Telescopic auger
OwnerDanny S. Kuzubinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clean-out auger for a grain bin has a main auger, a telescoping sweep and a rotary joint connecting the two. The sweep may be adjusted in length to accomodate bins of different sizes. The use of a flexible screw section through the rotary joint allows the sweep to rotate through 360.degree. during operation. A sweep transporting mechanism is fixed to the outer end of the sweep for producing the rotation about the rotary joint.
Claims21
A bin sweep comprising an auger having a first auger section having a first screw conveyor with a first core and a first helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the first core about an axis of the first core, a second auger section having a second screw conveyor with a second core mounted coaxially with the first core, one of the first and second cores being arranged as a tube such that the other of the first and second cores can slide longitudinally inside the tube, with an outer end of said other of the first and second cores projecting outwardly from an end of the tube, a second helical flight extending along the second core and having substantially the same pitch as the first helical flight, the helical flight secured to said other of the first and second cores being secured only at an outer end of the said other of the first and second cores and being otherwise unconnected thereto, the second flight being in threaded engagement with the first flight whereby relative rotation of the first and second helical flights allows telescoping of the auger to change the combined length of the screw conveyors, first drive means for causing rotation of the first and second auger sections about a common vertical axis at an inner end of the first auger section such that the auger sections can rotate around the vertical axis adjacent a vertical axis of a bin with the first and second screw conveyors transporting the material from the bin toward the vertical axis, second drive means connected to said first core so as to rotatably drive said first screw conveyor about the axis of the core, drive connecting means for communicating rotation from said first screw conveyor to said second screw conveyor being provided solely by contact between said first and second helical flights, and brake means actuable to temporarily inhibit rotation of the second screw conveyor so as to screw the second helical flight inwardly into the first helical flight.
A bin sweep comprising a first auger section having an auger tube, a screw conveyor with a first core and a first helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the first core about a longitudinal axis of the first core within the auger tube, a second auger section having a shroud, a second core and a second helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the second core about a longitudinal axis of the second core within the shroud, means for supporting the first auger section with the second auger section coupled thereto and supported thereby in cantilever manner, such that the auger tube can extend from a first feed end thereof within a bin to be emptied of a stored material to a second discharge end exteriorly of the bin for discharge of the material, a first substantially right angle rigid tubular smoothly curved elbow having a first end connected to and substantially contiguous with the auger tube, a second substantially right angle rigid tubular smoothly curved elbow having a first end connected to the shroud, means coupling a second end of the first elbow to a second end of the second elbow, said coupling means allowing rotation between said first and second elbows to cause rotation of the second auger section about a vertical axis defined on the first auger section such that the second auger section can rotate around the vertical axis through 360.degree. within the bin to collect the material from an area surrounding said first end, drive means for drivingly rotating said second auger section about said vertical axis, and means for communicating rotation of said first core to said second core comprising a flexible core portion secured to an end of the first core and to an end of the second core, said flexible core portion extending through an interior of said first and second elbows and said coupling means, said flexible core portion carrying a plurality of separate collars thereon each having auger flight means thereon for transporting material through said elbows, and pivot coupling means mounting said shroud on said second elbow for pivotal movement of the shroud about a horizontal axis transverse to the length of the second auger section.
A bin sweep comprising a first auger section having a screw conveyor with a first core and a first helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the first core about a longitudinal axis of the first core, a second auger section with a second core and a second helical flight secured therealong so as to be rotatable with the second core about a longitudinal axis of the second core, means mounting the first auger section such that it can extend from a first feed end thereof within a bin to be emptied of a stored material to a second discharge end exteriorly of the bin for discharge of the material, means coupling the second auger section to the first end of the first auger section, said coupling means allowing rotation of the second auger section about a vertical axis defined on the first auger section such that the second auger section can rotate around the vertical axis through 360.degree. within the bin to collect the material from an area surrounding said first end, drive means for drivingly rotating said second auger section about said vertical axis, said second auger section including shroud means extending along the length thereof, the shroud means including a top portion and a rear portion both of which are formed by a substantially imperforate sheet confining the material collected by the second helical flight for transportation by the flight along the shroud means to the first auger section, said shroud means further including a front portion defined by a grid structure having transversely spaced, longitudinally extending bars allowing entry of the material into the second auger section as the second auger section moves around said vertical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.