Portable grain handling bin

• US 5,129,164 A
• Filed: 05/02/1990
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James M. Painter, Walter F. Priestly
• Original Assignee: James M. Painter, Walter F. Priestly
• Inventors: Priestly, Walter F., Painter, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennet, Henry A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ESQUIVEL, DENISE LYNNE
• Application Number:
  US07/517,768
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 34/179, 34/181, 34/182, 34/204, 34/102, 34/236, 34/90, 34/135, 98/55, 414/526, 414/287, 414/306, 222/410, 222/608
• US Class Current: 34/181
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 19/005 Self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for agricultural produce movable devices with radiation means F26B3/28; small self-contained devices for drying objects at rest F26B9/003
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/063 Movable containers or receptacles, e.g. carts, trolleys, pallet-boxes for use in freeze-drying apparatus F26B5/06; in general B62D
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/085 moving the material in a substantially vertical sense using conveyors or agitators, e.g. screws or augers with vertical axis, which are positioned inside the drying enclosure

Abstract

A portable grain bin comprises a wheeled frame in which the wheels are movable relative to the frame to sit the frame on the ground and thereby transfer the load of material in the bin to the ground. The bin is grossly asymmetric with a bottom discharge much closer to one end than to other. The bottom wall nearest the bottom discharge is very steep. The bottom wall opposite the bottom discharge is relatively shallow but still exceeds a normal angle of repose of grain placed in the bin. The bottom discharge includes an opening spanned by a series of stationary slats and a movable member comprising a frame having a series of complementary slats which selectively align with or are offset from the stationary slats. The grain bin is used with a batch type grain dryer to provide surge capacity in a harvesting operation.

Claims

1. A portable grain bin trailer comprising

a farm having a front end and a rear end, a plurality of wheels, a trailer hitch on the front frame an end defining a normal path of towing movement of the grain bin trailer along an underlying surface and means for raising and lowering the wheels relative to the frame;

a bin carried by the frame and including

a front end adjacent the frame front end and a rear end adjacent the frame rear end,

a bottom dump assembly located substantially closer to the rear bin end than to the front bin end, the bottom dump assembly comprising a plurality of spaced stationary slats providing a plurality of spaced first openings therebetween, a movable gate comprising a plurality of movable slats providing a plurality of spaced second openings therebetween and means for moving the gate from a first position where the first and second openings are aligned to a second position where the second slats close the first openings, the first slats being triangular in cross-section having an upwardly facing apex and a horizontal base, the horizontal bases being coplanar, the second slats being coplanar and abutting the horizontal bases,

a downwardly convergent bottom wall having an opening merging with the bottom dump assembly and an upper end,

a pair of spaced upright side walls extending between the front and rear bin ends and merging with the bottom wall upper end,

a first upright end wall on the rear bin end merging with the bottom wall upper end, merging with the upright side walls and defining a first angle with the underlying surface, the first upright end wall comprising the rear terminus of the trailer, and

a second inclined end wall on the front bin end merging with the bottom wall upper end, merging with the upright side walls and defining a second angle with the vertical much smaller than the first angle.

2. The portable grain bin of claim 1 wherein the wheels define an axis of travel of the grain bin, the side walls being parallel to the axis of travel.

3. The portable grain bin of claim 1 wherein the wheels define an axis of travel and the bottom dump assembly provides a length dimension parallel to the axis of tavel and a smaller width dimension transverse to the axis of travel.

4. The portable grain bin of claim 3 wherein the wheels comprise a wheel on opposite sides of the grain bin, the wheels straddling the bottom dump assembly.

5. In combination,

a batch type grain dryer including

a frame, a plurality of wheels defining an axis of travel of the dryer and means for raising and lowering the wheels relative to the frame for supporting the frame on an underlying ground surface;

an upright vessel on the frame having means for circulating grain in the vessel;

means for heating grain in the vessel and evaporating moisture therefrom;

means for circulating air through the vessel;

means for discharging grain from the vessel; and

means for delivering grain into the vessel comprising a ground supported loading hopper and a conveyor for transporting grain from the hopper into the vessel; and

a portable grain bin trailer independent o the batch type grain dryer including

a frame having a front end and a rear end, a plurality of wheels defining an axis of travel of the bin, a trailer hitch on the front frame end defining a forward path of movement of the grain bin trailer, and means for raising and lowering the wheels relative to the frame for supporting the frame on an underlying ground surface;

