Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02550414 2006-06-14
1 "GRAIN HOPPER"
2
3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
4 The present invention relates generally to hoppers used for transfer
of granular materials from one location to another. More particularly, a
hopper
6 having a stable base is configured to accept an auger at a low repose while
7 accommodating an auger safety guard.
8
9 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Standalone augers are known for receiving free-flowing granular
11 materials, such as those pouring from bins and chutes or dumped from end-
12 dump trucks. The hoppers are positioned below the source. Further, a
transfer
13 auger is positioned in the hopper to elevate accumulated granular materials
to a
14 destination such as bin or other storage location.
Hoppers have a number of competing design issues including
16 structural integrity, accommodation of augers, minimizing of auger angle,
17 minimizing of hopper height while maximizing capacity, stability and
minimizing
18 material hang-up.
19 Clearly what is required is a hopper which meets all of the
competing design issues and which permits substantially 100% evacuation of
21 granular materials therefrom without requiring manipulation of the auger
therein
22 or removal of the safety guard therefrom so as to prevent injury to the
operator.
1
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1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hopper according to one
3 embodiment of the invention illustrated with an auger positioned therein and
4 extending at about a 25-30 degree angle therefrom;
Figure 2 is a top view of the hopper of Fig. 1;
6 Figure 3 is a side view of the hopper of Fig. 1;
7 Figure 4 is a front view of the hopper of Fig. 1;
8 Figure 5 is an isometric front view of the hopper of Fig. 1;
9 Figure 6 is an exploded, isometric front view of the hopper of
Figure 5 illustrating some of the 3-D profiles constituting the hopper
structure;
11 Figure 7 is a perspective front view of the hopper with the tail or
12 inlet end of the auger positioned therein with the guard in its normal
installed
13 configuration;
14 Figure 8 is a perspective back view of the hopper with the tail or
inlet end of the auger positioned therein;
16 Figure 9 is a perspective back side of the hopper with the tail or
17 inlet end of the auger positioned therein;
18 Figure 10 is a perspective top view of the hopper with the tail or
19 inlet end of the auger positioned therein;
Figure 11 is a top view of the hopper with the auger positioned
21 therein;
22 Figure 12 is a side view of the hopper with the auger positioned
23 therein;
24 Figure 13a is a back view of the hopper with the auger extending
from the front;
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1 Figure 13b is a cross-sectional view of the lip of the upper edge of
2 the hopper;
3 Figure 14 is a perspective front view of the hopper with the auger
4 guard and screw in place;
Figure 15 is a perspective front view of the hopper according to
6 Fig. 14, with the auger tube protruding from the front and with the guard
and
7 screw shown removed for illustrating the inlet end;
8 Figures 16a and 16b are elevation and top view respectively of a
9 typical arrangement of an auger in a grain hopper and with a truck dumping
grain
into the hopper;
11 Figure 17a and 17b are elevation views illustrating rotation of the
12 hopper about the base to accommodate augers at different angles; and
13 Figure 18 is an elevation view of a plurality of hoppers according to
14 Fig. 1 stacked in nested arrangement for transport.
3
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1 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
2 An open top hopper is provided for the transfer of granular
3 materials in the hopper, such as grain, by a screw conveyor or auger. The
4 chamber defined by the walls of the open top hopper has a composite shape
and
an elongated open top.
6 In one embodiment, the open top has an elongated shape
7 preferably approximated by the merger of a semi-circular shape and a
8 trapezoidal shape when viewed in plan. In three dimensions, the hopper walls
9 comprise a combination of a cross-section of a right conical portion wherein
the
sectioned base of the cone forming the semi-circular portion of the open top,
and
11 a tetrahedron forward or front wall portion. A further transitional wall
portion can
12 rnerge the two shapes therebetween. The back and front walls form the
entirety
13 of the side walls of the hopper. The elongated shape is adapted to receive
an
14 auger which can access the bottom of the hopper and yet extend from the
hopper at a shallow angle.
16 The front wall is distended outwardly forming a protrusion which
17 extends beneath and partially along the auger. The protrusion forms an
annular
18 space about the auger for accommodating an auger guard which extends
19 circumferentially thereabout. Augers with safety guards can be used with
this
hopper.
21 The hopper is completed with a base portion which is merged into
22 the conical and tetrahedron portions and which is relatively wide side-to-
side to
23 provide lateral stability and yet is narrow front-to-back to permit
rotation of the
24 hopper to align with the angle of the auger which resides therein during
transfer
operations.
