Fan-equipped dual-purpose grain cart for transporting and drying grain
OwnerRyan J. Dennisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual-purpose agricultural cart for transporting and conditioning grain or other particulate material. The cart features a transportable frame, a holding container for receiving and holding the particulate material, a fan, and one or more airflow channels each having an inlet fed by the fan and at least one outlet positioned to open into the holding container at an elevation at or proximate a lower end of the holding container. The particulate material is aerated via upward fan-driven airflow from the outlet(s) of the one or more airflow channels. The same cart used to transport grain between a combine harvester and road transport vehicle during harvest can be used after harvest, or during harvest delays, the dry harvested grain before long term storage or long-distance transport.
Claims25
A dual-purpose agricultural cart for transporting and conditioning particulate material, said cart comprising:
- a frame supported in elevated relation over an underlying ground surface in a manner conveyable therealong;
- a holding container carried on said frame for receiving and holding said particulate material, said holding container has opposing ends spaced apart in a longitudinal direction;
- a fan carried on the frame;
- and
- one or more airflow channels each comprising an inlet fed by the fan and at least one outlet positioned to open into the holding container at an elevation at or proximate a lower end thereof to enable aeration of the particulate material via upward fan-driven airflow from the at least one outlet of the one or more airflow channels;
- a longitudinal conveyor carried on said frame and installed in cooperating relation to said holding container at or adjacent the lower end thereof to enable gravitationally influenced loading of accumulated particulate material from the holding container into the conveyor, said longitudinal conveyor running longitudinally of the container and being operable to convey said particulate material toward one of said opposing ends of the holding container;
- and
- an elongated protective conveyor cover that is mounted in overlying relation to the conveyor;
- wherein said one or more airflow channels comprise a central longitudinal channel running longitudinally of the holding container overtop of said conveyor and beneath said protective conveyor, said conveyor comprises an auger, and the inlet of said central longitudinal channel comprises one or more intake openings situated in a bearing support plate on which a shaft of said auger is rotatably supported.
A dual-purpose agricultural cart for transporting and conditioning particulate material, said cart comprising:
- a frame supported in elevated relation over an underlying ground surface in a manner conveyable therealong;
- a holding container carried on said frame for receiving and holding said particulate material;
- a fan carried on the frame;
- one or more airflow channels each comprising an inlet fed by the fan and at least one outlet positioned to open into the holding container at an elevation at or proximate a lower end thereof to enable aeration of the particulate material via upward fan-driven airflow from the at least one outlet of the one or more airflow channels;
- a discharge conveyor for discharge of the particulate material from the dual-purpose agricultural cart;
- and
- a discharge closure selectively positionable in an operating position closing off the discharge conveyor during operation of the fan to block air loss through the discharge conveyor.
A dual-purpose agricultural cart for transporting and conditioning particulate material, said cart comprising:
- a frame supported in elevated relation over an underlying ground surface in a manner conveyable therealong;
- a holding container carried on said frame for receiving and holding said particulate material;
- a fan carried on the frame;
- one or more airflow channels each comprising an inlet fed by the fan and at least one outlet positioned to open into the holding container at an elevation at or proximate a lower end thereof to enable aeration of the particulate material via upward fan-driven airflow from the at least one outlet of the one or more airflow channels;
- wherein the fan is connected to the container at a respective end thereof that comprises a sloped end wall beneath which the fan resides, and the fan is at least partially supported in suspended fashion from an upper region of the respective end of the container situated above the sloped end wall thereof.
A dual-purpose agricultural cart for transporting and conditioning particulate material, said cart comprising:
- a frame supported in elevated relation over an underlying ground surface in a manner conveyable therealong;
- a holding container carried on said frame for receiving and holding said particulate material;
- a fan carried on the frame;
- and
- one or more airflow channels each comprising an inlet fed by the fan and at least one outlet positioned to open into the holding container at an elevation at or proximate a lower end thereof to enable aeration of the particulate material via upward fan-driven airflow from the at least one outlet of the one or more airflow channels;
- wherein said one or more airflow channels comprise wall mounted airflow channels built into one or more walls of the holding container.
A method of aerating a volume of particulate material, said method comprising:
- having a dual-purpose agricultural cart comprising:
- a frame supported in elevated relation over an underlying ground surface in a manner conveyable therealong;
- a holding container carried on said frame for receiving and holding said particulate material;
- a fan carried on the frame;
- and
- one or more airflow channels each comprising an inlet fed by the fan and at least one outlet positioned to open into the holding container at an elevation at or proximate a lower end thereof to enable aeration of the particulate material via upward fan-driven airflow from the at least one outlet of the one or more airflow channels;
- and
- a discharge conveyor for discharge of the particulate material from the dual-purpose agricultural cart;
- and
- blocking off a tube of the discharge conveyor and, while holding said volume of particulate material in the container and maintaining said tube in a blocked-off state preventing or limiting airflow therethrough, running the fan and thereby forcing airflow through the one or more airflow channels and into the volume of particulate material to generate upward airflow through the volume of particulate material from the at least one outlet of the one or more airflow channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.