Silo safety system

Abstract

The silo safety system implements safety logic for silo opening gates by utilizing light sensors connected to a programmable logic controller or equivalent configuration of relay contact switches. Photodetection sensors and their associated light transmitters are placed on opposing lateral sides along a truck passageway under the silos where the tail, middle, and front of a truck are presupposed to be. When a truck pulls under the silos, system logic uses the resultant pattern of beam breaks to prevent the silo gates from opening unless the truck cab is clear from the silo that the truck is supposed to be under. For two or more silos, the system enables only the correct silo, while the other silos are disabled. The silo that the truck is under can then only be energized by the silo control operator. The control logic can have a default configuration for a predetermined truck size.

1 . A silo safety system, comprising:
 at least one transmitter-detector pair positioned for detecting presence of a vehicle in a passageway of at least one silo; and   a control logic device connected to the detector of the at least one transmitter-detector pair, the control logic device being configured for identifying whether the at least one silo can be unloaded based upon the position of the vehicle in the passageway.   
   
   
       2 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one transmitter-detector pair comprises a transmitter disposed on a first lateral side of the passageway under the at least one silo and a receiver disposed on a second opposing lateral side of the passageway under the at least one silo. 
   
   
       3 . The silo safety system according to  claim 2 , wherein said at least one transmitter-detector pair comprises a plurality of transmitter-detector pairs disposed at predetermined intervals along a length of the passageway under the at least one silo. 
   
   
       4 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , wherein said transmitter comprises a photo beam emitter and said detector comprises a photo beam detector. 
   
   
       5 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , wherein said control logic device is adapted for connection to pre-existing silo control circuitry at predetermined cut-points. 
   
   
       6 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control logic device comprises a programmable logic controller adapted for operable communication with silo gate opening solenoids, said control logic device preventing actuation of the silo gate opening solenoids until the vehicle position has been verified by said at least one transmitter-detector pair to be in a correct vehicle position with respect to location of at least one silo. 
   
   
       7 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of transmitter bypass switches accessible to a silo operator, the transmitter bypass switches being configurable by the silo operator to disable said at least one transmitter-detector pair, thereby allowing the silo operator to unload the at least one silo for smaller vehicles undetectable by said at least one transmitter-detector pair. 
   
   
       8 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control logic device has a default configuration for a predetermined truck size. 
   
   
       9 . The silo safety system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one transmitter-detector pair has an output providing a Boolean logical expression used by said control logic device to identify whether the at least one silo can be unloaded based upon the position of the vehicle in the passageway.