Abstract:
A drum for hanging from the ceiling constituting the floor of the second story of a grain elevator. The device is self-contained, and has top closure elements with a central feedhole, and a bottom closure element with a central discharge hole. It includes a rotary spreader and coaters, and an applicator, for spreading grains and mixing them, and for mixing fluid chemicals with the grains. Repeated mixing steps are performed. The grains are introduced into it from the second floor. It can receive the grains and chemicals from various sources including chutes from hopper bins, belts, and screws.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention resides in the general field of chemically treating seeds or grains as in a grain elevator. Heretofore, the seeds were treated in an upper floor of the elevator, utilizing stationary facilities for treating and mixing the various seeds. In such an arrangement, the various seeds, i.e. different kinds, e.g. wheat, oats, corn, etc., were contained in bins in the elevator and various devices were utilized for transporting the seeds to a common outlet, and in doing so, they were mixed in various selected proportions, and liquid chemicals were applied to the seeds. Such an arrangement was cumbersome, slow, and required much labor to produce the desired results. In a following step, a truck was driven into the elevator, below the place of mixing, and after the mixing and other treatment steps were performed, the resulting seed mixture was fed into the truck. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   The seed treater of the present invention is a self-contained unit, that is secured to the structure of the elevator such as being bolted on the ceiling at the first floor, and the truck is driven under the device. The seeds are introduced into the treater from above, on the second floor of the elevator, and are mixed and coated in the treater, as they are passing therethrough. 
   The treater of the present invention is capable of on-demand receiving seeds of various kinds for blending from bins on the second floor where they were previously stored. 
   The treater is capable of being fed by instrumentalities on the second floor, such as by conveyor, belt, screws, chutes from hopper bins. 
   The device of the present invention will function as an on-demand apparatus in filling orders, both as to chemicals and seed blending, in that upon initiating an order for treated seed, the ingredients, mainly the different kinds of seeds for mixing, and chemicals, are introduced into the device independently, and they are thoroughly mixed while passing through the device, flowing into the truck uninterruptedly, i.e. upon selecting the ingredients to be put in the seed combination, the device is made to operate, and continues until the order is completed. 
   Other features and advantages are that the device is relatively small in size, it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and it is convenient to mount in position for ingredients to be mixed and delivered to the truck. 
   Another great advantage is, although relatively small and of inexpensive construction, the device will treat great amounts of seeds at an extremely rapid rate. 
   Another important feature is that the device, because of its compact and light weight construction, can be easily mounted in operable position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective overall view of the background in which the treater is utilized, and including the seed treater itself. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of the grain feeding instrumentalities on the second floor of the elevator leading to the seed treater. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the top flange on the seed treater, and the adjacent part of the interior. 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken approximately at line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , showing the upper end of the device. 
       FIG. 5  is a vertical axial sectional view of the whole seed treater. 
       FIG. 6  is an exterior view of the seed treater with an access door in open position. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the upper bearing support. 
       FIG. 8  is a view taken at line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the applicator from inside the surrounding wall. 
       FIG. 10  is a top view of the applicator taken at line  10 - 10  at the lower end of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is a top view taken at line  11 - 11  at the lower end of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken at line  12 - 12  at the lower end of  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 13  is an exterior view of the treater, showing the drive motor and its mounting platform, and including a portion of the structure of the elevator, and a truck. 
       FIG. 14  is a view, similar to  FIG. 5 , showing wipers for wiping the bowls. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Attention is directed to  FIG. 1  showing the seed treater identified  30 , mounted in position in a grain elevator. The elevator has a second floor, indicted generally at  32 , and other structural elements are shown. A floor structure itself  34 , is indicated, in which the seed treater is directly mounted. The seed treater is mounted at its top and it suspends from the floor structure, in position for a vehicle such as a truck  36 , to drive into the elevator on the main floor, under the seed treater, to receive the grain from the latter. It is to be noted that the device is mounted only at one point, its top, as will be brought out in detail hereinbelow. 
