Apparatus for automatically unloading agricultural material from a storage bag
OwnerScott F. Schertz, Glen Kempinventors
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Abstract
An unloading apparatus capable of automatically unloading agricultural materials from a storage bag is disclosed. The unloading apparatus includes a drive mechanism for advancing the apparatus along the direction of an elongate storage bag, a collection mechanism for withdrawing material from the bag, and mechanisms for both sensing resistance imposed on the advancing apparatus by material in the bag and controlling further advancement of the apparatus in accordance with the level of that resistance.
Claims5
An apparatus for automatically unloading material from an elongate storage bag, the apparatus comprising:
- a collection mechanism that removes e material from the bag;
- a drive mechanism that advances the apparatus along the direction of the bag;
- and
- an actuation assembly that automatically controls the drive mechanism responsive to the degree of resistance to advancement experienced by the apparatus due to the presence of material within the bag, wherein the actuation assembly itself comprises:
- an actuator member that is spring-biased;
- and
- a switch that actuates the drive mechanism and is operatively manipulated by the actuator member;
- wherein resistance encountered the actuator member, due to the presence of material within the bag and advancement of the apparatus in the direction of the bag, moves the actuator member against its bias which, in turn, causes the switch to deactivate the drive mechanism in order to cease advancement of the apparatus;
- and
- wherein subsequent spring-driven return movement of the actuator member causes the switch to activate the drive mechanism in order to resume advancement of the apparatus.
An apparatus for automatically unloading material from an elongate storage bag, the apparatus comprising:
- a collection mechanism that removes the material from the bag;
- a drive mechanism that advances the apparatus along the direction of the bag;
- an actuator member that is spring-biased;
- a switch that actuates the drive mechanism and is operatively manipulated by the actuator member;
- wherein resistance encountered the actuator member, due to the presence of material within the bag, moves the actuator member against its bias which, in turn, causes the switch to deactivate the drive mechanism in order to cease advancement of the apparatus;
- and
- wherein subsequent spring-driven return movement of the actuator member causes the switch to activate the drive mechanism in order to resume advancement of the apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.