Bubble top and extender for hopper

Abstract

A bubble top and height-extender element for use on a hopper such as a seed hopper in agricultural applications includes a bubble top or lid for mounting on the hopper or on an extender element positioned on the hopper, to facilitate additional seed or other material containment in the hopper. When used, the extender element is interposed between the bubble top or lid and the hopper itself, for increasing the carrying capacity of the hopper. In a preferred embodiment the bubble top or lid is utilized on a conventional hopper with or without the extender to increase the volume of seed, fungicide, pesticide or other material loaded in the hopper and thus reduce the labor costs and time required for distributing the material on a field to be seeded or treated.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to agricultural hoppers for containing seed, fungicide, pesticide and other elements typically used in agricultural applications. More particularly, the invention relates to a new and improved bubble top or lid and an optional height-extender element for placement on conventional hoppers to increase the capacity of the hoppers and therefore reduce labor and equipment costs and time for applying the seed, fungicide, pesticide or other particulate material to a field.

One of the problems realized in applying seed, fungicide, pesticide and other materials on a field to be seeded or treated using conventional agricultural hoppers is that of having to frequently refill the hoppers when the materials are depleted after application to the field. Typically, these hoppers are of conventional size and shape and each contains a specific volume of seed or other material for application to the field. Frequent refilling of the hoppers necessitates higher labor and equipment repair costs and loss of time due to the requirement of so often returning to a source of supply and back to the field for application of the materials to the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention includes a bubble top or lid and an optional hopper height-extender element for placement on conventional seed hoppers and similar hoppers configured and sized for carrying and distributing other materials such as fungicide, pesticide and the like, typically on a field in agricultural applications. The invention includes application of the bubble top or lid by itself, or the extender and the bubble top or lid in combination, to the top of a conventional hopper in order to increase the material-carrying capacity of the hopper to a selected extent. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention both the bubble top or lid and the extender element can be configured for use on a conventional hopper of selected size, shape and capacity to optimize the amount of seed, fungicide, pesticide or other material that can be carried by the hopper for application to the field. This increased volume of seed or other material carried by the hopper results in reduced labor costs, time of application and equipment wear and tear, since it minimizes the number of hopper refillings that are necessary for covering a field of any given size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bubble top or lid of this invention designed for mounting with an extender element on the top of a conventional seed hopper, illustrated in phantom;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, partially in section, of a conventional top or lid fitted on the top of a conventional seed hopper for containing seed or other material within the hopper;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the bubble top or lid and extender combination on the hopper illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the bubble top or lid and extender combination on the hopper illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view, partially in section, of the bubble top or lid and extender combination illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1, of a segment of the bubble top or lid and extender element combination positioned on a conventional seed hopper in functional configuration for containing a supply of seed;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bubble top or lid of this invention in functional configuration on the top of a seed hopper without a height-extender element;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7 of a segment of the bubble lid or top in place on a seed hopper in a matching rim configuration; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the bubble top or lid in place on a seed hopper in a non-matching rim configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring initially to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a conventional hopper for carrying materials such as seed, fungicide, pesticide and like agricultural materials is illustrated in phantom by reference numeral 15 and has a hopper interior 15a of selected capacity and a hopper rim 15b, which is typically downwardly-curved from the hopper sides 16 and hopper ends 17, around the perimeter thereof. The hopper sides 16 are typically larger than the hopper ends 17 and the hopper 15 is typically constructed of a plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The hopper ends 17 typically include hopper end cleats 18, typically attached to the hopper 15 by means of end cleat rivets 20 and fitted with downwardly-depending end cleat legs 19. The curved end cleat legs 19 are designed to removably receive and retain the respective band legs 9 of a pair of elastic bands 8, the top ends of which are each secured to the conventional lid top 13 of the conventional lid 11, typically by means of edge cleats 5, mounted by cleat rivets 6. Accordingly, when the conventional lid 11 is seated on the hopper 15, the pair of elastic bands 8, each fitted to the conventional lid top 13 of the conventional lid 11, are extended around the conventional lid rim 12 on both ends to the hopper end cleats 18, where the respective band legs 9 are seated in the corresponding end cleat legs 19.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the bubble top or lid element of this invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 1. The bubble top or lid 1 is characterized by a top plate 2 having a downwardly-extending plate edge 4 around the perimeter thereof and a plate bubble 3 of selected size, shape and transparency extending upwardly from near the perimeter of the plate edge 4, as further illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. As in the case of the conventional lid 11 illustrated in FIG. 2, the top plate 2 of the bubble top or lid 1 typically mounts a pair of oppositely-disposed edge cleats 5, each typically mounted on the plate edge 4 of the bubble top or lid 1 in the center of the longest side dimension thereof for securing one end of an elastic band 8, the opposite end of which elastic band 8 is fitted with a band leg 9. The band leg 9 is adapted for seating in the projecting and downwardly-curved end cleat legs 19 on the respective hopper end cleats 18 attached to the hopper sides 16, respectively, of the conventional hopper 15 (illustrated in phantom), generally in the same manner as the conventional lid 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of the drawings an extender 24 of selected size and shaped to conform to the hopper 15 is interposed between the bubble top or lid 1 and the conventional hopper 15. The extender 24 is typically characterized by an extender edge 25, having a downwardly-extending edge extension 25a (FIG. 6) and an extender rim 26 that is typically curved to define a concave extender rim seat 27, which engages the correspondingly curved top edge of the hopper rim 15b (FIG. 6). The edge extension 25a extends downwardly beyond the extender rim 26 to define a perimeter extension which fits inside the conventional hopper 15. Accordingly, it will be appreciated from a consideration of FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, that the seed 22 (FIG. 2) or other particulate material located inside the conventional hopper 15 can be initially loaded well beyond the top edge of the hopper 15, to the top rim of the extender edge 25 of the extender 24. The seed 22 can thus be loaded upwardly in the interior of the extender 24 and then “topped off” and mounded to fit the hollow or concave interior of the plate bubble 3 in the bubble top or lid 1, as further illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 of the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-8 of the drawings, it will be appreciated that the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 can be configured on the conventional hopper 15 to operate in concert and facilitate an increased capacity of seed 22 or other material to be loaded in the hopper 15 and thus minimize the time expended and the number of trips that need to be made from the field back to a supply depot or area for reloading of the hopper 15 (FIGS. 1 and 3-6). Alternatively, the plate edge 4 of the bubble top or lid 1 can be configured in the same manner as the extender rim 26 of the extender 24 and fitted directly to the hopper rim 15b of the hopper 15, (FIGS. 7 and 8), thus eliminating the extender 24, if reduced additional capacity of the seed 22 or other material is required for loading in the hopper 15. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention both the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 are utilized as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of the drawings to optimize and maximize the quantity of seed 22 or other particulate material that can be loaded into the hopper 15, thus minimizing the cost and time involved in re-supplying the hopper 15 when it is desired to distribute the seed or other material on a field. Furthermore, it will also be understood that the extender 24 can be removably fitted to the hopper 15 or permanently attached by rivets or other fasteners, as desired.

