US2388921A

US2388921A - Portable truck grain elevator

Info

Publication number: US2388921A
Application number: US475458A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph L Kooiker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-02-10
Filing date: 1943-02-10
Publication date: 1945-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1962-11-13

Description

R. L. KOOIKER PORTABLE TRUCK GRAIN ELEVATOR Nbv. 13, 1945.

Filed Feb. 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mi hard, 4 ,c/m z ATTO NW. 13, 1945. R. 1.. KOOIKER 2,388,921

PORTABLE TRUCK GRAIN ELEVATOR Filed Feb. 10, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO Patented Nov. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE TRUCK GRAIN ELEVATOR Ralph L. Kooiker, Hull, Iowa.

Application February 10, 1943, Serial No. 475,458

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a portable grain elevator.

An object of my invention is to provide a portable elevator which can be quickly and readily attached to a truck such as a'grain truck or the like and transported to any location, thence quickly detached and used for filling grain bins and the like.

A further object of my invention is to provide a portable grain elevator of this type which can be conveniently elevated to any desired height.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for transporting the elevator with a certain structure included therewith to provide a minimum number of parts so that the elevator will be of a minimum weight and to provide a two-wheeled structure for normal transportation without makin the device too bulky, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hopper construction at the lower end of the elevator which can be removed so that the lower end of the elevator can be inserted into the restricted openings in grain bins when it is desired to elevate grain from the bins to a wagon, truck, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a driving arrangement which is simple in construction and yet which maintains a constant uniform driving engagement regardless of the position of the elevator.

A further object of my invention is to provide an elevator construction which includes very few parts and to further provide a construction of this type which Will not become clogged.

A further object of my invention is to provide a foldable elevator which can be folded when in carrying position so that it will not be of undue length and after being folded can be then extended to normal lengthened position with a certain convenient control therefor.

With these and other objects inview, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the arrangement,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 3-3 of Fig. l,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of Fi 1,

' Figure 6 is a detail of the clutch and idler pulley arrangement,

Fig. '7 is a further detail,

Figure-8 is a detail,

Figure 9 is a further detailed view of Figure 8,

Figure 101s a detail, and

Figure 11 is a detail.

I have used the character Hi to designate the elevator housing which is of substantially U -shape and which includes the bottom H and the sides l2, which sides terminate in the flanges l3. The

discharge end of the elevator is indicated by the character 14 which is open in the usual manner and which is attached at [5 to the suitable spout [6. When being transported, the spout l6, which can be made of the reversible type, can be turned around and inclined to the position as shown by the dotted structure and hooked at I! to the elevator housing.

Pivotally attached beneath the housing is the rod I8 which is attached to the arms I9 which receive the elevator housing therebetween, which terminate at 20. Attached to the arms l9 at 2| are the cables 22 which pass over the pulleys 23 which pulleys 23 are journalled on short shafts 24 which shafts 24 are attached at 25 to the upper ends of the upstanding vertical beams 26,

the beams 26 receiving between the chute or housing 10.

Attached to the members 26 at .21 are the brace rods 28 which are attached at 29 to the motor framework or any other portions of the arran ement, and the members 26 are further pivoted at 30 to the ears 3! which ears 3| are attached to the bed plate 32. Mounted on the plate 32 is a suitable motor of any desired type, such as an internal combustion type or the like which is indicated by the character 33 and which is adapted to drive the pulley 34 over which pulley passes the belt 35.

Suitably attached to the plate or base 32 are a pair of springs 36 which are attached to the hubs 31 of the pair of wheels 38, the other extremity of the springs being attached at 39 to a pair of forwardly projecting beams 40 in which beams 40 are journalled at 4| to the shaft 42 (see Fig. 3). Attached to the shaft 42 at one side thereof is the larger pulley 43 over which passes the belt 35. Also journalled on the shaft 42 are the bearings 44 which are attached to the lower deck or bottom I l of the chute or housing I0.

