Not applicable to this application.
Not applicable to this application.
The described example embodiments in general relate to a field grain cart with expandable sides for increasing its holding capacity. The field grain cart may have one or more augers and a spout for conveying grain or other material from the field grain cart out of the spout.
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms a part of common general knowledge in the field.
Field grain carts are used to receive grain, other crops, or other granular materials from a machine such as a harvester directly in the field such as during harvest. These carts can also be used to transport seed to a planter. More particularly, such carts are typically used to receive, transport and unload various types of field crops such as, but not limited to, grain, corn, or other types of granular material.
Conventional grain carts include a trailer that is pulled by a tractor through the field next to the harvester. These carts may include an open topped harvester that receives various volumes of harvested crop from the harvester in real-time. When the hopper is full, the cart is transported to a location in the field to unload to a truck or other transport device using an unloading conveyor such as an auger in a spout that extends from a side of the hopper. The hopper may include a floor conveyor such as another auger that moves the crop or grain towards the unloading conveyor where the unloading conveyor is angled upwardly to lift the crop or grain upwardly from the hopper into the transport vehicle.
When using such conventional systems, the transport of the cart as well as its capacity may limit the efficiency of the harvesting process. For example, it is desirable that the cart and its hopper be as large as possible to allow as much grain or other granular material be held in the hopper. However, this may negatively impact the transport of the cart from one place in the field to another. Vice versa, a more compact cart may be easily transported but is limited in its holding capacity. Thus, it is desirable to break this compromise between the holding capacity and the transportability of the cart.
Some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a field grain cart that can expand to increase its holding capacity and contract to ease its transport. Some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure include one or more movable side sections of the hopper of the field grain cart that allow the aforementioned contraction and expansion.
In some embodiments, the field grain cart comprises a hopper including a center section, one or more expandable side sections that are movably attached to the center section, a base section that is disposed underneath the hopper, a floor conveyor that is disposed in the hopper, and a spout that is in communication with the hopper.
In alternative embodiments, the base section includes a first support platform that is configured to contact or nearly contact the first expandable side section, and a second support platform that is configured to contact or nearly contact the second side section.
In yet further embodiments, the spout is foldable as well as the first expandable side section and the second expandable side section. The spout may be laterally spaced away from the outer lateral extremities of the first expandable side section and the second expandable section when the side sections and the spout are in their folded configuration.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the embodiments of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional embodiments that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment in detail, it is to be understood that the various embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
To better understand the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present disclosure. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evidence to the contrary from the description, where elements in different figures use identical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identical or at least similar in function or purpose.
Some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a field grain cart that can expand to increase its grain holding capacity and contract to facilitate its transport. Some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure include one or more expandible side sections that increase capacity, but that can also contract to increase the transportability of the cart. In some example embodiments, support platforms may be provided that may provide support for the one or more expandible/contractible side sections. In some other example embodiments, a foldable spout is also provided with the expandible/contractible side sections.
The first expandible side section, as well as the second expandible side section, may be rotatably via a hinge, etc. to a central section of the cart, allowing them to be folded up or down depending on whether it is desirable to provide increased holding capacity or increased transportability.
Starting with
Referring now to
As best seen in
Looking at
Similarly, a second expandable side section 48 (may be identically configured as the first expandible side section 36) may be provided that is movably attached to the center section 34. The second expandable side section 48 may be supported by a second side support structure 50 that is rotatably or otherwise movably attached (e.g., may be slidably attached) to the center section 34, and a second side wall section 52 that rests on top of the second side support structure 50.
Referring now to
More particularly, the center section 34 may include a first vertical side surface 94 that extends past a portion of the first side wall section 46, and a second side surface 96 that extends laterally past the second side wall section 52 to help prevent longitudinal movement of the first expandable side section 36 and the second expandable side section 48.
Likewise, the second side support structure 50 may include a second triangularly shaped bottom portion 58, and a second lip 57 that extends upwardly from the second triangularly shaped bottom portion 58. The lips and the side support structures may be identically configured, only requiring rotation of 180 degrees to be used as one or the other.
