Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to an auger for granular material and
in particular to an extensible grain auger.
Augers for granular material such as grain are quite common
in the farm implement art. Extensible augers have long been available
to the public. Such augers are disclosed, for example, by United States
Patents Nos. 2,290,806, issued to E. R. Hodgin on July 21, 1942, 2,292,934,
issued to H. H. Fitch on August 11, 1942; 2,~43,2~8, issued to C. H.
Anderson on June 15, 1948; 2,84S,167, issued to B. J. Heiken on July 29,
1958; 3,015,258, issued to J. H. Apel et al on January 2, 1962; 3,605,995,
issued to N. N. Maack on September 29, 1971; and 4,014,431, issued to
E. Angeletti et al on March 29, 1977.
A typical arrangement for changing the length of an auger is
that disclosed by the Heiken U.S. Patent No. 2,845,167. In the Heiken
auger conveyor, one end of one auger meshes with one end of a second auger,
i.e., the auger flights overlap. By rctating one auger relative to the
other, the flights of the augers are caused to move into or out of over-
lapping relationship. Thus, the effective length of the auger or auger
flight can be altered. The Heiken conveyor relies on a shaft having
alternating square and round cross-sectional configurations which would
present production problems. Moreover, in the Heiken conveyor, the auger
flights overlap in a manner such that there is a non-continuous seam
i~ between the flights, i.e~, between the overlapping portions of the short-
ened conveyor. Grain being fed through the auger can enter the crack
possibly clogging the conveyor.
; 25 There exists a need for an auger for granular material which
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is structurally simple and which is not subject to clogging by the gran-
ular material. The object of the present invention is to provide such an
auger.
Accordingly, the invention relates to an extensible auger for
granular material, the auger including first and second interconnected
hollow shaft means; a hollow helical auger flight on the first shaft means
opening into the interior of the first shaft means; a helical auger flight
on the second shaft means extending into the first auger flight for move-
ment into and out of the first auger flight between the retracted and
extended positions; drive means in and separate from the first and second
shaft means, for moving the first and second shaft means and auger flight
between the extended and retracted positions.
In an alternative embodiment, the present invention relates to
an extensible auger for granular material comprising a casing def;ned by
first and second tubular sections slidably interconnected for movement
between retracted and extended positions, each of said sections having a
closed end and an open end; an inlet in a closed inner end of said first
section for introducing granular material into the casing; an outlet in
the closed outer end of said second section for discharging granular
material from the casing; auger means in said casing for conveying gran-
ular material from said inlet to said outlet; said auger means including
first and second interengaging hollow shaft means, one end of said first
shaft means being rotatably mounted in said closed end of said first
section and one end of said second shaft means being rotatably mounted in
said closed end of said second section; a hollowi helical auger flight on
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said first shaft means opening into the interior of said first shaft
means; a helical auger flight on said second shaft means extending into
said first auger flight for movement into and out of said first auger
flight between the retracted and extended positions; drive means in and
separate from said first and second shaft means, and extending between the
closed ends of said first and second sections for moving the sections, and
consequently said first and second shaft means and auger flights between
the extended and retracted positions.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with
reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrate a preferred embodi-
ment of the inVention, and wherein;
Figure 1 is an elevation view of an auger in accordance with
present invention in the retracted position;
Figure 2 is an elevation view of the auger of Figure 1 in the
extended position; and
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the auger of
Figures 1 and 2 in the extended position.
While Figure 3 of the drawing is a sectional view, for the sake
of simplicity some cross-hatching has been omitted from portions of the
apparatus.
With reference to the drawing, the auger o-f the present in-
vention includes a casing generally indicated at 1 defined by a pair of
telescopically interconnected tubes 2 and 3. The smaller tube 2 is closed
at its inner end 4 (Figure 3) and open at the outer end 5. The outer open
end 5 of the tube 2 is slidable in open inner end 6 of the large diameter
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tube 3 for movement between the retracted position (Figure 1) and the
extended position (Figures 2 and 3).
An inlet duct 7 is provided on the inner closed end 4 of the
tube 2 for introducing grain, or the like, into the auger casing 1. Grain
is discharged from the casing 1 via an outlet opening 8 in the outer
bottom end of the tube 3. The tubes 2 and 3 are slidably interconnected
by a lug 9 on the top centre of the outer end of the inner tube 2 and a
slot 10 in a longitudinally extending projection 11 on the top centre of
the outer tube 3. The inner end 12 of the slot 10 is closed to limit ex-
tension of the casing beyond the fully extended position (Figure 3).
