Filling attachment for a feed tube

A filling attachment for an auger comprises a hollow body providing a tubular section which can surround the feed end of the auger and an open mouth section which extends away from the tubular section. A conduit in the form of a plurality of inter-engaging hollow tubular buckets includes a member for connection to the tailgate of a truck and arranged so that the lowermost bucket projects into the open mouth section of the hollow body. The buckets and the hollow body can be interconnected by strapping which cooperates with press studs on the outer surface of the bucket and the rim of the mouth section. The tubular section includes stepped cylindrical portions for cooperation with auger tubes of different diameter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a filling attachment for a feed tube of the type 
which can be coupled to, for example, the feed end of an auger for feeding 
particulate material to the screw of the auger. 
It is a very common requirement that material, often grain, is dispensed 
from the rear tailgate of a truck box into the feed end of an auger. 
Generally, this is carried out by manoeuvering a bucket or hopper at the 
feed end of the auger to a position beneath the opening in the tailgate of 
the truck and then merely pouring the grain from the truck box into the 
hopper. 
Obviously, this is unsatisfactory for many reasons. Firstly, there is a 
considerable safety risk in that the feed end of the auger flight is 
exposed and can be contacted by the operative. Secondly, there is a 
serious risk of spillage. Thirdly, the hopper for the auger is open to the 
elements and any other foreign material. Fourthly, dust emitted from the 
grain in the hopper is free to spread to the operative. 
One way of overcoming this problem has been to attach an auger directly to 
the tailgate of the truck box which then remains permanently in position 
and is only infrequently used when the truck is unloaded. In many cases 
also, this does not overcome the problem of grain being discharged from 
the end of the auger into the hopper and therefore the hopper is open to 
release dust and to receive foreign material. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an 
improved filling attachment for a feed tube which can be used to receive 
material from the tailgate of a truck box or other delivery system and to 
transmit it to the inlet end of the feed tube in a manner which is 
substantially enclosed. 
According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a filling 
attachment for a feed tube comprising a substantially rigid hollow body 
separate from the tube and having a tubular section for surrounding a feed 
end of the tube, a collar for clamping around the tube and a tubular mouth 
section extending outwardly from the side of the tubular section and 
providing a rim around an open mouth for receiving and closely surrounding 
the discharge end of a discharge nozzle, the body when clamped by said 
coller, being closed apart from said open mouth so as to confine the 
material fed from said nozzle to enter the feed tube. 
An attachment device of this type is particularly useful when used with a 
feed duct of the type formed by a plurality of tubular tapered buckets 
which are connected together with a narrower end of each inside the wider 
entry end of the next. In this way, the open mouth of the attachment is of 
substantially the same transverse dimension or diameter as the open end of 
one of the buckets so that the buckets and the open mouth form effectively 
an enclosed conduit or duct through which the material can pass. 
The device can be used with an auger and auger flight or with any other 
form of delivery duct, for example, a vacuum tube. 
Furthermore, the material in the truck box and in the duct passes directly 
down the duct into the open mouth and is confined by the tubular section 
to fall onto the auger flight to press material onto the auger flight and 
to ensure that it is fully filled to operate at capacity rather than in 
the usual less efficient manner. 
Conveniently, the buckets can be interconnected by flexible strapping which 
is attached to the outer surface of each bucket. 
It is a particular advantage of the invention that the material is properly 
fed to the feed tube or auger directly at the entry end despite movement 
of the delivery point caused by pivoting of a truck box to a raised 
position. 
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to 
those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this 
specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a 
description of the best mode known to the applicant and of the preferred 
typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which:

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts 
in the different figures. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The filling attachment is generally indicated at 10 and includes a boot 
portion 11 and a flexible conduit section generally indicated at 12. 
The auger is indicated at 13 and is of conventional construction including 
an auger tube 14 and a flight 15 which, at a feed end of the tube 14 shown 
in FIG. 2, is exposed from the end of the tube to allow material to enter 
the tube and be carried along the tube by the flight. The tube can be 
supported on conventional mounting arrangements generally indicated at 16 
for feeding the material to a suitable location, as is well known. 
