Mechanism for reducing emissions of dust from grain bins
AssigneeAgricultural Building Company
InventorKen Kearney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mechanism for hindering the escape of grain dust from a grain bin, including baffle units having diagonally extending barrier members and vertically oriented baffle members. First and second sloped side walls of the bin, a cover, and a curtain confine the circulation of dust to portions of the bin remote from the baffle units to thereby hinder the escape of dust from the bin. Metering and dump units can be combined with the baffle units to allow operation of a single grain bin in both the high and low flow rate modes of operation.
Claims29
A mechanism for reducing the emission of dust from a grain collecting container into which grain is dumped from other containers such as trucks, comprising:
- a plurality of baffle units positioned over the grain collecting container, the baffle units being adapted to assume an open mode for allowing grain from the other container to pass through the baffle units and into the grain collecting container as the grain contacts the baffle units, the baffle units also being adapted to assume a closed mode when grain from the other container is not contacting the baffle units and thereby prevent dust from the grain collecting container from passing through the baffle units, each of the baffle units further comprising:
- a barrier member which extends diagonally upwardly and has a fixed position near the top portion of the grain collecting container,
- a baffle member swingable about a pivot axis located proximate a top portion of the barrier member, the baffle member being biased to a generally vertical closed mode whereat the lower portion of the baffle member is positioned proximate another adjacent barrier member for generally closing the baffle member against the other adjacent barrier member for generally preventing dust from within the grain collecting container from passing upwardly past the baffle unit, the baffle member being swingable against the bias to an open mode when grain dumped from the other container contacts the baffle member, and in the open mode the baffle swings from the vertical position to a position whereat the grain from the other container is allowed to travel past the baffle unit and into the grain collecting container.
A mechanism for reducing the emission of dust from a grain collecting container into which grain is dumped from other containers such as trucks which dump grain at relatively high flow rates, comprising:
- a plurality of baffle units positioned in a first section of the top portion of the grain collecting container, the baffle units include baffle members which are adapted to open as grain from the other grain containers contacts the baffle members for allowing the grain to pass into the grain collecting container, the baffle units also being adapted to close when grain from the other container is not being dumped on the baffle units, and the first section is approximately the size of an opening in the other container through which the grain is dumped from the other container,
- a second section of the top portion of the grain collecting container which remains closed as grain is dumped from the other container into the grain collecting container, and
- a curtain extending downwardly from the top portion of the grain collecting container and is positioned between the first and second sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.