Abstract:
A system and method for changing a flow rate and direction of dry bulk material supplied from an elevated source, via an angled spout to an adjustable spout end having no internal baffles therein and having readily interchangeable wear pads therein which are accessible through an access door.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of a provisional application filed on May 31, 2011, and having Ser. No. 61/491,732 and also claims the benefit of a utility application filed on Oct. 27, 2011, and having Ser. No. 13/283,156 entitled “METHOD, BAFFLE FREE ANGLE ADJUSTABLE APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING DRY BULK-FREE FLOWING MATERIAL INTO A CONTAINER” which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to grain and dry bulk material handling, and more particularly relates to adjustable spout ends, and even more particularly relates to angle adjustable methods and systems for decelerating (i.e. slowing down and changing a flow direction of) dry bulk material. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In recent years, grain elevators and feed mills have necessarily become increasingly efficient in their operations. Many customers of elevators and feed mills now operate on a “just-in-time” basis. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly important to minimize the duration of any elevator or mill downtime. 
         [0004]    In the past, grain handling equipment manufacturers have sold adjustable spout ends which are placed at a lower end of an upwardly angled spout. The spout ends are typically disposed over the center of a grain bin, and the spout ends typically direct material into the center of the bin in a substantially vertical column. One example of such an adjustable spout end is the “Original Style” Adjustable Spout End. Another is the Premium Adjustable Spout End (U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,852), both of which are made by Nolin Milling, Inc. of Dickens, Iowa. 
         [0005]    While these adjustable spout ends have enjoyed much success and have been used extensively in the past, they do have some drawbacks. 
         [0006]    First of all, the effectiveness and efficiency of the Original Style adjustable spout ends generally operate optimally at a maximum spout flow rate. The Premium Adjustable spout end was better able to handle low and variable flow rates. Both of these prior art design suffered from getting plugged up when corn stalks, wheat straw, bean pods and other oversize material was present in the material being handled. Additionally, both styles often would require considerable effort and time be spent in replacing the adjustable spout end when wear-caused damage necessitated a spout end change. 
         [0007]    Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for providing, maintaining, repairing and replacing equipment for delivering and decelerating dry bulk material in an efficient manner. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an angle adjustable system and method for decelerating dry bulk material in an efficient manner. 
         [0009]    It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a baffle-less angle adjustable input spout sleeve. 
         [0010]    It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce a frequency of plugging caused by oversized matter in the material being handled. 
         [0011]    It is another feature of the present invention to provide an access door and a removable wear pad. 
         [0012]    It is another advantage of the present invention to reduce the time required to address substantial wear in the adjustable spout end. 
         [0013]    The present invention is an apparatus and method for decelerating dry bulk material into a container, designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, providing the previously stated objects, including the above-listed features, and achieves the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a “wasted time-less” manner in a sense that the time consumed in properly maintaining a functional spout end system, over its lifetime, has been greatly reduced. 
         [0014]    Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including an adjustable spout end having an oversized pivoting input sleeve with no internal baffles therein, but does include internal readily removable wear pads. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The invention may be more fully understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a grain elevator system of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a more detailed partially cut-away view of the adjustable spout end  108  of  FIG. 1 , the dashed and dotted lines are included to show an imaginary projection of the end of angled gravity flow down spout  106 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a more detailed partially cut-away view of the adjustable spout end  108  of  FIG. 1 , which is deployed at an angle different from that of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective representation of a top view of the adjustable spout end  108  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  which reveals the wear plate. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a perspective partially exploded representation of the adjustable spout end  108  of  FIG. 1 , shown in an orientation, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    Now referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like matter throughout, and more specifically referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a grain elevator system of the present invention generally designated  100 , including an elevated position  102  from which grain or other dry bulk material is provided to a grain bin  104 , via an angled gravity flow down spout  106  with a novel adjustable spout end  108  disposed at its lower end. The entire grain elevator system  100 , except for adjustable spout end  108 , is well known in the industry. 