an elongate bin carried by the frame and having a length dimension parallel to the axis of travel and substantially greater than a width dimension a nd a geometric center at an intersection of a centerline parallel to the length dimension and a centerline parallel to the width dimension, including

a front end adjacent the frame front end and a rear end adjacent the frame rear end,

an upright end wall on the rear bin end comprising the rear terminus of the trailer, and

a bottom dump assembly located between the geometric center of the bin and the rear end of the bin, the bottom dump assembly being located immediately above the loading hopper and the first end of the bin being juxtaposed to the drying vessel, the bottom dump assembly comprising a plurality of spaced stationary slats providing a plurality of spaced first openings therebetween, a movable gate comprising a plurality of movable slats providing a plurality of spaced second openings therebetween and means for moving the gate from a first position wherein the first and second openings are aligned to a second position where the second slats close the fist openings, the first slats being triangular in cross-section having an upwardly facing apex and a horizontal base, the horizontal bases being coplanar, the second slats being coplanar and abutting the horizontal bases.

6. The portable grain bin of claim 5 wherein the bin comprises

a downwardly convergent bottom wall having a bottom opening closer to the rear bin end than o the front bin end and an upper end,

a pair of spaced upright side walls extending between the first and second bin ends and merging with the bottom wall upper end,

a first upright end wall on the rear bin end merging with the bottom wall upper end, merging with the side walls and defining a first angle with the underlying surface, the first upright end wall comprising the rear terminus of the trailer, and

a second end wall on the front bin end merging with the bottom wall upper end, merging with the side walls and defining a second angle with the vertical much smaller than the first angle,

the bottom dump assembly closing the bottom opening.

7. The portable grain bin of claim 6 wherein the wheels define an axis of travel and the bottom dump assembly provides a length dimension parallel to the axis of travel and a smaller width dimension transverse to the axis of travel.

8. A portable grain bin comprising

a frame, a plurality of wheels and means of raising and lowering the wheels relative to the frame;

a bin carried by the frame and including

first and second ends,

a bottom dump assembly, located substantially closer to the first end than to the second end, comprising a plurality of spaced stationary first slats, triangular in cross section having upwardly facing apices and horizontal coplanar bases, providing a plurality of spaced first openings therebetween, a movable gate comprising a plurality of movable coplanar second slats abutting the first slat bases and providing ac plurality of spaced second openings therebetween and means for moving the gate from a first position where the first and second openings are aligned to a second position where the second slats close the first openings,

a downwardly convergent bottom wall having an opening merging with the bottom dump assembly and an upper end,

a pair of spaced upright side walls extending between the first and second bin ends and merging with the bottom wall upper rend,

a first inclined end wall on the first bin end merging with the bottom wall upper end and defining a first angle with the vertical, and

a second end wall on the second bin end merging with the bottom wall upper end and defining a second angle with the vertical much smaller than the first angle.

9. In combination,

a batch type grain dryer including

a frame, a plurality of wheels defining an axis of travel of the dryer and means for raising and lowering the wheels relative to the frame for supporting the frame on an underlying ground surface;

an upright vessel on the frame having means for circulating grain in the vessel;

means for heating grain in the vessel and evaporating moisture therefrom;

means for circulating air through the vessel;

means for discharging grain from the vessel; and

means for delivering grain into the vessel comprising a ground supported loading hopper and a conveyor for transporting grain from the hopper into the vessel; and

a portable grain bin including

a frame, a plurality of wheels defining an axis of travel of the bin and means for raising and lowering the wheels relative to the frame for supporting the frame on an underlying ground surface;

an elongate bin a carried by the flame and having a length dimension parallel to the axis of travel and substantially greater than a width dimension and a geometric center at an intersection of a centerline parallel to the length dimension and a centerline parallel to the width dimension, including

a bottom dump assembly located between the geometric center and a first end of the bin, the bottom dump assembly being located immediately above the loading hopper and the first end of the bin being juxtaposed of the drying vessel, the bottom dump assembly comprising a plurality of spaced stationary first slats, triangular in cross section having an upwardly facing apices and horizontal coplanar bases, providing a plurality of spaced first openings therebetween, a movable gate comprising a plurality of movable coplanar second slats abutting the first slat bases and providing a plurality of spaced second openings therebetween and means for moving the gage from a first position where the first and second openings are aligned to a second position where the second slates close the first openings.