Grain cart with folding auger having adjustable elevation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9706713-B2
Application number	US-201514642449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Jul 25, 2011
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

According to one aspect, a cart for transporting and conveying agricultural materials is provided. The cart includes a frame and a plurality of wheels coupled with the frame. The cart further includes a bin supported on the frame and including a plurality of bin walls defining a storage space for an agricultural material. The cart further includes a conveyor assembly having an intake end configured to receive agricultural material from the bin and a discharge end configured to discharge agricultural material, the conveyor assembly including a lower conveyor section, an intermediate conveyor section, and an upper conveyor section. The lower conveyor section includes a lower conveyor housing and a lower conveyor extending within the lower conveyor housing, the intermediate conveyor section includes an intermediate conveyor housing, and the upper conveyor section includes an upper conveyor housing and an upper conveyor extending within the upper conveyor housing. The cart further includes a folding assembly coupled to an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a fold axis, the folding assembly configured to move the upper conveyor section between a stored position and an operating position. The cart further includes a tilting assembly coupled to an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a tilt axis, the tilting assembly configured to pivot the upper conveyor section relative to the tilt axis when the upper conveyor section is in the operating position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cart for transporting and conveying agricultural materials comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of wheels coupled with the frame;
a bin supported on the frame and including a plurality of bin walls defining a storage space for an agricultural material;
a conveyor assembly having an intake end configured to receive agricultural material from the bin and a discharge end configured to discharge agricultural material, the conveyor assembly including a lower conveyor section, an intermediate conveyor section, and an upper conveyor section;
the lower conveyor section including a lower conveyor housing and a lower conveyor extending within the lower conveyor housing, the intermediate conveyor section including an intermediate conveyor housing, and the upper conveyor section including an upper conveyor housing and an upper conveyor extending within the upper conveyor housing;
a folding assembly coupled to an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a fold axis, the folding assembly configured to move the upper conveyor section between a stored position and an operating position, wherein a longitudinal axis of the lower conveyor section, a longitudinal axis of the intermediate conveyor section and a longitudinal axis of the upper conveyor section are coplanar when the upper conveyor section is in the operating position; and
a tilting assembly coupled to an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a tilt axis, the tilting assembly configured to pivot the upper conveyor section about the tilt axis when the upper conveyor section is in the operating position.

2. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate conveyor section is disposed between the upper and lower conveyor sections, and wherein the intermediate conveyor section has a first end adjacent the upper conveyor section and a second end adjacent the lower conveyor section.

3. The cart of claim 2 , wherein the fold axis is positioned at the second end of the intermediate conveyor section and the tilt axis is positioned at the first end of the intermediate conveyor section, such that the upper conveyor section is tiltable relative to the intermediate and lower conveyor sections and the upper and intermediate conveyor sections are foldable relative to the lower conveyor section.

4. The cart of claim 3 , wherein the tilting assembly includes a curved convex surface on one of the upper and intermediate conveyor housings and a concave surface on the other of the upper and intermediate conveyor housings configured to receive the convex surface and to allow tilting of the upper conveyor section relative to the intermediate conveyor section.

5. The cart of claim 4 , wherein the tilt assembly further includes an elastic seal member engaging one of the convex and concave surfaces to keep material from escaping the conveyor housing.

6. The cart of claim 3 , wherein the tilt assembly includes at least one trunnion extending from one of the upper and intermediate conveyor housings and at least one bearing assembly on the other housing configured to receive the at least one trunnion.

7. The cart of claim 3 , wherein the tilting assembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected to the upper conveyor section and another end connected to the intermediate conveyor section.

8. The cart of claim 3 , wherein the folding assembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected to the intermediate conveyor section and another end connected to one of the lower conveyor section and the frame.

9. The cart of claim 2 , wherein the fold axis is positioned at the first end of the intermediate conveyor section and the tilt axis is positioned at the second end of the intermediate conveyor section, such that the upper and intermediate conveyor sections are tiltable relative to the lower conveyor section and the upper conveyor section is foldable relative to the intermediate and lower conveyor sections.

10. The cart of claim 9 , wherein the tilting assembly includes a curved convex surface on one of the lower and intermediate conveyor housings and a concave surface on the other of the lower and intermediate conveyor housings configured to receive the convex surface and to allow tilting of the intermediate conveyor section relative to the lower conveyor section.

11. The cart of claim 10 , wherein the tilt assembly further includes an elastic seal member engaging one of the convex and concave surfaces to keep material from escaping the conveyor housing.

12. The cart of claim 9 , wherein the tilt assembly includes at least one trunnion extending from one of the lower and intermediate conveyor housings and at least one bearing assembly on the other housing configured to receive the at least one trunnion.

13. The cart of claim 9 , wherein the tilting assembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected to the lower conveyor section and another end connected to the intermediate conveyor section.

14. The cart of claim 9 , wherein the folding assembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected to the upper conveyor section and another end connected to one of the lower conveyor section, the intermediate conveyor section, and the frame.

15. The cart of claim 2 , wherein the first end of the intermediate conveyor section is aligned with the second end of the intermediate conveyor section.

16. The cart of claim 2 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the intermediate conveyor section extends through both the first end of intermediate conveyor section and the second end of the intermediate conveyor section.

17. The cart of claim 2 , wherein the folding assembly includes a hinge pin positioned at the second end of the intermediate conveyor section, whereby the intermediate conveyor section and the upper section are configured to pivot about the hinge pin.

18. The cart of claim 2 , wherein the folding assembly includes a hinge pin positioned at the first end of the intermediate conveyor section, whereby the upper conveyor section is configured to pivot about the hinge pin.

19. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the cart is configured to be pulled by a tractor and wherein the tilt and fold assemblies are configured to be controlled remotely from the tractor by a control system.

20. The cart of claim 19 , wherein the control system is configured to only move the upper conveyor section to the stored position when the upper conveyor section is in a predefined tilt position.

21. The cart of claim 19 , wherein the control system is configured to automatically move the upper conveyor section to a suitable tilt position before moving the upper conveyor section to the stored position.

22. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the upper conveyor section in the stored position extends along a side of the bin.

23. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the upper conveyor section in the stored position extends across a front of the bin.

24. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the tilt axis and the fold axis are in different planes.

25. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the tilt axis and the fold axis are disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate conveyor section.

26. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the fold axis extends laterally across the end of the intermediate conveyor section and offset to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate conveyor section.

27. The cart of claim 1 , wherein the fold axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the

Assignees

• Unverferth Mfg Co Inc

Inventors

• Van Mill Michael D
• Schlimgen Ronald J

Classifications

• B65G41/002

  Pivotably mounted · CPC title

• B60P1/42 Primary

  mounted on the load-transporting element · CPC title

• A01D90/10 Primary

  Unloading means · CPC title