Agricultural hopper structure

• US 4,541,549 A
• Filed: 03/18/1983
• Issued: 09/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Hadley, Howard C., Bigbee, Marvin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US06/476,886
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129, 222/143, 222/460, 222/462, 222/173, 222/608, 206/504, 220/23.4, 215/6, D15/10, D15/13, D15/27, D15/28, 111/73, 111/74, 111/75, 111/80, 296/3
• US Class Current: 222/143
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/006 Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus

Abstract

Agricultural hopper structure for containing two different granular materials such as seed and fertilizer. Two molded plastic containers are nested together and supported on a frame. The nested ends of the containers are concave and convex, respectively, to provide a symmetrical appearance while establishing unequal container capacity. The nested containers include a downwardly directed ledge structure freely resting on a corresponding upwardly facing load-bearing surface of the frame to reduce the number of fixed attaching points. The upper portions of the containers extend above the frame and have outwardly convex sidewalls. The hopper structure is fabricated by first nesting the containers and then lowering the nested containers onto the frame.

Claims

1. For an agricultural implement having upwardly facing load-bearing structure, hopper structure for containing two materials, said hopper structure adapted for support by the load-bearing structure and comprising:

a first molded flexible container having an outer end wall, an opposite inner end including a concave wall substantially closing the opposite end, and sidewalls connecting the end wall and inner end and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly to a first lower material outlet;

a second molded flexible container having an outer end wall and an opposite inner end including a convex wall of shape complementary to the concave wall of the first container to permit nesting of said containers, and sidewalls connecting the end wall and inner end of the second container and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly to a second lower material outlet; and

wherein said containers each include an upper portion and a transition area connected between the upper portion and the funnel-shaped lower portion, said transition area including downwardly directed structure adapted for receipt upon the load-bearing surface, when said containers are nested, to provide primary support for said nested containers, wherein said downwardly directed structure is adapted to freely rest on the load-bearing surface to thereby permit the nested containers to flex at the same time said primary support is provided.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the containers are plastic.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nested containers define an upright joint adjacent the inner ends, the nested containers are symmetrical with respect to the joint, and the material-containing capacity of the second container is substantially greater than that of the first container.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first and second outlets are juxtaposed on opposite sides of the joint.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 3 wherein the outer end walls include lower end walls inclined inwardly toward the respective material outlets.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper portions include outwardly convex upright walls extending upwardly from the transition areas.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein the capacity of the portion of the containers above the downwardly directed structure is substantially greater than the capacity below said structure.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein the containers are fabricated from cross-linked polyethylene.

9. In an agricultural implement having a main frame, container structure for containing granular material, said container structure comprising:

a support frame connected to the main frame and extending upwardly therefrom to a horizontal portion lying substantially in a horizontal plane, the support frame opening inwardly and downwardly from the horizontal portion; and

a flexible hopper including a lower funnel-shaped portion and an upper container portion having a material-containing capacity substantially greater than the funnel-shaped portion, said flexible hopper including a downwardly directed ledge portion located between the upper and lower container portions and supported on the horizontal frame portion with the lower portion extending downwardly through the support frame opening, and wherein the upper container portion has upright sidewalls, the sidewalls being concave outwardly to approximate the shape of said upper container portion when filled with material.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 9 further including meter support structure located on the main frame and wherein the funnel-shaped portion includes a bottom portion connected to the meter support structure.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein the ledge portion freely rests on the horizontal portion thereby permitting the hopper to flex while maintaining the upper container portion restrained from substantial vertical movement with respect to the implement frame.

12. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein the horizontal portion of the support frame is rectangular and the downwardly directed ledge portion has a corresponding rectangular shape.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein the flexible hopper comprises first and second nestable compartments having complementary inner ends.

14. The invention as set forth in claim 13 wherein the inner end of the first and second compartments are concave and convex, respectively.

15. The invention as set forth in claim 14 wherein the individual compartments when nested define a connecting joint extending around the hopper and lying substantially in a vertical plane, and wherein the hopper is symmetrical about the joint.

16. The invention as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first compartment has a material-containing capacity substantially less than the second compartment.

