Grain kit
AssigneeMeyer Manufacturing Company Limited
InventorsDonald A. Meyer, Larry Meyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grain kit enables an agricultural forage box to also be used for handling grain. The kit includes a collector that mounts over the rear end of the forage box. The forage box rear gate may be held at a fixed slightly open position by the coaction of tabs on the rear gate and holding brackets fastened to the forage box side walls. The grain flows into the collector, from which it is discharged in a controlled stream through a floor opening. The discharge of the grain from the collector floor opening is controlled by a door. Apron chains on the forage box are controlled to suit the rate of discharge of the grain from the collector. A sweep brushes grain from the return runs of the apron chains. In a modified embodiment, an adjustment mechanism on the collector changes the pivoting of the rear gate.
Claims62
Apparatus for handling grain comprising:
- a. a forage box comprising:
- i. a frame;
- ii. a bed supported on the frame and lying in a generally horizontal plane, and opposed side walls with an open rear end;
- iii. a rear gate proximate the rear end and having a bottom edge, and a top pivotally connected to the side walls, the rear gate being selectively pivotable toward an open position to create a horizontal opening between the forage box bed and the rear gate bottom edge, and to a closed position that substantially eliminates the opening between the rear gate bottom edge and the forage box bed;
- and
- iv. a chain system comprising multiple flight bars that operate to advance along the forage box bed toward the rear end and thereby propel grain in the forage box toward the rear end, the chain system flight bars having respective return runs under the forage box bed;
- and
- b. a grain kit removeably mounted to the forage box at the rear end thereof comprising:
- i. a collector having side panels, a back panel, a front panel, and a floor that defines a floor opening therethrough, the floor being at a lower level than the forage box bed;
- and
- ii. a door operable to selectively open and close the collector floor opening,
- so that grain in the forage box is propelled by the chain system to the forage box rear opening to flow from the forage box bed onto the collector floor, and grain in the collector is discharged through the floor opening therein by operating the door.
A grain kit comprising:
- a. a collector having front, back, and side panels, and a floor with an opening therethrough, the collector front panel having a top edge at a first predetermined distance from the floor opening, the collector back and side panels having respective upper edges at a second predetermined distance greater than the first predetermined distance from the floor opening, the front panel having a margin along the upper edge thereof that is substantially parallel to the back panel;
- b. means for mounting the collector to a selected container;
- and
- c. means for selectively opening and closing the floor opening.
In combination with a forage box having a horizontal bed, upright side walls that cooperate with the bed to define an open rear end, a rear gate pivotable to open and close the rear end, and at least one apron chain having a top run that propels grain along the bed to flow out the rear end when the rear gate is open and a return run under the bed,
- a grain kit that receives grain flowing from the forage box rear end comprising a collector removeably mounted over a portion of the forage box rear end and comprising a back panel and side panels with respective upper edges higher than the forage box bed, a floor with an opening therethrough, a front panel, and a door that selectively opens and closes the floor opening.
A method of handling grain comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a forage box having side walls and a bed that cooperate to define an open rear end, a pivotable rear gate at the rear end, and a chain system having top and return runs;
- b. providing a grain kit collector having back, side, and front panels, a floor with an opening therethrough, and a door that opens and closes the floor opening;
- c. mounting the grain kit collector over at least a portion of the forage box rear end, and closing the collector floor opening;
- d. holding the forage box rear gate in a first position, and filling the forage box with grain;
- e. flowing the grain through the forage box rear end into the grain kit collector;
- and
- f. opening the grain kit collector floor opening and thereby discharging the grain from the grain collector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.