US 2006/0192041 A1Published application

Method and apparatus for moving agricultural commodities

AssigneeMobil Grain Ltd.

InventorsSheldon Affleck, Lavern Affleck

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Abstract

A portable processing plant apparatus is transported to a location convenient to a freight supplier or like destination and then set up to receive gross agricultural commodities and discharge clean agricultural commodities into a clean commodity receptacle, such as a rail car. A batch of commodity from a farm location is received into a storage bin. The batch is conveyed in a stream through a gross scale, cleaning module, and net scale and into a receptacle, such as a rail car. A gap is created between the stream of one batch and the stream of the next, and a computer is operative to control flow of the commodity streams. The computer can store batch identity information, and record the source farm location of the commodity in each receptacle.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A portable processing plant apparatus for receiving gross agricultural commodities and discharging clean agricultural commodities into a clean commodity receptacle, the apparatus, when set up in an operating position, comprising:

a receiving station operative to receive a gross commodity from a truck;
a first conveyor operative to convey gross commodity from the receiving station to a selected one of first and second storage bins;
a second conveyor operative to convey gross commodity in a gross commodity stream from a selected storage bin to a receiver of a gross commodity scale operative to weigh the gross commodity stream as same moves from the receiver to a gross scale discharge;
a third conveyor operative to convey the gross commodity stream from the gross scale discharge to a receiver of a cleaning module operative to remove dockage from the gross commodity stream and discharge a clean commodity stream at a cleaner discharge thereof and discharge a dockage stream at a dockage discharge thereof;
a fourth conveyor operative to convey the clean commodity stream from the cleaner discharge to a receiver of a net commodity scale operative to weigh the clean commodity stream as same moves from the receiver to a net scale discharge;
a fifth conveyor operative to convey the clean commodity stream from the net scale discharge to the clean commodity receptacle;
a dockage bin connected to receive dockage from the dockage discharge;
and
a computer operative to control flow of a first gross commodity stream from the first storage bin and flow of a second gross commodity stream from the second storage bin to create a gap between a rear end of the first gross commodity stream and a front end of the second gross commodity stream;
wherein the apparatus is movable from the operating position to a transport position supported on wheels for movement along the ground.

7 more elements

A method for purchasing like gross agricultural commodities from a plurality of farm locations and delivering clean agricultural commodities into a plurality of clean commodity receptacles for delivery to an end user while preserving the identity of the source farm location of the clean agricultural commodity in each clean commodity receptacle, the method comprising:

a) contracting purchase of like gross commodities from at least first and second farmers at corresponding first and second farm locations;
b) selecting a temporary plant location convenient to the farm locations and for delivery to the end user, and setting up a processing plant adjacent to the clean commodity receptacles;
c) transporting a first batch of gross commodity from the first farm location to a receiving station of the processing plant;
d) receiving the first batch of gross commodity from the first farm location and transferring the first batch from the receiving station to a first storage bin;
e) transporting a second batch of gross commodity from the second farm location to the plant receiving station and receiving and transferring the second batch to a second storage bin;
f) initiating transfer of the first batch, in a first gross commodity stream having a front end and a rear end, from the first storage bin to the receiver of a gross commodity scale, weighing the first gross commodity stream as same passes through the gross commodity scale, and discharging the first gross commodity stream through a gross scale discharge;
g) conveying the first gross commodity stream from the gross scale discharge to a receiver of a cleaning module, removing dockage from the first gross commodity stream as same passes through the cleaning module, and discharging a first clean commodity stream at a cleaner discharge and discharging a dockage stream at a dockage discharge;
h) conveying the first clean commodity stream to a receiver of a net scale, weighing the first clean commodity stream as same passes through the net scale, and discharging the first clean commodity stream through a net scale discharge;
i) conveying the first clean commodity stream from the net scale discharge to at least one selected clean commodity receptacle;
j) conveying the dockage stream to a dockage bin;
k) when the rear end of the first clean commodity stream has entered the at least one selected clean commodity receptacle, determining a weight of the first clean commodity stream and paying the first farmer for the first batch of gross commodity according to the weight of the first clean commodity stream;
l) recording in a computer memory the at least one selected clean commodity receptacle as containing the determined weight of clean commodity from the first farm location;
m) after the rear end of the first clean commodity stream has entered the receiver of the gross commodity scale, repeating steps g) through l) for the second gross commodity stream.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.