Bulk seed handling and dispensing system

• US 20110076123A1
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strobel Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Strobel Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Beck, Tom J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,303,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/523
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/003 Bulk fertiliser or grain handling in the field or on the farm

Abstract

A bulk seed handler and dispenser or seed tender is provided for transporting bulk seed containers and for dispensing the seed within the containers into planting equipment. The bulk seed handling and dispenser of this invention is comprised of a trailer having a plurality of bulk seed containers mounted thereon, each of which is in communication with seed inlet openings formed in the deck of the trailer. Means is provided for simultaneously clamping the opposite sides of the containers to the deck. When the seed containers are placed on the deck, the doors which provide access to the slide gates thereof are on the driver'"'"'s side of the trailer. A pair of hydraulic cylinders pivotally interconnect the upper auger conveyor section to the lower auger conveyor section for pivotally moving the upper auger conveyor section between a stowed position and an operative position.

Claims

1. A seed handling and dispensing apparatus for transporting bulk seed containers and for dispensing the seed within the containers into planting equipment, comprising:

a wheeled frame having a forward end, a rearward end, and first and second sides;

said wheeled frame having a forwardly extending hitch for connection to a prime mover;

a generally horizontally disposed deck provided on said wheeled frame defining at least a front deck portion and a rear deck portion;

each of said deck portions having a seed inlet opening provided thereon;

said deck portions adapted to have bulk seed containers positioned thereon so as to communicate with said seed inlet openings;

a first horizontally disposed and rotatable shaft positioned below said deck inwardly of said first side of said wheeled frame;

said first shaft having forward and rearward ends;

said first shaft having a plurality of spaced-apart first hold-down members secured thereto for rotation therewith;

said deck having a plurality of first openings formed therein above said first hold-down members to permit said first hold-down members to pass therethrough;

said first shaft being rotatable to enable said first hold-down members to move between a first non-operative position and a second container hold-down position;

a second horizontally disposed and rotatable shaft positioned below said deck inwardly of said second side of said wheeled frame;

said second shaft having forward and rearward ends;

said second shaft having a plurality of spaced-apart second hold-down members secured thereto for rotation therewith;

said deck having a plurality of second openings formed therein above said second hold-down members to permit said second hold-down members to pass therethrough;

said second shaft being rotatable to enable said second hold-down members to move between a first non-operative position and a second container hold-down position;

said first and second hold-down members, when in their said second operative positions, engaging the bulk seed containers to secure the containers to said deck.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second shafts are interconnected so that they may be rotated in unison.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first link member is secured to said first shaft, a second link member is secured to said second shaft, a third link member is rotatably secured to said first and second link members and extends therebetween, and wherein ac a handle is secured to one of said first and second shafts whereby movement of said handle causes simultaneous rotation of said first and second shafts to move said hold-down members between their said container hold-down and inoperative positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein means is provided for selectively locking said handle in a position wherein said hold-down members are in their said second container hold-down positions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said handle is a crank handle.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said handle is secured to said forward end of said second shaft.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hold-down members are hook-shaped.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hold-down members are generally L-shaped.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said containers has a slide gate associated therewith which is movable towards and away from said first side of said wheeled frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the containers are selectively vertically movably positioned on said deck.

11. The apparatuses of claim 1 wherein a seed discharge auger conveyor is in communication with said seed inlet openings with said seed discharge auger including a lower auger conveyor section, having upper and lower ends, and an upper auger conveyor section selectively pivotally secured to said upper end of said lower auger conveyor section, said upper auger conveyor section being movable between operative and stowed positions relative to said lower auger conveyor sections, and wherein a pair of hydraulic cylinders are pivotally secured to said lower auger conveyor section and said upper auger conveyor section to move said upper auger conveyor section between its said stowed position and said operative position and vice versa.