Abstract: A discharge system for a grain storage bin has a discharge auger extending from the center of the bin floor to an exterior location and a sweep auger pivotally supported at an inner end on a post at the center and extending across the floor to the periphery of the bin for sweeping movement over the floor. The sweep auger is carried on a pivot link arm which pivots at one end on the post and at the other end on the sweep auger to allow it to move from a first position along one side of the discharge auger to a second position along the other side. The sweep auger is driven by a wheel at the outer end carried on a plate attached to an end plate of the shroud of the sweep auger and extending parallel thereto to a location behind the shroud at which is located the hydraulic motor directly driving the wheel with the motor shaft parallel to the auger shaft and behind the shroud. An extra weight plate can be slid into a receptacle on the mounting plate.

Abstract: A grain bin has a vertical side wall and an inclined roof and a personal lift system is provided for lifting a person to the roof which comprises an upstanding support post or posts tied to the vertical wall with a pulley and cable for lifting a cage containing the person. A counterweight is provided allowing the power for lifting to be provide by the person pulling on the cable. A rail system is provided which allows the cage to move from a lift portion of the rail system at the support post onto the rail to travel horizontally to one or more bins arranged in a row.

Abstract: A discharge system for a grain storage bin has a discharge auger extending from a pit at the center of the bin floor to an exterior location and a sweep auger pivotally supported at an inner end at the center extending across the floor to the periphery of the bin for sweeping movement over the floor. The sweep auger is driven by a chain in a covered guide track arranged around the periphery of the bin wall driven around the bin wall by a motor fixed at one point on the bin wall and driving the chain along its length about the periphery of the bin with a carriage slidably located in the track connected to a flexible coupling connecting the outer end of the sweep auger to the chain to be displaced about the periphery of the bin with the chain.

Abstract: A floor for a storage bin comprising a circular metal sheet defined by sheet pieces arranged for connection together with overlapping edges. The sheet pieces include a central circular piece. The sheet pieces include a plurality of generally pie-shaped pieces arranged for side by side connection along radial edges thereof so as to define a ring surrounding the central piece having a circular outer edge and with an inner circular edge defined by the pie-shaped pieces being connected to an outer edge of the central circular piece.

Abstract: A grain storage bin has a circular bin floor structure and a cylindrical bin wall upstanding from the floor. A bin aeration system includes a perforated air discharge tube mounted diametrically across the bin supported on a frame above the floor from one side with an air supply duct for supplying air from a fan through the wall. The floor structure is divided diametrically into two separate half sections. A rectangular discharge duct extends from a feed opening at a center of the bin horizontally under the horizontal support surface to a discharge outside the wall of the bin with a belt having parallel runs along the duct, a first opening at the center of the bin and a second opening adjacent the wall so that the material within the bin can fall onto the upper run of the belt to be carried to the side for discharge.

Abstract: A chute is provided for a grain storage bin to permit access of a grain auger to a center of the grain storage bin for center unloading the bin. The chute includes a pair of spaced apart side members arranged to receive the auger therebetween. A cover member between the side members extends longitudinally from an open end of the chute supported in alignment with the door opening of the bin to a free end supported above the center of the bin floor. A perforated aeration tube can be mounted on the chute for directing air from a fan through the door opening to the center of the bin. The aeration tube and the chute are pivotal together between a working position extending across the bin and a raised position spaced upwardly from the bin floor for cleaning the bin floor. The aeration tube can be used independently of the chute by pivotally mounting one end of the tube at an opening in the bin wall.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a belt conveyor of the type in which a continuous belt runs along a support duct where the support duct is carried on an undercarriage for raising and lowering movements of a discharge end of the duct and where an input drive member for driving the belt is mounted at or on the undercarriage. At least one idler roller is provided to maintain a predetermined tensioning force to the belt. An accumulator is arranged to contain hydraulic fluid and to maintain the hydraulic fluid at a predetermined set pressure while allowing changes in volume of the hydraulic within the accumulator. The accumulator is connected to at least one cylinder. The cylinder is operatively connected to the idler roller for movement thereof.

Abstract: A grain storage bin has a circular bin floor structure and a cylindrical bin wall upstanding from the floor. A bin aeration system includes a perforated air discharge tube mounted diametrically across the bin supported on a frame above the floor from one side with an air supply duct for supplying air from a fan through the wall. The floor structure is divided diametrically into two separate half sections. A rectangular discharge duct extends from a feed opening at a center of the bin horizontally under the horizontal support surface to a discharge outside the wall of the bin with a belt having parallel runs along the duct, a first opening at the center of the bin and a second opening adjacent the wall so that the material within the bin can fall onto the upper run of the belt to be carried to the side for discharge.

Abstract: A grain storage bin has a circular bin floor structure and a cylindrical bin wall upstanding from the floor. A bin aeration system includes a perforated air discharge tube mounted diametrically across the bin supported on a frame above the floor from one side with an air supply duct for supplying air from a fan through the wall. The floor structure is divided diametrically into two separate half sections. A discharge duct extends from a feed opening at a center of the bin horizontally under the horizontal support surface to a discharge outside the wall of the bin with a belt having an upper run along the duct.

Abstract: An apparatus for sowing seeds in a plurality of identical furrows is described. The seed sowing apparatus comprises a scraper, seed tubes, a packer and a cylindrical drum with a plurality of ground engaging flanges attached around its periphery. All of the components of the seed sowing apparatus are mounted in a frame arranged for ground transportation. In operation, the cylindrical drum rolls over the ground so that the flanges engage the ground and then release, thereby generating furrows. The seed tubes deposit seeds into the furrows before the scraper directs soil into the furrows, thereby enclosing the seeds. Lastly, the packer compresses the soil enclosing the seeds, thereby promoting synchronous germination of the crop.

Abstract: A hopper bottom for supporting a grain bin includes a frustro conical hopper bottom wall with a discharge opening at a central base. Around the periphery of the wall is provided a plurality of vertical legs which support the wall above a horizontal support surface. The legs are formed square tubing with a hinge part way along the leg so as to divide the leg into an upper fixed stub portion and a lower pivotal main portion. The hinge is positioned inside the inside surface of the leg so that the main portion can fold to a position extending inwardly and downwardly. The hinge includes a pair of plates welded to the upper and lower ends of the main and stub portions.

Abstract: A feed device for transporting material from a remote location to a feed lower end of a transportation auger comprises a belt carried on a support frame with that support frame being stored in a stored position on top of the main auger tube. The auger tube carries a guide track with a support head movable along the track from a raised position at the top of the track to a lowered position at the bottom of the track. The support head pushes the feed device along the track to a deployed position beyond the lower end of the track at which the support head carries the upper end of the feed device and hold it at a position so that the feed material carried by the feed device is deposited at the lower end of the auger tube.

Abstract: A belt conveyor comprises an elongate tube with an upper run of the belt passing through the tube from a hopper at a lower exposed feed portion of the belt. The feeding of the material from the hopper onto the belt and into the tube is enhanced by the addition of a tapered auger flight on a shaft extending longitudinally of the belt from the bearing at the rear wall of the hopper to a hanger bearing within the tube, The auger flight assists in transporting the material through the open mouth of the tube and spreading the material over the surface of the belt.