Looking at
In operation, the horizontal auger or conveyor may push material toward the vertical auger or conveyor to push material out of the spout 42 into a truck 26 or train car, etc. In some cases, one or the other conveyor may be omitted.
In
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the cart 30 includes a first expandable side section 36 that is movably attached to the center section 34, as well as a second expandable side section 48 that is movably attached to the center section 34 simultaneously. As best seen in
As shown in
Turning now to
In
Turning now to
The angled top portion 90 may define a top included angle 98 ranging from 140.0 degrees to 160.0 degrees, while the angled bottom portion 92 forms a bottom included angle 100 ranging from 100.0 degrees to 120.0 degrees. Also, the first vertical side surface 94 defines a vertical distance 104 that ranges from 6.0 feet to 7.0 feet, and the second vertical side surface 96 is spaced away from the first vertical side surface 94 a horizontal width 105 that ranges from 9.5 feet to 10.5 feet. The angled bottom portion 92 defines a vertical distance 107 from the first vertical side surface 94 to an apex of 106 of the angled bottom portion 92 that ranges from 3.0 feet to 4.0 feet.
Looking at
Still referring to
Further details of the expandable side section will now be discussed looking at
The first lower surface 126 forms an obtuse included angle 130 with the second lower surface 128 that ranges from 90.0 degrees to 95.0 degrees, and the second lower surface 128 extends to the center section 34, defining a length 132 that is greater than 6.0 ft.
The upper surface 124 defines a first angle 134 with a horizontal plane 136 that ranges from 8.0 degrees to 9.0 degrees, and the second lower surface 128 defines a second angle 138 with the horizontal plane 136 that ranges from 35.0 degrees to 40.0 degrees.
The field grain cart 30, including the center section 34 and expandable side section subassembly, may define a vertical plane 140 of symmetry (except for the augers and the spout), and an overall horizontal dimension 142 that ranges from 24.0 feet to 26.0 feet (see
Various other dimensions will now be discussed referring to
It is to be understood that any of the dimensional and angular ranges may be varied to be different than what has been discussed herein. For example, it is contemplated that the embodiments disclosed herein may be scaled up or down depending upon the application.
It is also to be understood that the center section, side section, support section, etc. may be subassemblies made of metal components (e.g., plates) that are connected to each other via welding, fastening, etc. The trusses may be made from angle iron or metal tubing, etc. that are connected via welding, fastening, etc. Walls and floors may be made from sheet metal or other similar materials, etc.
In operation, the first expandable side section 36 and the second expandable side section 48 may be extended to increase the holding capacity of the field grain cart 30, or contracted to ease its transportability. Also, the spout 42 may be folded to ease the transportability of the field grain cart 30.
Specifically, to transform the field grain cart 30 from its transportation configuration to its storage configuration, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 154 (see
Then, another hydraulic cylinder(s) 156 (see
Now, this structure or configuration of the grain cart or pod can be loaded by normal grain harvesting equipment. It can hold up to 10,000 bushels of grain (e.g., if the overall longitudinal length is about 60.0 feet, and the overall lateral width is about 25.0 feet) and be unloaded into trucks at any time. The cart or pod may eliminate bottlenecks of labor and/or trucks, giving the operator more flexibility to get the grain transported at a more convenient time.
During the unloading process, the first side wall section 46 and/or the second side wall section 52 may be pulled laterally inwards, forcing grain or other granular material toward the center floor panels 116 that act as a funnel toward the floor conveyor 40 as previously described herein. Once the contraction of the first side wall section 46, and/or the second side wall section 52 is complete, then the first side support structure 44, and/or the second side support structure 50 may be rotated upwards. Eventually as the floor panels 114 (see
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, suitable methods and materials are described above. All patent applications, patents, and printed publications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, except for any definitions, subject matter disclaimers or disavowals, and except to the extent that the incorporated material is inconsistent with the express disclosure herein, in which case the language in this disclosure controls. The various embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the various embodiments in the present disclosure be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.