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1 The composite shape has a generally oblique conical shape
2 wherein the vertex or apex of the cone is oriented at the bottom of the
hopper
3 and a nominal center of the open top of the hopper is misaligned
perpendicularly
4 from the apex, the nominal center of the open top being offset to the front
of the
hopper enabling a shallow discharge angle of the auger. Further, a saddle can
6 be formed in the front wall at the lip for further lowering the auger angle
and
7 securing the auger in the hopper.
8 The unique shape of the hopper provides strength, access by
9 loading equipment about the back wall, accommodation of safety guards and
the
ability to rotated the auger about the bottom while permitting the inlet end
of the
11 auger to be maintained in the bottom of the hopper for maximum evacuation
of
12 material therefrom. Cages or guards which normally protect a screw portion
at
13 the inlet end of the auger need not be removed, and are less likely to be
14 removed by operators, thus improving the safety of the transfer operations.
Therefore in a broad aspect, a hopper for the transfer of granular
16 materials, is supported at a base and adapted to receive and support an
inlet
17 end of an auger in a bottom of the hopper, the hopper comprising: a conical-
18 shaped, semi-circular back wall having an open top, an open front face and
a
19 bottom apex at a bottom of the open front face; a three dimensional
tetrahedral-
shaped front wall having an open top, an open back face and a bottom apex at a
21 bottom of the open back face, the open front face, open back face and
bottom
22 apexes merging at a base for forming a composite profile adapted for
receiving
23 'the inlet end of the auger at the bottom and adapted for funnelling
granular
24 material to the inlet end of the auger, the hopper being supported on the
base.
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1 In another embodiment, the base is wedge-shaped being relatively
2 wide from side-to-side to provide lateral stability and being narrow from to
back
3 to permit angular rotation of the hopper angularly about the base so as to
4 conform to the angle of the auger while maintaining the inlet end in the
bottom
for maximum evacuation of the granular material from the hopper.
6 In another embodiment, the hopper further comprises a triangular
7 transitional side wall portion between the back walls of the semi-circular
back
8 portion and the front wall of the tetrahedral front portion, the tetrahedron
forming
9 a upward rising triangular trough which supports the auger thereon. An
angular
bottom of the trough can be widened in the form of a protrusion which provides
11 space for accommodating the auger and the guard and further can aid in
12 material flow to the inlet end of the auger.
13 In another embodiment, a lip is formed about the open top to
14 provide stiffening of the hopper walls but yet permit yielding when
contacted by a
point load or force. Further, circumferential ribs, typically triangular in
shape, are
16 formed about the girth of the hopper to provide structural stability.
6
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1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
2 As shown in Fig. 1, a hopper 10 rests on a surface 11 such as the
3 ground. The hopper 10 is generally concave, having hopper walls 2 forming a
4 chamber 1 with an open top 12 for receiving granular materials, such as
grain,
and directing the granular material downward along the incline of the walls 2
to a
6 bottom 5 of the hopper 10. For the removal of the granular materials, the
hopper
7 10 is adapted to receive an inlet end 13 of an elongate screw conveyor or
auger
8 14.
9 The auger 14 is adapted to extend from an inlet end 13, residing
adjacent a bottom 5 of the hopper 10, and upwardly through the open top 12 at
a
11 front 8 of the hopper 10, and extends therefrom for maximal evacuation of
grain,
12 typically directed at an elevated destination, such as a truck or a bin
(Fig. 16a).
13 With reference also to Fig. 11, a front wall 44 of the hopper 10 can
14 distend outwardly for forming a protrusion 70, the protrusion 70 forming an
annular space 93 about the auger 14 for accommodating a circumferential guard
16 92 which typically extends circumferentially about the auger 14.
17 The hopper 10 can have a generally oblique conical shape wherein
18 the vertex or apex 3 of the oblique cone shape is oriented at the bottom 5
of the
19 hopper 10 and a nominal center 7 of the open top 12 of the hopper is not
aligned
perpendicularly from the apex 3. The open top 12 has an elongated shape. The
21 nominal center 7 of the open top 12 is offset towards a forward end or
front 8 of
22 the hopper 10. As a result, the incline of the walls 2 of the hopper from
the front
23 8 to the apex 3 is less steep than is the incline of a back 9 of the hopper
10 to
24 the apex 3.
