Grain Bin Manual

G r a i n B i n S e t u p Preparing the pad for the bin The bin pad should be located in a well drained area. Pad foundation should be a minimum of 6” above ground level and 18’ wider than the bin diameter. The foundation top should be 4” of crushed rock (3//4 in diameter). Foundation must be well packed. For multiple bin installations, the gravel pad should be continuous with 3-4’ space between each bin. If installing a Skylift, the distance between bins must be 5’ 5”. Measure out your pad. Mark the centre and the edges of where the bin floor will sit. Line up your floor with the marks on the pad. Flipping the floor Using your lifting device, pick up the bin floor using the attached tabs. Swing the floor over the pad, lining the floor up with the measurement marks. Lay the floor down on its side. Remove the shipping brackets that hold the two sides of the floor together Lift the top side of the floor up. Be sure to carefully clean the seam of the bin floor. Remove any rocks, dirt or debris before setting down the top half of the floor. Carefully line up the two sides of the floor. Gently lower the top half of the floor being sure that as the floors overlap, no debris is caught in the seam. Unpacking the crate Using an 15//16 socket, remove the top bolts out of the crate. Using your lifting device and a sling, lift your roof sheets out of the crate and set to the side. Lift your wall sheets out of the crate and set on your bin floor (be sure to leave room to walk around the sheets). You may also want to place your aeration// door pallet on the bin floor. Lift out the stiffener bundle and set to the side. Take the time to finish breaking down the bin crate as it will make it easier for you to transport back to Darmani. Building a (vented) lid … Assemble the lid ring. Be sure the nuts are on the outside of the ring. Be sure all the flaps are opening in the same direction. Step 1: Attach the rope bracket. Use a nut on each bolt as a spacer. Step 2: Thread the black rope through the bracket, moving from inside to out (see picture). Step 3: Thread the black rope back under the bracket and out the opposite side (see pictures) Step 4: Thread the black rope through the holes on the black flaps. Go all around the ring. When you get back to the bracket, thread the rope under the bracket and back through the slot. Both ends of the rope should exit the bracket over the centre bolt and down. Bend the tabs on part LE up 90 degrees. Bolt part LE onto the ring with nuts on the outside of the ring. Attach lid flange braces (LH) to the ring and lid body. ! Attach lid joiner plate (LL). Be sure that the lid body is square. Caulk around all the seams and gaps. Attach the lid track holder plates (LC) on either side of the lid body. Attach track brackets on either side (LGL and LGR). Attach lid tracks using flat headed track bolts. ! Attach track braces on either side. Use a washer on the first bolt of the track brace to keep the brace aligned (see yellow arrow) You need to drill a hole where the track crosses the track brace ( see blue arrow) Lid Saucer Attach lid saucer bracket to either side of the lid. Nuts go to the outside of the saucer. Attach the end brackets to the saucer brackets. The end brackets on the front of the saucer (near the latch) should be pointing down (see yellow arrow) and the end brackets at the back of the saucer should be pointing up (orange arrow) Assembling the latch….. Using the flat headed track bolts, attach the latch base (LI) to the saucer with bolts on top of the saucer. Feed the 2” hex bolt through the spring and attach the lid latch to the lid latch base. Tie orange rope to the latch. Slide the lid wheels and collars onto the end bracket. Leave the collars loose until the lid has been adjusted on the track. Slide the lid on to the track. Attach the track support bar to the back of the tracks. Plug the hole in the centre of the saucer with a bolt and nut. After adjusting the end brackets so the lid slides smoothly, tighten the collars on the front rollers so they are centered on the roller. Tighten the collars on the back rollers so they are snug to the edge closest to the track. The front rollers should be able to float a bit but the collar on the back roller is to ensure the roller does not come off the track. FRONT ROLLERS REAR ROLLERS Measure and mark the center of the track support bar. Drill two holes for the rope guide (u-bolt). Thread two nuts onto the ubolt, place it into the drilled holes and attach two nuts under the bar. ! The guide bolt….. At the back of the lid, attach a bolt (pointing outward). This bolt should line up with a hole