Stowage latch assembly for auger

A stowage latch assembly for an auger includes a hopper for holding granular material and an auger barrel which is swingably movable in an auger-stowing path from a hopper-unloading position, where the auger barrel extends outwardly from the hopper, to an auger-stowage position, where the auger is positioned adjacent a sidewall of the hopper. An auger-latching support assembly is provided, which includes a gate member openable for receiving the auger barrel when the barrel is moved from the hopper-unloading position to the auger-stowage position. The gate member is locked in a closed position when the auger is in the stowage position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an auger assembly movable from a 
hopper-unloading position to an auger-stowage position. 
2. Description of the Background Art 
It is known to mount an auger on an agricultural grain gravity box so as to 
provide an auger-unloadable grain cart or wagon. With such grain carts, 
the augers can be made movable from a hopper-unloading position to an 
auger-stowage transport position. 
In the past, the operator was required to simultaneously operate a winch 
and position the auger above a transport bracket. Then, while holding the 
auger in place with one hand, the operator would lower the auger into the 
bracket utilizing the winch with the other hand. 
There remains a need in the art for improvements in stowage latch 
assemblies for augers. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a stowage latch assembly for an 
auger includes a hopper for holding granular material, and an auger having 
an auger barrel movable in an auger-stowing path from a hopper-unloading 
position, wherein the auger extends outwardly from the hopper, to an 
auger-stowage position, wherein the auger is positioned adjacent a 
sidewall of the hopper. An auger-latching support assembly is provided 
which includes a gate member which is openable for receiving the auger 
barrel when the barrel is moved from the hopper-unloading position to the 
auger-stowage position, wherein the gate member is locked in a closed 
position when the auger is in the stowage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a gravity box grain cart or wagon 10 to which the present 
invention is applicable. Wagon 10 includes a hopper 12 for holding 
granular material such as grain. 
Wagon 10 has an auger including auger barrel 14 which is swingably movable 
in an auger-stowing path from the hopper-unloading position of FIG. 1, 
wherein the auger barrel 14 extends outwardly from hopper 12, to an 
auger-stowage transport position shown in FIG. 2, wherein the auger barrel 
14 is positioned adjacent a sidewall 16 of hopper 12. 
Wheels 13 are connected to hopper 12 for transporting wagon 10 over a 
surface 15. 
As shown in FIG. 2, an auger-latching support assembly 18 is provided in 
accordance with the present invention. 
With reference to FIG. 3, the auger-latching support assembly 18 includes a 
gate member 20 which is openable, and shown in the open position in FIG. 
3, for receiving an auger barrel 14 when barrel 14 is moved from the 
hopper-unloading position shown in FIG. 1 to the auger-stowage position 
shown in FIG. 2. 
As shown in FIG. 3, gate member 20 has an L-shaped portion 22 which is 
movable about a pivot 24. The L-shaped portion 22 of gate member 20 has a 
first leg 26 which is positioned in the auger-stowing path, represented by 
arrow 28 in FIG. 3, when gate member 20 is in the open position prior to 
receiving the auger barrel (not shown in FIG. 3). 
When auger barrel 14 is moved into the stowage and transport position shown 
in FIG. 4, the auger barrel 14 contacts the first leg 26 of gate member 20 
and moves the L-shaped portion 22 from the open position shown in FIG. 3 
into the locked position shown in FIG. 4. 
When the L-shaped portion 22 is in the locked position shown in FIG. 4, a 
second leg 28 of the L-shaped portion 22 locks the auger barrel 14 in the 
stowage and transport position shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the L-shaped portion 
22 is pivotable between the open position shown in FIG. 3 and the locked 
position shown in FIG. 4. The wagon 10 is transported when the auger 
barrel 14 is in the locked, stowage position shown in FIG. 2. 
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the auger-latching support assembly includes 
a releasable latch 30 having a tooth 32 which engages an end 34 of gate 
member 20 for selectively holding the gate member 20 in the locked 
position shown in FIG. 4. 
The auger-latching support assembly 18 further includes a spring 36 
connected to latch 30 and to bracket weldment 38, for biasing latch 30 
toward the locked position. 
In the embodiments shown, the auger-latching support assembly 18 includes a 
fixed keeper side member 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the fixed keeper side 
member 40 is positioned opposite the second leg 28 in the locked position, 
so that the fixed keeper side member 40, the first leg 26 and the second 
leg 28 form a generally U-shaped assembly for holding auger barrel 14 in 
the stowage and transport position. 
In the embodiment shown, the second leg 28 has a lip member 42 extending 
from an end 44 of the second leg 28 opposite first leg 26, so that the lip 
member 42 extends over auger barrel 14 in the locked position. 
With reference to FIG. 5, the auger-latching support assembly shown 
includes a U-channel member 45 which is press-fitted over fixed keeper 
side member 40. Also provided is a rubber strap padding member 46 which is 
attached to gate member 20. A snap pin 48 is provided for supporting the 
gate member 20 in the locked position. The auger-latching support assembly 
18 is assembled and mounted on hopper 12 utilizing lock nuts 50, washers 
52, cap screws 54, cap screw 56, hex nut 58, lock nut 60, rivet 61 and 
support plate 62. 
An auger-latching support assembly 18 can be mounted to the hopper or wagon 
in any suitable position, at the front or rear thereof, or both. 
In operation, the invention requires only that the operator raise the auger 
to a transport height with winch 66 shown in FIG. 2. The operator then is 
able to swing the auger to the auger transport-stowage position, and into 
the auger-latching support assembly which then locks automatically. 
Because many modifications, variations and changes in detail may be made to 
the described embodiments, it is intended that all matter in the foregoing 
description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as 
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.