Silo unloader with leveling and drive structure

摘要

A top unloading silo unloader pendantly supported in a tower silo. The unloader has a material collector moved around the silo with an automatic leveling and drive structure. An impeller receives material from the collector and throws the material into an out chute which directs the material to a doorway leading to an upright passageway. The leveling and drive structure mounted on the outer end of the collector has leading and trailing drive wheels connected with adjustable mounts to a leveling apparatus. Power is applied to both wheels by separate drive shafts connected to the power transmission for the augers of the collector. The leveling apparatus has a base secured to the collector. Supports pivotally mounted on opposite ends of the base are attached to the mounts for the wheels. A linear actuator connected to the supports operates to concurrently pivot the supports in opposite directions so that the outer end of the collector can be raised or lowered and held in a selected position. Linear actuator has a reversible electric motor coupled to a motor controller. A generally horizontal reference arm attached to a non-pivoting part of the unloader is linked to the controller so that movement of collector up or down actuates the controller whereby the motor operates the linear actuator to increase its overall length to raise the outer end of the collector or to decrease its overall length to lower the outer end of the collector thereby maintaining the outer end of the collector at a selected position.