U.S. patent application number 11/581990 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for bubble top and extender for hopper.
Invention is credited to John L. House.
Application Number | 20080110892 11/581990 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39368223 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080110892 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
House; John L. |
May 15, 2008 |
Bubble top and extender for hopper
Abstract
A bubble top and height-extender element for use on a hopper
such as a seed hopper in agricultural applications includes a
bubble top or lid for mounting on the hopper or on an extender
element positioned on the hopper, to facilitate additional seed or
other material containment in the hopper. When used, the extender
element is interposed between the bubble top or lid and the hopper
itself, for increasing the carrying capacity of the hopper. In a
preferred embodiment the bubble top or lid is utilized on a
conventional hopper with or without the extender to increase the
volume of seed, fungicide, pesticide or other material loaded in
the hopper and thus reduce the labor costs and time required for
distributing the material on a field to be seeded or treated.
Inventors: |
House; John L.; (Oak Grove,
LA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John M. Harrison
2139 E. Bert Kouns
Shreveport
LA
71105
US
|
Family ID: |
39368223 |
Appl. No.: |
11/581990 |
Filed: |
October 18, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/324 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01C 15/006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/324 |
International
Class: |
B65D 45/16 20060101
B65D045/16 |
Claims
1. a bubble top and height extender for a hopper, comprising an
extender element for seating on the hopper; a lid or top positioned
on the extender element; and a bubble element provided in said lid
or top for increasing the capacity of the hopper.
2. The bubble top and height extender of claim 1 wherein the hopper
has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim
provided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper
rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.
3. The bubble top and height extender of claim 1 comprising at
least one latching element provided on said lid or top and wherein
the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving said
latching element and removably securing said lid or top on said
extender element.
4. The bubble top and height extender of claim 3 wherein the hopper
has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim
provided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper
rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.
5. A bubble top for removably fitting on a hopper, comprising a lid
or top configured to fit the hopper and a bubble element provided
in said lid or top for increasing the capacity of the hopper.
6. The bubble top of claim 5 comprising at least one latching
element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at
least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and
removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.
7. The bubble top of claim 5 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper
rim and comprising a curved top rim provided on said lid or top for
engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said lid or top on
the hopper.
8. The bubble top of claim 7 comprising at least one latching
element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at
least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and
removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.
9. The bubble top of claim 5 comprising an extender element
interposed between said bubble top and the hopper.
10. The bubble top of claim 9 wherein the hopper has a curved
hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on said
extender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting
said extender element on said hopper.
11. The bubble top of claim 10 comprising at least one latching
element provided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at
least one receiving element for receiving said latching element and
removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.
12. A bubble top and extender for a hopper having a top rim,
comprising an extender element of selected size removably fitted on
the top rim of the hopper and a bubble top or lid removably seated
on said extender element for increasing the capacity of the
hopper.
13. The bubble top and extender of claim 12 wherein the top rim of
the hopper is a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender
rim provided on said extender element for engaging the curved
hopper rim and supporting said extender element on the hopper.
14. The bubble top and extender of claim 12 comprising at least one
pair of latching elements provided on said bubble top or lid and
wherein the hopper has at least one pair of receiving elements for
receiving said latching elements and removably securing said bubble
top or lid on said extender element and said extender element on
the hopper.
15. The bubble top and extender of claim 14 wherein the top rim of
the hopper is a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender
rim provided on said extender for engaging the curved hopper rim
and supporting said extender element on the hopper.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to agricultural hoppers for
containing seed, fungicide, pesticide and other elements typically
used in agricultural applications. More particularly, the invention
relates to a new and improved bubble top or lid and an optional
height-extender element for placement on conventional hoppers to
increase the capacity of the hoppers and therefore reduce labor and
equipment costs and time for applying the seed, fungicide,
pesticide or other particulate material to a field.
[0003] One of the problems realized in applying seed, fungicide,
pesticide and other materials on a field to be seeded or treated
using conventional agricultural hoppers is that of having to
frequently refill the hoppers when the materials are depleted after
application to the field. Typically, these hoppers are of
conventional size and shape and each contains a specific volume of
seed or other material for application to the field. Frequent
refilling of the hoppers necessitates higher labor and equipment
repair costs and loss of time due to the requirement of so often
returning to a source of supply and back to the field for
application of the materials to the field.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention includes a bubble top or lid and an optional
hopper height-extender element for placement on conventional seed
hoppers and similar hoppers configured and sized for carrying and
distributing other materials such as fungicide, pesticide and the
like, typically on a field in agricultural applications. The
invention includes application of the bubble top or lid by itself,
or the extender and the bubble top or lid in combination, to the
top of a conventional hopper in order to increase the
material-carrying capacity of the hopper to a selected extent.
Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention both the bubble top
or lid and the extender element can be configured for use on a
conventional hopper of selected size, shape and capacity to
optimize the amount of seed, fungicide, pesticide or other material
that can be carried by the hopper for application to the field.
This increased volume of seed or other material carried by the
hopper results in reduced labor costs, time of application and
equipment wear and tear, since it minimizes the number of hopper
refillings that are necessary for covering a field of any given
size.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The invention will be better understood by reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
the bubble top or lid of this invention designed for mounting with
an extender element on the top of a conventional seed hopper,
illustrated in phantom;
[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded view, partially in section, of a
conventional top or lid fitted on the top of a conventional seed
hopper for containing seed or other material within the hopper;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the bubble top or lid and
extender combination on the hopper illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the bubble top or lid and
extender combination on the hopper illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 5 is an exploded view, partially in section, of the
bubble top or lid and extender combination illustrated in FIG.