drilled in the back of the lid saucer. If the bolt catches on the hole, then the lid bracket end plates most likely need adjustment. When the lid closes, the bolt should line up with the hole every time. If it is catching just on the edge, the hole can be drilled out slightly to give it more room to line up. Building a Darmani Roof… Starting the first ring Using the floor as your level base, start the first ring for the roof. When adding the next sheet, always overlap the sheets in a clockwise direction. Add a piece of strip caulking down the entire right hand side of the sheet. It should be placed between the bolt holes and the edge of the bin sheet. When attaching sheets, place bolts in the top ,middle and bottom. Then go back and fill the seam. Use the strip caulking between every sheet. If building a odd number ring (5 or 7 ring) bin, choose the sheet that will be centered over the door. Be sure to line up one of the triangles of the bird stop so it is as close to the center of the sheet as possible. If building an even numbered bin, choose the seam that will be centered over the door. Be sure to line up one of the triangles of the bid stop so it is as close to being directly over the seam as possible. Continue to bolt on the bird stops around the bin. Add the pieces in a clockwise direction. Be sure the seams of the bird stop are offset from the seams of the wall sheets. Bolts should run from in to out as this makes it easier to tighten the roof sheets later. If building an odd number ring bin, you need to add the short stiffeners now. The four holes on the outside edge of the stiffener should always be facing down as this is where you will bolt on the splicer plate. Do not fill the bottom 2 holes down the centre of the stiffener as you will bolt on the splicer plate here. If you are building an even number bin, you will add the first set of stiffeners after the roof is finished. Name Sheet and Winch Bar **Please note if you are building an even number bin, the name sheet and winch bar will be put in place after the roof is finished. Drill out the top four bolt holes (using a ½ inch drill bit) in the stiffener on either side of where the door will be centred. Bolt on the winch bar for the aeration (see picture). Installing the cable tubes…. Using a long 3//16” bit line up where the cable tubes will pass through the wall sheet (see picture). Once, you have marked where the center of the hole is, use a ¾” hole saw to drill from the outside in. Feed the cable tubes through the hole and caulk around the tube on the inside and outside of the bin sheet. Bolt the cable tubes to the winch bar. Feed cables through the tubes. Attach the name sheet to the top of the stiffeners (one either side of where your door will be centred) by using the self tapping screws. Be sure to feed the cables so they come out under the name sheet. Roof Sheets **The next few steps are critical in ensuring that your lid will line up with your door. They are also critical in ensuring all your bins (if you are building more than one) look uniform. Using your lifting device, hang your peak ring over the centre of the bin floor. Space your roof sheets around the bin. Starting with the roof sheet that will hang directly over the door, place the ‘peak’ of the roof sheet over the triangle on the birdstop that we centred over the door. Now spin the peak ring until you match up the hole on the bottom of the peak ring and the hole at the top of the peak ring best lines up with the ‘peak’ of the first roof sheet (see picture).This is the hole that you will bolt the front of the lid to, so you want it to line up with the center of the door as closely as possible. Bolt on four roof sheets at equal intervals around the bin. Then starting at one of these sheets continue around the bin in a clockwise direction. When getting to a sheet already mounted, be sure to slide the forward peak under the next sheet so they are all mounted clockwise. As you attach roof sheets, you may want to bolt on the expansion ring brackets at the same time (you can also add them after all the roof sheets are mounted). Be sure to use a rubber O-ring//rubber washer between the bracket and the roof sheet. The roof sheet with the inspection hatch should be mounted to the left of the sheet over the door (you may skip one roof sheet and then place the inspection hatch). Next to the inspection hatch you should mount your roof ladder. Be sure the inspection hatch and roof ladder are side by side wherever you choose to mount them on the roof (**note in the picture the hatch and the roof ladder are switched for left handed access). Notice that there