Material or article handling – Self-loading or unloading vehicles – Successive handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-13
2004-08-17
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Self-loading or unloading vehicles
Successive handling means
C414S503000, C414S526000, C198S666000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06776569
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to grain carts with horizontal and vertical augers for unloading grain from the cart and more particularly to a clutch between the vertical and horizontal augers.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many problems with the efficient unloading of a grain cart. Grain carts typically have sections of gates over the horizontal augers to prevent grain loaded in the cart from engaging the auger along the entire length of the cart at the same time to easy the load on the auger. However sometimes the gates arc left open and the power take off for the auger is over taxed to move the grain horizontally while also powering the vertical auger to move the grain up and out of the cart to a truck, rail car or storage facility. The power required for starting the horizontal auger also varies with the type of grain and the wetness or moisture content of the grain.
For the smooth unloading of the cart into sections of trucks the auger must be stopped and restarted several times and the truck or cart moved so as to fill each bin of the truck. The auger must therefore be stopped before the bin of the truck overflows and restarted to fill the next bin. When stopped the grain in the cart may fill and clog the horizontal auger particularly if the gates are not properly adjusted to cut off flow to the horizontal auger. Similarly the auger has to be shut off after one truck is filled to wait until the next truck moves into position. Then the augers have to be restarted.
The start up force needed to power both a horizontal and vertical auger in a grain cart may overtax the power takeoff on the tractor powering the grain cart. Jamming or slow start-ups will increase the time needed for unloading the grain cart and reduce the efficiency of the unloading process. It is important to reduce down time by a swift flow of grain from the grain cart to the trucks, rail cars or other storage facility to keep the equipment in use and increase its utility. Further it is important to reduce spillage rates by having smooth controlled flows of grain from the grain carts when unloading.
Some grain carts operate the vertical and horizontal augers simultaneously making it difficult to stop the flow of grain by shutting off the power to the augers since the stream of grain is continuous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The grain cart has gates for allowing only a portion of the contents of the cart access to the horizontal auger at any given time. The horizontal auger has a clutch to disengage the horizontal auger from the vertical auger when unloading the cart to allow the horizontal auger to stop while unloading and empty the vertical auger from the cart to end the loading of a truck bin, or start loading the next section of the truck by only powering the vertical auger and then engaging the horizontal auger. In this manner the power requirements on the power take off is reduced resulting in quicker startups and removing the grain from the vertical auger making it easier to start the horizontal auger by using a clutch between the vertical and horizontal augers.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to more easily control the emptying of grain cart by use of augers.
It is an object of the invention to reduce spillage when transferring grain from grain carts.
It is an object of the invention to provide augers which are easier to start under a load of grain.
It is an object of the invention to provide a clutch to engage the horizontal auger independently from the vertical auger.
It is an object of the invention to reduce the power requirement for starting the augers on a grain cart for unloading grain.
It is an object of the invention to increase the efficiency of unloading grain carts.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of (he preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 5409344 (1995-04-01), Tharaldson
patent: 5511925 (1996-04-01), Muth
patent: 5718556 (1998-02-01), Forsyth
patent: 5733094 (1998-03-01), Bergkamp et al.
patent: 6042326 (2000-03-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 6129499 (2000-10-01), Adams
Bazzoli Frank
Hoek Trent J.
Marcy Donald
McMahon Randy
Balzer, Inc.
Bidwell James R.
Nikolai & Mersereau , P.A.
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