Grain bin management during grain storage
AssigneeGrain Weevil Corporation
InventorsBenjamin H. Johnson, Chad E. Johnson, Zane Zents
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory and configured to control movement of the robot, via the auger-based drive system, relative to grain in a grain bin. The processor is further configured to direct performance of a maintenance traversal, by the robot, of a surface of a pile of the grain during a storage period of the grain. The maintenance traversal disperses a layer of the grain on and near the surface and thus hinders crust formation on the surface during the storage period. The dispersal is effected by rotation of augers of the auger-based drive system during the maintenance traversal.
Claims17
A robot comprising:
- an auger-based drive system;
- a memory;
- and
- a processor coupled with the memory and configured to:
- control movement of the robot, via the auger-based drive system, relative to grain in a grain bin;
- direct performance of a maintenance traversal, by the robot, of a surface of a pile of the grain during a storage period of the grain to disperse a layer of the grain on and near the surface and thus prevent crust formation on the surface during the storage period, wherein the dispersal is effected by rotation of augers of the auger-based drive system;
- and
- direct one or more additional maintenance traversals intermittently during the storage period.
A method of grain bin management during grain storage, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a robot, instructions to traverse a surface of pile of grain in a grain bin;
- controlling, by a processor of the robot according to the instructions, movement of the robot relative to the grain in the grain bin via an auger-based drive system of the robot;
- and
- performing a maintenance traversal, by the robot, of a surface of a pile of the grain during a storage period of the grain to disperse a layer of the grain on and near the surface and thus prevent crust formation on the surface during the storage period, wherein the dispersal is effected by rotation of augers of the auger-based drive system;
- performing, by the robot, one or more additional maintenance traversals intermittently during the storage period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.