Auger conveyor tube

Claim 1

A tube structure for use in an auger conveyor, the tube structure having at least two adjacent stationary tube sections, each tube section comprising, in combination, a bi-edged tube sheet curved in a mediate portion to form a tube of substantially circular cross-sectional aspect, a portion adjacent a first sheet edge extending substantially radially outwardly to form a male flange, and a portion adjacent a second sheet edge having a first element extending substantially radially outwardly, that portion being reversely turned to provide a second element extending radially inwardly, the first and second elements thus forming a female flange into which the male flange fits, to thereby form a seam and maintain the tube sheet in its cross-sectional aspect, the male flange element being provided with a tab element spaced apart from the circular tube sheet mediate portion and extending in a generally perpendicular direction from the male flange element to provide a bearing surface for flange tab/feed receiving means interengagement, the seam being axially interrupted over at least one portion of the tube section to accommodate the connection of feed receiving means to the tube section, the tube sheet defining a feed drop-out aperture located axially within the tube seam interrupted portion but being angularly spaced therefrom to discourage the collection and retention of feed at the tube seam, one tube section having an end bell portion of expanded inner diameter to receive an unexpanded diameter spigot end portion of the adjacent tube section, the bell portion including a plurality of slots, the tube section structure further including identifier means permanently applied to at least one tube section for identifying the bell slot into which an adjacent tube section spigot seam should be inserted to provide an interconnected tube array of progressively angularly offset tube sections.