US2919792A - Self-cleaning bootless grain elevator - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1960 D. w. KIRKHART EIAL 2,919,792

SELF-CLEANING BOOTLESS GRAIN ELEVATOR Filed Jan 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dale W. Kirk/7a" Tray Perree INVENTORS.

BY WW 3 Jan. 5, 1960 D. w. KIRKHART ET AL 2,919,792

SELF-CLEANING BOOTLESS GRAIN ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 3, 1955 Dale M. Kirk/1dr! Troy Pe/ree IN V EN TORS.

0 BY non yaw 25m Fig. 2

2,919,792 Patented Jan. 5, 1960 hate 2,919,792 SELF-CLEANING 'BOOTLESS GRAIN ELEVATOR Dale W. Kirkhart and Troy Petree, Caldwell, Idaho I Application January 3, 1955, Serial No. 479,468 1 Claim. Cl. 198-140) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in grain elevators, and more specifically to a grain elevator which is so constructed whereby the boot thereof is eliminated.

The conventional grain elevator is provided at its bottom with a boot into which grain to be elevated passes and is picked up by the buckets of the elevator conveyor. Such a grain elevator construction is disclosed in the patent issued to Irvin H. Lehman, Patent No. 2,488,671, issued November 22, 1949. In such a grain elevator construction, it is necessary that the boot be periodically removed in order that the grain which settles into the bottom of the boot may be removed so as to prevent decaying thereof. Also, it is necessary to remove and completely clean out the boot whenever the grain being elevated is changed so that there will be no mixing of the grain. Further, the relationship between the boot and the buckets of the conveyor is such that the boot is subject to Wear and the boot must be replaced at intervals.

In order to avoid the foregoing disadvantages of the boot type elevator, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a bootless grain elevator, the grain elevator being so constructed whereby the necessity for the boot is entirely eliminated and at the same time, there is no waste of grain as it passes into the buckets of the elevator.

Another object of this invention is to provide a grain elevator construction which is of the self-cleaning type, the grain elevator having an open bottom so that there cannot possibly be any accumulation of grain and being so constructed whereby there is little or no loss of grain.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved grain elevator of the bootless type, the grain elevator being so constructed whereby grain passing thereinto will all be fed into the buckets of the bucket conveyor of the elevator so that the loss of the grain is minimized and also the pick-up boot attachment for assuring the loading of the bucket is eliminated.

These together with other objects and advantages which Will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the lower portion of the grain elevator which is the subject of this invention and shows the relationship between the bucket type conveyor and the conduit of the grain elevator; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of Figure l and shows the general details of the structure of the lower part of the grain elevator.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the grain elevator, which is the subject of this invention, includes a vertical chute whichis referred to in general by the reference numeral 10. The chute 10 is formed primarily of a pair of vertical frame members 12 which are in opposed relation at opposite ends of the chute 10. The frame members 12 are channel-shaped in cross-section and are in opposed relation. Secured to the frame members 12 at opposite sides thereof are end forming blocks 14 which extend vertically. Secured to the blocks 14 are side walls 16.

Secured to one of the side walls 16 is a downwardly and inwardly sloping grain feed chute 18. The grain feed chute 18 is provided with a suitable metal lining 20 to ensure the proper flow of graintherethrough.

Secured to the side wall 16 to which the chute 18 is attached is an inner wall forming layer 22 which terminates at the lining 20. Secured to the other one of the side walls 16 is an inner wall forming member 24 which terminates slightly below the chute 18.

The side Walls 16 are provided below the chute 18 with vertically spaced, horizontally disposed inner wall forming planks 26. The planks 26 are only slightly vertically spaced and have disposed therebetween downwardly'and inwardly projecting resilient flaps 28. The flaps 28 are preferably formed of a rubber material and have outer ends 30 thereof seated in notches 32 formed in their respective planks 26. I

The conduit 10 is provided with a lining 34 which is preferably formed of metal. The lining extends about the entire interior of the conduit 10, as is best illustrated in Figure 2, and terminates immediately adjacent each of the deflectors 28, the adjacent portions of the lining 34 being turned up into the spaces between the planks 26 on opposite sides of associated ones of the deflectors 28, as at 36.

