US 4,526,265 AGranted

Large conveyor assemblies for detachable mounting to a tractor

OwnerSilvanus T. Ennsinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Present conveyors such as portable grain augers are most commonly positioned, raised and lowered manually and may be powered by a small air-cooled engine or the power take-off of a farm tractor. The disclosed undercarriage assembly for such conveyors utilizes a tractor for all modes of transport, positioning, raising and lowering, and powering of the conveyor. This undercarriage configuration allows a tractor to be coupled beside and in parallel with the conveyor. The undercarriage moves as a unit with the tractor but is freestanding when uncoupled. The tractor power take-off is utilized to drive the conveyor through the use of an additional right angle gear box mounted on the undercarriage. The tractor hydraulic and electrical systems may be utilized to power winch and cylinder controls which act to raise and lower the conveyor.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A transportable auger for mounting to a tractor including a hitch and a PTO at a rear position thereon;

said auger including in combination a freestanding undercarriage including a frame, a pair of spaced apart front, ground engaging castor wheel assemblies mounted in said frame, a ground wheel directionally fixed to said frame to support the rear of said frame, means for detachably and adjustably securing the undercarriage to the hitch of said tractor, means for interconnecting the frame to said tractor at a position forwardly of said hitch and rearwardly of said front wheels whereby the tractor and undercarriage when connected are in side by side relationship, an auger tube having an inlet end and a discharge end and means for mounting said auger tube on said undercarriage with said discharge end forward of said front wheels, means for raising and lowering said inlet end, means for raising said forward discharge end from a transport position to various working positions and vice-versa and a telescopic drive shaft for communicating drive from said PTO to said auger.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.