US2405695A - Ensilage blower having swinging feed hopper - Google Patents

Description

33, 1946. R. B. HITCHCOCK ET AL 9 ENSILAGE BLOWER HAVING SWINGING FEED HOPPER Filed July 22, 19 44 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 13', 14. R. B. HIITCHCOCK ET AL ENSILAGE BLOWER HAVING SWINGING FEED HOPPER Filed July 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiavni ora' Aug, E3, 1945.

R. B. HITCHCOCK ET AL A5 5 ENSILAGE BLOWER HAVING SWINGING FEED HOPPER Filed July 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 flax-B. Hai a/ c0 ck a nci Jamaal E .H 115210772,

of the ensilage blower. farmers that use ensilage blowers do not'have Patented Aug. 13, 1946 ENSILAGE BLOWER HAVING SWINGING FEED HOPPER Rex B. Hitchcock, Evanston, and Samuel E. Hilblom, Chicago, 111., assignors to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 22, 1944, Serial No. 546,144

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a new and improved ensilage blower and has for one of its principal objects a provision of means for swinging the feed trough from a position parallel with the fan to a position perpendicular to the fan with a minimum number of operating parts.

An important object of this invention is to provide an easily transportable ensilage blower and one that is capable of having itsfeed trough in either one of two positions to enable the user to place the trough so as to best receive the material discharged from a wagon or truck, or the like, when filling a silo.

Heretofore ensilage blowers have customarily employed a fixedly positioned feed trough, and the usual position of this feed trough was at right angles to the blower or fan which elevated the ensilage to the silo. Farmyards may be and are arranged in numerou ways. A road or lane is usually provided adjacent the silo. The ensilage to be stored is hauled to the silo in a Wagon or truck which usually has end gate discharges. The ensilage blower is set up so that the fan is parallel or rather tangent to the circumference of the silo. The feed trough of the majority of ensilage blowers projects out into the road lying next to the silo. In view of the fact that the discharge from the wagons or trucks is at the end of the vehicle, it is necessary that the vehicle be backed into position in order that the load may be easily discharged directly into the feed trough A good majority of the trucks which are readily backed into position but employ wagons drawn by tractors. It is quite difiicult to back a tractor-drawn wagon into discharge position adjacent the perpendicularly extending feed trough of an ensilage blower. In numerous situations, the space around the silo is so limited that it is impossible to turn a truck or a tractor-drawn wagon around. In order to compensate for the apparent difficulty, some wagon manufacturer have provided side discharges for their wagons, and implement companies have sold two types of ensilage blowers, one of which has had the feed trough extendin perpendicular to the blower fan, and the other which has had its feed trough extending parallel to the blower fan. It. therefore, became possible for a farmer to purchase the type of ensilage blower and wagon whichtbest fitted his needs. His needs, of course, would depend on several things, namely, the available space around the silo and the direction of the road adjacent the silo.

It is a special object of the present invention l, 2 I to provide an ensilage blower that is suited for operation under all conditions. The feed trough is quickly hiftable from a position parallel to the blower fan to a position perpendicular to the blower fan, and it is, therefore, obvious that discharge from a wagon having either end or side gates may be accommodated. Further, when the space available around the silo is limited, it is possible to set up the ensilage blower with the feed trough parallel to the blower-fan, and after driving the load of ensilage material past the silo,

the feed trough of the blower can then be swung V to a position perpendicular to the blower fan.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a fixed fan. feed device positioned adjacent the fan inlet and joining with the discharge end of a swingable feed trough. The fan feed device functionsin the same manner, regardless of the positioning of the-feed trough.

Other and further important objects will become apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 i a front elevation of the ensilage blower .of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the ensilage blower as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the ensilageblower;

Fi 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the ensilage blower showing the feed trough at right angles to the blower.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral I0 indicates generally a base or skids on which the ensilage blower of this invention is mounted. A blower fan housing I l is located at one end of the base I0 and is positioned longitudinally thereof. A feed trough I2 lies adjacent the blower housing II and extends parallel thereto along the length of the skids Ill. The blower housing is provided with an upwardly extending discharge port I3 upon which may be attached extension conduits leading to the top of a silo or the like.

The skid I0 are provided with upwardly inclined end portions I4 which are joined by a cross-member I5, and in the central portion thereof, a forwardly extending tongue or hitch member I5 is provided for attachment to a draft vehicle or the like. In order to, transport this ensilage blower during short travels about the immediate farm, the hitch'member' I5 i raised portation more difiicult. For longer trips, of

course, the device can be put on a truck. 1

The feed trough l2 has a relatively steep'wall l6 lying adjacent the blower housing The other side wall I! of the trough i2 is inclined at an angle such as shown in Figure 5. This pro-- vides a wide opening for the top of the trough and insures ease of filling. .An open-end auger l8 lies within the base portion of the trough and by means of its spiral flights I9 is adapted to feed ensilage within the hopper or trough l2 in a direction longitudinally of the length of the trough and toward the blower housing H. The discharge end 20 of the auger la is unsupported and unobstructed so thatensilage being moved within the trough by the auger will pass freely out of the end 20 of the auger and into a chamber 2| mounted over an opening 22 in the fan'housing The chamber 2| contains a vertically positioned fluted feed roll 23 adapted to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 24, as shown in Fig. 3. The roll 23 has radially extending flutes or paddles 25. Th housing 2| is circular in shape and conforms closely to the circumference of the fluted feed roll 23. The feed trough i2 is separate from the chamber 2| and is joined only through i the restricted opening 26. This opening 26 is circular in shape and is only slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the outer edges of the auger flight IS. It is apparent that by restricting this opening 25 to such size the material admitted to thechamber 2| is limited to the amount carried within the circumference of the auger. This feature tends to prevent congestion within the blower.

As the ensilage leaves the discharge end 20 of the auger |8, it is forced through the opening 26 and is thereupon carried by the paddles 25 outwardly and thence around into the opening 22 in the fan housing The ensilage material therefore enters the fan housing at right angles thereto in spite of the fact that the feed trough extends parallel to the fan housing.

The ensilage blower. feed trough 2 is equipped at its outer end with a leg member i} which consists of a pair of spaced apart slotted angl members 5| and 50 which are slidably mounted on the central supporting channel member 5|. The leg member 50 is equipped with a base or foot portion 52 which, as shown in Fig. 4, rests on top of the skid cross member l5. The edges of connecting links 56 which extend upwardly and are thereupon joined by a bail-shaped handle 5?. The legs 51*- and 51 of the bail handle 5? are fixedly pivoted at 58 to brackets 59 forming part of the feed trough l2. The ends of the links 53 are pivotally connected to the leg members 5;!

4 and 51 of the handle 51. at points 62 midway between the hinge points 58 of the handle and the cross or top member SI of the handle. As the handle 51 is swung about its hinge members 58, it is quite obvious that the link members 56 will be raised and lowered depending upon the direction of movement of the handle 51. As shown in Fig. 1, the links are in their uppermost posi- Ition, and. henc the leg 53 is also in its top position. The handle 51 has an automatic locking feature, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the handle 51 is locked by means of the overcenter location of the pivot point62 with respect to the hinge points 58. Tendency of the leg 58 to move downwardly will not cause the overcenter locking of the handle 51 to release, but rather the handle 5'! must be lifted and swung around from the top side.

The leg members 50 and 50* are provided with vertical slots 63 and 64 which have sliding therein the pins 65 and 66, respectively, which are rigidly attached to the outer flanges of the cen tral channel member 5|. As the feed trough is lifted from its position on the cross member lb of the skids |0 and swung about the hinge member 61, it is essential that the leg 50 be extended downwardly to compensate for the lack of skids when the feed trough is in a perpendicular position with respect to the blower housing It The handle 51 is thereupon swung around and downwardly beneath the hinge pins 58, so that the connecting links 56 force the legs 50 and 50 downwardly. The foot 52 contacts the ground, and the slots 63 and 64 are moved downwardly until the studs or pins 65 and 66,.slidabl within theseslots, contact the upper end of their respective slots.

. The blower housing contains a fan 2'! which is adapted to receive material entering the opening 22 and throw it and blow it upwardly through the discharge port l3. As best shown in Figure 1, the side wall of the blower housing I has a plurality of small apertures 28 positioned above and to the left of the fluted feed roll compartment 2|. These apertures insure a constant supply of air for the fan 21, and no reliance is made on air being admitted through the feed opening 22. The particular positioning of the apertures 28 permits the entrance of air without harmful effects toward fan operating efficiency. The fan 21 in its travel within the housing picks up air as it passes the openings 28 and comes down and around and picks up ensilage as it is fed into the entrance 22, whereupon the combination of air and ensilage is thrown and blown upwardly out the discharge port Hi.

The drive employed for the various elements,

such as the auger, the feed roll, and the fan, as

shown, is received from the pulley 29 which is driven from a tractor power take-01f pulley but may possibly be driven by some stationary engine or the like. The pulley 29 is mounted on and fastened to a shaft to which extends inwardly and at its opposite end supports the fan 2'! within the housing H. The shaft 30 is journaled within a suitable housing 3| which is fastened to the stationary blower housing A bevel gear 32 is keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 3!! within the housing 3|. A cooperating bevel gear 33is placed at right angles to the first bevel gear 32 and is also positioned within the supporting housing 3|. The bevel gear 33 is keyed or otherwise fastened to a shaft '34 which projects downwardly and carries a V- belt pulley or the like 35 at its lower end. A downward extension 36 of the housing 3| is adapted to journally support the shaft 34. A V-belt pulley 31 is mounted on the lower end of a shaft 38 upon which is fastened the feed roller 23. A V-belt 39 joins the pulleys 35 and 31 and thus transmits rotation from the drive pulley 29 to .the feed roller 23. A worm 40 is keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 38 and is adapted to cooperate with a worm gear 4!. These ears, namely 40 and 4|, are mounted within a gear box 42. The worm gear 4| is keyed to a shaft 43 which extends lengthwise of the skids Hi. This shaft 43 is joined by a universal joint 44 to an extension shaft 45 which is in turn joined by a universal joint 46 to a shaft 41. A sprocket 48 is keyed to the end of the shaft 41. A second sprocket 49 is mounted on the end of the auger l8, and by means of a chain 50, rotary drive is transmitted from the sprocket 48 to the sprocket 49.

