Abstract:
A feed bin boot slide operator provides an arm which may be adjustable in length operably coupled to a handle supported by a leg. The leg and arm are preferably pivotably connected together and the leg may terminate at a foot with a pivot. Movement of the handle reciprocates the arm which is connected to a sliding door so the operator need not crouch underneath the feed bin to operate the door.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/375,898 filed Aug. 23, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to feed bins and more particularly to the boot slide, and more particularly to a remote operator for use with feed bin boot slides. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Food bins are often utilized for holding feed to be provided to chickens. There is starter feed, growing feed and finishing feed. Normally, at least these three sets of feed have somewhat different recipes. Starter feed is normally fed to small chicks. Growing feed is normally fed to growing chickens. Finishing feed is normally fed prior to processing. 
     Feed is normally stored in bins such as one bin or two bins outside of a chicken house, and then normally dispensed through an auger line into storage hoppers internal to the chicken house(s) where it is then dispensed into individual stations. The individual stations are normally refilled utilizing sensors to assist in replenishing feed as it is taken by the chickens. Once the feed is in the chicken house, the process of refilling stations is normally automated from the hoppers. However, getting the feed into the chicken house normally requires the step of someone crawling underneath the feed bin and manually opening the feed bin boot slide. The boot slide is a bottom slide door on the food bin which then allows the 18,000 pounds or more of feed or other quantities to then be dispensed down on an auger which then can deliver the feed into the chicken house. 
     The feed bins are either maintained either full or empty. For instance, one might be utilizing one kind of feed. Another kind of feed will be needed at a desired time. When that time arrives, the feed then can be provided to the chickens or at least to the hoppers in the chicken house(s). The empty feed bin is then ready to be refilled. The applicant has grown tired of stooping and/or crawling underneath the feed bin to open the feed bin boot slide. Accordingly improvements over the prior art technology are believed to be desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved remote operator for use in opening and closing feed bin boot slides. 
     It is another object of at least some embodiments of the present invention to provide a boot slide operator for linearly displacing the feed bin boot slide a desired amount to therefore direct food to the auger line for transportation into the chicken house and close the boot slide when desired. 
     It is another object of at least some embodiments of the present invention to provide a lever actuated arm which is preferably operably coupled to the feed bin boot slide door. Pivoting of a handle can displace the arm thereby opening the food bin boot slide door thereby dispensing feed from the bin if there is feed in the bin. Reversal of the operation may shut the door. 
     Accordingly, in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, an operator is provided in the preferred embodiment having an arm which preferably operatably couples to the feed bin boot slide door whereby movement of the arm can be effectuated to thereby linearly displace the food bin boot slide door thereby opening the door from a shut configuration and also preferably shutting the door from an open configuration. 
     The arm may preferably be pivotably connected to a handle at a shoulder. The shoulder may center the arm relative to a center line of the door while the handle may be offset thereto in relationship to an auger line which would normally be in an obstacle along the center line. The handle may be pivotably connected to a foot which could be connected to a concrete pad onto which the feed bin normally rests with all of its supporting structure as it is a rather bulky piece of equipment. 
     Accordingly, the door can normally be kept shut. When an individual wants to open the door, the handle can be pivoted to open to a first position thereby opening the door to a desired amount, and when the door is desired to be shut, the handle can be pushed in an opposite direction such as toward the feed bin to shut the door. All this can be done remotely relative to the door so that the owner or worker need not now crawl underneath the feed bin to open the door. Also some chicken houses utilize a single bin while others may have two bins per house. Each of the bins could have an associated operator as described herein at least for the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side plan view of the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizing with the feed bin in a set configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of a portion of the operator shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of a portion of the present invention as connected; and 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a feed bin  10  with a door operator  12  of a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention. The feed bin  10  has a door  14  which transitions from an open to a shut position by sliding in tracks  16 , 18 . Normally, there is a handle underneath body  20  which the operator must navigate under to grab, grab it and then pull it to open, or shut, the door  14 . Rain protector  22  normally extends out from the body  20  proximate to the body  20  outwardly so as to prevent moisture from contacting an upper surface of the door  14  when in an open configuration. 
     In order to overcome the disadvantages of stooping, crawling around and grabbing to operate the door  14 , the applicant has connected arm  24  which may be constructed of a first portion  26  connected to second portion  28  which may be adjustable in length by having first portion  26  to be partially disposable internal to a second portion  28 , or vise versa. The applicant welded nut  30  to second portion  28  which receives a screw  32  therethrough so as to be able to set a desired length of the arm  24  for a preferred embodiment. However, other adjustable arms  24  can be provided as are known in the art for length. Not all arms  24  need to be adjustable in length. 
     At or towards a bin end  34  of the arm  24 , a connection is made with at least a portion of the arm  24  connected to the door  14  such as will be described below. The arm  24  may further connected to a handle  36  such as at pivot  38  such as with pin  40  or otherwise. Pin  40  could be a bolt or other device at the pivot  38  of the arm  24 . When the handle  36  is rearwardly directed relative to the bin  10  such as in the direction  43  illustrated, the arm  24  may be moved at least in direction  43  thereby linearly displacing the door  14  toward an open configuration such as at least a partially open configuration, if not a fully open configuration relative to the bin  10 . 
     The pivot  38  is shown connected to a shoulder  42  which may not be required but is useful to extend away from the leg  44  so that the arm  24  for at least this embodiment can be located over the auger line  46  with the leg  44  beside the auger line  46 . The auger line  46  would normally prevent the leg  44  from operating along axis  48  and thus arm  24  along axis  48 . Therefore the shoulder  42  is useful to affect this capability by allowing the leg  44  to be offset relative to axis  48 . Leg  44  can also be an adjustable length component such by providing first portion  50  and second portion  52  in a somewhat similar or different manner as the arm  24  thereby allowing for adjustability in length of leg  44 . 
     When installed, the operator can grab a portion of leg  44  such as toward upper end  54  toward a direction  43  to effect the opening of the door  14  and then reversal of the processes by pulling or pushing the leg  44  towards the bin  10  in an opposite direction  43 , so that the door  14  may be shut. Leg  44  may be pivotably connected to foot  56  which may be provided with upwardly extending ears  58 , 60  connected to at least one base  62  such as illustrated, or otherwise. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the bin end  34  of arm  24  can have a tee  64  which may be useful to direct bolts therethrough the door  14  such as illustrated in  FIG. 5  and possibly through a back plate  66  so that bolts  68 , 70  can be directed through the tee  64  as well as the door  14 , back plate  66  and be retained by nuts  72 , 74 . Other connection mechanisms such as rivets and/or other structures may be utilized with or other than tee  64  to assist in connecting the arm  24  to the door  14 . Other structures known in the art can be employed as well. 
     While the handle  36  is shown as pivotably operated relative to foot  56 , handle  36  may be operated in other manners in other embodiments. While the arm  24  does rotate at the pivot  40  relative to the pivot  76  at the foot  56 , further embodiments may operate differently. The arm  24  may substantially operate linearly or at least somewhat linearly to effect the linear motion often employed with feed bin boot slide doors  14  in direction  73  (and oppositely thereto). Although only one operator  12  and bin  10  are illustrated, some chicken houses utilize side by side bins  10  or otherwise utilize two bins  10 . Thus two operators  12 , one for each of the bins  10  could be desirable for such embodiments. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.