US3592447A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for handling and conditioning grain
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-09-12
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Granted: 1971-07-13
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Expires: 1989-09-12
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for leveling, stirring, and unloading granular material from a circular bin wherein an upright post is centrally mounted in the bin. A yoke is mounted on the post for vertical and rotational movement and rotatably supports a horizontal support member. Stirring bits which are inclined forwardly and downwardly are mounted on the support member. A horizontally disposed leveling and unloading means is also mounted on the support member. At least a portion of the support member can be rotated to lift the stirring bits from the grain.
Inventors
- 👤 Sylvester L Steffen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 22:39
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01F; B01F27/00; B01F27/80; B01F27/95; B01F27/953; B01F27/05; B01F27/11; B01F27/114; B01F27/1143; B01F27/23; B01F27/232; B01F27/2322; B01F27/2324
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
251 words
Apparatus for leveling, stirring, and unloading granular material from a circular bin, the bin having a substantially horizontally disposed auger and tube disposed below the floor of the bin and in communication with both the exterior and the interior of the bin; the apparatus comprising: an upright post mounted centrally in the bin; yoke means mounted on said post for vertical movement on said post and rotational movement around said post; means for raising and lowering said yoke means; support means having two oppositely disposed ends mounted intermediate said ends on said yoke means, said support means being substantially horizontally disposed and at least a portion of said support means being rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof; means for rotating the rotatable portion of said support means about its longitudinal axis between a stirring position and an unloading position; a plurality of stirring auger means mounted in spaced apart relation on said rotatable portion of said support means between said yoke means and said ends of said support means, said stirring auger means being inclined downwardly and forwardly relative to the direction of rotation of said support means when said stirring auger means are in contact with the granular material; first drive means for rotating said stirring auger means; leveling and unloading means mounted on said support means between said yoke means and one of said ends of said support means; said leveling and unloading means being substantially horizontally disposed; and second drive means for driving said leveling and unloading means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
251 words
Apparatus for leveling, stirring, and unloading granular material from a circular bin, the bin having a substantially horizontally disposed auger and tube disposed below the floor of the bin and in communication with both the exterior and the interior of the bin; the apparatus comprising: an upright post mounted centrally in the bin; yoke means mounted on said post for vertical movement on said post and rotational movement around said post; means for raising and lowering said yoke means; support means having two oppositely disposed ends mounted intermediate said ends on said yoke means, said support means being substantially horizontally disposed and at least a portion of said support means being rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof; means for rotating the rotatable portion of said support means about its longitudinal axis between a stirring position and an unloading position; a plurality of stirring auger means mounted in spaced apart relation on said rotatable portion of said support means between said yoke means and said ends of said support means, said stirring auger means being inclined downwardly and forwardly relative to the direction of rotation of said support means when said stirring auger means are in contact with the granular material; first drive means for rotating said stirring auger means; leveling and unloading means mounted on said support means between said yoke means and one of said ends of said support means; said leveling and unloading means being substantially horizontally disposed; and second drive means for driving said leveling and unloading means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and wherein all of said stirring auger means are mounted on said support means between said yoke means and the other of said ends of said support means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said yoke means comprises: a body having an aperture formed vertically therethrough, said aperture having an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of said post, said body being slidable vertically on said post and rotatable about said post; a carriage member rigidly attached to said body and adapted to secure said support means in a substantially horizontal position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said support means is a support member having a length approximately equal to the diameter of the bin; said member being securable to said carriage member in a horizontal position and rotatable about its longitudinal axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said stirring auger means comprises: clamp means for detachable engagement with said support member; bearings mounted on said clamp means in aligned relation and adapted to receive and secure stirring bits; stirring bits rotatably secured in said bearings and having helical flighting disposed therearound, said stirring bits being inclined downwardly and forwardly of said support members relative to the direction of travel when said stirring bits are in contact with the granular material, and at least one drivable pulley rigidly affixed to the upper portion of said stirring bits and rotatable by said first drive means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claiM 5 wherein the diameter of said pulleys are so sized that the speed of rotation of the stirring bits increases systematically from said bits closest to said yoke means to said bits farthest from said yoke means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
83 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein all of said stirring bits are rotated by said first drive means and wherein said first drive means comprises: an electric motor having a drive shaft extending therefrom mounted on said support member between said yoke means and said other of said ends of said support member; at least one drive pulley rigidly mounted on said drive shaft; and mechanical means for transferring power from said drive pulley to said drivable pulleys of said stirring auger means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said leveling and unloading means comprises: second clamp means for detachable engagement with said support member; bearings mounted on said clamp means in horizontally aligned relation and adapted to receive and secure a leveling and unloading auger; a leveling and unloading auger rotatably secured in said bearings and having helical flighting disposed therearound, said auger being horizontally disposed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said leveling and unloading auger has a length approximately equal to the radius of the bin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a shield member is mounted on said second clamp means parallel of said leveling and unloading auger and spaced outwardly of said leveling and unloading auger in relation to said support member; said shield member, when said support member is in an unloading position, being uprightly disposed and having the lowermost portion thereof in approximately the same horizontal plane as the lowermost portion of said leveling and unloading auger.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said second drive means comprises: a second electric motor having a drive shaft extending therefrom and being supported by said support member between said yoke means and said one end of said support member; a second drive pulley rigidly mounted on said drive shaft of said second electric motor; and belt means connecting said second drive pulley with said leveling and unloading auger.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for rotating said support means comprises: a guide member affixed to said body of said yoke means having an arcuate slot formed therethrough; a handle rigidly affixed to said support member and disposed perpendicularly thereof; a guide arm affixed to said handle intermediate the ends of said handle and parallel of said support member; said guide arm extending through said arcuate slot in said guide member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
117 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein bearings are formed around the uppermost portion of said body of said yoke means and extend horizontally outwardly thereof; and wherein said means for raising and lowering said yoke means comprises: yoke support means rotatably supporting said body of said yoke means by said bearings; at least one which pulley mounted on said yoke support means; at least one winch pulley mounted on the uppermost portion of said post; a third electric motor mounted on the uppermost portion of said post; a winch drivably connected to said third motor; and winch line affixed to said winch and operably connected between said winch pulleys for vertically raising and lowering said yoke means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said stirring auger means are spaced inwardly of the sidewalls of the circular bin and wherein the maximum length of the stirring bits is 6 feet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
132 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a hollow horizontally disposed, first pipe having two oppositely disposed longitudinal slots formed therein proximate the center of said pipe; and a second pipe rotatably engaged over said first pipe from a point proximate one end of the first pipe to about the center of the first pipe; and whErein a movable continuous chain passes through one of said slots, through the center of said first pipe to one end thereof, along one outer side of said first pipe and into the other of said slots, through the center of said first pipe to the other end thereof and back along the other outer side of said first pipe to said first slot; and wherein paddles are rotatably affixed to said chain.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3114622A
Cited
US3251582A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-12 | 1975-01-11 | 1975-07-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-12 | 1979-01-11 | 1979-07-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-12 | 1983-01-11 | 1983-07-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |