Grain Bag Extractor Augers Enclosed Housing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grain extraction machines have inefficiencies in unloading grain from large plastic bags and piles, as they often rely on open auger inputs that do not confine the grain, leading to reduced carrying capacity and longer unloading times.
Innovation Solution
An auger apparatus with an enclosed housing and inclined floors that forces grain into a confined space, using lateral feed augers and a main auger to increase the grain's carrying capacity by directing it into a vertical main auger tube, enhancing the extraction and transport efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If open auger inputs are used to convey grain, then the device complexity is reduced, but the carrying capacity and unloading speed are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple functional sections: a hopper section for receiving grain, a confined space section for concentrating grain flow, and a discharge section for loading onto transport vehicles. This segmentation allows each section to optimize its function while collectively increasing overall productivity without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The confined space within the housing acts as an intermediary that concentrates and directs grain flow from the lateral augers into the main auger. This intermediary confined space ensures efficient grain transfer and maximizes carrying capacity while maintaining a manageable structural design
2Productivity
If feed augers simply move grain toward the main auger input without confinement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the rate of material being carried away by the main auger is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing provides localized confinement specifically at the grain input area where lateral augers discharge into the main auger. This localized quality enhancement concentrates grain flow exactly where needed without requiring complex control mechanisms elsewhere in the system
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined floors within the housing create equipotential surfaces that naturally guide grain flow from the lateral augers toward the main auger input. This gravitational assistance simplifies grain flow control while maximizing the transport rate into the main auger
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus significantly increases the rate of grain extraction and transport by confining the grain within the housing, allowing for higher capacity and faster unloading into transport vehicles compared to prior art designs.
Implementation Method 1
A drive assembly connectable to a power source rotates the feed augers and main auger
Data Source
AI summary
An auger apparatus for moving in a forward direction into a quantity of granular material includes an enclosed housing having a horizontal main floor and right and left inclined floors sloping downward and outward from corresponding ends of the main floor, and walls extending upward from lower ends of the inclined floors. Right and left feed auger tubes extend laterally from the walls, and feed augers are mounted in the tubes. Outer front portions of the feed auger tubes are open to expose outer portions of the feed augers. A main auger tube extends upward from a top of the housing, and a main auger extends from the main floor upward through the main auger. A middle material moving apparatus is mounted forward of the housing and moves grain laterally to the exposed outer portions of the feed augers as the housing moves forward.