     FIG. 1  shows instrumentalities for conveying seed to the device. These may include a conveyor  38 , having a terminal chamber  40 , with an outlet leading into the seed treater.  10  Further attention is given to this feature, as represented diagrammatically in  FIG. 2 , which shows a conveyor  38 , with other instrumentalities  42 , leading thereinto, such as belts, chutes, screws, etc. The particular instrumentalities utilized for carrying seed to the device may be any of various kinds. The  15  seed treater  30 , is cylindrical in shape with central axis  43  ( FIGS. 1 ,  4 ,  5 ,  9 ,  14 ) disposed vertically. It includes a stationary drum  44  forming a surrounding wall  46 , which has an access door  47 . In the description herein, the seed treater is referred to as oriented in that position, i.e., vertically. 
     FIG. 5  includes most of the interior items, and  FIG. 14 , which is similar to  FIG. 5 , additionally shows wipers for wiping the bowls, as described below. 
   The device has a flat, annular top closure plate  48 , with a central inlet opening or feed hole  50 , surrounded by a cylindrical tube  52 , and has a conical bottom closure plate  54 , with a central discharge opening  56 , forming a bottom bowl. 
     FIG. 4  shows the means for mounting the device on the ceiling, or the second floor. In this figure the second floor structure  34  is shown, and a hanger means  58  is provided for mounting the device directly on the floor structure. In the hanger means  58  is an opening  50  receiving grain from the outlet end of the conveyor  38  ( FIG. 2 ) and directing it into the opening  50 , in the device. 
   Attention is directed to  FIG. 5 , which is an axial sectional view of the entire device. In this view the cylindrical wall  46  is shown, having a surrounding outwardly directed transverse flange  60 , at the top, and a similar transverse flange  62 , at the bottom. 
   The top closure plate  48  shown in  FIG. 4  is also shown in  FIG. 5 , this place having a radially extended peripheral flat flange  64 , detachably secured to the flange  60 , and welded to the tube  52  around the feed hole  50 . 
   The bottom closure plate  54  has a peripheral transverse flange  65 , secured to the flange  62 , for mounting the plate onto the cylindrical wall  46 . 
   The seed treater includes a main shaft  68 , extending nearly the height of the drum  44 , being driven by a drive means at the bottom, referred to below. The shaft is mounted in an upper bearing  70  and a lower bearing  72 , the upper bearing  70  being mounted on an upper bearing support  74 , and the lower bearing on and under a lower bearing support  76 . 
   The upper bearing member  70  is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  and is fixedly mounted in the device. It includes a pair of spaced parallel arms  78 , with curved end plates  80 , the latter being detachably secured to the inner surface of the wall  46 , and having a central plate  82 , on which the bearing  70  is directly mounted. 
   Mounted in the support  74 , are tubes  84 , arranged oppositely and on a common diameter for conveying liquid chemicals into the device. These tubes lead through the drum and under the bearing plate  82  and empty downwardly into the drum. The outer ends of the tubes  84  lead through the end plates  80 , and the surrounding wall  46 , through an exterior fitting  88 , for attachment to lead-in lines  89  carrying the chemicals to the device. 
   Mounted on the upper end of the shaft  68  above the bearing support  74  is a rotary spreader  90  ( FIG. 5 ), also shown in  FIG. 3 . This spreader rotates with the shaft and includes a bottom plate  92 , of conical shape, and vertical blades  94  opening radially outwardly, following the slope of the bottom plates, i.e., downwardly. The bottom plate and blades have a central opening  96 , for receiving the upper bearing  70 . 
   Mounted on the shaft  68 , below the bearing support  74 , is an applicator  100  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ). This applicator includes a central hub  102 , secured to the shaft, and a bottom plate  101 , and vertical radial blades  106 . This applicator is of lesser depth than the spreader  90 . 
   In the steps of operation, in this phase, it is explained that the grain is introduced through the top opening  50  and it falls on the spreader  90 , which throws the grain out against the surrounding wall  46 . The liquid chemicals falling from the tubes  84  are thrown outwardly by the applicator  100 , also into engagement with the falling grain and the surrounding wall. 
