Abstract: A grain cake breaker device is provided for placement within a storage bin to facilitate the removal of grain therefrom. The device includes a support structure having a number of legs which are connected to the storage bin floor at their lower ends. The legs converge together at their upper ends where they are joined with a hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder is connected to a shaft which extends downwardly toward the bottom of the storage bin. A plurality of nonrotatable, rigid cutting arms extend outwardly and upwardly from the shaft. When the hydraulic cylinder is powered, the shaft moves in a substantially vertical reciprocal direction so that the cutting arms loosen caked grain when contacted by the cutting arms. The grain then flows to the bottom of the storage bin where it is carried from the storage bin by a conveyor.

Abstract: A subsurface coal bunker operating to receive and discharge coal is structured with an assemblage of nested telescopic container members including one stationary member and a plurality of movable members, with the container members being formed in size in a graduated series with each container member being sized to fit into a next larger container member adjacent thereto. The movable members are telescopically extensible and contractible in order to vary the volume of the assemblage and the bunker assembly is provided with a first belt conveyor for feeding material into the assemblage and a second belt conveyor for transporting material therefrom. A reversible drive mechanism, consisting of hydraulic cylinder devices actuating a system of drive chains and pulleys, is mounted on a support frame of the bunker and operates to drive the movable members between the extended and contracted positions.

Abstract: For handling and more particularly for discharging materials lying in a pile upon a storage area like the bottom of a silo, a scraping element is driven into the pile of materials and the resisting force applied to said scraping element is measured. When the said force has reached a predetermined value, the direction of motion of the said scraping element is reversed in order to discharge an amount of materials from the silo. Means are provided to generate a control signal when the said value has been reached, said signal being applied to means for controlling the reversing movement of the scraping element. Thus the resistance encountered by the said scraping element and its driving means does not exceed an admissible value and no blocking can take place.