Attached beneath one of the beams 40 is a bracket 45 in which bracket is pivoted at 46 (see Fig. 6) the rod 41 which extends through a further bracket 43 which is attached to the other beam 60 at the other side of the arrangement. Extending from the rod 41 is the arm 49 which terminates in the handle 55, and a lock member 51 passes through the arm 49 into the keeper 52 which includes the slot 52a therein so that the member which is engaged through the slot with the threaded nut 5la can be tightened to maintain the arm 49 in any fixed position. The keeper 52 is pivotallysecured at 52b (see Figures 8 and 9).

Attached at 53 to the rod 4'! is a further arm 54 which terminates in the pulley 55 which pulley 55 is adapted to be pulled against the belt to act as an idler as well as mean for starting the.

handle 59 is pulled over toward the left as shown in Fig. 1, the pulley will be brought into ongagement with the belt. The member 5! will then permit tightening at any desiredposition.

The cables v22, after passing over the upper pulleys 23, pass over the Windlass 56 whichis attached to the shaft 51 which is suitably journalled at 58 to a bracket 59 atone side of the chute, and the other end of the shaft 51 being attached to a suitable worm gear enclosed in the housing 60, which worm gear is driven by a worm attached to the shaft 6| which is turned by means of the handle 62. Attached interiorly of the large pulley 43 is a sprocket 63 over which passes the chain 64 which chain passes over the further idler sprocket 65 and thence over the further sprocket 66 which sprocketBB. drives the elevating arrangement, the elevating arrangement comprising the continuous chain 51 which is attached to, the bars or grain paddles 68 and which travels over an upper d ck fi'll which is spaced above the bottom of the elevator housing. 7

Attached at 1D to the lower end of the housing (see Fig. 1) is a resilient flap H which includes an opening Ha (see Figure 10) ior allowing the chain -6 to pass therethrough and which flap is bent and continually displaced by the bars 68 as the g ain is being elevated upwardly along the elevator chute and along the deck 69. This provides means for preventing clogging of the lower portions of the elevatorinwardly of the sprocket 66 which otherwise would fall through the opening at 12 and have a tendency to jam or clog the arrangement. e

The hopper is indicated by the character :13 and includes the inclined side walls 14 and the end Walls l5 and 16, the end walls 16 including a suitable opening at 11. Attached to the hopper sides M are the lugs 18 which receive the spring boltsfiS which are pivotally attached at to the sides of the elevator chute with the control hand nuts Bl serving as a means to release the spring bolts 79 from engagement, with the hopper which is separated as shown at 82 from the balanceof the chute, so that in this manner, the hopper can be readily removed from, or attached to, the lower end of the chute. L

- Straddling the arcuate lower end of the chute is ,the substantially U-shaped member 83 which is attached to the further U-shaped hitch member 84 which is'adapted to normally allow attachment to the projecting hitchingportions of the truck (see Figure 11).

It will now be seen from the foregoing description that the device can be transported in the dotted position as shown :in Fig. lwhereinthe hitch V attachment 85 ,is attached to the member 84 with the device thus being transported and with the spouts lfibeing attached or otherwise. When it is desired to raise grain from the lower position of the truck into the bin, the device will occupy the position as shown in Fig. l, with the lower end resting on a block such as 86 or on the ground, and the grain is shoveled into the hopper l3 and the engine is started, with the idler or clutch pulley 55 bein operated as explained, whereby the grain will be elevated upwardly and thence through the spout I6. The desired elevation is obtained by turning the crank handle 62 which, in turn, rotates the Windlass 56, reeling the cables 22 thereon, which allows any selective po- 's'itionof the arrangement.

The detachable hopper 13 provides a desirable arrangement wherein it is possible to convey the grain directly from the grain bin upwardly into a truck or the like, in which case the hopper 13 is removed, as explained, and the arrangement is pushed rearwardly so that the lower end of the chute I0 projects into the grain bin a fairly substantial distance. The grain is then thrown from inside the bin into the lower end of the chute and carried upwardly in the same manner. This is especially desirable in grain bins since only restricted openings are usually provided at the bottoms thereof, which allows reception of the reduced portion of the chute therein.