   The thin mass of grain which was thrown out by the spreader  90 , flows down along the wall, and mixes with the chemicals and as it reaches the; Level of the applicator, the wet mixture then flows into an upper bowl  104  which is fixedly mounted in the drum. This bowl includes a surrounding annular imperforate wall  107 , tapering downwardly to a central discharge outlet opening  108 , and at its upper end is a cylindrical flange  110 , by which it is mounted on the inner surface of the surrounding wall. 
   Mounted below the upper bowl  104 , is an upper coater  112 , which is generally similar to the spreader  90 , but of different dimensions, being smaller in diameter than the latter. The coater includes a central hub  114 , by which it is mounted on the shaft  68  for rotation therewith. It includes bottom plates  116 , and vertical radial blades  118  opening radially outwardly. 
   This upper coater  112 , is positioned close to the upper bowl  104 , and as the grain and fluid mixture flows down the bowl, it falls into the upper coater  112 , and is again thrown out against the surrounding wall  46 . This action produces a mixing effect, which is added to that of the spreader  90 , and upper bowl  104 . 
   Below the upper coater  112 , is a central bowl  120 , identical in construction with the upper bowl  104 , and mounted in a similar manner in the drum. This bowl receives the mixture from the wall  46 , in the area radially outwardly from the upper coater  112  and the mixture then flows through this central bowl and down through its bottom opening  122 . 
   Below the central bowl  120 , is a lower coater  124 , which is identical in construction with the upper coater  112 , and operable for throwing the mixture that falls into it from the central bowl  120 , in outward direction against the surrounding wall. At his point the mixture as it engages the outer wall continues to flow down through the drum. 
   The lower bearing support  76 , identified above, is constructed as a hogback.  FIGS. 11 and 12  show its detail construction. It includes a main structural member  125 , made up of a pair of plates  126 , disposed at an angle to each other and together extending diametrically across the drum. It is disposed with the apex of the angle upwardly. At the ends are mounting plates  127 , having apertures for detachably mounting on the surrounding wall as shown in  FIG. 5 . A central plate  131 , is  5  mounted across the lower edges of the plates  126 , on which the lower bearing means  72  is secured. 
   The hogback  76 , serves to divide the mass of grain descending as shown in  FIG. 1 , the blades  126 , deflecting the grain mixture sideways, which falls into the bottom bowl  54 , from which it flows through the central discharge opening  56 . 
   Means is provided for facilitating flow of the mixture through the device. The mixture tends to become sticky due to the inherent stickiness of the chemicals, and also because of the mixture of dust and dirt with the chemicals. This produces what is actually a mud, retarding the flow of the mixture. 
   This mud accumulates most objectionally in the bowls  104 ,  120  and  54 . 
   To overcome this problem three pairs of wipers  128 ,  129 ,  130  are provided as shown in  FIG. 14 . In each pair, the wipers are mutually identical, and arranged symmetrically, on a common diameter. The wipers in the different pairs differ in size and shape. 
   Each wiper  128  includes a small flat steel mounting piece  132  welded to the applicator, on the under surface of the latter and at the periphery thereof, and a blade  133  extending down into the upper bowl. The blade is positioned at the periphery of the bowl. Its upper edge  135  is inclined upwardly in radial outward direction to a point  136  above the flange  110  of the bowl, engaging the wall of the drum at that point. Its radially outer edge  138  also engages the flange. The lower edge  139  of the blade engages the wall of the bowl down to a point  141 , and its lower/inner edge  142  extends up to the mounting piece  132 . The blade  133  is made of rubber belting material of known kind, and accordingly is relatively stiff and will yield upon engaging an obstacle. 
   The blades  133  are spaced apart, engaging the bowl only at the outer portion thereof, and leaving an empty space therebetween. 
     
   The wiper blades, in each pair, extend approximately three-fourths of the slant height of the sloped bottom, from the upper edge of the latter, leaving the lower one-fourth open. 
