Low Profile Hopper Makes Unloading Easy

Low Profile Hopper Makes Unloading Easy GRAIN HANDLING Accessories 15-5-26 Gerald Stuckey, Martinton, Ill., has come . up with a new "low profile" grain hopper that not only lets you unload grain from any wagon without burying the hopper in the ground, but also lets you raise and lower the main auger to any bin height while the hopper remains flat on its base. Stuckey's 4-ft. long, 32-in. wide, 1-ft. high hopper is equipped with a 5-ft. long stub auger that hooks up to the main auger. The main auger is equipped with a "universal joint" which serves as a pivot point between the two augers, allowing the main auger to be raised and lowered without affecting the positioning of the hopper. A clamp-on hinge assembly connects the two auger tubes together to keep both augers rigid and in line. "The hopper auger is driven by the main auger so no other source of power is needed, and it can be quickly disassembled for trans-port," says Stuckey. Here's how the hopper works: Stuckey mounted a fixed stub shaft inside one end of the hopper. One end of the 5-ft. long stub auger fits over the stub shaft - the other end of the auger sticks out the end of the hopper and is fitted with a universal joint. He modified the bottom end of the main auger by inserting an 8-in. stub shaft in the end of the auger. It hooks up to the universal joint on the hopper auger. A hinging, 2-part steel frame mounts below the junction of the two augers. To install the hopper, Stuckey connects the two augers together at the universal joint and then pins the two halves of the supporting steel frame together. A 12-in. long section of flexible plastic drain tile slips over the junction of the two auger tubes, which are cut at an angle to leave a gap on top. "The gap allows the main auger tube to flex up and down as it's raised," says Stuckey. "The 5-ft. long auger is free to `telescope' in and out on the stub shaft inside the hopper whenever the main auger is raised. A safety grille and lid is provided. The entire unit can be assembled and in-stalled by one person in as little as 2 min." Stuckey spent about $250 to build the hopper assembly. He's looking for a manufacturer and says it could be offered in kit form as an option on new augers or as an update on augers already in service. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Stuckey, RR 1, Box 174, Martinton, Ill. 60951 (ph 815 428-7255).

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