Claims
- 1. A storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material, comprising:
a storage container; a material inlet at a top of said storage container; a material outlet at a base of said storage container; and a height adjustable leveling apparatus for leveling of an upper surface of the granular material contained in said storage container.
- 2. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 1, futher comprising:
said storage container providing an upright substantially cylindrical storage zone and said height adjustable leveling apparatus is driven by a rotary scraper rotatable about an axis of a cylinder and having an overall diameter substantially equal to a diameter of said cylinder.
- 3. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 2, wherein;
said rotary scraper is selectively operable to spread granular material either toward an outside of said storage container or toward a center of said storage container.
- 4. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 2 wherein:
said rotary scraper having non-radially oriented blades thereon which engage the upper surface of the granular material.
- 5. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 2 wherein;
said storage container is filled by introducing material thereto at a location adjacent one of an axis of said storage container and a periphery of said storage container, wherein said rotary scraper is selectively rotatable in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction so as to selectively spread granular material toward the outside of the container or toward the axis of said storage container.
- 6. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 4 wherein;
said rotary scraper having blades which are reversible for controlling the direction of spreading the granular material.
- 7. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 6, further comprising:
said rotary scraper including a blade support frame supported on vertically adjustable mountings.
- 8. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 7 wherein:
said blade support frame is an outer ring frame supported on said vertically adjustable mountings adjacent the periphery of the container.
- 9. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 8, futher comprising:
a drive apparatus for selectively rotating said rotary scraper being mounted on said vertically adjustable mountings, said drive apparatus driving said outer ring frame.
- 10. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 9 wherein:
said drive apparatus being a friction drive.
- 11. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 10 wherein:
said friction drive including a driving wheel and an opposing reaction wheel, said friction drive supporting said outer ring frame against non driving loads imposed by said driving wheel.
- 12. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 1, further comprising:
a central column structure about which said stored material to be stored is introduced and through which the granular material is discharged from the container.
- 13. The storage apparatus suitable for storing granular material of claim 12, futher comprising:
said central column structure housing an auger for assisting flow from the container.
- 14. A method of reclaiming material from a stockpile of granular material comprising the steps of:
(a) providing height an adjustable spreading apparatus for spreading material from the upper surface of a stockpile outwardly for passage to a base of the stockpile; (b) providing a reclaiming apparatus at the base of the stockpile, and operating said spreading apparatus to cause feeding of that material in the stockpile which does not initially flow gravitationally to said reclaiming apparatus toward the base of the stockpile to enable feeding of substantially all the material in the stockpile to said reclaiming apparatus.
- 15. The method of reclaiming material from a stockpile of granular material of claim 14 wherein:
the stockpile is supported in a storage container.
- 16. The method of reclaiming material from a stockpile of granular material of claim 14, futher comprising:
said storage apparatus suitable for storing granular materials including one of a circular storage and blending area, at least one material outlet port positioned on a storage area centerline at a base of said storage area, at least two support towers being peripherally positioned for supporting a height adjustable leveling-reclaiming apparatus, a support column centrally positioned, a means for distribution, and a material deposition point associated with said distribution means.
- 17. The method of reclaiming material from a stockpile of granular material of claim 14, futher comprising:
a storage area; a material inlet at a top of said storage area; a material outlet at a base of said storage area; and a height adjustable leveling apparatus for leveling an upper surface of material in said storage area.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
PP5818 |
Sep 1998 |
AU |
|
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application taking priority from PCT patent application serial number PCT/AU99/00747 filed on Sep. 9, 1999.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/AU99/00747 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09798850 |
Mar 2001 |
US |