is no ladder rung for where the expansion ring will mount around the bin. Tighten up all the bolts on the roof at this point. Expansion Ring The next step in the roof is mounting the expansion ring. Start by taking the small pieces of the expansion ring and tread a bolt and nut through them. This helps keep the connector pieces in place. Next, take the treaded pieces and thread on four nuts with one washer at each end. Be sure these are spaced evenly across from each other on the ring. Once the ring is in place you will see that the final ring piece will need to be cut to fit. Connect the final pieces with a smooth connector piece. Now, using a 1 ½ inch wrench, spread the nuts on the treaded connecters to spread the expansion ring. Be sure to tighten both sides of the roof equally. Once the ring is tight you should be able to see a slight bow in the roof panels. Before After Saf-ti-fil Lay out the template for the Saf-ti-fil on your roof sheet. Be sure the Saf-ti-fil is mounted as close to the eave as possible. Drill one hole with a 3//8” bit and the second hole with a 7//8” hole saw or drill bit. Thread the saf-ti-fil from under the roof sheet so the float is on the underside. Attach the collars and fasteners Check that the indicator can move freely. Peak ring seals and mounting the lid The last step in building the roof is to mount the lid. First you need to put the peak ring seals around the outside of the peak ring. Hold them in place as you swing the lid over the bin and lower it into place. The lid goes outside the peak ring seals. Line up the bolt hole at the front of the lid with the hold on the peak ring that we started our roof sheets with. This should centre your lid so it is square with the door. It is important to carefully caulk around the peak ring seal. This step is important to keep water from infiltrating your bin. Take your time and be sure to check for any holes or gaps that you may have missed. Roof Tips: Always be sure the channel on the roof ladder is facing down so it doesn’t fill up with snow in the winter. It also makes it easier on the hands to grab when climbing up. ! Remember to put a cord guide (u-bolt) on the back of the roof. This guide prevents your cords from blowing all over the bin when windy. Using a pair of pliers, bend under the edge of the roof sheet where you mount the cord guide. The rough edge of the roof sheet may cause your cord to wear and fray prematurely. ! Bend the triangles on the bird stop out prior to placing the roof sheets on. This will create a guide for the sheets to slide on. After the roof is complete, go around on the inside and press the bird stops out so they best fill the space under the roof sheets. You will want to add the first ladder section before lifting the roof any higher. Attach the ladder brackets to the first ladder section. Hold the ladder section up to the bin wall, directly under the roof ladder (should be even spaced between the stiffeners). Using a paint marker, mark the bin wall where you will need to mount the ladder. Drill two holes using a 11//32” drill bit. Attach the ladder brackets to the bin wall and tighten all bolts. Even number bin 
 (6 or 8 rings) If you are building a bin with an even number of ring, this is when you will add your first stiffeners. Using your lifting device, raise the roof approximately 4 feet in the air. This will allow you to place the long stiffeners in place. Run the stiffener bolts from the inside to outside with the bolts on the outside of the bin. Once the stiffeners are tightened up you can lower the bin and stand it on the stiffeners (similar to the picture). ! Now is the time to attach the winch bar and name sheet. The procedure is the same as previously described. Be sure the name sheet and winch bar are placed on the first ring, close to the eave. Building the walls….. Using your lifting device, raise the roof approximately 5 feet. This should give you enough clearance for the next ring. Using a rag, wipe down the bottom of the first ring. This is to remove the protective oil on the steel and will help the caulking to stick. Place a short piece (8-12 inches) of caulking horizontally at every seam. The caulking needs to be applied to the ‘low’ side of the seam. So if you are moving in a clockwise direction, the caulking will be applied to the bin sheet to the right of the seam. (*note – the photo is reversed left-right) Strip caulking would go here behind this sheet. This is the ‘low’ side of the seam. Now is a good time to place the splicer plates on the short stiffeners (remember for an odd number ring bin only). Do not fill the bottom holes on the splicer