Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to hoppers used for transfer of granular materials from one location to another. More particularly, a hopper having a stable base is configured to accept an auger at a low repose while accommodating an auger safety guard. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Standalone augers are known for receiving free-flowing granular materials, such as those pouring from bins and chutes or dumped from end-dump trucks. The hoppers are positioned below the source. Further, a transfer auger is positioned in the hopper to elevate accumulated granular materials to a destination such as bin or other storage location. 
   Hoppers have a number of competing design issues including structural integrity, accommodation of augers, minimizing of auger angle, minimizing of hopper height while maximizing capacity, stability and minimizing material hang-up. 
   Clearly what is required is a hopper which meets all of the competing design issues and which permits substantially 100% evacuation of granular materials therefrom without requiring manipulation of the auger therein or removal of the safety guard therefrom so as to prevent injury to the operator. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hopper according to one embodiment of the invention illustrated with an auger positioned therein and extending at about a 25-30 degree angle therefrom; 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the hopper of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the hopper of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the hopper of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an isometric front view of the hopper of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded, isometric front view of the hopper of  FIG. 5  illustrating some of the 3-D profiles constituting the hopper structure; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective front view of the hopper with the tail or inlet end of the auger positioned therein with the guard in its normal installed configuration; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective back view of the hopper with the tail or inlet end of the auger positioned therein; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective back side of the hopper with the tail or inlet end of the auger positioned therein; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective top view of the hopper with the tail or inlet end of the auger positioned therein; 
       FIG. 11  is a top view of the hopper with the auger positioned therein; 
       FIG. 12  is a side view of the hopper with the auger positioned therein; 
       FIG. 13   a  is a back view of the hopper with the auger extending from the front; 
       FIG. 13   b  is a cross-sectional view of the lip of the upper edge of the hopper; 
       FIG. 14  is a perspective front view of the hopper with the auger guard and screw in place; 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective front view of the hopper according to  FIG. 14 , with the auger tube protruding from the front and with the guard and screw shown removed for illustrating the inlet end; 
       FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b  are elevation and top view respectively of a typical arrangement of an auger in a grain hopper and with a truck dumping grain into the hopper; 
       FIGS. 17   a  and  17   b  are elevation views illustrating rotation of the hopper about the base to accommodate augers at different angles; and 
       FIG. 18  is an elevation view of a plurality of hoppers according to  FIG. 1  stacked in nested arrangement for transport. 
   

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An open top hopper is provided for the transfer of granular materials in the hopper, such as grain, by a screw conveyor or auger. The chamber defined by the walls of the open top hopper has a composite shape and an elongated open top. 
   In one embodiment, the open top has an elongated shape preferably approximated by the merger of a semi-circular shape and a trapezoidal shape when viewed in plan. In three dimensions, the hopper walls comprise a combination of a cross-section of a right conical portion wherein the sectioned base of the cone forming the semi-circular portion of the open top, and a tetrahedron forward or front wall portion. A further transitional wall portion can merge the two shapes therebetween. The back and front walls form the entirety of the side walls of the hopper. The elongated shape is adapted to receive an auger which can access the bottom of the hopper and yet extend from the hopper at a shallow angle. 
   The front wall is distended outwardly forming a protrusion which extends beneath and partially along the auger. The protrusion forms an annular space about the auger for accommodating an auger guard which extends circumferentially thereabout. Augers with safety guards can be used with this hopper. 
   The hopper is completed with a base portion which is merged into the conical and tetrahedron portions and which is relatively wide side-to-side to provide lateral stability and yet is narrow front-to-back to permit rotation of the hopper to align with the angle of the auger which resides therein during transfer operations. 
   The composite shape has a generally oblique conical shape wherein the vertex or apex of the cone is oriented at the bottom of the hopper and a nominal center of the open top of the hopper is misaligned perpendicularly from the apex, the nominal center of the open top being offset to the front of the hopper enabling a shallow discharge angle of the auger. Further, a saddle can be formed in the front wall at the lip for further lowering the auger angle and securing the auger in the hopper. 