         [0022]    Now referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a more detailed view of the adjustable spout end  108  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0023]    Angled gravity flow down spout  106  and oversized spout receiving ring  202  could be any shaped member, conduit, channel, pipe, tube, chute, shaft, such as, but not limited to, a square or round chute ( FIG. 2 ). Various other shapes and configurations of angled gravity flow down spout  106  and oversized spout receiving ring  202  could be envisioned as well, so long as such other configurations permit angled gravity flow down spout  106  to be received into oversized spout receiving ring  202 . In a preferred embodiment, angled gravity flow down spout  106  may have an exterior circumference of 8 inches, and the interior circumference of oversized spout receiving ring  202  would be slightly larger than 8 inches so as to allow angled gravity flow down spout  106  to easily slide into oversized spout receiving ring  202 . In a preferred embodiment, angled gravity flow down spout  106  is gravity fed; however, in some instances, it may be desired to have some mechanism for assisting material in flowing through the spout, such as, but not limited to, a conveyor, auger or other material moving apparatus. 
         [0024]    Oversized spout receiving ring  202  is shown having an oversized spout receiving ring bolting flange  204 , which is orthogonal to the angle gravity flow down spout receiving portion of the oversized spout receiving sleeve  202 , which flange  204  mates with another similar or identical flange  205 . Oversized spout receiving sleeve  202  can be made of any suitable material, but it is preferred that it be made of the same material or a material with similar properties as the material of angled gravity flow down spout  106 . In a preferred embodiment, oversized spout receiving sleeve  202  is a steel pipe. Angled gravity flow down spout  106  preferably extends into oversized spout receiving sleeve  202  by a predetermined sleeve penetration distance. The predetermined sleeve penetration distance can be variable, depending upon each particular application. Some of the factors which can be used to determine the predetermined penetration distance would be the amount of expansion and contraction of the grain bin  104  resulting from loading forces, as well as thermal expansion characteristics of grain bin  104 , thermal coefficients of expansion of angled gravity flow down spout  106 , measurement tolerances for cutting a length of angled gravity flow down spout  106 , and other suitable factors. 
         [0025]    Adjustable spout end  108  has an adjustable spout end main body  208  with a slot therein for receiving oversized spout receiving sleeve  202  at various angular orientations. Adjustable spout end main body  208  may be many shapes, but a shape of a thick substantially circular disk standing on edge may be preferred. The slot in the top edge of adjustable spout end main body  208  is covered by an adjustable spout end main body sliding top section  210 , which is preferably pivotally mounted on a pin  211 , which pivoting relationship, indicated by arrows  213 , can be selectively enabled or disabled by tightening a tensioning nut  402  ( FIG. 4 ) on said pin  211 , which controls the pivoting of adjustable spout end main body sliding top section  210  with respect to adjustable spout end main body  208 . Adjustable spout end main body sliding top section  210  preferably pivots between positions of 35 degrees and 60 degrees of the horizontal. Adjustable spout end main body  208  includes an adjustable spout end main body fixed bottom section  212 , which has an adjustable spout end main body fixed bottom section material outlet opening  214 , which is coupled to grain bin  104  ( FIG. 1 ) via an adjustable spout end main body fixed bottom section bin attachment flange  216 , preferably by bolting, but other suitable means of attachment may be substituted when desired. In a preferred embodiment, adjustable spout end main body  208  is made of steel and has an impact side  220  which is preferably 35 degrees off of horizontal or other angle such that all or nearly all of the material will clean out of the spout  108  when the incoming source is shut off. Material which exits angled gravity flow down spout  106  at either 35 degrees or 60 degrees or any angle in between, will slide up the sloped surface wear pad  224  which is deployed over impact side  220 , up toward the access door  240  until the material loses momentum and then falls back forming a moving pile to form a shield of falling material to cushion the material now exiting the angled gravity flow down spout  106 . This is all done without a need for a baffle, which has been known to create situations where obstructions are more likely to develop. Wear pad  224  are easily inspected and if necessary replaced through the access door  240 . Wear pad  224  may come in a variety of different forms. For example, if the material flowing through the adjustable spout  108  is commercial corn or beans, the wear pad  224  may be a multi-ply design with a backer plate and a black rubber impact energy absorbing pad. For high volume commercial installations urethane might be used, for material such as fertilizer or rock abrasive resistant steel could be used. For molasses based feed, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) could be used to reducing sticking. These variety and others types as well of wear pads  224  could be interchanged depending upon the material which is flowing and depending upon the velocity and flow volume rates of the material. Also the access door  240  could be a multi-ply material like the wear pad  224  or it could be covered with the same material as is used on the interior surface of the wear pad  224 . 
