CA2425085A1 - Producer car spout - Google Patents

Abstract

My invention called the "Producer Car Spout" (PCS) is a grain auger attachment used for loading producer cars. It is temporarily fastened to the discharge end of a farmer's grain auger. (Refer to Figure PCS-1) When grain is discharged from the auger, the PCS guides it through telescoping pipes into a railroad hopper car. The essence of my invention is:
The grain auger and the railcar remain stationary during the entire railcar loading.
Tests have shown that grain will flow freely through a sloping pipe provided the pipe's inclined surface makes an angle of elevation greater than forty degrees. The PCS has been designed with sufficient length and must be attached to an auger of sufficient height above the railcar to accommodate this minimum slope. The PCS is attached to the grain auger with a special support ring that also provides the means for the spout to flex in any desired vertical plane. A system of external rollers has been incorporated into the telescoping pipes to enhance the telescopic action. The PCS has a walking beam at its lower end with four flanged wheels for guiding the spout along the railcar opening. The PCS improves the ease and efficiency of loading because it eliminates the need to repeatedly reposition the grain auger and the grain truck. Utilizing the PCS, the farmer can redirect the grain flow to any desired compartment. The PCS is designed for easy removal so the grain auger can be used for its other farm purposes. When removed, the PCS is best stored in a vertical position for more convenient reattachment.

Description

SPECIFICATION
Progressing from top to bottom on the Producer Car Spout, the following specifications provide a description and function of the major components. The measurements provided are appropriate for attaching the PCS to a 12 3/a" diameter grain auger. The components are grouped into flue sets as follows:
Multi-directional support ring with internal transition cone.
The ring is made from 51" of 3/8" x 3" flat iron, which is rolled in a 16"
diameter circle and then mounted at the grain auger discharge. A #60 roller chain is looped over the auger tube and attached to a pair of 6" x 2" x 3/8" uprights which are welded to the ring. The ring enables variable positioning of the support strapping so that the five-flexing cones suspended below the ring can swing through a vertical plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the railcar thus accommodating any angle that the farmer may choose to locate the grain auger relative to the railcar. A 2"x 2"x 3/8" load-bearing pad for the roller chain is welded on the outside top of the auger tube opposite the discharge opening. To compensate for the incline of the auger tube and improve the chain's bearing surface, the pad is raised 1'/z" at its lower end. The internal transition cone, that fits inside the ring with a clearance, is attached at a point 5"
above the ring onto the uprights with two, 'h" diameter pivot bolts. The pivot bolts pass through the transition cone 2" down from its top. 'Che 19" long twelve gauge steel cone guides the grain transitioning from the auger discharge opening into the first of five flexing cones.
The transition cone's upper and lower diameters are 15'/4" and l3"
respectively with a 6" deep by 12" wide saddle removed from one side to create a matching fit against the underside of the grain auger tube. The ring/transition is attached to the auger tube with the appropriate number of chain links (plus connecter links) that permit it to be slightly pendulous. The transition cone is free to pivot independently within the ring in order for each to maintain a vertical orientation with varying incline angles of the auger tube.
Five flexing cones with integral nylon support strapping.
A pair of 2" wide nylon straps keep the five flexing cones properly aligned and spaced at 8'/4" O.C. with one bolt per strap per cone. The bolts are attached to the cones at a point 6" from their upper end. The five flexing cones are made from medium density polyethylene. The straps, not the flexing cones, support the weight of all apparatus below the support ring. The 14'/2" long flexing cones, which have upper and lower diameters of 15'/4" and 13'/2" respectively, function solely for redirecting the grain. At the top, each strap is threaded through the clearance between the support ring and the steel transition cone. At the bottom, the buckle end of each strap is threaded through D-rings, which are welded to the upper end of the upper telescoping section.
When buckled, each strap becomes a continuous loop. This results in a fifty percent reduction in strap loading. Cumulative pivoting of the five flexing cones redirects the grain flow exiting the grain auger thus accommodating the changing angle of the telescoping sections relative to the grain auger as the sections extend to reach the end compartments of the railcar. When the PCS rests on the railcar and the spout is pushed toward an end compartment, (Refer to Fig~rre PCS 2) the flexing cones begin to pivot in succession.
Starting with the bottom cone, each one pivots to its maximum before the cone above begins pivoting. This is a desirable feature because the grain exiting the auger will accelerate through the upper cones due to a near vertical drop. This increased initial velocity enables the telescoping sections to be designed with a slightly smaller diameter than the grain auger tube without causing plugging problems. A safety chain connecting the upper telescoping section to the grain auger is installed as a precaution against possible injury from support strap failure.
Coaxial telescoping sections with adjustable guide rollers.
The 157" long upper telescoping pipe section, which slides within the 72" long lower section, has its upper end splayed 3.4 degrees to a 15" diameter. The splayed end receives the bottom flexing cone. In order to reach the end compartment of the railcar (Refer to_figure PCS-2), the 12 gauge telescoping sections are designed to provide a 62"
stroke.
Four, 5" long by 3" diameter rubber guide rollers promote smoother extensions/
retractions of the telescoping sections and they eliminate the need for a tight pipe fit (ie: close tolerances of the two coaxial pipe diameters). Two, 8" x 48" guide roller frames containing two rollers each (Refer to figure PC.'S-3) are attached to, and project 34" above, the upper end of the lower telescoping section. The two attach points are actually pivot points which enable frame movement using adjusting screws at the frame's lower end. The frames are made from l " x 2" tubing. The four guide rollers which are mounted within the two frames are spaced at 29 " and tapered to match the curve of the upper telescoping section. The two upper rollers are fixed within the frames because the frame's pivot mount enables pressure adjustment of these two rollers. The two lower rollers are not fixed within the frame. They are attached to the frame with their own adjustable mounting. The pressure of each guide roller against the upper telescoping section can therefore be adjusted independently and in small increments using adjusting screws.
The telescoping sections have maximum extension stops. This is accomplished by bending and welding a'/4" x 3/4" flat bar around the lower outside end of the upper telescoping section. Two, 12" long curved flat bars with two 5/16" diameter threaded holes each are placed against the upper inside end of the lower telescoping section and bolted from the outside after the sections are assembled. The SAE fine-thread holes are located 3" from the ends of the curved flat bars. The tightened bolts must not project through the flat bars.
A chain and hook apparatus is used to hold the telescoping sections in the retracted position during auger transport. One end link on each of two, six-link 5/16"
coil chains are welded on opposite sides at the top of the lower telescoping section midway between the pair of guide roller frames. Two corresponding hooks are welded to the outside of the upper telescoping section. The hooks must be located at a point on the section that permits complete telescopic retraction. When the grain auger is positioned over the railcar and lowered, the walking beam wheels rest on the railcar. The chains, which then become slack, are unhooked and the spout is ready for use.

