This invention is in the field of vacuum conveyors, and in particular feeding the intake of such conveyors.
This application claims priority to Canadian Patent Application Serial No. 2,537,580, filed Feb. 26, 2006 and to Canadian Patent Application Serial No. 2,507,942, filed May 19, 2005.
Moving agricultural products such as grain, and analogous products such as peas, beans, and the like requires that the grain be conveyed from storage bins into transport vehicles. Such storage bins can conveniently be provided with hoppered floors so that the grain will conveniently flow into an auger or belt conveyor. Often however the floor is flat and so the grain must be moved along the floor to a conveyor intake. Similarly, agricultural products are often stored in piles on the ground.
Sweep augers are well known for moving agricultural products along a flat surface to an auger intake. Such sweep augers typically comprise a length of auger flighting pivotally attached at one end to the intake end of an auger conveyor, or over a central sump in a bin floor. The opposite end of the sweep auger moves in an arc around the intake and as the flighting rotates it moves grain to the intake and the grain is conveyed away. The rotation of the sweep auger typically moves the flighting along the floor such that same sweeps in an arc with little attention from an operator, moving grain into the conveyor intake.
Portable pneumatic or vacuum conveyors are also well known for use in conveying agricultural products. These machines allow pickup of grain from a flat floor or the ground with a nozzle on the end of a flexible hose that allows considerable freedom of movement. A fan or air pump is used to establish a flow of air from the nozzle through the hose and through the machine to a discharge. When the nozzle is placed into the grain, the flow of air is substantially blocked, and so an adjustable vent is provided on the intake nozzle so that air can enter the nozzle and maintain the flow of granular material. The intake nozzle is placed in the grain, which in a flat floor bin slopes upward to the bin walls. The grain flows down the slope until the angle of repose of the grain is reached, at which time the nozzle must be moved slightly to start the grain flowing again.
The nozzle can be quite heavy, and since same must be moved frequently to maintain the flow of grain, various mechanisms have been developed to relieve the operator. For example Canadian Patent Number 2,307,055 to Close discloses a nozzle with a handle and wheels supporting same on the floor such that the operator can roll the nozzle across the floor to maintain the flow of grain into the nozzle.
Vacuum conveyor feeding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,809 to Prentice and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,805 to Miller et al. where augers are mounted under the intake of a vertically oriented vacuum conveyor and move in a circle under the intake to move granular material to the intake while the intake remains stationary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum conveyor feeding apparatus that overcomes problems in the prior art.
The present invention provides in a first embodiment a vacuum conveyor feeding apparatus comprising a vacuum conduit having a first end thereof adapted for attachment to a suction port on a vacuum conveyor, and an intake nozzle defining an intake opening on a second end thereof. A material conveying member extends outward from the intake end of the vacuum conduit and is operative to move granular material toward the intake opening of the intake nozzle when moved through a quantity of granular material. The material conveying member is attached to the intake nozzle such that the intake nozzle moves with the material conveying member as the material conveying member moves granular material toward the intake opening.
In a second embodiment the invention provides a vacuum conveyor and feeding apparatus comprising a vacuum conveyor mounted on wheels for travel in an operating travel direction and a feed arm extends laterally outward from the vacuum conveyor. A vacuum conduit has a first end thereof attached to a suction port on the vacuum conveyor, and has an intake nozzle defining an intake opening on a second end thereof. The intake opening is positioned adjacent to an outer end of the feed arm. A material conveying member extend outward from an outer end of the feed arm in a substantially fixed lateral position with respect to the vacuum conveyor and is operative to move granular material toward the intake opening when moved through a quantity of granular material by moving the vacuum conveyor in the operating travel direction. At least one gauge member is attached to the material conveying member and is operative to support the material conveying member above the ground.
In a third embodiment the invention provides a method of feeding granular material into a vacuum conveyor mounted on wheels for travel in an operating travel direction. The method comprises attaching an output end of a vacuum conduit to the vacuum conveyor; attaching a material conveying member to an intake end of the vacuum conduit such that the material conveying member extends outward from the intake end of the vacuum conduit in a substantially fixed lateral position with respect to the vacuum conveyor; and moving the material conveying member through a quantity of granular material by moving the vacuum conveyor in the operating travel direction and thereby moving at least a major portion of the granular material to the intake end of the vacuum conduit.
The vacuum conveyor feeding apparatus can comprise a sweep auger pivotally attached to one side of the intake end of a vacuum conveyor nozzle. When initially placing the intake of the nozzle into a pile of grain, the auger is positioned alongside and parallel to the nozzle. Initially grain may flow into the nozzle for some time without moving same, and so the auger is stationary. As the flow dwindles, a drive motor on the distal end of the auger is turned on to rotate the auger which draws grain along the auger to the intake and out through the nozzle.
As the grain pile is carried away from the location of the auger, the auger swings outward from the position parallel to and alongside the nozzle into the remaining grain in the pile, and continues to move into the grain through about 180 degrees until it reaches a location substantially aligned with the nozzle and extending outward therefrom. At that point the two must move together into the grain pile to move any further grain to the intake. The auger will tend to move into the grain pile on its own, and can be assisted by an operator as required. Relatively little attention is required by the operator in comparison to the almost constant manipulation required by a conventional vacuum conveyor nozzle apparatus.
Commercially available vacuum conveyors for use in agriculture typically are mounted on a trailer pulled behind and powered by an agricultural tractor. Where grain is piled on the ground, such a conveyor can be used in conjunction with the present invention to convey grain from piles on the ground. Typically such piles are picked up by auger or vacuum conveyors in a conventional manner. Where an auger conveyor is used, a sweep auger may be used to convey grain to the conveyor intake, in the same manner as grain on a flat bin floor. Alternatively such piles also allow a front end loader bucket on a tractor to be used to push the grain into the intake. Where a vacuum conveyor is used, the intake nozzle is manipulated conventionally as in a grain bin to maintain the flow of grain into the intake.