         [0026]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a view of the spout  108  in a different angular orientation as  FIG. 2 . The dotted and dashed lines show the projection of the end of angled gravity flow down spout  106 . 
         [0027]    Now referring to  FIG. 4 , there is a is a perspective representation of a top view of the adjustable spout end  108  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  which reveals the wear plate  224 , wear plate fasteners  222  and the tensioning nut  402 . 
         [0028]    Now referring to  FIG. 5 , there is shown an exploded view of the spout  108  of  FIG. 2  which shows the wear plate  224  and fasteners  222  after they have been removed from the opening which was exposed by the removal of access door  240 . 
         [0029]    Throughout this description, reference is made to grain, grain handling, grain elevators, grain bins and to feed and feed mills, because it is believed that the beneficial aspects of the present invention would be most readily apparent when used in connection with grain and feed; however, it should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to grain and feed handling and should be hereby construed to include other agricultural and non-agricultural applications as well. For example only, and not intended as a limitation, the dry bulk material may be corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, almonds, walnuts, peas, coffee beans, paint pigment, or any free-flowing dry bulk material. The term “dry bulk material” is intended to refer to the above-listed materials and other materials having similar properties. The term “baffle” shall hereby be defined herein to mean a structure which is located in a material flow path and is designed to alter the velocity of material through a spout and simultaneously allows material to flow on at least two sides thereof. Impact side  220  is by definition NOT a baffle because material can flow only on one side thereof. 
         [0030]    In operation, the bulk material delivery system of the present invention could be assembled as follows: 
         [0031]    1. An angled gravity flow down spout  106  is coupled at its upper end to a source of dry bulk material. 
         [0032]    2. Angled gravity flow down spout  106  is coupled to adjustable spout  108 . 
         [0033]    3. Adjustable spout end main body sliding top section  210  is pivoted about pin  211  so as to provide the proper angle between angled gravity flow down spout  106  and the top of grain bin  104 . 
         [0034]    4. The adjustable spout end  108  is attached to the top of grain bin  104 . 
         [0035]    5. The nut on pin  211  is tightened to prevent unwanted pivoting of adjustable spout end main body sliding top section  210 . 
         [0036]    6. An appropriate wear pad  224  is inserted into adjustable spout end main body  208  through the access door  240  and attached over the impact side  220  with wear pad fasteners  222 . 
         [0037]    In operation, the bulk material delivery system  100  of the present invention could be at least partially maintained as follows: 
         [0038]    To extend the life of angled gravity flow down spout  106 , it may need to be rotated. The process for rotating angled gravity flow down spout  106  could be accomplished as follows: 
         [0039]    1. Angled gravity flow down spout  106  is detached at its top end from elevated position  102 . 
         [0040]    2. Angled gravity flow down spout  106  can be rotated without the need for detaching the bottom of angled gravity flow down spout  106  for adjustable spout end  108 . 
         [0041]    3. The angled gravity flow down spout  106  can then be reattached at the elevated position  102 . 
         [0042]    4. To extend the life of adjustable spout end  108  the access door  240  can occasionally be removed and the condition of wear pad  224  can be inspected. If necessary wear pad  224  could be replaced. 
         [0043]    The life of the system could be increased by matching an appropriate wear pad  224  to the material which is flowing through the adjustable spout end  108  and changing the wear pad  224  every time that a substantially different material is caused to flow through the adjustable spout end  108 . 
         [0044]    It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present invention will be understood from the foregoing description and that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construct steps, and arrangement of the parts and steps thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of their material advantages. The form herein described is merely a preferred exemplary embodiment thereof.