Walking beam frame with flanged guide wheels.
(Refer to figures PCS-4 and PCS-S) This apparatus contacts the top of the railcar when grain is being loaded. The 34" x 17" walking beam frame which is made from 1"
x 2"
tubing, pivots on a 7/8" diameter by 19" long shaft that passes through the lower telescoping section 6" from its bottom. This pivoting accommodates the changing angle between the rail car and the telescoping sections as the sections extend to reach the end compartments. The walking beam has two 7/8" diameter by 31" long axles spaced 28"
apart onto which four flanged guide wheels are mounted. The seven inch diameter flanges which are fitted against the inside surface of the four inch diameter guide wheels keep the wheels running true so that the spout's discharge remains centered in the railcar opening as it is pushed from one compartment to the next. It is not necessary to incorporate adjustable wheel spacing into the design because railcar openings are a standard width of twenty-two inches. The designed flange distance is 21'/z".
Winching mechanism for highway transport.
A hand winch with a 2:1 ratio is mounted three feet above ground level on one upright of the auger's A-frame and a sheave is mounted higher on the same upright at the cross member. A 1/8" steel cable is fastened to the winch drum, threaded through the sheave, through a snatch block, and then anchored to the auger's other upright opposite the sheave. For transporting, the snatch block is connected to the lower telescoping section at a point 20" from its bottom end and is "winched in", which pulls the bottom of the spout back and up.(Refer to figr~re P(..'S-5) This "two point anchoring"
prevents the spout from swinging uncontrollably and provides the necessary ground clearance as the lowered grain auger is transported. (Refer to Figure PCS-~ When the Producer Car Spout is removed from the grain auger, the snatch block, which is an integral part of the winching mechanism, is stowed by hooking to a point midway between the auger's wheels. This attach point must also be in alignment with the pivot points of the auger's A-Frame, which is slightly above and offset from the axle. This location permits changing the auger height without affecting the winch cable tension.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

-The multi directional support ring with internal transition cone that permits the operator to change the vertical plane through which the flexing cones may swing.

-The adjustable guide roller system that enhances telescopic action of the coaxial pipes and mitigates binding problems that would normally occur at the full extension position.

-The flanged guide wheels that keeps the spout centered in the railcar opening.

-The pivoting walking beam that compensates for the changing angle between the telescoping pipes and the top of the railcar thus ensuring all wheels remain in contact with the railcar.

-The complete Producer Car Spout Invention that enables the operator to load a railcar while both the grain auger and the railcar remain stationary.