plate as you will use these to connect the next stiffener. All stiffener bolts bolt the nuts on the outside of the bin while wall sheets bolt the nuts on the inside of the bin. Using punches, have two people pick up a bin sheet and place it under the first ring. Be sure to space it so that the seams are exactly halfway between the seams on the previous ring. Continue down and around the bin. Remember, to add a ladder section with each ring. After the first ladder section the rest of the ladder sections should bolt onto the seams between rings. ! Be sure that the cables hanging under the name sheet are pulled through as you raise the bin as well. On the last ring, directly across from the door, mount the D-ring bracket on the back of the bin. Taking the black aeration rope and the orange lid rope hanging down the back of the bin, attach a D-ring to each rope. Be sure to place the D-ring so that when they are hooked to the latch there is some tension on the ropes. Tips for walls … To help speed things along, using a punch you can fan out the number of sheets you need for the next ring. Wipe the edges of the sheets down with a clean rag. Place your strip caulking between the edge of the sheet and the bolt holes, on each sheet. Now you only have to place the strip caulking on the horizontal seams as you work your way around the bin. When adding a bin sheet, do not fill the seam from the top down. First, place a bolt at the top of the seam, the middle of the seam and one at the bottom. Then go back and fill the seam. This will make it easier for the sheets to line up. Be sure to place any cords you are using in the space between the floor halves. If your cord is draped over the floor side wall, the cord may be cut or damaged by the bottom edge of the bin. Darmani Bin Door When you get to the second last ring, both sides of the small door sheet bolts to the inside of the bin (see picture). Please note the holes that haven’t been filled with bolts. This is where the black sheet with the latch for the safety hook will bolt to the outside of the bin. Be sure to caulk all the way around this sheet prior to attaching it to the bin (*note: you may choose to use the tube caulking to ensure a very good seal and be sure of no gaps around this sheet). Finish the last two rings as usual. After the last set of stiffeners has been mounted, tighten up all the nuts and bolts on all the stiffeners and bin sheets. Attach the stiffener ‘feet’. You can now attach the black brackets for the swing door. There is one bracket for the left hand side and two brackets for the right hand side. You can now set the bin down on the floor. Be sure the bin is outside the ring on the floor and the stiffener feet are sitting on the lip of the floor outside the ring. Take the slotted door frame flange and bend it into a curve. Bolt the flange onto the door frame sub-assembly. Do not tighten the bolts – leave them loose. Do this for both the top and bottom assembly. Set the bottom assembly onto the bottom of the door frame. Using one 1 ½ long - 5//16” bolt, attach the bottom assembly to the door frame. Use an impact to tighten the nut and then finish attaching the assembly with 3//8’s bolts. Do the same for the top assembly. Mount the black panel above the door. This is where your safety cable will hook when your aeration is raised. Be sure to caulk all the way around the outside of this plate as well as caulk the bolt heads. This is important to prevent water infiltration. Next, set the door wing into place on either side of the door opening. Put a bead of tube caulking on the back side of the angle iron that goes on the outside of the door wing. This is an important step to prevent water infiltration around the door. Attach the angle iron to the outside of the bin. Slide the door frame sides into place. Be sure the tabs at the top and bottom fit flush into their slots. Wrong Right Using the tube caulking, caulk the seams in the corners of the door frame. Attach the corner angle pieces in all corners. On the inside of the door frame attach pieces DS 