A truck box is generally indicated at 17 which has a conventional tailgate 
which covers an opening in the rear of the truck box and includes guides 
19 which allow a slide 18 to be raised and lowered to allow material to 
escape from the truck box when it is raised in a conventional manner. 
The flexible conduit 12 is formed from a number of individual tapered 
tubular buckets 20 formed from plastic material. Each bucket has a wider 
entry end of circular cross section and tapers downwardly to a narrower 
exit end again of circular cross section. 
Three of the buckets as shown are formed from the simple tubular shape. A 
truck spout including a nozzle 201 is formed integrally with a rectangular 
base 21 for attachment to the tailgate. Again the nozzle 201 and base 21 
are formed by moulding from plastics material. 
The base 21 is formed with four flanges 22 projecting towards the tailgate 
with the side flanges being screwed by suitable couplings 23 to flanges on 
the tailgate. A lower flange indicated at 24 of the rectangular base can 
rest upon an outwardly projecting flange from the tailgate so the material 
leaving the tailgate passes directly into the rectangular base confined by 
the flanges 22 and 24. 
The nozzle 201 attached integrally to the base 21 extends outwardly from 
the tailgate and is inclined outwardly and downwardly so the material 
leaving the tailgate directly enters the bucket 20 which projects 
outwardly in the form of a nozzle for containing the flow of material into 
the next adjacent bucket. 
The buckets are interconnected by flexible strapping members 25 which in 
known manner can flex to allow the buckets to be inserted into one another 
so as to retract the conduit into a transport position. 
The strapping members 25 are riveted to each bucket and carry at the top 
end, a spring latch 251 for releaseable attachment to a hook 252 on the 
top bucket. 
The buckets are of the order of twelve inches in length and have a narrower 
diameter of the order of ten inches and a wider diameter at least two 
inches greater at about twelve inches. This angle of taper and difference 
in diameter allows the large degree of flexibility which is necessary to 
accommodate movement of the truck box in lifting to discharge the 
material. 
The attachment or hook between the conduit and the auger tube indicated at 
11 comprises a hollow body or member formed from plastics material 
including a tubular section 27 and a mouth section 28. 
The tubular section 27 is of sufficient length to extend along the full 
length of the feed section of an auger tube so that with one end 29 of the 
tubular section which is closed against the end face of the auger tube, 
the other end 30 extends to a position beyond the commencement of the tube 
14. As shown in FIG. 2, the auger tube and conventional cage lies at the 
bottom of the tubular section 27 in contact with the bottom surface of the 
tubular section and the tubular section surrounds and extends above the 
feed section of the auger tube. 
In the embodiment shown, the auger tube is of relatively small cross 
section, for example, a five-inch auger tube. The tubular member 27 
therefore includes collar 31 which is approximately five inches in 
diameter so that it can wrap around the auger tube and be clamped thereto 
by a pair of hose clamps 32 of conventional construction. 
In order that the same auger boot can be used in conjuction with six-inch, 
seven-inch or eight-inch augers as well as the five-inch auger shown, 
there is provided a clamp section at the end of the tubular member which 
is stepped in one-inch diameter steps up to the full eight-inch diameter 
of the tubular member 27 itself. It will be noted that the stepped section 
is formed from flexible plastics material with a substantially cylindrical 
portion which can be clamped to the auger of the desired dimension 
followed by a radial stepped portion which steps down to the next adjacent 
dimension. 
Therefore, in order to accommodate the larger diameter auger tubes, the 
earlier sections are removed by cutting, leaving the required cylindrical 
or annular portion which can be clamped to the auger tube by hose clamps 
of the type similar to those illustrated at 32. 
In order to maintain the lower surface of the tubular member 27 
substantially horizontal, the step is provided in the upper wall so that 
the cylindrical portions are not co-axial, but the axis also similarly 
steps downwardly. Each of the cylindrical portions terminates in a ridge 
33 which acts as a retaining ring to locate the hose clamps 32. 
In manufacture, the stepped section can be formed with a closed end at the 
narrowest cylindrical portion and then can be cut at the desired point and 
slits 34 formed in the required cylindrical portion so that it can be 
readily slipped over the auger tube of the intended dimension. 
