Ice Cube “Bullets” Help Prevent Grain Bin Deaths

Ice Cube “Bullets” Help Prevent Grain Bin Deaths Don Perrion is saddened every time he hears about a grain bin death when workers go into a bin to dislodge bridged grain He believes his Grain Worker Life Saver is a device that any farmer can put together He came up with the idea in 1962 and used it successfully when he farmed in Ipswich S Dak       The Life Saver uses compressed air and ice cube “bullets” to dislodge grain from outside the bin       “I blast ice cubes from the outside or the top ” Perrion says He has a trailer with a 12 hp gas engine and 30 cu ft /min air compressor with 100 ft of hose that connects to a 5-gal tank with a 2-in valve It’s the type of tank used to seat beads on tubeless tires that releases a 140-lb blast of air That’s enough air to propel an ice cube 600 ft or knock a couple feet of caked grain off a bin wall     “Start 2 or 3 ft down from the top and work your way down You don’t want the whole works to bury the sweep ” Perrion explains       The barrel that connects to the tank valve is a 2-in dia 4-ft long steel exhaust pipe Perrion makes ice cubes in 3-oz paper cups tears the paper off and drops one or two at a time into the pipe       “It’s an insignificant amount of water that doesn’t contaminate the grain It just gets absorbed ” Perrion notes       For taller bins 8-ft pipe extensions can be added with cam lock couplings If the walk-in door isn’t accessible Perrion uses his Life Saver from the top of the bin He slips in an ice cube and holds it in place with a paper straw slipped through a 1/4-in hole drilled through the pipe Perrion who’s in the grain cleaning business provides instructions on how to make them to anyone interested and he gives demonstrations locally With farmers owning most of the parts the cost can be $200 or less to buy the tank and valve “My idea is to save lives ” he says “It would please the heck out of me if everyone had one of these in their shop ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Don Perrion P O Box 457 Ipswich S Dak 57451 ph 605 426-6267; pgisi@abe midco net

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