“Bin-Brella” Keeps Water Out Of Bins

“Bin-Brella” Keeps Water Out Of Bins CROP STORAGE Grain Storage Most grain producers have experienced unexpected rain when using an auger to load a bin Instead of grain the bin starts filling up with water Manitoba farmer Stephen Tkachyk was tired of the dangerous trek up the bin ladder and slick metal roof to close the bin in pouring rain So he invented Bin-Brella a shield that mounts to his auger to completely cover the bin opening “I’ve used it for 4 years and have a couple prototypes ” Tkachyk says He hired an upholstery business to sew the shield out of heavy-duty vinyl tarp Two half circles of galvanized conduit slip in a sleeve around the bottom to create a rigid 42-in diameter base The top is secured to the auger with two straps One with a buckle goes over the top and the other fits around the auger collar and tightens like a belt Tkachyk keeps the Bin-Brella attached to his auger so that he can move it from bin to bin This year he was invited to bring his patent-pending invention to Manitoba Ag Days where it won second place in the Farm Built Solutions Category of the Innovation Showcase With a cash prize of $500 plus $500 for advertising Tkachyk has been searching for a manufacturer “I’ve had a few people wanting to get some One fellow wanted to get a price for two dozen to use for promos ” he says He welcomes calls from companies interested in working with him The design could be easily adapted to make the Bin-Brella in different sizes as a simple solution to avoid a common problem Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Stephen Tkachyk P O Box 29 Fannystelle Manitoba R0G 0P0 Canada ph 204 745-8303; stkachyk@live com

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