   The unique shape of the hopper provides strength, access by loading equipment about the back wall, accommodation of safety guards and the ability to rotated the auger about the bottom while permitting the inlet end of the auger to be maintained in the bottom of the hopper for maximum evacuation of material therefrom. Cages or guards which normally protect a screw portion at the inlet end of the auger need not be removed, and are less likely to be removed by operators, thus improving the safety of the transfer operations. 
   Therefore in a broad aspect, a hopper for the transfer of granular materials, is supported at a base and adapted to receive and support an inlet end of an auger in a bottom of the hopper, the hopper comprising: a conical-shaped, semi-circular back wall having an open top, an open front face and a bottom apex at a bottom of the open front face; a three dimensional tetrahedral-shaped front wall having an open top, an open back face and a bottom apex at a bottom of the open back face, the open front face, open back face and bottom apexes merging at a base for forming a composite profile adapted for receiving the inlet end of the auger at the bottom and adapted for funneling granular material to the inlet end of the auger, the hopper being supported on the base. 
   In another embodiment, the base is wedge-shaped being relatively wide from side-to-side to provide lateral stability and being narrow from to back to permit angular rotation of the hopper angularly about the base so as to conform to the angle of the auger while maintaining the inlet end in the bottom for maximum evacuation of the granular material from the hopper. 
   In another embodiment, the hopper further comprises a triangular transitional side wall portion between the back walls of the semi-circular back portion and the front wall of the tetrahedral front portion, the tetrahedron forming a upward rising triangular trough which supports the auger thereon. An angular bottom of the trough can be widened in the form of a protrusion which provides space for accommodating the auger and the guard and further can aid in material flow to the inlet end of the auger. 
   In another embodiment, a lip is formed about the open top to provide stiffening of the hopper walls but yet permit yielding when contacted by a point load or force. Further, circumferential ribs, typically triangular in shape, are formed about the girth of the hopper to provide structural stability. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , a hopper  10  rests on a surface  11  such as the ground. The hopper  10  is generally concave, having hopper walls  2  forming a chamber  1  with an open top  12  for receiving granular materials, such as grain, and directing the granular material downward along the incline of the walls  2  to a bottom  5  of the hopper  10 . For the removal of the granular materials, the hopper  10  is adapted to receive an inlet end  13  of an elongate screw conveyor or auger  14 . 
   The auger  14  is adapted to extend from an inlet end  13 , residing adjacent a bottom  5  of the hopper  10 , and upwardly through the open top  12  at a front  8  of the hopper  10 , and extends therefrom for maximal evacuation of grain, typically directed at an elevated destination, such as a truck or a bin ( FIG. 16   a ). 
   With reference also to  FIGS. 3 and 11 , a front wall  44  of the hopper  10  can distend outwardly for forming a protrusion  70 , the protrusion  70  forming an annular space  93  about the auger  14  for accommodating a circumferential guard  92  which typically extends circumferentially about the auger  14 . 
