered bo1tl9 as shown. Equally distant from bolt 19, strap l hasformed therethrough two countersunk holesti and 2l either. of which may be placed in register with holeZ formed in the front wall of cell 112. Secured between strap dandthe face of cel-112, in hole 20 as shown, lis a grommet or thick edged rubber diaphragm Z3 which will hermetically seal hole22 when strap 18 is rotated to Yregister holes vZiiand Z2. Secured between strap h and thev faceof cell 12 in hole '21 asshown is a rdisk of iinemetal screen 24'of mesh small enough to prevent and vermin from entering hole 22V when strap 18v is rotated to register holes 20 and 2li. However, the'mesh of screen of the interior of the cell. l l 'y In Fig. 4 is shown the noveland useful device for fumigation of bull; vgrain in accordance with the teaching of this invention. A commercial container inwhich the fumigation material methyl bromide is purchased is shown at 25 in a stirrup 25 formed with a threaded hole'at 27 to receive a threaded nipple Z8. The closure of container Z5 at its neck 29 is so formed with adisplacement valvev that when nipple 23 is screwed tightly into neck 29 through strap 27 the interior of container 25 is opened to the interior of nipple 23. Thus in renewing the supply of methyl bromide by replacing the containerZS, thenipple 28 is left connected to inlet 37 of three way valve 3) and stirrup 26 is unscrewed from nipple 28 to release container 25. Then a new container 25 is placed in Vstirrup Z6, and stirrup 26 is screwed into nipple 28 sutlicientlyY far to open the interior of container 25 to the interior of nippleZS.

Transparent measuringchamber 31 graduated as shown at 32 and sealed `into fitting 33 is connected to thecommon opening 38 of three way valve 30 by nipple 34. Hollow needle 35 having dischargeopenings 36is .threadedly secured into opening 39 of valvev 30. When handle 4t) of valve is pointed directlyr upward a path is opened fromk the methyl bromide storage chamber 25 to the measuring chamber 32 and whenhandle 40 is pointed `directly in linerwith needle the needle 3'5- is con nected directly with chamber32. It should be remembered that methyl bromide is a liquid at usual atmospheric pressures and'temperature near-the` freezingv temperature of water but at lower pressures or higher temperatures the bromide will ybe in its gas phase. Then at sayl 50. degrees Fahrenheit temperature and 29 to 30 inches ofHg atmospheric pressure, `if the fumigation device is held by stirrup handle 41 in the upright position shown and valve handle is pointed towards container 25the vapor phase of the bromide will aid gravity in pressing the bromide in its liquid phase into measuring chamber 32 which can be supplied with the desired amount of liquid forrone fumigation dose as indicated on the graduation scale 32. When the proper charge has been measured, the handle itl can be moved to its intermediate position shown or if the pointed end of the needle 35 with its opening 36 is in the space to be fumigated the valvehandle 423 can be moved to its position of alignment with needle 35 and the bromide discharged from chamber 3l Ithrough needle 35 and out of openings 36. The bromide will discharge for whenvalve stem 4@ is moved to connect chamber 3l withneedle 35 the pressure in chamber 31 is immediately reduced to atmosphere, the bromide in chamber Slinits liquid phaseitrnnediately changes to its vapor phaseand-expands so greatly in volume as to be almost entirely, discharged, through needle openings 3-5.

When it is desired tofumigate the gratin in one of the cells or bulk storage-containersfthe operator rotates the strap 18 to register diaphragm 23 with hole 22 and then shoves the needle 35 through the diaphragm 23. A dose of fumigant is then measured into chamber 3l by turning valve handle it? upward towards container 25. When the desired amount offumigant is seenin chamber 3l valve handle 4t) is pointed towards needle 35 Yand the fumigant in chamber 31 volatilizes and discharges out holesi 36 of needle 35 into the cell. The needle 35 is withdrawn from the diaphragm 23 which seals its-elf within the requirements of the umigation process.

lt is thus seen that this Yinvention provides for cereal grains and grass seeds, bulk storage in multiples of stand- Yardized lots the lots being lcontained in easily handled,

transported, stored andjfumigatedcells of a unique utility and provided with 'means for Ventilating or hermetically sealing the cells. j

Having recited some of the objects of the invention disclosed and described preferred'orms of the structures involvedY in the practice of the invention and described their'operation, we claim:

1. A bulk storage system including the combination oi a hollow open topped box for'the storage of seed grain and means for fumigating the seed grain while stored in said box, said box being formed with an inspection hole on one side thereof near said top and a pairof parallel laterally spaced skids for supporting said box with its bottom above a support for said skids, said combination including means adapted selectively to screen said hole to allow said box to breathe while excluding vermin from -said box and to cover said hole with a self closing puncturable diaphragm, and cover means removably scalable over the top of said box, said fumigating means including ahollow needle `adapted to be pressure entered. into said box through satiddaphragm, said needle having a blunt open end va closed-,pointed end and an outlet hole through a side wall thereof near its pointed end, together with a storage container for liquid umigant, a dose measuring container below said storage container for liquid fumigant, conduit means connecting the lower end of said storage container with the upper end of said dose container, said conduit including meansrfor alternately Vfilling said dose measuring container from said storage container and emptying said dose measuring container of Vtiuid fumigant through said needle into said box, said storage centainer including therewith a carrying handle formamtainingsaid storage container at a higher elevation than vsaid dose container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATNTS Mathy July 16, 19011 Rayson Mar. 15, 1932 Manning Oct. 3, 1933 Houghton Mar. 29, 1938 Richert May 2, 1939 Vogel v Feb. 1, 1949 Crooks May 10, 1949 vBerliner Aug. 5, 1952 Denning Apr. 21, 1953 Martin Nov. 27, 1956 Denning Jan. 8, 1957 Zar Nov. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 29, 1954

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