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US 2019/0291625 A1Published application
Particulate material trailer hopper door opening apparatus
AssigneeSioux City Tarp, Inc.
InventorsDonald W. Bremer, Terry L. Berg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hopper door opening and closing apparatus operates a door on a hopper discharge opening. A pair of motorized linear actuators, each having an extendable rod, are mounted to support rails on opposite sides of the door. A bracket connects the rods to the door. A controller selectively activates the linear actuators to extend the rods and thereby move the door to an open position that permits material to flow through the lower opening and selectively activates the linear actuators to retract rods and thereby move the door to a closed position covering the lower opening.
Claims19
1-3. (canceled)
4:
- An improved particulate material container having a discharge chute with a discharge opening, and a horizontally slidable door movable between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening, the improvement comprising:
- a pair of motorized linear actuators mounted on opposite sides of the chute;
- each actuator having an extensible and retractable arm having an outer end operatively connected to the door;
- a pair of electrical, reversible motors mounted on opposite sides of the chute and operatively connected to the arms of the actuators;
- and
- whereby actuation of the motors in one direction extends the arms to open the door, and actuation of the motors in an opposite direction retracts the arms to close the door.
3 more elements
5:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 wherein the arms are attached to a bracket mounted to one edge of the door.
6:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 wherein the door slides and the arms extend and retract in parallel paths.
7:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 further comprising a protective guard mounted so as to substantially cover one of the motors.
8:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 wherein the actuators extend horizontally adjacent the discharge opening.
9:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 further comprising a remote controller wirelessly connected to the motors to actuate the motors in a synchronized manner.
10:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 wherein the actuators are spaced laterally from the discharge opening so as to avoid particulate material discharged through the opening.
11:
- A method of operating a horizontally slidable door on a discharge chute of a particulate material hopper, comprising:
- activating a pair of motors in unison in a first direction to extend a pair of linear actuators connected to the door so as to open the door and thereby allow particulate material to discharge past the open door from the hopper;
- and
- activating the motors in unison in an opposite second direction to retract the actuators so as to close the door.
1 more element
12:
- The method of claim 11 wherein the motors are activated by remote control.
13:
- The method of claim 11 wherein the where in the linear actuators extend and retract horizontally.
14:
- The method of claim 11 further comprising covering the motors to prevent damage.
15:
- The method of claim 11 further comprising spacing the linear actuators apart from a discharge opening of the chute to avoid damage of the actuators by particulate material discharged through the opening when the door is open.
16:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 further comprising a pair of guards mounted adjacent the motors to cover the motors.
17:
- The improved particulate material container of claim 4 further comprising a pair of rails mounted to the container on opposite sides of the discharge chute to support the actuators.
18:
- The method of claim 11 further comprising spacing the motors on opposite sides of the door.
19:
- The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the motors with a programmable controller.
20:
- The method of claim 19 further comprising automatically closing the door after a pre-set time.
21:
- The method of claim 15 further comprising maintaining the discharge opening free of obstructions when the door is open by operatively connecting the linear actuators to one end of the door.