Grain Bin Hopper Support Cone with Support Legs which are Uninterrupted Along their Respective Lengths Between Top and Bottom Junctions

Abstract

A hopper support cone for a grain bin includes a perimeter footing support, upstanding support legs mounted on the footing support, and an inverted cone shaped hopper wall carried by the support legs in a suspended position above a support surface. The hopper support cone features top and bottom junctions respectively located at top and bottom ends of support legs and respectively joining each support leg to each of the hopper wall and the footing support. Each of the top and bottom junctions comprise upper and lower bracing members forming gusset-like structures which provide rigidity for the hopper support cone while leaving a continuous portion of the length of each support leg uninterrupted between the top and bottom junctions and a continuous portion of the hopper wall uninterrupted from the central opening thereof towards the peripheral edge. Thus, access to the continuous portion of the hopper wall is unobstructed.

1 . A hopper support cone for a grain bin comprising:
 a hopper wall having an inverted cone shape so as to taper downwardly and inwardly from a circumferentially extending peripheral edge at a top end of the hopper wall to a central opening at a bottom end spaced longitudinally from the peripheral edge along a longitudinal axis of the hopper wall;   a plurality of upright support legs supporting the hopper wall that are located at circumferentially spaced positions thereabout;   the upright support legs spanning from a top end of the respective support leg at or adjacent the peripheral edge of the hopper wall downwardly to a bottom end of the respective support leg below the central opening of the hopper wall;   a perimeter footing support at the bottom ends of the plurality of support legs that spans between each adjacent pair of the support legs so as to join the support legs for resting on a support surface;   a bottom junction joining each support leg and the footing support;   a plurality of upper bracing members each spanning radially inwardly from a respective one of the support legs at an upper bracing location thereon which is closer to the top end than the bottom end of the respective support leg to the hopper wall at a wall location thereon which is closer to the peripheral edge than to the central opening such that (i) each support leg is uninterrupted along a continuous portion of its length from the upper bracing location to the bottom junction and (ii) a continuous portion of the hopper wall between the wall location and the central opening is uninterrupted.   
     
     
         2 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 1  wherein each upper bracing member comprises at least one gusset plate disposed at the top end of the respective support leg so as to extend along the hopper wall from the wall location towards the peripheral edge and along a portion of the length of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         3 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 1  wherein each bottom junction comprises a lower bracing member spanning from the respective support leg at a lower bracing location thereon which is closer to the bottom end than to the top end of the respective support leg to the footing support at a location thereon which is radially inward of the lower bracing location such that the continuous portion of the length of the respective support leg which is between the upper and lower bracing locations is uninterrupted. 
     
     
         4 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 3  wherein each lower bracing member extends further from the respective support leg in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis than in a longitudinal direction along the respective support leg. 
     
     
         5 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 3  wherein each lower bracing member comprises at least one plate generally forming a gusset plate that is disposed at the bottom end of each support leg so as to extend along a portion of the length of the respective support leg and across a width of the footing support inwardly of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         6 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 5  wherein said at least one plate extends inwardly beyond the footing support so as to be connected thereto across an inner face of the footing support. 
     
     
         7 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 5  wherein said at least one plate comprises a pair of parallel side plates respectively located at each side face of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         8 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 7  wherein each side plate extends radially outwardly from the respective support leg so as to extend outwardly beyond the footing support and connect thereto across an outer face of the footing support. 
     
     
         9 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 7  wherein each lower bracing member includes a top plate spanning between the parallel side plates that is located at an inner face of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         10 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 7  wherein each lower bracing member includes an end capping plate spanning between the parallel side plates at innermost ends thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A hopper support cone for a grain bin comprising:
 a hopper wall having an inverted cone shape so as to taper downwardly and inwardly from a circumferentially extending peripheral edge at a top end of the hopper wall to a central opening at a bottom end spaced longitudinally from the peripheral edge along a longitudinal axis of the hopper wall;   a plurality of upright support legs supporting the hopper wall that are located at circumferentially spaced positions thereabout;   the upright support legs spanning from a top end of the respective support leg at or adjacent the peripheral edge of the hopper wall downwardly to a bottom end of the respective support leg below the central opening of the hopper wall;   a perimeter footing support at the bottom ends of the plurality of support legs that spans between each adjacent pair of the support legs so as to join the support legs for resting on a support surface;   a top junction joining each support leg and the hopper wall;   a plurality of lower bracing members each spanning from a respective one of the support legs at a lower bracing location thereon which is closer to the bottom end than the top end of the respective support leg to the footing support at a location thereon which is radially inward of the lower bracing location such that (i) each support leg is uninterrupted along a continuous portion of its length from the lower bracing location to the top junction and (ii) a continuous portion of the hopper wall from the central opening towards the peripheral edge is uninterrupted.   
     
     
         12 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 11  wherein each lower bracing member extends further from the respective support leg in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis than in a longitudinal direction along the respective support leg. 
     
     
         13 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 11  wherein each lower bracing member comprises at least one plate generally forming a gusset plate that is disposed at the bottom end of each support leg so as to extend along a portion of the length of the respective support leg and across a width of the footing support inwardly of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         14 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 13  wherein said at least one plate extends inwardly beyond the footing support so as to be connected thereto across an inner face of the footing support. 
     
     
         15 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 13  wherein said at least one plate comprises a pair of parallel side plates respectively located at each side face of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         16 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 15  wherein each side plate extends radially outwardly from the respective support leg so as to extend outwardly beyond the footing support and connect thereto across an outer face of the footing support. 
     
     
         17 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 15  wherein each lower bracing member includes a top plate spanning between the parallel side plates that is located at an inner face of the respective support leg. 
     
     
         18 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 15  wherein each lower bracing member includes an end capping plate spanning between the parallel side plates at innermost ends thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 11  wherein each top junction comprises an upper bracing member spanning radially inwardly from a respective one of the support legs at an upper bracing location thereon which is closer to the top end than the bottom end of the respective support leg to the hopper wall at a wall location thereon which is closer to the peripheral edge than to the central opening such that the continuous portion of the length of the respective support leg which is between the upper and lower bracing locations is uninterrupted and the continuous portion of the hopper wall which is between the central opening and the wall location is uninterrupted. 
     
     
         20 . The hopper support cone according to  claim 19  wherein each upper bracing member comprises at least one gusset plate disposed at the top end of the respective support leg so as to extend along the hopper wall from the wall location towards the peripheral edge and along a portion of the length of the respective support leg.