17. The invention as set forth in claim 13 wherein the compartments are fabricated from cross-linked polyethylene.

18. The invention as set forth in claim 13 including fastening means connecting the inner ends together.

19. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein the upper container portion includes an upwardly opening material inlet, a lid member selectively attachable to the inlet for covering the same, and resilient means for maintaining the lid in position over the inlet when attached thereto and for supporting the lid beside the inlet when removed therefrom.

20. The invention as set forth in claim 19 wherein the material inlet includes a rim and the resilient means comprises a rubber band member tensioned between one side of the lid member and the upper container portion.

21. In an agriculture seeding and fertilizing implement having a frame and metering and distributing structure for applying seed and fertilizer to the soil, container structure for individually containing the seed and fertilizer, and for delivering the same to the metering and distributing structure, said container structure comprising:

a support frame connected to the implement frame and extending upwardly therefrom to a horizontal ledge portion substantially rectangular in shape and opening downwardly and inwardly, said ledge portion located above and generally centered with respect to the metering structure;

a first flexible container having an outer end and an opposite inner end including a concave wall substantially closing the opposite end, and sidewalls connecting the ends and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly and converging toward the inner end portion to a first material outlet;

a second flexible container having an outer end and an opposite inner end including a convex wall of shape complementary to the concave wall of the first container to permit nesting of said containers, and sidewalls connecting the ends of the second container and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly and converging toward the inner end of the second container to a second material outlet; and

wherein said first and second containers include downwardly directed ledge structure adjacent upper ends of the funnel-shaped lower portions, said ledge structure supporting the containers in nested relationship on the horizontal ledge portion of the support frame with the funnel-shaped portions extending downwardly to the metering structure and the first and second material outlets opening into the metering structure, and wherein the container structure is fabricated by connecting the complementary-shaped inner ends of the containers together and thereafter lowering the connected containers as a unit onto the horizontal ledge portion of the support frame.

22. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the first and second containers are molded from cross-linked polyethylene.

23. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the containers when nested on the support frame define an upright connecting joint, and wherein the container structure is symmetrical about the joint.

24. The invention as set forth in claim 23 wherein the material-containing capacity of the first container is substantially less than that of the second container.

25. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the funnel-shaped portions are fixedly connected to the metering structure adjacent the respective material outlets, said ledge portion being substantially free of attaching points fixing the ledge structure thereto.

26. The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein the downwardly directed ledge structure of the nested containers defines a generally continuous, rectangularly shaped horizontal ledge conforming to the shape of the horizontal ledge portion.

27. The invention as set forth in claim 26 wherein the downwardly directed ledge structure freely rests on the horizontal ledge portion to prevent substantially vertical movement of the nested containers while permitting the containers to flex thereon.

28. The invention as set forth in claim 27 wherein the containers include upper, dome-shaped portions with outwardly convex walls extending outwardly beyond vertical planes extending through the horizontal ledge portion.

29. The invention as set forth in claim 28 wherein the material-containing capacity of the upper, dome-shaped portions is greater than that of the funnel-shaped portions.

30. The invention as set forth in claim 21 including sealing means located between the nested compartments for preventing moisture from entering the metering structure.

31. In an agricultural implement, hopper structure for containing two materials, said hopper structure comprising:

an implement mounted support frame;

a first molded plastic container having an outer end wall, an opposite inner end including a concave wall substantially closing the opposite inner end, and sidewalls connecting the end wall and inner end and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly to a first lower material outlet;

a second molded plastic container having an outer end wall and an opposite inner end including a convex wall of shape complementary to the concave wall of the first container to permit nesting of said containers, and sidewalls connecting the end wall and inner end of the second container and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly to a second lower material outlet, wherein the molded containers include a downwardly facing ledge portion located adjacent the top of the funnel-shaped portions, and wherein the support frame comprises a corresponding upwardly facing load-bearing surface for receiving the ledge portion thereof and supporting the two containers in nested relationship; and

wherein the containers include outwardly convex upright walls extending upwardly from the load-bearing surfaces.

32. The invention as set forth in claim 31 wherein the upwardly facing surface of the support frame provides primary support for the containers.