Referring again to FIGS. 7 and 8 and to FIG. 9 of the drawings, in another preferred embodiment of the invention the bubble top or lid 1 is configured as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, with a plate bubble 3 of selected size and shape and having a depending plate edge 4 that substantially matches the hopper rim 15b (FIGS. 7 and 8) or fits directly over the hopper rim 15b without any rim curvature such as the extender rim seat 27 in the extender rim 26 of the extender 24 (FIG. 9). This latter configuration of the bubble top or lid 1 facilitates adaptation to a hopper 15 having an extender rim 26 of any conventional design.

It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that both the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 of this invention can be constructed of a plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like, in the same manner and of the same or a different material as the hopper 15 and can be configured to the particular dimensions the hopper 15. The hopper 15 is typically constructed in a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, but may be constructed in the cross-sectional shape of other polygons and may also be round, oval or elliptical in configuration, or the like, according to the respective manufacturer's specifications. Under each of these circumstances, both the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 can be configured in like manner, to individually and collectively fit over the hopper 15 in the manner illustrated in the drawings and described above.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. a bubble top and height extender for a hopper, comprising an extender element for seating on the hopper; a lid or top positioned on the extender element; and a bubble element provided in said lid or top for increasing the capacity of the hopper.

2. The bubble top and height extender of claim 1 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.

3. The bubble top and height extender of claim 1 comprising at least one latching element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and removably securing said lid or top on said extender element.

4. The bubble top and height extender of claim 3 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.

5. A bubble top for removably fitting on a hopper, comprising a lid or top configured to fit the hopper and a bubble element provided in said lid or top for increasing the capacity of the hopper.

6. The bubble top of claim 5 comprising at least one latching element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.

7. The bubble top of claim 5 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved top rim provided on said lid or top for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said lid or top on the hopper.

8. The bubble top of claim 7 comprising at least one latching element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.

9. The bubble top of claim 5 comprising an extender element interposed between said bubble top and the hopper.

10. The bubble top of claim 9 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element on said hopper.

11. The bubble top of claim 10 comprising at least one latching element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.

12. A bubble top and extender for a hopper having a top rim, comprising an extender element of selected size removably fitted on the top rim of the hopper and a bubble top or lid removably seated on said extender element for increasing the capacity of the hopper.

13. The bubble top and extender of claim 12 wherein the top rim of the hopper is a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.

14. The bubble top and extender of claim 12 comprising at least one pair of latching elements provided on said bubble top or lid and wherein the hopper has at least one pair of receiving elements for receiving said latching elements and removably securing said bubble top or lid on said extender element and said extender element on the hopper.

15. The bubble top and extender of claim 14 wherein the top rim of the hopper is a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.