If it is desired to pass the framework through a smaller opening, as is usual in many cases, the attachment points at 29 of the braces 28 are removed, and due to the pivotal engagement at 30, the beams 26 can be swung to a nearly horizontal position so that the entire portable structure can be moved through lower openin sand the like. Durin transportation of the light arrangement, it is desired to prevent rattling and vibration, and to provide this result I provide the lengthened rod 81 which passes through the opening 88 in one of the members 26 and is threadably engaged at 89in the other member, and the rod 81 includes the handle portions 98 so that the member 81 canb'e inserted through the opening 88 and 89 and threadably engaged therewith, thereby looking the chute in fixed and rigid position as shown in Fig. 5 which will prevent the aforesaid shaking, vibration, and the like.

The arrangement such as described is of minimum weight, and I have found that it need not weigh more than approximately eight-hundred pounds including the' entire framework, engine, and all, and it provides a balancin effect so that it can even be pushed about by one man if necessary, wherein the lower end can be readily lifted off of the ground after detachment from the conveying vehicle and brought to any desired locawherein the chute l0 ismade up of the two sec-' tionssuch as 9! and 92. The section 91 includes the flange 93 attached thereto, and the section 92, a further flange 94 which flanges abut against each other. Attached to the flange 4, which flanges, of course, are at either side of the chute portion 62, are the overlapping cars 95, the upper ears of which are attached by means of suiti able bolts 96, and passing through the lower ears.

95 is a rod 96a which passes beneath the chute and through the other ears 95 at the other side thereof.

It will be understood that the ears 95 engage suitable ears on the flanges 93. Also attached at each side of the chute ID are the members 91 which are attached at 98 to the, sides of the chute (see Fig. 7), which members include the cylindrical portion 99 and the expanded cylindrical portion I00, the portion I being adapted to be disposed laterally beyond the cable 22. Attached at |U| to the member 40 are a pair of bracket members I02 which terminate in a cradle member I03 which cradle member is substantially U-shaped to receive the end of the chute 92.

In transporting the structure and before transportation .thereof, the lower rod at 99a is removed, leaving =the upper bolts 95 in position. The member 8'! is then locked in position and the windlass 56 is then operated which pivots the upper portion 92 about the portion 9|, since the portion 9| will be held in horizontal position.

The cables 22 are wound until the members 91 receive the same between the sides of the chute and the portion I00 and the chute end 92 will fall to the position as shown by the dotted structure in Fig. 1, and until it is received by the cradle I03, where it will be retained in inoperative and transporting position. In this manner the device can be transported to any location without the extra length extending behind the trailer structure.

When it is again desired to use the chute arrangement, the forward end of the unit is lowered as shown in Fig. l and the windlass is operated drawing the cables 22 which, due to the engagement of the cables 22 about the members 91, will raise the portion 92 towards a vertical position, and then when the forward end of the arrangement substantially at 84 is raised slightly, the

member 92 will fall over past center and then can be released slowly until the members 9| and 92 are in alignment. The bar 96a is again replaced, thereby resulting in the completed chute structure ready for use which can then be manipulated again for the purpose intended.

It will now be seen that my invention provides all of the advantages enumerated heretofore and includes many other advantages readily apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my inven tion without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structure Or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

A portable elevator comprising an elevator chute, a framework supporting said chute including a pair of vertical beams receiving the chute therebetween, said chute being pivotally attached to said framework, a windlass attached to said chute, pulleys attached between said vertical beams, cables attached to said chute passing over said pulleys and to said windlass to provide means for elevating said chute to desired elevation, said chute including a forward section, a rearward section pivoted to said forward section, means for folding said rearward section over said forward section to provide a reduced length to the elevator when' being transported, means for extending said rearward section to completed length including side members attached to said rearward section adapted to engage said cables, whereby raisable movement of said cables will pivot said rearward section on said forward section to said completed length, a cradle member attached to said framework for supporting said rearward section when in folded position.

RALPH L. KOOIKER.