33. The invention as set forth in claim 31 wherein the support frame further comprises a forward panel terminating at an upper edge, said upper edge defining a forward load-bearing surface, and wherein the corresponding outer end wall includes a downwardly facing ledge portion supported on said upper edge.

34. The invention as set forth in claim 31 wherein the capacity of the portion of the containers above the load-bearing surface is substantially greater than the capacity below said surface.

35. In an agricultural implement having a main frame, container structure for containing granular material, said container structure comprising:

a support frame connected to the main frame and extending upwardly therefrom to a generally horizontal support portion, the support frame opening inwardly and downwardly from the horizontal support portion; and

flexible hopper structure including a pair of elongated flexible containers, each container including a lower funnel-shaped portion and an upper container portion having a material-containing capacity substantially greater than the funnel-shaped portion, each said flexible container including a downwardly directed portion located between the upper and lower container portions and supported on the horizontal support portion with the lower portion extending downwardly through the support frame opening, said support frame maintaining the pair of containers in adjacent end-to-end relationship, and wherein each upper container portion has upright sidewalls, the sidewalls being concave outwardly to approximate with shape of said upper container portion when filled with material.

36. The invention as set forth in claim 35 further comprising meter support structure connected to the implement frame, and wherein the funnel-shaped portion of each container is fixed to the meter support structure, and the downwardly directed portion of each container freely rests on the horizontal support portion thereby permitting each container to flex.

37. In an agriculture seeding and fertilizing implement having a frame and metering and distributing structure for applying seed and fertilizer to the soil, container structure for individually containing the seed and fertilizer, and for delivering the same to the metering and distributing structure, said container structure comprising:

a support frame connected to the implement frame and extending upwardly therefrom to a generally continuous horizontal ledge portion substantially rectangular in shape and opening downwardly and inwardly, said ledge portion located above and generally centered with respect to the metering structure;

a first flexible container having an outer end portion and an opposite inner end portion including a concave wall substantially closing the opposite end, and side portions connecting the end portions and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly and converging toward the inner end portion to a first material outlet;

a second flexible container having an outer end portion and an opposite inner end portion including a convex wall of shape complementary to the concave wall of the first container to permit nesting of said containers, and side portions connecting the end portions of the second container and defining a funnel-shaped lower portion extending downwardly and converging toward the inner end portion of the second container to a second material outlet;

wherein said first and second containers include downwardly directed ledge structure adjacent upper ends of the funnel-shaped lower portions, said ledge structure freely resting on the horizontal ledge portion and supporting the containers in nested relationship on said ledge portion with the funnel-shaped portions extending downwardly to the metering structure and the first and second material outlets opening into the metering structure, said freely resting ledge structure preventing substantial vertical movement of the nested containers while permitting the containers to flex; and

wherein the containers include upper, dome-shaped portions with outwardly convex walls extending outwardly beyond vertical planes extending through the horizontal ledge portion.

38. The invention as set forth in claim 37 wherein the first and second containers are molded from cross-linked polyethylene.

39. The invention as set forth in claim 37 wherein the containers when nested on the support frame define an upright connecting joint, and wherein the container structure is symmetrical about the joint.

40. The invention as set forth in claim 39 wherein the material-containing capacity of the first container is substantially less than that of the second container.

41. The invention as set forth in claim 37 including means for connecting the funnel-shaped portions to the metering structure.

42. The invention as set forth in claim 37 wherein the downwardly directed ledge structure of the nested containers defines a generally continuous, rectangularly shaped horizontal ledge conforming to the shape of the horizontal ledge portion.

43. The invention as set forth in claim 42 wherein the downwardly directed ledge structure freely rests on the horizontal ledge portion to prevent substantial vertical movement of the nested containers while permitting the containers to flex thereon.

44. The invention as set forth in claim 37 wherein the material-containing capacity of the upper, dome-shaped portions is greater than that of the funnel-shaped portions.

45. The invention as set forth in claim 37 including sealing means located between the nested compartments for preventing moisture from entering the metering structure.

46. The invention as set forth in claim 47 wherein the container structure is fabricated by connecting the complementary-shaped inner ends of the containers together and thereafter lowering the connected containers as a unit onto the horizontal ledge portion of the support frame.