 (four corners) inside the wing and pieces DV and DT (DT is a space for DV) Attach pieces DO on the top and bottom of the left side of the door frame. Mount the swing arm on the door brackets that were installed on the right side of the door. Attach pieces DH and DI to the door skin. Mount the door skin to the swing arm. Attach the door latch to the door skin and drill a hole into the swing arm for the latch to line up with. This is to lock the door into place while the aeration is on. Your finished door skin should look like this. The door foam must be placed on the door skin, not on the door frame, in order to get a good seal. The best way to do this is to crawl in the bin and close the door. Using a pain marker, mark the top and bottom of the door skin were it touches to frame. This is where to place the foam. Along the sides, the door foam will fit between the edge of the skin and the vertical angle iron. After mounting the fan, you may want to caulk around all the bolts//nuts on the door skin to prevent water penetration. Attach the door latch to the left side of the door. Attach the door latch lock to the door frame (see arrow) directly across from where the door latch pivots. Door Tips … If you have having air or water leak through your door, check the following… 1. Is your door foam sealing properly to your door frame? 2. Did you caulk all the areas discussed? 3. Are you having difficulty closing the door? It may be possible that the door isn’t lined up with the door frame. Climb inside the bin and close the door. The angle irons on the door skin should not come into contact with the door frame. If it does, loosen the top and bottom four bolts that hold the door skin in place and using a crowbar, move the door slightly to the left or right. Spreading the floor … There are many different ways to spread and seal the floor. This is just one method. Attach to pieces of angle iron to the floor using self tapping screws. Do this to both sides of the bin at the ends of the seam. Using a hydraulic cylinder//jack slowly apply pressure to both sides of the floor. Do this for both sides of the floor seam. Once the bin floor flange has created a tight seal to the bin walls, you can seal the floor. First, pry up the upper edge of the bin floor and apply a generous bead of caulking to the bottom half of the floor where the two sides overlap. Then attach the two sides using the self tapping screws. Once the floor is secure, remove the angle iron, being sure to caulk any holes left behind. You must also attach the filler plates at this time. Be sure to caulk all around them to create a good seal. Aeration Tunnel Lay out your pieces for the aeration skeleton. **note: The aeration legs for the front of the aeration tunnel are shorter than the rest of the legs (AC). Be sure to place these legs near the door. When assembling the first arch, only one AW is used. It must be placed on the inside of the arch with bolts on the inside and nuts on the outside of the arch. Do not fill the top four holes. Also on the first arch only one AX piece on either side of the air legs is used. These pieces must also go on the inside of the arch and on the same side as AW. On the other side of the arch, mount the air plate (AS), and pieces AO and AAR//AAL. This will mount to the inside of the door. **IMPORTANT Do not tighten any bolts until the aeration skeleton is complete! Attach an aeration beam to the back side of the aeration arch. This will bolt on to the four holes that you left open when attaching pieces AW. **note: bolts should run into the arch with nuts on the inside. Assemble the remaining aeration arches. Use two AW pieces on either side of the top of each arch, keeping the top four holes empty. Also, use two AX pieces on both sides of the aeration legs. Assemble the skeleton, using aeration beams between each arch. Between the first and second section of the aeration tunnel, you need to mount your winch plate (see picture). On the final arch, the back plate will be mounted. Next attach all cross braces in each tunnel section. X- braces need to be installed at this time as well. The placement of these braces will depend on the size of your aeration tunnel. Please refer to your manual for proper placement of these braces. Next, attach your aeration side panels to the first section. Be sure to attach the side panels before attaching the roof panels and the sheets should overlap as in the picture. Complete each section before moving on to the next section so that all panels overlap consistently. Attach the roof channel pieces for your winch cable. As you add the side sheets to the aeration, you also need to bolt on the leg braces (see photo). Once all the pieces are in place you can tighten up all the aeration bolts. Now, you can attach the aeration ‘feet’. Be sure that the feet are touching the floor of the bin. It is important that the weight of the aeration tunnel is resting on the aeration feet. Building grain bins can be dangerous. Please wear safety protection including steel toed boots. Be aware of the weather while working. Wind and lightning can be deadly. Try to be aware of where all members of your crew are at all times. Take your time and be safe.