   Having reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , the hopper  10  can have a generally oblique conical shape wherein the vertex or apex  3  of the oblique cone shape is oriented at the bottom  5  of the hopper  10  and a nominal center  7  of the open top  12  of the hopper is not aligned perpendicularly from the apex  3 . The open top  12  has an elongated shape. The nominal center  7  of the open top  12  is offset towards a forward end or front  8  of the hopper  10 . As a result, the incline of the walls  2  of the hopper from the front  8  to the apex  3  is less steep than is the incline of a back  9  of the hopper  10  to the apex  3 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2-6 , the hopper  10  has a composite shape. Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the hopper  10  is generally conical with side walls  2  diverging upwardly from the bottom  5  to the open top  12 . In embodiments of the invention, the hopper  10  disclosed herein has a configuration which deviates from a simplistic conical shape and other known profiles of conventional hoppers. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  the hopper  10  is supported on the ground  11  on a hopper base  21  ( FIG. 13   a ) having a front-to-back profile B and a side-to-side profile C. In  FIG. 3 , viewed from the side and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the auger  14  (removed for clarity), the hopper  10  illustrates a narrow front-to-back base profile B for enabling rotation of the hopper  10  to adapt to the angle of the auger  14 . From the front view of  FIG. 4 , the hopper  10  has a relatively wide side-to-side profile C, providing lateral stability and to resist tipping. The hopper base  21  forms the bottom  5  of the hopper  10  and forms a chute for funneling granular materials to the auger  14 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 6 , the side walls  2  of the hopper  10  are a merger of at least two major three-dimensional wall profiles; a first three dimensional semi-conical profile  30  and a second three-dimensional (3-D) tetrahedron profile  40 . Viewed in plan view ( FIGS. 2 and 11 ), the result of the merging of the profiles  30 , 40  is a chamber  1  having a generally elongate open top  12 , the nominal center  7  being offset to a front  8  of the hopper  10 . 
   The first or semi-conical profile  30  is a cross-section of a right semi-circular conical portion  30  for forming back wall  31  of the hopper  10  having a forward facing and open front face  32  straddled by the back wall  31 . The conical portion  30  has a central axis X extending upwardly from about a bottom apex  3 . 
   The second profile or tetrahedron profile  40  is a generally trigonal pyramid or tetrahedral-shaped portion  40  having substantially triangular side walls  44  forming a triangular V-trough  45  oriented forwardly. The side walls  44  of the V-trough  45  rise upwardly laterally and forwardly from a bottom edge  47  and diminish in height forwardly to the open top  12 , forming a prow P. The V-trough  45  has an open top  41  and a back-facing open back face  42  which is straddled by the front wall  44 . The front wall  44  of the V-trough  45  at the open back face  42  forms a wide back or stern which merges with the back wall  31  of the open front face  32  of the semi-circular back side  31 . A bottom apex  43  of the V-trough  45  is oriented at the bottom  5 . 
   The V-trough  45  is truncated at the front to form a narrow front edge  46  at the open top  12  from which the auger  14  protrudes. Preferably a semi-circular rest  50  is provided at the front edge  46  for conforming to and supporting the auger  14  at the open top  12  of the hopper  10 . 
   The hopper front and back walls  44 ,  31  at the merger of the open back and front faces  42 , 32  can include a third trapezoidal or substantially triangular or transitional profile or profiles  60  which merges the semi-circular  30  and tetrahedron  40  portions and forms connecting side walls  61 . The connecting walls  61  extend generally along a tangent from the back walls  31 , through the third substantially triangular profile  60  to intersect with the side walls  44  triangular V-trough  45 . 
   The triangular V-trough  45  is widened through a fourth profile or protrusion  70  for increasing annular spacing  93  between the auger inlet end  13  and the hopper  10 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , the front wall  44  or V-trough  45  of the hopper  10  can distend outwardly and laterally forming the protrusion  70  which extends from about the hopper bottom  5  and partially along the front wall  44  for forming an annular space  93  about the auger  14 . The annular space accommodates the guard  92  and minimizes any incentive by an operator to remove the guard to clear more granular material. 
   A fifth prism or wedge-shaped base portion  80  completes the bottom of the hopper structure and forms the hopper base  21  at the bottom  5 . The base portion  80  is narrow across base profile B to permit angular rotation of the hopper  10  and is wide along base profile C to stabilize the hopper  10  laterally. The base portion  80  has side walls  81  which intersect and merges with the semi-circular profile  30  and tetrahedral portion  40 . The side walls  81  have steep angle of inclination for funneling granular materials to the inlet end of the auger. 
