# US 9,039,340 B2 · Grain cart with folding auger

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- Number: US 9,039,340 B2
- Document ID: US9039340B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/786,401
- Filed: 2013-03-05
- Published: 2013-10-03
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2009-02-13
- Assignees: Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Inc.
- Applicants: Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael D. Van Mill; Ronald J. Schlimgen; John Walvatne; Christopher M. Self
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039340B2

## CPC

- A01D 90/10: Unloading means
- A01B 73/00: Means or arrangements to facilitate transportation of agricultural machines or implements, e.g. folding frames to reduce overall width (arrangements of lifting devices for soil working implements A01B63/00)
- A01F 12/46: Mechanical grain conveyors
- B60P 1/42: mounted on the load-transporting element
- B65G 67/24: Unloading land vehicles
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21)
- A01F: PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE (devices for topping or skinning onions or flower bulbs A23N15/08)
- B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A grain cart and foldable auger assembly having an upper auger assembly portion with a discharge portion, a lower auger assembly portion with an intake portion, and a compound angle joint that allows the upper auger assembly portion to be moved between operating and transport positions. When in an operating position, the upper auger portion and the lower auger portion are offset from each other by an operating offset angle. When in a transport position, the upper auger assembly portion is offset from the lower auger assembly portion by a transport offset angle such that the upper auger assembly portions folded across the front of the grain cart in a non-obstructive and non-protruding manner.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A grain cart comprising:
a wheeled frame;
a container mounted on said frame and configured to hold a quantity of grain, said container having front, rear and laterally opposed side walls;
a folding auger assembly having upper and lower auger assembly portions connected by a joint assembly, said lower auger assembly portion having a lower auger housing with first and second ends and a lower auger portion rotatably disposed in said lower auger housing, and said upper auger assembly portion having an upper auger housing with first and second ends and an upper auger portion rotatably disposed in said upper auger housing;
wherein said first end of said lower auger housing has an intake opening proximate a bottom of said container to receive grain and said second end of said lower auger housing is disposed adjacent a forward corner of said container where said front wall intersects one of said laterally opposed side walls;
wherein said first end of said upper auger housing is disposed adjacent said second end of said lower auger housing and said second end of said upper auger housing has a discharge opening to discharge grain from said container;
wherein said joint assembly defines a pivot axis about which said upper auger assembly portion is pivotable relative to said lower auger assembly portion between an operating position in which said first end of said upper auger housing abuts said second end of said lower auger housing to permit grain to be discharged from said container and a transport position in which said upper auger assembly portion extends across said front wall of said container to facilitate transporting said grain cart;
wherein a longitudinal axis of said lower auger assembly portion extends upwardly, forwardly, and laterally outward relative to said forward corner of said container and wherein a longitudinal axis of said upper auger assembly portion is oriented at an angular offset relative to said longitudinal axis of said lower auger assembly portion in said operating position, wherein said angular offset includes a laterally outward component so that said upper auger assembly portion extends laterally outward relative to said longitudinal axis of said lower auger assembly portion thereby increasing side reach of said upper auger assembly portion;
wherein said upper auger assembly portion includes a first auger coupling portion and said lower auger assembly portion includes a second auger coupling portion, and wherein at least one of said first and second auger coupling portions is connected to a universal joint and is angularly offset from a longitudinal axis of at least one of said upper and lower auger housings;
wherein said first auger coupling portion is configured to releasably engage with said second auger coupling portion in said operating position, and said first auger coupling portion is configured to disengage from said second auger coupling portion in said transport position; and
wherein said universal joint transmits rotational forces through said angular offset when said first and second auger coupling portions are releasably engaged in said operating position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein said upper auger assembly portion is angularly offset from said lower auger assembly portion by a compound offset angle composed of a plurality of angular components in said operating position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The grain cart of claim 2, wherein said plurality of angular components includes a vertical component providing increased forward reach.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The grain cart of claim 2, wherein said compound offset angle is greater than zero and less than 20°.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The grain cart of claim 2, wherein said compound offset angle is between 12° and 16°.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first end of said upper auger housing and said second end of said lower auger housing is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said respective housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein said first end of said upper auger housing and said second end of said lower auger housing are each oriented at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said respective housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein said second end of said upper auger housing includes a rotatable spout adjacent to said discharge opening in order to directionally vary said discharge of said grain.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The grain cart of claim 8, wherein said front wall of said container includes a stop, and wherein said upper auger assembly portion includes a catch disposed between said spout and said first end of said upper auger assembly portion to rest on said stop.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein said rear wall of said container includes an upper wall portion extending downwardly at a first angle relative to horizontal and a lower wall portion extending downwardly from said upper wall portion at a second angle relative to horizontal, wherein said first angle is less than said second angle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein said lower auger housing is a tubular housing with a first diameter and said upper auger housing is a tubular housing with a second diameter, and wherein said first diameter is greater than said second diameter.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein said lower auger housing is a tubular housing with a first diameter and said upper auger housing is a tubular housing with a second diameter, and wherein said second diameter is greater than said first diameter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second auger coupling portions is held in place at said angular offset by a hanger.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The grain cart of claim 13, wherein said second auger coupling portion of said lower auger assembly portion is held in place at said angular offset by said hanger.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The grain cart of claim 1, further comprising a hydraulic system extending between said upper and lower auger assembly portions, wherein said upper auger assembly portion pivots relative to said lower auger assembly portion via said hydraulic system.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The grain cart of claim 15, wherein said hydraulic system includes a first end connected to said lower auger assembly portion and a second end connected to said upper auger assembly portion.