A pair of tubular auger shafts 13 and 14 are provided in the
casing 1. The inner end of the larger shaft 13 is rotatably mounted in a
bearing 15 on the inner, closed end 4 of the casing 2. Outer end 16 of
: the smaller shaft 14 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 17 in the outer,
closed end 18 of the tube 3. The inner, free end 19 of the shaft 14
extends into the outer, free end 20 of the shaft 13.
The shaft 13 is provided with a hollow, helical auger flight
21, which opens into the interior of the shaft. One end of a solid,
helical auger flight 22 extends into the outer end of the flight 21. A
sprocket 23 is mounted on the end of the shaft 13 outside the tube 2 for
driving the auger. With the length of the casing 1 fixed, rotation of
the shaft 13 causes rotation of the shaft 14.
Seal means (not shown) may be provided such that granular
~` ma~erial being moved through the casing 1 is prevented from passing into
the hollow, helical auger flight 21. As will be appreciated, with the
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closed system shown, grain allowed to enter flight 21 could impede rota-
tion and eventually cause seizure of the drive mechanism.
Alternatively, again as will be appreciated, the hollow
helical auger flight 21 may be of open construction of similar config-
uration, without departing from the scope of the present invention. It
is envisaged that flight 21 may be formed as a cage, or open framework,
it being only a requirement that the configuration is such that the frame
of the auger flight remains such as to provide a guide within which the
solid auger flight 22 may be threadably engaged. Thus, the word "hollow"
~hen used in connection with flight 21 is to be construed to include such
an open framework or cage construction.
The interconnected tubular auger shafts 13 and 14 define a
continuous passage 24, which houses a drive for extending and retracting
the casing 1, i.e., for moving the shaft 14 relative to the shaft 13. The
drive includes a tube 25 extending from beyond one end of the shaft 13 to
the other end thereof. The end of the tube 25 at the inlet end of the
casing 1 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 26 in the shaft 13~ A nut 27
mounted in the other end of the tube 25 supports one end oF an elongated
~hreaded rod 28. The other end of the rod 28 is fixedly mounted in an end
plate 29 on the outer end 18 of the casing 1~ When the tube 24 is rotated,
the rod 2i3 moves into or out of the nut 27 and the tube 25 to change the
length of the casing 1. At the same time, the auger fli~ht 22 threads
into or out of the flight 21. A motor 30 on a platform 31 at the inlet
end of the casing 1 is used to turn the tube 25~ The sprocket 23 is
driven by a separate motor (not shown) for rotating the auger flights 21
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and 22.
It will be appreciated that the drive for extending and re-
tracting the casing 1 can be a hydraulic cylinder or the like.
The auger is transported in the retracted position (Figure 1).
In use, the tube 25 is rotated by means of the motor 30 to move the tube
3 outwardly, extending the casing 1. During extension or retraction of
the auger casing, the lug 9 and the slot 10 in projection 11 act as
guides and at all times preVent rotation of one tube 2 relative to the
other tube 3. As the casing sections 2 and 3 move together or apart, the
auger flights 21 and 22 are free to rotate, because oF the bearings 15 and
17. Thus, during extension or retraction of the auger, the auger flights
rotate sufficiently to disengage or engage to a lesser or greater extent,
the tube 25 and nut 27 rotate relative to the rod 28, and section 3 slides
relative to casing section 2. When the casing has been extended to the
desired length with the outlet opening 8 over a receiver (i.e., truck or
receiVing bin), the motor 30 is stopped. By connecting a motor (not shown)
to the sprocket 23, the auger flights 21 and 22 are driven as a unit to
feed grain from the inlet duct 7 to the outlet opening 8. Upon completion
of a grain loading operation, the casing is retracted by reversing the
direction of rotation of the drive shaft of the motor 30. Because the
grain is fed from the larger to the smaller end of the auger flights, i.e.,
downstream away from the joint between the two auger flights, there is
very little, if any, danger of grain being trapped between the flights.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of the
inVention will be apparent to those skilled in the art ~n view of the fore-
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going description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as
illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the
art, the manner of carrying out the invention. It is further understood
that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken
as the presently preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the
shape, size and general arrangement of components, for example, equivalent
elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein,
parts may be used independently of the use of other ~eatures, all as will
be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefits of the
description of the invention.
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