   As shown in  FIG. 7 , the auger  14  is a cylindrical tube  90  with a screw  91  extending coaxially within. The screw  91  protrudes from the cylindrical tube  90  at the inlet end  13  and is supported by a tail bearing  94  which is typically cantilevered from the cylindrical tube  90 . A circumferential cage or guard  92  surrounds the inlet end  13  between the tail bearing  94  and the tube  90  to exclude personnel from the screw  91  yet enable passage of granular material to the screw  91 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  6 , the V-trough  45  along the edge  47  is widened to form the protrusion  70  which is a semi-circular or rectangular trough bottom having a nominal radius greater than that of the auger  14  so as to form the annular space  93  therebetween and aid grain flow into the inlet end  13 . 
   The front wall  44  can be formed with one or more pairs of auger straddling slots therethrough for enabling cinch straps to pass around the auger tube  90  and be cinched or otherwise secured to the hopper  10 . Each pair of slots can be spaced at differing angular positions for accommodating different sized augers  14 . 
     FIGS. 7-15  illustrate a variety of views to show the relationship of the various features and configurations of the hopper  10  and how it adapts to accommodate the auger  14 . As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the tip of the prow P is blunted or formed by the inclusion of the semi-circular rest  50  which is sized to support the cylindrical tube  90  of the auger  14  and maintain the annular space  93  in the protrusion  70  under the auger inlet  13 . 
   Best seen in  FIGS. 13   a  and  13   b , a stiffening lip  23  is formed about the open top  12 . The stiffening lip  23  is forgiving and will yield in the face of a point force or forceful deformation from impact and displacement, such as from encroachment of a truck box or other immovable structure thereon which might occur during operations such as unloading. The lip  23  is extends about substantially the entire open top  12  along an upper edge  22  of the side walls  2  formed by the semi-circular portion  30 , the tetrahedral portion  40  and the transitional portion  60 . The lip  23  first extends laterally outwards from the side walls  2  and then downwardly to a terminal edge. Further, as best seen in  FIG. 13   b , circumferential ribs, or ribbed projections  24 , preferably of obtuse triangular cross-section, circumscribe a girth of the hopper  10  for imparting increased strength and structural stability to the side walls  2 . 
     FIGS. 14 and 15  illustrate the inlet end  13  of the auger  14  with and without the guard  92 . The screw  91  has been removed to better illustrate the spatial relationship between the hopper  10  and the auger  14 . The tail bearing  94  is shown positioned in close proximity to the base portion  80  adjacent the bottom  15 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b , the semi-circular back side portion  30  is amenable to easy access by the source of the granular material, such as by the tailgate of the grain truck  100 , from over about 270 degrees or at least three sides of the hopper  10 . The tetrahedron profile of the front of the hopper is strong. The aforementioned configurations of the hopper  10  enable low auger angles for maximal grain recovery and minimal residuals or loss when the hopper  10  is emptied. The combination of the semi-circular and tetrahedron portions  30 , 40  results in a strong hopper structure with a large volume or capacity. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 17   a - 17   b , the hopper  10  can pivot about the narrow transverse base profile B to conform the angle of the hopper side wall  2  to the angle of the auger  14 . The shallower the angle of the auger  14 , the more the hopper  10  will rotate to accommodate the auger  14 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 18 , the hopper  10  is stackable in nested arrangement for minimizing shipping volumes with up to 20% more hoppers  10  per shipment. For most applications, hopper diameters can be sized to about ½ of a maximal transport width enabling two-wide shipping arrangements for even greater shipping economies. 
   Further, the height of the open top  12  of the hopper  10  from the supporting surface or ground can be minimized for increasing the number of applications in which the hopper  10  can be used. 
   The wide triangular V-trough  45  and protrusion  70  ensures that augers  14  can be used with the original guards  92  in place, thereby improving safety. 
   Long augers  14 , typically having angles of about 25-30 degrees are currently available and can be accommodated by rotation of the hopper  10  about the hopper base  21 .

Technology Category: b