7
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1 As shown in Figs. 2 - 6, the hopper 10 has a composite shape.
2 Referring to Fig. 2 and 6, the hopper 10 is generally conical with side
walls 2
3 diverging upwardly from the bottom 5 to the open top 12. In embodiments of
the
4 invention, the hopper 10 disclosed herein has a configuration which deviates
from a simplistic conical shape and other known profiles of conventional
6 hoppers.
7 With reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the hopper 10 is supported on
8 the ground 11 on a hopper base 21 having a front-to-back profile B and a
side-
9 to-side profile C. In Fig. 3, viewed from the side and perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the auger 14 (removed for clarity), the hopper 10
illustrates a
11 narrow front-to-back base profile B for enabling rotation of the hopper 10
to
12 adapt to the angle of the auger 14. From the front view of Fig. 4, the
hopper 10
13 has a relatively wide side-to-side profile C, providing lateral stability
and to resist
14 tipping. The hopper base 21 forms the bottom 5 of the hopper 10 and forms a
chute for funnelling granular materials to the auger 14.
16 With reference to Fig. 6, the side walls 2 of the hopper 10 are a
17 merger of at least two major three-dimensional wall profiles; a first three
18 dimensional semi-conical profile 30 and a second three-dimensional (3-D)
19 tetrahedron profile 40. Viewed in plan view (Figs. 2 and 11), the result of
the
merging of the profiles 30,40 is a chamber 1 having a generally elongate open
21 top 12, the nominal center 7 being offset to a front 8 of the hopper 10.
22 The first or semi-conical profile 30 is a cross-section of a right
23 semi-circular conical portion 30 for forming back wall 31 of the hopper 10
having
24 a forward facing and open front face 32 straddled by the back wall 31. The
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1 conical portion 30 has a central axis X extending upwardly from about a
bottom
2 apex 3.
3 The second profile or tetrahedron profile 40 is a generally trigonal
4 pyramid or tetrahedral-shaped portion 40 having substantially triangular
side
walls 44 forming a triangular V-trough 45 oriented forwardly. The side walls
44
6 of the V-trough 45 rise upwardly laterally and forwardly from a bottom edge
47
7 and diminish in height forwardly to the open top 12, forming a prow P. The V-
8 trough 45 has an open top 41 and a back-facing open back face 42 which is
9 straddled by the front wall 44. The front wall 44 of the V-trough 45, at the
open
back face 42, forms a wide back or stern which merges with the back wall 31 of
11 the open front face 32 of the semi-circular back side 31. A bottom apex 43
of the
12 V-trough 45 is oriented at the bottom 5.
13 The V-trough 45 is truncated at the front to form a narrow front
14 edge 46 at the open top 12 from which the auger 14 protrudes. Preferably a
semi-circular rest 50 is provided at the front edge 46 for conforming to and
16 supporting the auger 14 at the open top 12 of the hopper 10.
17 The hopper front and back walls 44, 31 at the merger of the open
18 back and front faces 42,32 can include a third trapezoidal or substantially
19 triangular or transitional profile or profiles 60 which merges the semi-
circular 30
and tetrahedron 40 portions and forms connecting side walls 61. The connecting
21 walls 61 extend generally along a tangent from the back walls 31, through
the
22 third substantially triangular profile 60 to intersect with the side walls
44
23 triangular V-trough 45.
24 The triangular V-trough 45 is widened through a fourth profile or
protrusion 70 for increasing annular spacing 93 between the auger inlet end 13
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1 and the hopper 14. As shown in Fig. 11, the front wall 44 or V-trough 45 of
the
2 hopper 10 can distend outwardly and laterally forming the protrusion 70
which
3 extends from about the hopper bottom 5 and partially along the front wall 44
for
4 forming an annular space 93 about the auger 14. The annular space
accommodates the guard 92 and minimizes any incentive by an operator to
6 remove the guard to clear more granular material.
7 A fifth prism or wedge-shaped base portion 80 completes the
8 bottom of the hopper structure and forms the hopper base 21 at the bottom 5.
9 'The base portion 80 is narrow across base profile B to permit angular
rotation of
the hopper 10 and is wide along base profile C to stabilize the hopper 10
11 laterally. The base portion 80 has side walls 81 which intersect and merges
with
12 the semi-circular profile 30 and tetrahedral portion 40. The side walls 81
have
13 steep angle of inclination for funnelling granular materials to the inlet
end of the
14 auger.
