Working bin

• US 4,218,859 A
• Filed: 05/22/1978
• Issued: 08/26/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael L. Sams
• Original Assignee: Michael L. Sams
• Inventors: Sams, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perham, Alfred C.
• Application Number:
  US05/908,281
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 52/194, 52/197, 52/263, 52/250, 52/295, 52/743
• US Class Current: 52/194
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/08 Interconnections of wall parts; Sealing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 7/30 mainly of metal

Abstract

A cluster of working bin modules resembling the cells of a honeycomb is used for storing tons of particulate commodities. This structure eliminates the need for corrugated sheet metal walls thereby reducing the explosion hazard. The bins share common smooth walls which are joined where they intersect by connectors which form hollow vertically-extending prisms. After the hexagonal modules have been erected and connected, the prisms are filled with concrete to form a watertight seal between adjacent bins and to permit the prisms to support heavy equipment mounted on top of the cluster. The hexagonal working bins are mounted on columns formed by concrete-filled vertical tubes. Each column is attached to the foundation by a ground anchor having a structure providing high shear strength to resist earthquake damage. Each column includes at its top a short hollow hexagonal prism; horizontal struts connect the hexagonal prisms of adjacent columns. The lower edges of the bin walls are welded to the tops of these struts. Hoppers welded to the struts form the bottoms of the bins. The individual hexagonal bins are built on the ground on their sides, and are thereafter hoisted above the ground in a horizontal attitude and while suspended in the air they are rotated to a vertical attitude and lowered into their positions on top of the columns.

Claims

1. A working bin in the form of a hollow prism whose cross section in a horizontal plane conforms generally to a hexagon, comprising:

six vertical walls of flat sheet metal, adjacent pairs of which converge laterally toward a corner of the hexagon but terminate at vertical edges short of the corner;

six connectors of identical shape, each formed of flat sheet metal and associated with a different adjacent pair of said six vertical walls;

each connector having a central panel extending between the edges of its associated pair of adjacent walls, said central panel flanked by planar side panels lying flush against and attached to those surfaces of the pair of adjacent walls which face toward the interior of the hexagon;

six pillars for supporting the hollow prism at the corners of the hexagon, each pillar including

a ground anchor extending into a foundation;

a column connected at its lower end to said ground anchor and having a central axis passing vertically through a corner of the hexagon;

a cap connected to said column at its top, having six vertical faces forming a hexagonal prism, said faces oriented perpendicular to the directions of the adjacent vertical walls which are joined at said corner,

each of said connectors resting on top of one of said caps and attached to it,

said working bin further comprising six struts, each extending horizontally and connecting opposing vertical faces of the caps on adjacent columns around the periphery of the working bin and supporting said vertical walls, each of said vertical walls terminating in a lower edge which rests on and is attached to one of said six struts.

2. The working bin of claim 1 wherein each of said vertical walls is welded along its lower edge to one of said six struts.

3. The working bin of claim 1 wherein said column is a hollow metal cylinder filled with a solidified castable material.

4. The working bin of claim 1 wherein each of said caps is connected to a column by a circular plate covering the top of the column.

5. The working bin of claim 1 wherein said caps are hollow.

6. The working bin of claim 1 wherein said struts are bolted at their ends to said opposing vertical faces of the caps.

7. The working bin of claim 1 further comprising a hopper attached to said six struts, tapering inwardly downwardly from them, and including a lower edge defining an aperture.

8. The working bin of claim 1 wherein the vertical walls extend upwardly to top edges lying in a common substantially horizontal plane, said working bin further comprising a roof connected to said vertical walls and disposed above them to cover the space included between them.

9. The working bin of claim 1 wherein said column further comprises a flange attached to its lower end, extending horizontally, and including clearance holes extending vertically through it;

and wherein said ground anchor further comprises anchor bolts extending vertically upward from said foundation, passing through said clearance holes and connecting said column to said ground anchor.

10. The working bin of claim 1 wherein said ground anchor further comprises:

several anchor bolts engaging said foundation and having shanks extending vertically at positions around the outside of said column;

a frame connecting the shanks of said several anchor bolts;

a plate oriented substantially horizontally, having clearance holes adjacent its edge for passing said anchor bolts, and having a central aperture, said plate positioned on said anchor bolts above said frame; and

,

a tube extending vertically downward from said central aperture into said foundation in the space between the anchor bolts.

