Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between relatively movable parts – Relatively rotatable radially extending sealing face member
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-10
2001-04-03
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between relatively movable parts
Relatively rotatable radially extending sealing face member
C198S671000, C414S523000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209880
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auger hopper seal for a pivotable auger.
2. Description of the Background Art
Augers are mechanical devices that are commonly used for transporting and handling materials. One such material is grain, but various other materials may be moved by augers, such as fertilizers, foodstuffs, chemicals, granular materials, powders, slurries, etc. An auger moves material through the rotation of a helically-shaped flighting encase in a tube. The material is pushed along the bottom of the tube by the rotating flighting.
Augers are widely used in agriculture for moving and handling grain. One popular application is an auger attached to a movable grain tank mounted to a wagon, truck, harvester, or other wheeled conveyance. The auger may be used to unload the grain tank. In order to make such a device safe and easy to use over roads, the auger may be repositionable so that the auger is stored against the grain tank or conveyance in some appropriate manner. In addition, the auger may be repositionable so that the auger output may be directed to a desirable location. This may include a vertical pivot movement wherein the auger may pivot vertically through a range of positions for unloading and for transportation. The auger should not spill or lose any material contents either during repositioning or in any available position of the auger. Of special concern is that no material contents be lost during movement, such as in road travel, of a wagon having an auger in a storable road position.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an auger hopper seal that is capable of being vertically pivoted without a loss of material contents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An auger hopper seal for a pivotable auger is provided according to the invention. The auger hopper seal comprises a hopper for a pivotable auger at an intake end of the auger, the hopper having a rear wall located underneath a storage tank, side walls extending from underneath the storage tank, and a front wall positioned away from the storage tank, the hopper being located below a discharge opening on the storage tank and having a hinged connection to the storage tank, wherein the hopper may be pivoted vertically with respect to the storage tank, a flexible seal attached to the rear wall and the side walls of the hopper and positioned between the hopper and a bottom surface of the storage tank, the flexible seal being capable of being displaced by the bottom surface, and a biasing device mounted on the hopper and contacting the flexible seal and urging the flexible seal into a configuration co-planar with the rear wall of the hopper, wherein the flexible seal is capable of retaining a material contained in the hopper when the auger is elevated to a maximum vertical position.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Hilvers Michael J.
Recker Mark A.
Smith David R.
Turnwald Dennis J.
Melius Terry Lee
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
Santos Robert G.
Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Inc.
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