As shown in Fig. 7, the auger 14 is a cylindrical tube 90 with a
16 screw 91 extending coaxially within. The screw 91 protrudes from the
cylindrical
17 tube 90 at the inlet end 13 and is supported by a tail bearing 94 which is
typically
18 cantilevered from the cylindrical tube 90. A circumferential cage or guard
92
19 surrounds the inlet end 13 between the tail bearing 94 and the tube 90 to
exclude personnel from the screw 91 yet enable passage of granular material to
21 the screw 91. As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6, the V-trough 45 along the edge
47 is
22 widened to form the protrusion 70 which is a semi-circular or rectangular
trough
23 bottom having a nominal radius greater than that of the auger 14 so as to
form
24 the annular space 93 therebetween and aid grain flow into the inlet end 13.
CA 02550414 2006-06-14
1 The front wall 44 can be formed with one or more pairs of auger
2 straddling slots therethrough for enabling cinch straps to pass around the
auger
3 tube 90 and be cinched or otherwise secured to the hopper 10. Each pair of
4 slots can be spaced at differing angular positions for accommodating
different
sized augers 14.
6 Figs. 7 - 15 illustrate a variety of views to show the relationship of
7 the various features and configurations of the hopper 10 and how it adapts
to
8 accommodate the auger 14. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the tip of the prow P
is
9 blunted or formed by the inclusion of the semi-circular rest 50 which is
sized to
support the cylindrical tube 90 of the auger 14 and maintain the annular space
11 93 in the protrusion 70 under the auger inlet 13.
12 Best seen in Figs. 13a and 13b, a stiffening lip 23 is formed about
13 the open top 12. The stiffening lip 23 is forgiving and will yield in the
face of a
14 point force or forceful deformation from impact and displacement, such as
from
encroachment of a truck box or other immovable structure thereon which might
16 occur during operations such as unloading. The lip 23 is extends about
17 substantially the entire open top 12 along an upper edge 22 of the side
walls 2
18 formed by the semi-circular portion 30, the tetrahedral portion 40 and the
19 transitional portion 60. The lip 23 first extends laterally outwards from
the side
walls 2 and then downwardly to a terminal edge.. Further, as best seen in Fig
21 13b, circumferential ribs, or ribbed projections 24, preferably of obtuse
triangular
22 cross-section, circumscribe a girth of the hopper 10 for imparting
increased
23 strength and structural stability to the side walls 2.
24 Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate the inlet end 13 of the auger 14 with and
without the guard 92. The screw 91 has been removed to better illustrate the
11
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1 spatial relationship between the hopper 10 and the auger 14. The tail
bearing 94
2 is shown positioned in close proximity to the base portion 80 adjacent the
bottom
3 15.
4 As shown in Figs. 16a and 16b, the semi-circular back side portion
30 is amenable to easy access by the source of the granular material, such as
6 by the tailgate of the grain truck 100, from over about 270 degrees or at
least
7 three sides of the hopper 10. The tetrahedron profile of the front of the
hopper is
8 strong. The aforementioned configurations of the hopper 10 enable low auger
9 angles for maximal grain recovery and minimal residuals or loss when the
hopper 10 is emptied. The combination of the semi-circular and tetrahedron
11 portions 30,40 results in a strong hopper structure with a large volume or
12 capacity.
13 As shown in Figs. 17a-17b, the hopper 10 can pivot about the
14 narrow transverse base profile B to conform the angle of the hopper side
wall 2
to the angle of the auger 14. The shallower the angle of the auger 14, the
more
16 the hopper 10 will rotate to accommodate the auger 14.
17 As shown in Fig. 18, the hopper 10 is stackable in nested
18 arrangement for minimizing shipping volumes with up to 20% more hoppers 10
19 per shipment. For most applications, hopper diameters can be sized to about
1/2
of a maximal transport width enabling two-wide shipping arrangements for even
21 greater shipping economies.
22 Further, the height of the open top 12 of the hopper 10 from the
23 supporting surface or ground can be minimized for increasing the number of
24 applications in which the hopper 10 can be used.
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1 The wide triangular V-trough 45 and protrusion 70 ensures that
2 augers 14 can be used with the original guards 92 in place, thereby
improving
3 safety.
4 Long augers 14, typically having angles of about 25 - 30 degrees
are currently available and can be accommodated by rotation of the hopper 10
6 about the hopper base 21.
7
13
