Abstract:
A bulk seed storage and dispensing box of the present invention uses properly angled box sides to assist in the flow of the seed from the box. A side discharge opening is essential for ease of use of this invention.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims benefit to provisional application Ser. No. 60/357,019 filed Feb. 13, 2002, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all useful purposes. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Many types of agricultural seeds are handled numerous times before the seed is actually planted. The seed may be coated with a variety of treatments, including fungicides, insecticides, or nutritional supplements. In treating seed, some of the seeds are inevitably damaged by rough handling. 
   Agricultural seeds are often delivered to the grower in bags. Bags are heavy and difficult to handle. In many cases, seed is delivered to the grower in large boxes or hoppers because this is a more economical way for the grower to use the seed than bags. 
   Conventional row crop seed handling is performed with a wide variety of boxes and hoppers. These boxes and hoppers are used for storing both treated and untreated agricultural seed, and also for carrying the seed to the growers&#39; fields. In many instances, an auger or some other method has been used to dispense the seed out of the box and into the grower&#39;s planting equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,233 discloses a seed carrier and dispenser using an auger discharge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,312 discloses the use of a pneumatic seed delivery system. The uses of some of the methods of transporting seeds, such as an auger, are known to cause damage to the seed. 
   Damaged seed means a poor plant stand, which in turn means loss of yield and profit potential for the grower. To further aggravate this situation, the advent of biotechnology has driven the value and cost of seeds higher and higher. 
   Side discharge seed dispensers have been developed, but have problems. Previous side discharge seed dispensers, such as the Buckhorn seed box, used a different box shape, which prevented the seed from completely flowing out of the unit. The angled floor of the box allows proper flow of some seeds, but others have to be shoveled out by hand. 
   Today, seed boxes commonly have bottom discharge openings through which the seeds flow. These seed boxes have two distinct disadvantages. They cannot conveniently or safely be carried on a truck bed to the field. The bottom discharge outlet requires that the seed box be elevated, thus causing the truck be to become top heavy and often unsafe. Some manufacturers have engineered around this problem by using augurs or vacuums to move the seed from the bottom of the seed box to a level convenient for grower access. As pointed out before, this extra step in handling seeds can damage the seeds. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is a seed storage bin that relies on the gravity flow of seeds through a side-discharge outlet. The enclosure has an opening on its side where a farmer can dispense the seed into a container such as a bucket and pour the seed into a planter hopper. Most commercial seed bins today move seed out of the bin by use of an auger or a conveyor belt system. In some commercially available seed bins, seed is dropped out of the bin in a center discharge outlet. The drawback of this center discharge outlet is that the entire bin must be lifted high off the ground in order to access the seed. This poses safety risks and other problems. This invention can be practiced without the use of an auger or a conveyor belt system. 
   The flow of seed out of the bin is controlled by a simple sliding door covering the side discharge opening. Said sliding door can be operated either manually or automatically by some form of remote control. 
   The side walls of this seed bin are angled down and toward the discharge opening in a manner in which all of the seed readily flows to the opening. The angle of the side walls is sufficient to ensure proper flow of even cotton or corn seeds, which due to their shape are difficult to handle. The angle of the walls is at least 40 degrees off of vertical. 
   The door covering the side discharge outlet can be secured to prevent spillage or theft of the seed. 
   One advantage of such a system is that the seed is not mishandled by an auger or conveyer belt system. Such handling, while providing ease of use for a grower, can cause a dramatic reduction in seed viability. 
   In most cases, this seed bin will not be collapsible. In many collapsible seed bins, a cardboard sleeve or insert is required. Another advantage of this new system is that no such insert is required. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a seed bin loaded on a flat bed trailer and 
       FIG. 2  is a left side elevational view of the seed bin shown in FIG.  1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  illustrates at least one full portable seed bin  10  that can be transported on a flat bed trailer  12  to a field that is going to be planted. Treated seed is transferred from the seed bin  10  to a container  14  via a spout  16 . The container  14  can be any commercially available container that can hold seed such as, but not limited to buckets (for example 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 gallon buckets). Then the seed filled containers  14  are carried to a mechanical seeder and the seed is dumped into the seed hoppers. 
