Grain wagon having an unloading conveyor with a moveable discharge spout controlled from a tow vehicle

• US 20010026755A1
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J&M Manufacturing Company Incorporated (J & M Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: J&M Manufacturing Company Incorporated (J & M Industries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grieshop, Scott M., Wood, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,497,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/523
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/42 mounted on the load-transporting element

Abstract

A grain wagon includes a wheel supported frame on which is mounted a hopper or container for receiving grain, and the wagon is pulled by a tow vehicle or tractor. An inclined discharge auger conveyor has an outer section which folds between a stored position and an operating position projecting upwardly and forwardly and laterally outwardly from the container. The outer auger section has a pivotal discharge spout with a pivotal internal baffle, and the spout is actuated by a double acting hydraulic cylinder controllable through hydraulic lines from the cab of the tractor so that the tractor operator may fully load and “top off” the grain within an adjacent semi-trailer as the tractor operator pulls the wagon along the side of the semi-trailer. In one embodiment, the outer section of the auger conveyor has an outer telescopic housing extension which carries the discharge spout and extends and retracts automatically with folding of the outer auger conveyor section.

Claims

1. In a grain wagon pivotally connected to a tow tractor for transferring grain from a field to an open-top semi-trailer, said wagon including a wheel supported frame having a hitch pivotally connecting said frame to said tractor, a container supported by said frame for receiving a volume of grain, an elongated auger conveyor including a motor driven auger with a helical flight within a tubular auger housing and having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion of said auger conveyor mounted on said wagon and positioned to receive grain from said container, said upper portion of said auger conveyor supported for folding movement between a retracted stored position adjacent said container and an operating position projecting upwardly and laterally outwardly from said container, and said tubular housing for said upper portion of said auger conveyor having a discharge spout defining a discharge outlet, the improvement comprising a spout assembly including a tubularflow control spout supported by said discharge spout for tilting movement on a generally horizontal axis between an upper position and a lower position relative to said upper portion of said auger conveyor, a power actuator connected to tilt said flow control spout between said upper and lower positions, a power supply line extending from said actuator along said auger conveyor and said frame and forwardly across said hitch to said tractor, said power supply line being flexible to provide for pivoting said upper portion of said auger conveyor between said stored and operating positions and for pivoting said grain wagon relative to said tractor, and a manual control on said tractor for said power supply line to enable the driver to control the tilting of said flow control spout while pulling said grain wagon along one side of the semi-trailer with said tractor for efficiently and uniformly filling and topping off the semi-trailer with grain.

2. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 1

and including an auger housing extension mounted on said auger housing for telescopic movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said tubular flow control spout supported by said extension and moveable therewith, and a power actuator for moving said housing extension on said auger housing between said retracted and extended positions.

3. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 2

and including a first hydraulic cylinder connected to pivot said upper portion of said auger conveyor between said stored and operating positions, and said power actuator comprises a second hydraulic cylinder connected between said auger housing and said auger housing extension for moving said auger housing extension between said retracted and extended positions.

4. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 3

wherein said first and second hydraulic cylinders are connected to operate in response to a common control valve lever on the tractor.

5. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 2

and including a bearing positioned to support said auger for rotation, and spoke members mounted on said auger housing and supporting said bearing and defining openings for grain to flow from said auger housing into said auger housing extension.

6. A grain wagon and tow vehicle as defined in

claim 1

wherein said tubular flow control spout includes inwardly converging walls forming a funnel portion having a discharge opening smaller than said discharge outlet for directing a controlled stream of grain into the semi-trailer.

7. A grain wagon and tow vehicle as defined in

claim 1

wherein said spout assembly includes a pivotally supported baffle member extending between said discharge spout and said tubular flow control spout to provide for a smooth flow of grain through said spout assembly while said flow control spout is tilted by said actuator between said upper and lower positions.