Extending upwardly through the conduit 10 is a portion of a bucket type conveyortwhich is referred to in general by the reference numeral 38. The conveyor 38 includes a lower pair of transversely spaced sprockets 40 which are mounted on a shaft 42. The shaft 42 is journaled in a pair of pillow blocks 44 carried by the lower part of the conduit 10.

Entrained on the sprockets 40 is a pair of endless chains 46. The chains 46 will also be entrained over uppermost sprockets (not shown) in order, that the movement thereof may be continuous. The chains 46 are guidingly received within the frame members 12 and are provided at spaced intervals with pins 48 which project inwardly into the interior of the conduit 10. The pins 48 are disposed in transversely aligned pairs and have carried thereby a bucket 50 which is generally triangular in cross-section, as is best illustrated in Figure 1. Each bucket 50 is secured to the chains 46 by two sets of pins 48 so that the buckets 50 remain in upright positions as they move up through the conduit 10 and in upside-down positions as they move downwardlyexteriorly of the conduit 10.

It is to be noted that each bucket 50 has a width substantially equal to the Width of the conduit 10 and that there is very little space between the buckets 50 and the lining 54 at the ends of the conduit 10. The buckets 50 are disposed in the center of the conduit 10 as it passes upwardly, and the chute 18 is so sloped whereby grain passing down therethrough will be directed into the center of the buckets 50. It is understandable that all grain passing down through the chute 10' will not pass directly into a bucket 50, and spillage of such grain is prevented by the deflectors 28. The deflectors 28 project into the conduit 10 a distance such that they overlie each bucket 50 as it passes upwardly through the lower portion of the conduit 10. Thus, any grain which attempts to pass around the bucket 50 will strike one of the deflectors 28 and be directed back into its associated bucket 50. Inasmuch as the deflectors 28 are formed of a flexible material, it will be readily apparent that they Will deflect as the buckets 50 pass upwardly thereby, as is best illustrated in broken lines in Figure 1.

Because of the particular construction of the grain elevator, which is the subject of this invention, it will be readily apparent that all grain passing down through the chute 18 will be primarily directed into the buckets 50 and that the loss of grain escaping past the buckets 50 will be minimized, if not completely eliminated. By so arranging the chute 18 and the deflector plates 28 with respect to the buckets 50, it will be readily apparent that the need for a bottom in the grain elevator has been eliminated, and therefore, the elevator may be of the bootless type. By eliminating the bottom or boot of the grain elevator, it will be readily apparent that one of the greatest headaches in grain elevators has been eliminated.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A bootless grain elevator comprising a vertical chute, said vertical chute having a lower open end, a feed chute attached to a lower portion of said vertical chute for introducing grain into said vertical chute, said vertical chute being rectangular in cross-section and including a lining having sides and ends, the ends of said lining including channels outwardly oflset relative to the general plane of said ends, resilient strips carried by said sides, said resilient strips extending between said ends, a conveyor passing upwardly through said vertical chute, said conveyor being of the bucket type and includes a pair of spaced chains which are connected together by longitudinally spaced buckets, the buckets having a length equal to the transverse width of said lining whereby a seal is provided between opposite ends of said bucket and ends of said lining, said chains being set in said channels, said flexible strips projecting downwardly and inwardly into the interior of said vertical chute distances whereby they are engaged by said buckets and deflect grain and other material into said buckets, there being a plurality of sets of said resilient strips vertically spaced in the lower portion of said vertical chute whereby deflection of all grain entering into said vertical chute into buckets of said conveyor is assured.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,015,570 Locke Jan. 23, 1912 1,365,901 Enholm Ian. 18, 1921 2,429,549 Hapman Oct. 21, 1947 2,483,671 Lehman Nov. 22, 1949 2,552,812 Patterson May 15, 1951 2,581,720 Schulte Jan. 8, 1952 2,801,729 Hejtmanek Aug. 6, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 738,540 Germany Aug. 19, 1943

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