11. The working bin of claim 10 wherein said tube is filled with a solidified castable material.

12. A cluster of working bins in the form of a honeycomb structure comprising:

three vertical walls of flat sheet metal coverging toward a common line of intersection but terminating at edges short of it and parallel to it;

three connectors of identical shape, each formed of flat sheet metal and associated with a different pair of said three planar walls;

each connector having a central panel extending between the edges of its associated pair of planar walls, said central panel flanked by planar side panels lying flush against and attached to those surfaces of the pair of planar walls which face away from the third planar wall,

said three connectors defining a prismatic space enclosed by said central panels, said three planar walls extending outwardly from the corners of said space away from their common line of intersection;

a pillar for supporting said three connectors, said pillar including

a ground anchor extending into a foundation;

a column connected at its lower end to said ground anchor and having a vertical central axis coincident with said common line of intersection;

a cap connected to said column at its top, having six vertical faces forming a hexagonal prism, said faces oriented perpendicular to the directions of said three planar walls which are joined by said three connectors,

each of said three connectors resting on top of said cap and attached to it,

said working bin further comprising three struts, each extending horizontally from one of the vertical faces of the cap and supporting said planar walls, each of said planar walls terminating in a lower edge which rests on and is attached to one of said three struts.

13. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein each of said three planar walls is welded along its lower edge to one of said three struts.

14. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said column is a hollow metal cylinder filled with a solidified castable material.

15. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said cap is connected to said column by a circular plate covering the top of the column.

16. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said cap is hollow.

17. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said struts are bolted at their ends to said vertical faces of the cap.

18. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 further comprising a hopper attached to one of said three struts, extending downwardly from it, and including a lower edge defining an aperture.

19. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said planar walls extend upwardly to top edges lying in a common substantially horizontal plane, said working bin further comprising a roof connected to said planar walls and disposed to cover said top edges.

20. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said column further comprises a flange attached to its lower end, extending horizontally, and including clearance holes extending vertically through it;

and wherein said ground anchor further comprises anchor bolts extending vertically upward from said foundation, passing through said clearance holes and connecting said column to said ground anchor.

21. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said ground anchor further comprises:

several anchor bolts engaging said foundation and having shanks extending vertically at positions around the outside of said column;

a frame connecting the shanks of said several anchor bolts;

a plate oriented substantially horizontally, having clearance holes adjacent its edge for passing said anchor bolts, and having a central aperture, said plate positioned on said anchor bolts above said frame; and

,

a tube extending vertically downward from said central aperture into said foundation in the space between the anchor bolts.

22. The cluster of working bins of claim 12 wherein said tube is filled with a solidified castable material.

23. In a working bin of the type in which a prismatic chamber having a horizontal cross section shaped like a hexagon is supported on pillars, the improvement comprising:

hollow vertical columns attached at their lower ends to ground anchors embedded in a foundation at the corners of the hexagon, filled with concrete, and serving as pillars to support the prismatic chamber;

a hexagonal cap connected to each column at its top with faces of the hexagonal cap aligned perpendicularly to lines connecting adjacent columns; and

,

horizontally-extending struts connected between the opposing faces of the hexagonal caps of adjacent columns,

the uppermost surfaces of said hexagonal caps and of said horizontally-extending struts lying in a common substantially horizontal plane and supporting the prismatic chamber.

24. A method of constructing a cluster of working bins shaped like hexagons and arranged in a honeycomb pattern on a site, comprising the steps of:

(a) attaching hollow vertical columns to ground anchors embedded in a foundation at the corners of the hexagons;

(b) filling each column with a castable material;

(c) connecting a hexagonal cap to each column at its top, with faces of the hexagonal cap aligned perpendicularly to lines connecting adjacent columns; and

,

(d) connecting horizontally-extending struts between the opposing faces of the hexagonal caps of adjacent columns with the uppermost surfaces of said hexagonal caps and of said horizontally-extending struts lying in a common substantially horizontal plane and supporting the bins.