US 10,647,240 B1Granted

System and method for controlling operation of a discharge conveyor on a grain cart

AssigneeJ. & M. Manufacturing Co., Inc.

InventorsDustan James Grieshop, Mitchell James Wood

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Abstract

A grain cart includes a lower auger conveyor section and an upper auger conveyor section pivotally movable relative to the lower auger conveyor section between a first position and a second position. The lower auger conveyor section further includes an auger feed gate movable between a closed position and an open position. The grain cart further includes a movement actuator adapted to move the upper auger conveyor section between the first position and the second position. The grain also includes a control system including an auger feed gate position sensor operatively coupled to the movement actuator and functioning to control the movement actuator based on input from the auger feed gate position sensor to provide a lock out function preventing the movement actuator from moving the upper auger conveyor section towards the first position only when the auger feed gate is in the open position.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A grain cart comprising:

a grain hopper;
a discharge conveyor extending into the grain hopper and having a lower auger conveyor section and an upper auger conveyor section pivotally movable relative to the lower auger conveyor section between a first position in which the upper auger conveyor section is disengaged from the lower auger conveyor section and a second position in which the upper auger conveyor section is aligned with and engaged with the lower auger conveyor section, the lower auger conveyor section further including an auger feed gate movable between a closed position and an open position;
a movement actuator adapted to move the upper auger conveyor section between the first position and the second position;
and
a control system including an auger feed gate position sensor operatively coupled to the movement actuator and functioning to control the movement actuator based on input from the auger feed gate position sensor so as to provide a lock out function that prevents the movement actuator from moving the upper auger conveyor section towards the first position only when the auger feed gate is in the open position.

2 more elements

A method for controlling a grain cart including a grain hopper and a discharge conveyor with an upper auger conveyor section and a lower auger conveyor section pivotally movable relative to one another, the method comprising:

moving, by a movement actuator, the upper auger conveyor section from a first position in which the upper auger conveyor section is disengage from the lower auger conveyor section to a second position in which the upper auger conveyor section is aligned with and engaged with the lower auger conveyor section;
operating an auger located in the upper and lower auger conveyor sections while the upper auger conveyor section is in the second position to transport grain from the grain hopper through the discharge conveyor;
moving an auger feed gate located at the lower auger conveyor section between an open position and a closed position, to thereby control flow of grain from the grain hopper into the discharge conveyor;
sensing, by an auger feed gate position sensor, whether the auger feed gate is in the open position or the closed position;
and
disabling with a lock out function the movement actuator from moving the upper auger conveyor section towards the first position only when the auger feed gate is in the open position, as determined by the auger feed gate position sensor.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.