Mobile Bin Goes Out To The Field

Mobile Bin Goes Out To The Field CROP STORAGE Grain Storage T-Bin goes wherever you need storage Detachable hydraulic lifting motors raise and lower the upper bin while the telescoping roof pole raises the roof into place “The T-Bin holds up to 10 000 bushels of grain wherever and whenever extra storage is needed ” says Pat Beaujot T-Bin “Once emptied take it down in less than 10 min and move it to another field ” Beaujot and fellow farmer and agribusinessman Dave Kosior worked on the concept for 3 years before introducing the T-Bin They had two prototypes built as part of the process One challenge was getting the in-transit bin under the 17-ft height limit for public roads Kosior had experience tipping bins and hauling them to new locations He knew anything over that required permits from the power company to move When a farmer suggested he follow the combine with a bin and tip it up in the field it got him thinking He brought his idea to Beaujot “I had done a lot of work in manufacturing and design and was retired but the idea caught my eye ” says Beaujot “It took about a year of noodling with sketches and then we started building a 5 000-bu version in Dave’s shop ” Two years ago the pair along with Trevor Phenix a young engineer built a full-scale version and took it to two shows “We got a good response ” says Beaujot What the three had come up with was a 16-ft 11-in high transit system with a 27-ft diameter set of nested bins with structural I-beam legs and hollow structural steel bracing The inner hopper bin is a fixed-in-place steel ring with an 8-ft deep cone floor The 14-ft high outer bin is designed to be lifted into place A triple skid base ensures stability for the bin in transit and at the T-Bin’s 36-ft working height Once pulled to the desired location the transit dollies lower the T-bin to the ground The 8-ft high roof with an 18-gauge seam-sealed roof tarp and 36-in top opening is telescoped into place Roller chains on alternate legs raise the outer steel bin into place As it lifts it grabs onto the top of the inner bin and the two seal together with the help of retractable steel support arms The initial thought was the T-Bin could be an alternative to grain bags as temporary storage Beaujot acknowledges the price of $140 000 CAD is high for a 10 000-bushel grain bin However he points to the losses of moving grain into and out of a bag as well as animal damage to the bags and their one-time use Beaujot also points out that transit dollies can be used with multiple bins That drops the cost of bins to $80 000 each given the $60 000 cost of the dolly set Even without additional bins Beaujot is confident the T-Bin will pay for itself as a buffer to grain transfer “Should something go wrong with a semi or it’s delayed unloading the combine won’t have to shut down waiting to unload ” he says “It can also eliminate the need for an extra semi and driver At $200 000 for a used semi-tractor and double trailer you’ve more than paid for the T-Bin ” While the metal fabricator who built the final prototype could build them to order today Beaujot and his partners want to gather more user testimony before going into full production They’re also hoping to find a buyer for the company T-Bin “We don’t really want to start a company to produce them; however if we could find the right partner we’d turn it over to them ” says Beaujot “We’ve already had some interest from manufacturers of steel hopper bins ” While looking for someone to take it to the next level the concept team is already looking at a farmer-identified need Currently the design requires an auger to be brought to the site for loading and unloading the bin This requires a second driver and tractor “In the future we could easily find a way of connecting the T-Bin to a load and unload auger ” says Beaujot Contact: FARM SHOW Followup T-Bin P O Box 1019 Kipling Sask Canada S0G 2S0 ph 306-735-7783; www tbin ca

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