Grain turner for tower grain dryer and method

A grain turner for a grain dryer, the latter having an inner dryer wall and an outer dryer wall spaced therefrom and defining a vertically extending grain path therebetween, said grain path having a thickness corresponding generally to the space between said inner and outer dryer walls, said grain path further having a height direction extending vertically of the grain path and a width direction extending generally horizontally within said space between said inner and outer dryer walls, said grain turner being disposed within said grain path between said inner and outer dryer walls for exchanging grain from the inner portion of said grain path to the outer portion of said grain path and vice versa and for exchanging grain widthwise within said grain path, said grain turner comprising a vertical wall disposed between said inner and outer dryer walls and being generally parallel to said inner and outer dryer walls, said vertical wall thus defining an inner and an outer vertical grain channel, at least one pair inclined plates with one of said plates being on the inside of said vertical wall and with the other of said inclined plates being on the outside of said vertical wall, said one of said inclined plates being inclined downwardly in a first widthwise direction and with the other of said inclined plates being inclined downwardly in the opposite widthwise direction, the lower end of said first inclined plate extending downwardly and outwardly toward said outer dryer wall so as to direct grain flowing down the upper surface of said first inclined plate to a location within said outer grain channel substantially beneath said second inclined plate, the lower end of said second inclined plate extending downwardly and inwardly toward said inner dryer wall so as to deliver grain flowing down the upper surface of said second inclined plate to a location within said inner grain channel substantially beneath said first inclined plate so that the grain flowing down said first inclined plate is turned from the inside to the outside of said grain path and so that grain flowing down said second inclined plate is turned from the outside to the inside of said grain path and so that the grain flowing down said inclined plates is rotated about a substantially vertical axis within said grain path so as to effect the widthwise exchange of grain from one width location to another as said grain is turned.