8. In a grain wagon pivotally connected to a tow tractor for transferring grain from a field to an open-top semi-trailer, said wagon including a wheel supported frame having a hitch pivotally connecting said frame to said tractor, a container supported by said frame for receiving a volume of grain, an elongated auger conveyor including a motor driven auger with a helical flight within a tubular auger housing and having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion of said auger conveyor mounted on said wagon and positioned to receive grain from said container, said upper portion of said auger conveyor supported for folding movement between a retracted stored position adjacent said container and an operating position projecting upwardly and laterally outwardly from said container, a first hydraulic cylinder connected to pivot said upper portion of said auger conveyor between said stored and operating positions, and said tubular housing for said upper portion of said auger conveyor having a discharge outlet, the improvement comprising a grain directing flow control member supported by said housing for tilting movement on a generally horizontal axis between an upper position and a lower position relative to said upper portion of said auger conveyor, a second hydraulic cylinder connected to tilt said flow control member between said upper and lower positions, a hydraulic fluid supply line extending from said second hydraulic cylinder along said auger conveyor and said frame and forwardly across said hitch to said tractor, said fluid supply line providing for pivoting said upper portion of said auger conveyor between said stored and operating positions and for pivoting said grain wagon relative to said tractor, and a manual control valve on said tractor to enable the driver to control the tilting of said flow control member while pulling said grain wagon along one side of the semi-trailer with said tractor for efficiently and uniformly filling and topping off the semi-trailer with grain.

9. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 8

and including an auger housing extension mounted on said auger housing for telescopic movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said tubular flow control member supported by said housing extension and moveable therewith, and a third hydraulic cylinder connected to move said housing extension on said auger housing between said retracted and extended positions.

10. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 9

wherein said first and third hydraulic cylinders are connected to operate in response to operation of a common control valve on said tow tractor.

11. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 9

and including a bearing positioned to support said auger for rotation, and spoke members mounted on said auger housing and supporting said bearing and defining openings for grain to flow from said auger housing into said auger housing extension.

12. A grain wagon and tow vehicle as defined in

claim 8

wherein said flow control member includes inwardly converging walls forming a funnel portion having a discharge opening smaller than said discharge outlet for directing a controlled stream of grain into the semi-trailer.

13. A grain wagon and tow vehicle as defined in

claim 8

wherein said flow control member comprises a tubular flow control spout including a pivotally supported baffle member extending between said discharge outlet and said flow control spout to provide for a smooth flow of grain through said spout while said flow control spout is tilted by said actuator between said upper and lower positions.

14. In a grain wagon pivotally connected to a tow tractor for transferring grain from a field to an open-top semi-trailer, said wagon including a wheel supported frame having a hitch pivotally connecting said frame to said tractor, a container supported by said frame for receiving a volume of grain, an elongated auger conveyor including a motor driven auger with a helical flight within a tubular auger housing and having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion of said auger conveyor mounted on said wagon and positioned to receive grain from said container, said upper portion of said auger conveyor supported for folding movement between a retracted stored position adjacent said container and an operating position projecting upwardly and laterally outwardly from said container, and said tubular housing for said upper portion of said auger conveyor having a discharge spout defining a discharge outlet, the improvement comprising an auger housing extension mounted on said auger housing for telescopic movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said discharge spout supported by said extension and moveable therewith, and a power actuator for moving said housing extension on said auger housing between said retracted and extended positions.

15. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 14

and including a first hydraulic cylinder connected to pivot said upper portion of said auger conveyor between said stored and operating positions, and said power actuator comprises a second hydraulic cylinder connected between said auger housing and said auger housing extension for moving said auger housing extension between said retracted and extended positions.

16. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 15

wherein said first and second hydraulic cylinders are connected to operate in response to a common control valve.

17. A grain wagon as defined in

claim 14

and including a bearing positioned to support said auger for rotation, and spoke members mounted on said auger housing and supporting said bearing and defining openings for grain to flow from said auger housing into said auger housing extension.