Automatic silo door construction

Abstract

Automatically actuable silo door apparatus and a silo equipped with same. The apparatus preferably comprises a door member adapted to selectively block a silage discharge orifice, a hinge assembly for mounting the door, retractable gun means for automatically activating the door apparatus, and trigger apparatus responsive to silage level for selectively activating the gun means to open the door. In a preferred form of the invention each trigger means comprises a portion received within an upper adjacent silo door orifice whereby an automatic silo unloader will contact and activate it during the unloading operation. The hinge means preferably comprises first and second spaced apart door hinge bars, each having portions pivotally mounted to the door member and integral offset portions thereof pivotally received by the silo. The hinge means enables the door member to be moved out of and away from the silo door orifice when opened to prevent interference with the unloader. A silo disclosed herein comprises a plurality of vertically spaced apart silo doors which may be automatically, sequentially opened to facilitate automatic silo unloading.