   The wipers, upon rotation with the shaft, wipe the bowl, and wipe the mixture and work it inwardly so as to position it directly over the bottom outlet opening. This action forms a dense column at the center which as a mass moves downwardly, overcoming the tendency of the accumulation of the mixture on the wall of the bowl. 
   In the case of the wipers  129 , the mounting pieces  142  are secured to the upper coater  112  which is of lesser diameter than the applicator  100 , and the blades are therefore radially longer than the blades in the wipers  128 . The upper edged  143  is inclined upwardly and terminates at  145  at the upper edge of the flange  110 . 
   The wiper  130  includes a central hub  146  mounted on the lower end of the shaft  68  to which mounting pieces  148  are welded. 
   The blades  149  engage the inner surface of the bottom bowl  54  at the upper part of the latter. Thus the three bowls are wiped on the mixture, producing faster and more efficient flow. 
   The hogback  76  leaves a zone  150  ( FIG. 12 ), which is devoid of the grain mixture. A drive motor  151  ( FIG. 13 ) is mounted on an exterior platform  152 , and a drive belt  153  therefrom drives the central shaft  68  (see also  FIG. 14 ). This belt extends through the void zone  150 , and is thus protected from the falling grain mixture, but however, the grain mixture is enabled to fall freely without interruption over the top of the hogback  76 . Diagonal braces  154  ( FIG. 13 ), secured at their upper ends to the drum, provide support for the platform, and thus the drive motor, and this structure and support are part of the self-contained nature of the device. 
   It is desired that the grain and chemicals be mixed extremely thoroughly in the treater. In the present case, there are no chemicals mixed outside the treater. The chemical and grain mixing provided in the seed treater is extremely intense, and efficient. The spreader  90 , it located directly under the top inlet opening  50  and receives all of the grain falling into the unit. The grain then is thrown out against the surrounding wall, as stated, and in this step the grain forms a thin mass on the wall. This mass of grain flows or slides down the wall, and at the next step, at the level of the agitator  100 , is injected with chemicals. The purpose of the agitator is to throw the atomized fluid chemicals outwardly. The mixing of the grain continues, and the chemicals also mix with the grain at this stage, and progressing downwardly, the grain mixture with the chemicals flows into the bowl  104 . The grain mixture then slides down the inclined surface of the bowl and exits through the central opening  108 . 
   Each coater is of lesser diameter than the bottom opening in the bowl above it, but due to the inclination of each bowl, the mixture is directed inwardly, in falling, into the coater below the bowl. 
   In all of these actions, the grain is mixed and remixed, and the liquid chemicals are mixed therewith and simultaneously so. It is desired that the liquid chemicals thoroughly coat all the surfaces of the individual kernels of the grain, and the repeated reversing in direction produces a sliding, turning and rubbing action between the kernels, thus completely distributing the chemicals around the total surfaces of the individual kernels. In addition to vertical falling movement of the kernels of this action, there is a swirling effect due to the rotation in the various members. This swirling action takes place throughout, and any interruption of that swirling action is again reestablished in the repeated action of the coaters. 
   The swirling effect is shown to continue after the mixture leaves the unit, as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     FIG. 13  also shows the fluid lines  89 , leading from a supply of chemicals to the unit, and leading into the outlets  88  ( FIG. 5 ) as referred to above. 
   The bottom closure plate  54 , as shown well in  FIG. 14 , is tapered similarly to the bowls,  104 ,  120 , confining the grain as it is being discharged, to a relatively narrow stream at the center. 
   A unit as described above, having a drum in the  20  neighborhood of 40″ in length and 24″ in diameter, has a capacity for treating grain at the rate of about 1500+ bushels per hour or 45+ tons per hour. Any desired capacity may be accomplished by selectively changing the size of the machine. The drive motor  151  is sized to the unit. 
   The motor may be of fixed RPM, or of variable speed. One motor drives all the internal moving parts of the device.