   The frame  18  holds the seed bin  10 . The frame  18  can be made of plastic, metal or any other material sufficiently sturdy to hold the weight of the seed and seed bin combined. The seed bin  10  can also be made of plastic, metal or any other material sufficient to resist deformation by the weight of the seed. Support posts  20  that can be made of plastic, metal or any other material sufficiently sturdy to hold the weight of the seed  44  and bin  10  combined. The seed bin  10  has opposing slope sides  22  that helps to funnel the seed down to the spout  16 . The angle A that this seed bin  10  makes with the side posts  20  is 60 degrees or less, preferably 50 degrees or less, more preferably 40 degrees or less and even more preferably 30 degrees or less and most preferably 20 degrees or less. The two angles A of the opposing sloping sides maybe of the same angle or different angles. 
   In  FIG. 1 , the seed bin  10  is shown from the front side. The front, in this instance, means the side where the seed is discharged. A pair of supports  24  can be made of plastic, metal or any other material suitable to support the weight of the bin and the seed  44 . The seed  44  is poured from the spout  16 . A sliding door  26  alternately holds seed  44  in the seed bin  10  when the sliding door  26  is closed, or when open, allows the seed  44  to flow out. The door  26  as shown opens up, but alternately, can be rigged to open downward. The door  26  is guided vertically in “L” shaped guide tracks  27 . A connection arm  28  is between the lever arm  30  and the door  26 . The lever arm  30  is operated to slide open or close the door  26 . A spring  34  attached to the lever arm  30  and side wall of the seed hopper  36  helps to reset the lever  30  and the door  26  to the closed position. The direction that the door  26  slides to close or open can be modified on different seed bins. 
   The seed hopper or seed enclosure  36  of the seed bin  10  itself, can be made of plastic, metal or any other material suitable to support the weight of the seed. A locking mechanism  38  can be used to lock the seed bin door  26  shut. The locking mechanism  38  can be any conventional locking system, such as, but not limited to hinge and eye with the ability to place a lock through the eye and a conventional sliding bolt mechanism. A third sloped wall  40  in the seed bin  36  helps to further funnel the seed  44  down into the spout  16 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the angle B of the sloped wall  40  relative to the side post  20  is 60 degrees or less, preferably 50 degrees or less, more preferable 40 degrees or less, and even more preferably 30 degrees or less and most preferably 20 degrees or less. The frame  20  can be made of plastic, metal or any other material sufficiently sturdy to hold the weight of the seed and bin. 
   As shown in FIG.  1  and  FIG. 2 , the seed bin hopper  36  has three sloping walls  22 ,  22 ,  40  and a front vertical wall  52  to help move the seed from the back and sides of the bin to the front of the bin where the seed is discharged. 
   An optional grip  42  attached to the lever  30  when pushed downward causes the door  26  to open to allow discharge of the seed  44 . An optional tarpaulin  46  attached by any conventional means such as, but not limited to a spring and cords  48  to hooks  50  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The tarpaulin  46  is used to prevent contamination of the seed by airborne pollutants, weather conditions, such as rain, hail, snow, etc. 
   All the references discussed above are incorporated by reference in its entirety for all useful purposes. 
   While there is shown and described certain specific structures embodying theinvention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described. 
   FIGURE NOMENCLATURE 
   
       
         10 —seed bin 
         12 —flat bed trailer 
         14 —container 
         16 —spout 
         18 —frame 
         20 —support posts 
         22 —opposing angled sides 
         24 —supports 
         26 —sliding door 
         27 —L shaped guide tracks 
         28 —connection arm 
         30 —lever arm 
         32 —pivot pin 
         34 —spring 
         36 —seed hopper 
         38 —locking mechanism 
         40 —third sloped wall 
         42 —grip 
         44 —seed 
         46 —tarpaulin 
         48 —spring cord 
         50 —hooks 
         52 —front wall