Swinging of the feed trough l2 from a position parallel to the blower fan to a position perpendicular to the blower fan is accomplished by reason of the hinge 61 and the shaft 38. The shaft 38 is capable of acting as a hinge, because the worm wheel 4| may swing about the worm 40 on the shaft 38, and the V-belt ulley 31 may also be rotated without interrupting or affectin the drive in any manner. Swinging of the trough 12 to the perpendicular position necessitates a removal of a portion of the housing of the chamber 2|. The trough housing l2 terminates at the partition wall which contains the opening 28. A curved gate member 69 hinged at NJ on the blower fan housing II is capable of abutting the end 68 of the feed trough l2 when in closed position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. In order that the feed trough may be moved to a perpendicular position, the hinged gate 69 is moved to the dashed line position of Fig. 3 and the feed trough l2 swung around to the position shown in dashed lines in Fig. 2 and as shown in Fig. 6. It will be apparent that the end 68 of the trough l2 will lie adjacent the hinged part H of the fan housing I I. The gat 69 is maintained in closed position by means of a pin 72, joining latch members 13 and 14 attached'to the trough l2 and gate 69, respectively.

Feeding of ensilage or other material from the trough to the fan housing I l is accomplished with the same effect regardless of the position of the feed trough. The paddle wheel 23, moving in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 24 in Fig. 3, will effect a substantial perpendicular feeding of ensilage material into the chamber I I. This is true in the perpendicular position of the trough, as well as the parallel position of the trough, for the reason that the fluted feed roll 23 remains in fixed position in front of the fan housing opening 22.

We are aware that herein is provided a novel ensilage blower capable of numerous adaptations.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ensilage blower, a fan, a fan housing having an opening in the side thereof, a feed roll mounted for rotation on a vertical shaft adjacent said opening, a housing for said feed roll, a feed trough hingedly mounted on said feed roll shaft, said feed trough forming a continuation of said feed roll housing when the feed trough is positioned parallel to said fan housing, and said feed roll housing having a side wall hinged to said fan housing, whereby said wall may be swung out of the way when said feed trough is moved to a position perpendicular to said fan housing.

2. In an ensilage blower, a fan, a fan housing having an opening in the side thereof, a feed roll journaled on a vertical shaft for rotation adjacent said opening, an arcuate housing adapted .to enclose said feed roll, said housing including a fixed top and bottom and two curved side walls. one side wall being hingedly secured to the fan housing, a feed trough hinged for swinging movement in a horizontal plane about the axis of said vertical feed roll, the other of said feed roll housing curved walls being secured to the delivery end of said trough, latch means between said hinged curved wall and said fixed curved wall when the feed trough is in a position parallel to said fan housing, and whereby when the feed trough is moved to a position perpendicular to said fan housing the hinged curved wall may be unlatched and swung to an out of the way position and the feed trough may then be swung through a horizontal plane so that it directly contacts the fan housing.

3. In an ensilage blower comprising elongated skid supports, a blower housing mounted in parallel position on one end of said skid supports, a feed trough hinged at one end to said blower housing, an adjustable leg at the other end of said trough, said leg having means associated therewith for fixing the leg in either of two limiting positions, and said means including an over-center lock.

4. In an ensilage blower, a fan, a fan housing having an opening in .a side thereof, a vertical axis shaft feed roll mounted for rotation adjacent said opening, a feed trough, a partial housing for said feed roll intermediate said fan housing and said feed trough, hinge means associated with said feed trough and said fan housing whereby the feed trough may swing in a horizontal plane, said feed trough forming a continuation of said feed roll partial housing when the feed trough is positioned parallel to said fan housing, said feed roll partial housing being pivoted to said fan housing for movement away from feed roll enclosing position, whereby said feed trough may be moved to a position perpendicular to said fan housing in which case the feed trough itself forms a complete enclosure of the feed roll without the said partial housing.

5. In an ensilage blower, a fan, a fan housing having an opening in a side thereof, a paddle feed roll journaled on a vertical shaft for rotation adjacent said opening, a feed trough hinged for swinging movement in a horizontal plane about the vertical'shaft, a housing forming part of an enclosure for said paddle feed roll and including an arcuate portion supported by said fan housing and a. portion constituting part of said feed trough, and means for pivotally supporting the arcuate portion of the housing supported by said fan housing for movement from feed roll enclosing position when it is desired to swing the feed trough from a position parallel to said fan housing to a position perpendicular to said fan housing.

REX B. HITCHCOCK. SAMUEL E. HILBLOM.

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