US 5,516,253 A · Grain cart

Abstract

There is disclosed an improved grain cart comprising a mobile frame adapted to be pulled by a vehicle, such as a tractor. The frame supports a grain hopper or box. The hopper includes an inset front corner area. An auger for unloading grain from the hopper is located entirely outside the hopper. The auger includes a sump for receiving grain from the hopper, the sump being positioned on a lower, outside wall portion of the inset front corner area. Between the sump and the surface of the outside wall portion of the inset front corner area there is a grain shut off door for controlling a flow of grain from the hopper to the sump. A hydraulic cylinder is mounted adjacent to the sump and is connected to the grain shut off door for opening and closing the door. A conduit is connected to the sump, and a drive assembly is provided for conveying grain through the conduit. The drive assembly includes a gear box having a shaft connected to auger flighting disposed inside the conduit, and a drive shaft. The drive shaft has one or more sprockets disposed thereover and is further adapted to receive a complementary PTO coupling. A hydraulic motor having one or more sprockets aligned in a working relationship to the drive shaft sprockets is furnished such that the drive shaft may be either hydraulically-driven by a chain connecting the drive shaft sprockets with the motor sprockets or PTO-driven by the tractor.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An improved grain cart, comprising:

(a) a mobile frame, the frame being adapted to be pulled by a vehicle;
(b) a hopper supported upon the frame, the hopper having an inset front corner area;
and
(c) an auger means for unloading grain from the hopper, the auger means being entirely located outside the hopper and comprising:
(1) a sump for receiving grain from the hopper, the sump being positioned on a lower, outside wall portion of the inset front corner area;
(2) a grain shut off door for controlling a flow of grain from the hopper to the sump, the grain shut off door being located between the sump and the surface of the outside wall portion of the inset front corner area;
(3) a hydraulic cylinder mounted outside the hopper and connected to the grain shut off door for opening and closing the grain shut off door;
(4) a conduit connected to the sump;
and
(5) means for conveying grain through the conduit.

7 more elements

An improved grain cart, comprising:

(a) a mobile frame, the frame being adapted to be pulled by a vehicle;
(b) a hopper supported upon the frame, the hopper having an open, rectangular top, inner surfaces sloping convergingly toward the hopper bottom, and an inset front corner area whose inner surfaces also slope toward the hopper bottom;
and
(c) an auger means for unloading grain from the hopper, the auger means being entirely located outside the hopper and inclined 50.degree. with respect to the frame and comprising:
(1) a sump for receiving grain from the hopper, the sump being positioned on a lower, outside wall portion of the inset front corner area;
(2) a grain shut off door for controlling a flow of grain from the hopper to the sump, the grain shut off door being located between the sump and the surface of the outside wall portion of the inset front corner area;
(3) a hydraulic cylinder mounted outside the hopper and connected to the grain shut off door for opening and closing the grain shut off door;
(4) a conduit connected to the sump, the conduit comprising a lower auger tube connected to the sump at its first end and having a flange at its second end and an upper auger tube having a flange at its first end complementary to that of the lower auger tube, the auger tubes being hinged at a mating point of the flanges and positioned such that an operator may visually inspect the upper auger tube flange to accurately determine the position of the upper auger tube in relation to the hopper;
and
(5) a drive assembly for conveying grain through the conduit, the drive assembly comprising:
a. a gear box having a shaft connected to auger flighting disposed inside the conduit;
b. a drive shaft for engaging the gear box of a length sufficient to extend forward of the front of the hopper, the drive shaft having one or more sprockets disposed thereover and further being adapted to receive a complementary PTO coupling;
and
c. a hydraulic motor having one or more sprockets aligned in a working relationship to the drive shaft sprockets such that the drive shaft may be either hydraulically-driven by a chain connecting the drive shaft sprockets with the motor sprockets or PTO-driven by the vehicle.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Grain cart

Life of this patent

Grain cart

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13