Apparatus for stirring grain in rectangular bin regions

Apparatus for stirring grain stored in a grain bin, comprising:

• a stirrer for extending downwardly into grain in said bin and rotating about a generally vertical axis, a traversing mechanism for supporting and journaling an upper end portion of said stirrer and for effecting back and forth movements of said stirrer in a first horizontal direction between opposite ends of a region within said bin while effecting back and forth movements of said stirrer in a second horizontal direction between opposite sides of said region, first electric drive motor means for driving said stirrer to effect rotation thereof about said generally vertical axis, second electric drive motor means for driving said traversing mechanism to effect said back and forth movements of said stirrer, forces applied between the grain and the lower end of said stirrer as a result of said back and forth movements in said first horizontal direction being effective to apply torques tending to rotate said stirrer about a horizontal tilt axis parallel to said second horizontal direction and in the vicinity of said upper end portion of said stirrer, first sensing means responsive to a first torque applied about said tilt axis in one rotational direction during movement toward one end of said region, second sensing means responsive to a second torque applied about said tilt axis in an opposite rotational direction during movement toward the opposite end of said region, and energizing means for supplying operating voltages to said first and second electric drive motor means, said energizing means being coupled to and controlled by said first and second sensing means to deenergize said second electic drive motor means when either said first torque or said second torque exceeds a certain value while continuing to energize said first electric drive means.