With the present invention, the auger can be locked in place extending substantially straight out from the intake nozzle of a vacuum conveyor pulled behind a tractor. The intake nozzle and the conduit carrying the grain from the nozzle to the conveyor are also locked in place extending laterally out from the vacuum conveyor. Gauge wheels or skids are mounted on the auger such that same can move readily along the ground, and the tractor is driven alongside the grain pile to move the auger and nozzle into the grain. As the grain is carried away the pile recedes and the tractor is driven along as required to maintain flow into the nozzle intake.
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
The vacuum conveyor feeding apparatus of the invention comprises a vacuum conduit having a first end thereof adapted for attachment to a suction port on a portable agricultural vacuum conveyor, and an intake nozzle defining an intake opening on a second end thereof. A material conveying member extends outward from the intake nozzle and is operative to move granular material toward the intake opening of the intake nozzle when moved through a quantity of granular material. The material conveying member is attached to the intake nozzle such that the intake nozzle must move with the material conveying member in order for the material conveying member to move granular material toward the intake opening.
For convenience in initially placing the apparatus 1 in a grain bin, the auger 3 is pivotally attached to one side of the intake end of an intake nozzle 5 of a vacuum conduit 15. The auger 3 is mounted on an auger frame 7 comprising a rear frame member 9 and brackets 11 extending forward from each end of the rear frame member 9. A discharge end of the auger 3 is rotatably mounted in the bracket 11 at the inner end of the auger frame 7 adjacent to the intake opening 6 and a distal end of the auger 3 is rotatably mounted in bracket 11 at the distal end of the auger frame 7. The auger 3 is mounted to the brackets 11 by bearings, and a drive motor 13 is mounted on the bracket 11 at the distal end of the frame 7 and is connected to the shaft of the auger 3 to drive the same. A rear shroud 14 extends upward and partway over the auger 3 along the rear side thereof to improve the efficiency of grain movement by the auger 3.
The motor 13 will typically be a hydraulic or electric motor, and hydraulic hoses or electrical wires will run from a source on the tractor operating the conveyor down the vacuum conduit 15 along the nozzle 5 and then along the frame 7 to the motor 13. A handle 17 may also be provided extending upward from the frame to facilitate manipulating the auger 3 as required. Conveniently the handle 17 is configured so same can be readily removed when not required.
In the illustrated embodiment a universal joint 19 is attached to the inside end of the rear frame member 9 at one end and to the left side of the nozzle 5 in proximity to the open intake end 21 of the nozzle 5 such that the frame 7 and auger 3 can pivot horizontally, about a first pivot axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the intake nozzle 5, from the position of
With the illustrated configuration, the auger 3 can be positioned as illustrated in
As the grain pile is carried away from the location of the auger 3, the auger swings outward from the position of
By mounting the auger 3 on a front side of the frame 7, and mounting the inside end of the rear frame member 9 to the universal joint 19 extending from the side of the nozzle 5, the directly aligned position of the auger 3 and the intake opening 6 of the nozzle 5 is attained.
In configuring a conventional sweep auger for use with an auger conveyor, the sweep auger must create a pile of grain over the auger at the intake of the conveyor, and so typically comprises two sections connected by a universal joint, and mounted with the inside end of one section over the intake end of the conveyor, and sloping down to the second section lying along the floor. With a vacuum conveyor however, any grain brought close to the intake opening 6 will be sucked away, and so the configuration of the frame 7, universal joint 19 and nozzle 5 in the illustrated embodiment allows the auger 3 to move from the intake opening 6 directly along and parallel to the floor leaving much less grain behind that must be cleaned up.
The nozzle 105 has an intake opening 106 positioned adjacent to the discharge end of the auger 103. In the illustrated embodiment the intake opening 106 is oriented upright and facing forward, such that the shroud 114 over the auger and the rear side 104 of the nozzle 105 essentially form a wall with the grain in front of it such that grain moves along the auger to the intake opening 106 and then up the nozzle 105, and does not spill out the back of the apparatus. The conduit 115 and nozzle 105 are supported by the feed arm 159, or like frame members. Alternatively inner end of the shroud could extend past flighting on the auger with a portion of the intake nozzle extending in front of the inner end of the shroud. The vacuum at the intake opening of the intake nozzle 105 will draw in grain so long as same is directed to a location in proximity to the intake opening 106. A clamp 158 can be installed to secure the intake nozzle 105 or vacuum conduit 115 to the auger frame 107 or the feed arm 159.
In operation the tractor 157 is driven alongside the grain pile 151 to move the auger 103 and if desired the intake opening 106 of nozzle 105 into the grain. As the grain is carried away the pile recedes and the tractor 157 is driven along as required to move the material conveying member, auger 103, into the grain and maintain flow into the intake opening 106. As in the embodiment of
Thus the invention provides a method of feeding granular material such as grain into a vacuum conveyor. The method comprises attaching an output end of a vacuum conduit to the vacuum conveyor mounted on wheels for travel in an operating travel direction; attaching a material conveying member such as a rotating auger or scoop to an intake end of the vacuum conduit such that the auger or scoop extends outward from the intake end of the vacuum conduit in a substantially fixed position with respect to the vacuum conveyor. Moving the vacuum conveyor to move the auger or scoop through a quantity of granular material moves at least a major portion of the grain contacted by the material conveying member to the intake end of the vacuum conduit.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2,537,580 | Feb 2006 | CA | national |
2,507,942 | May 2005 | CA | national |