It will be noted therefore that the diameter of the tubular section 27 is 
of the order of eight inches and it communicates smoothly with the mouth 
section which similarly is provided by a cylindrical wall with a vertical 
axis. The mouth section 28 communicates with the tubular section 27 
mid-way along its length so that a stub portion is formed between the end 
29 and the commencement of the mouth section. This generally positions the 
mouth section directly over the open feed area of the flight of the auger. 
The open end of the mouth section 28 is provided with a number of 
stiffening ribs 35, 36 surrounding the open end which provide a rigid 
circular rim 37 surrounding the open end which retains the mouth section 
vertical and open for receiving the lower end of the lowermost bucket 20. 
Beneath the rim 37 is provided a slightly tapered section 38 which is 
similar to the taper of a bucket 20 so the bucket can slide into the open 
mouth and sit in contact with the tapered section 38. Thus, the buckets 
can be all slid into the open mouth to rest against section 38 in a 
concertinalike formation when not in use. 
The tapered section however acts as a stop to prevent the buckets 
projecting into the tubular section sufficient to contact the auger 
flight. For this purpose, the lowermost bucket and the next adjacent 
bucket may be reduced in axial length to eight inches and ten inches 
respectively so that when contracted, they do not project beyond the end 
of the third bucket. 
When pulled out of the open mouth for use, the lower end of the lowermost 
bucket can either sit in contact with the tapered section 38 or, if the 
buckets are fully extended, it can just project into the rim 37 
sufficiently to ensure that grain is directed properly into the open 
mouth. There is a considerable degree of flexibility therefore available. 
In order to provide a lid 39 for the mouth section, the rim 37 is 
manufactured integrally with a lid in a form not shown with a closed end 
which is then severed from the rim 37 by cutting along an indented line 
moulded on the part. 
The boot 11 therefore is moulded as a closed, substantially rigid and 
separate part which can be sold in that form with the lid separated and 
used as shown on the mouth section and also the end closing the stepped 
section can be removed as required for use. The product can be simply 
manufactured as a single part which can then be cut to shape by the user, 
depending upon the equipment he has with which he intends to use the 
product. 
When assembled, the attachment device 11 remains attached to the auger or 
other feed tube and the flexible conduit provided by the buckets is 
separate for attachment to the truck box. The conduit provides a very 
flexible arrangement which allows it to accommodate misalignment of the 
truck box and the end of the auger tube and also to accommodate the 
movement which is necessary as the truck box lifts to discharge the 
material. 
Although the arrangement has been described in relation to discharge of 
material from a truck box, it can also be used for discharge of material 
from any other source, for example, the outlet of a hopper bottom bin. In 
this case, the attachment of the conduit provided by the buckets may need 
to be modified to accommodate the different outlet from the supply, but 
these modifications will be apparent to one skilled in the art. 
It will be noted that the tubular section is cylindrical and is of a 
diameter which is of the order of the size of the auger tube with which it 
is to cooperate. Preferably, the diameter of the tubular section is merely 
sufficient to receive the cage of the feed end of the auger tube in which 
case it need be no more than five inches greater than the diameter of the 
auger tube and in many cases, very much less than that figure. In this way 
the material passing downwardly through the mouth section is directed onto 
the feed section of the auger and all the material at the feed section of 
the auger is confined around the feed section to be withdrawn from that 
area. There is no possibility of material being thrown out to the sides 
and little or none is left within the tubular section after feed is 
completed. Furthermore, the material effectively is confined against the 
auger flight from all directions and therefore efficiently feeds into the 
auger flight. 
A further embodiment could be manufactured for use with larger diameter 
auger tubes where the smallest step is eight inches and the steps increase 
in one-inch diameter up to twelve inches. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the device lends itself particularly effectively to a 
seed treatment application where a supply of the seed treating liquid is 
indicated at 50 which is communicated through a main feed tube 51 and 
separate feed lines 52 to a plurality of nozzles 53 provided in the upper 
part of the rectangular section 24. Thus, the treatment liquid is added to 
the material as it leaves the truck box across a width of the discharge 
and then can be mixed into the material by the effect of the auger. 
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove 
described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made 
within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such 
spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the 
accompanaying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and 
not in a limiting sense.