CLEAN-UP HOPPER AND GRAIN AUGER ASSEMBLY

TARIERE A RACLOIR POUR SILO A GRAIN

English Abstract

AUXILIARY HOPPER FOR AUGER
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:
An auger assembly for use at an acute angle
for unloading grain bins is provided with a
clean-up opening on the top thereof at position
adjacent but spaced from the inlet end of the
assembly. A hopper box is affixed over the clean-up
opening to receive and transmit to the auger blade
residual grain deposited therein by a grain scoop
shovel after the auger assembly has conveyed away
most of the grain through its inlet end.
14 A 1

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined
as follows:
1. For use in unloading discrete, particulate
material from a bin, an auger assembly including an
auger blade rotatably mounted in a cylindrical auger
housing, said housing having an inlet end open to the
auger blade and a discharge end, the axis of said
auger assembly lying at an acute angle to the horizontal,
the improvements wherein:
A. the auger housing is provided with a
material-receiving clean-up opening through
an upper portion thereof, adjacent and spaced
from said housing inlet end; and
B. a hopper box is affixed to said upper
portion of said auger housing in encompassing
relation to said clean-up opening.
2. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein:
C. the hopper box is removably attached
to cylindrical auger housing by strapping means.
3. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein:
C. the hopper box has a bottom larger than
the housing clean-up opening, and the clean-up
opening is positioned at an end of the hopper
box closest to the inlet end of the auger
assembly.
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4. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein:
C. the hopper box has a top opening
wider than its bottom opening, thereby
giving hopper box a funnel-like tapered shape.
5. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein:
C. cover means is provided to seal the
top opening of the hopper box when not in use.
6. The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein:
C. the hopper box is removably attached
to cylindrical auger housing by strapping means;
D. the hopper box has a bottom larger than
the housing clean-up opening, and the clean-up
opening is positioned at an end of the hopper
box closest to the inlet end of the auger
assembly; and
E. the hopper box has a top opening
wider than its bottom opening, thereby giving
hopper box a funnel-like tapered shape.
7. The apparatus of Claim 6 wherein:
F. cover means is provided to seal the
top opening of the hopper box when not in use.
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Description

3~16
CLEAN-UP HOPPER AND GRAIN AUGER ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to secondary inlet
feeds to conveyor augers.
2. Description of Prior Art
. . .
It has already been proposed in the prior art
to supply secondary openings in the housings of
conveyors. For example, U. S. Patent 3,031,064 to K]ine
shows a pivoted plate which controls discharge from
the auger. The openings in the Kline patent are not
for input to the auger conveyor. U. S. Patent 3,074,534
to Thiele and U. S. Patent 3,077,975 to Hobbs also show
discharge ports. In neither of these patents is a
port used for secondary input. U. S. Patent 3,134,478
to Haen shows a plurality of discharge ports along the
conveyor housing. None of these ports are used for
input to the conveyor.
It has also been proposed in the prior art to
use a hopper for input to a conveyor. U. ~. Patent
4,170,293 to Campbell shows an input hopper at the
inlet end of a conveyor belt, not an auger. This hopper
is the initial feed to the conveyor. No secondary
input is shown. An opening further along the conveyor
i~ shown, but is for maintenance and not for input.
U. S. Patent 3,074,534 to Thiele has a hopper
used for input. This is used by the primary input to
a horizorltal auger. It is not a secondary input.
Covers for openings Oll auger housinc~s have

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been shown in the prior art. U. S. Patent 3,40~,119
to Mayrath shows a sliding cover fox -the inlet to
an auger assembly. ~. S. Patent 3,67~,046 shows a screen
and cover for an inle-t to an auger assembly. Neither
of these relates to a secondary inlet.
The patents discussed above were found in a
search. Neither the inventor nor those in privity with
him know of any closer prior art or any prior art which
anticipates the claims herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to a clean-up
hopper box which is attached to the cylindrical housing
of a conveyor auger assembly in encompassing relation
to an opening in the housing. Such assemblies are
inserted into storage areas or bins at acute angles to
empty particulate, discrete materials from such bins.
When the bin materials are sufficiently empty so that
the auger can no longer feed, the residual materials
are manually scooped up and deposited into the clean-up
hopper. These tailings enter the auger houslng and
are conveyed out by the auger assembly, thus efficiently
emptying the bin.
In the form of the invention as shown, the input
hopper is attached to the auger housing by strapping
mear,s around an opening in the housing. A cover on
the hopper box seals the hopper box when it i5 not in use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TH~ DRAWINGS:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a conveyor auger
assembly, with an attached clean-up hopper box, in a
--2--

bin from which the auger is drawing grain;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view -taken on line
2--2 in FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on
line 3--3 in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
A conveyor auger assembly 6, contains an auger
blade 8 inside of a cylindrical auger housing 10.
Conveyor auger assembly 6 extends on an acute angle
down into a grain bin 12 containing grain 14 which
it is removing. The auger assembly of the invention
is particularly well suited to convey wheat, corn,
oats or any other discrete,particulate materials. As
shown, grain 14 is drawn into the conveyor auger
assembly 6 through an inlet end 16 by auger blade 8,
and is then carried throuyh conveyor auger assembly
by the blade. When the amount of grain is reduced
~o a low level, it cannot be drawn into inlet end 16.
In prior art conveyor assemblies, this resulted in
waste of the residue.
To eliminate this waste in the present lnvention,
the cylindrical auger housing 10 is provided with a
material-receiving clean-up opening 18 located close
to, but spaced from, inlet end 16. Clean-up opening
18 is a generally rectangular hole through the top
surface of cylindrical auger housing 10. A hopper
bo~ 20 is attached to auger housing 10, in completely
encompassing relation ~o clean-up opening 18, by
~trapping means 22A and 22B which engage curved flanges

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23,23 of -the hopper box 20. In one preferred
embodimen~, these strapping means are elongated
versions of common radiator hose clamps. In
another embodimen~ (not shown), hopper box 20 is
welded -to auger housing 10. In still other embodiments,
hopper box 20 is attached by other permanent bonding
means. It is sometimes more desirable that hopper
box 20 be permanently attached and sometimes better
that it be removable.
As shown in FIG. 3, a top opening 26 of the
hopper box is longer and wider than clean-up opening
18, giving hoppex box 20 a tapered shape, somewhat
li]ce a funnel.
The residue of grain 14 in the bottom of grain
bin 12 which cannot be picked up through auger assembly
inlet end 16, can be scooped up and poured into hopper
box 20. In FIG. 2, a scoop shovel 24 is shown pouring
this residue into hopper box opening 26. Grain 14
~alls khrough housing clean~up opening 18 and is engaged
by auger blade 8 and carried along the conveyor auger
assembly 6 to an appropriate discharge point associated
with a housing dischaxge end 17. This assures the user
of a way to completely clean the bottom of grain bin 12.
In FIG. 3, hopper box 20 is shown as being covered
by a hopper box cover 28, which has a handle 30. This
cover 28 prevents deleterious objects from falling into
clean-up opening ]8 when the hopper box is nok being
used to receive residue or tailings which cannot be
handled by khe inlek end of the assernbly 6.
In FIG. 3, clean-up opening 18 is shown as
--'I--

~ 3t~;~
being smaller than bottom opening of hopper box 20
and as being located at the end of hopper box closest
to inlet end 16 of assembly 6. This permits easy
loading into the hopper box without overloadiny the
auger.