1;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1,
of a segment of the bubble top or lid and extender element
combination positioned on a conventional seed hopper in functional
configuration for containing a supply of seed;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bubble top or lid of
this invention in functional configuration on the top of a seed
hopper without a height-extender element;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7 of
a segment of the bubble lid or top in place on a seed hopper in a
matching rim configuration; and
[0014] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the bubble top or
lid in place on a seed hopper in a non-matching rim
configuration.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Referring initially to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a
conventional hopper for carrying materials such as seed, fungicide,
pesticide and like agricultural materials is illustrated in phantom
by reference numeral 15 and has a hopper interior 15a of selected
capacity and a hopper rim 15b, which is typically downwardly-curved
from the hopper sides 16 and hopper ends 17, around the perimeter
thereof. The hopper sides 16 are typically larger than the hopper
ends 17 and the hopper 15 is typically constructed of a plastic
material such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The hopper ends 17
typically include hopper end cleats 18, typically attached to the
hopper 15 by means of end cleat rivets 20 and fitted with
downwardly-depending end cleat legs 19. The curved end cleat legs
19 are designed to removably receive and retain the respective band
legs 9 of a pair of elastic bands 8, the top ends of which are each
secured to the conventional lid top 13 of the conventional lid 11,
typically by means of edge cleats 5, mounted by cleat rivets 6.
Accordingly, when the conventional lid 11 is seated on the hopper
15, the pair of elastic bands 8, each fitted to the conventional
lid top 13 of the conventional lid 11, are extended around the
conventional lid rim 12 on both ends to the hopper end cleats 18,
where the respective band legs 9 are seated in the corresponding
end cleat legs 19.
[0016] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of the drawings, in a
preferred embodiment the bubble top or lid element of this
invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 1. The
bubble top or lid 1 is characterized by a top plate 2 having a
downwardly-extending plate edge 4 around the perimeter thereof and
a plate bubble 3 of selected size, shape and transparency extending
upwardly from near the perimeter of the plate edge 4, as further
illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. As in the case of the
conventional lid 11 illustrated in FIG. 2, the top plate 2 of the
bubble top or lid 1 typically mounts a pair of oppositely-disposed
edge cleats 5, each typically mounted on the plate edge 4 of the
bubble top or lid 1 in the center of the longest side dimension
thereof for securing one end of an elastic band 8, the opposite end
of which elastic band 8 is fitted with a band leg 9. The band leg 9
is adapted for seating in the projecting and downwardly-curved end
cleat legs 19 on the respective hopper end cleats 18 attached to
the hopper sides 16, respectively, of the conventional hopper 15
(illustrated in phantom), generally in the same manner as the
conventional lid 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
[0017] In the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1
and 3-6 of the drawings an extender 24 of selected size and shaped
to conform to the hopper 15 is interposed between the bubble top or
lid 1 and the conventional hopper 15. The extender 24 is typically
characterized by an extender edge 25, having a downwardly-extending
edge extension 25a (FIG. 6) and an extender rim 26 that is
typically curved to define a concave extender rim seat 27, which
engages the correspondingly curved top edge of the hopper rim 15b
(FIG. 6). The edge extension 25a extends downwardly beyond the
extender rim 26 to define a perimeter extension which fits inside
the conventional hopper 15. Accordingly, it will be appreciated
from a consideration of FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, that the
seed 22 (FIG. 2) or other particulate material located inside the
conventional hopper 15 can be initially loaded well beyond the top
edge of the hopper 15, to the top rim of the extender edge 25 of
the extender 24. The seed 22 can thus be loaded upwardly in the
interior of the extender 24 and then "topped off" and mounded to
fit the hollow or concave interior of the plate bubble 3 in the
bubble top or lid 1, as further illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 of the
drawings.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-8 of the drawings, it will be
appreciated that the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 can be
configured on the conventional hopper 15 to operate in concert and
facilitate an increased capacity of seed 22 or other material to be
loaded in the hopper 15 and thus minimize the time expended and the
number of trips that need to be made from the field back to a
supply depot or area for reloading of the hopper 15 (FIGS. 1 and
3-6). Alternatively, the plate edge 4 of the bubble top or lid 1
can be configured in the same manner as the extender rim 26 of the
extender 24 and fitted directly to the hopper rim 15b of the hopper
15, (FIGS. 7 and 8), thus eliminating the extender 24, if reduced
additional capacity of the seed 22 or other material is required
for loading in the hopper 15. However, in a preferred embodiment of
the invention both the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 are
utilized as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of the drawings to
optimize and maximize the quantity of seed 22 or other particulate
material that can be loaded into the hopper 15, thus minimizing the
cost and time involved in re-supplying the hopper 15 when it is
desired to distribute the seed or other material on a field.
Furthermore, it will also be understood that the extender 24 can be
removably fitted to the hopper 15 or permanently attached by rivets
or other fasteners, as desired.
[0019] Referring again to FIGS. 7 and 8 and to FIG. 9 of the
drawings, in another preferred embodiment of the invention the
bubble top or lid 1 is configured as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and
3-6, with a plate bubble 3 of selected size and shape and having a
depending plate edge 4 that substantially matches the hopper rim
15b (FIGS. 7 and 8) or fits directly over the hopper rim 15b
without any rim curvature such as the extender rim seat 27 in the
extender rim 26 of the extender 24 (FIG. 9). This latter
configuration of the bubble top or lid 1 facilitates adaptation to
a hopper 15 having an extender rim 26 of any conventional
design.
[0020] It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art
that both the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 of this
invention can be constructed of a plastic material such as
polyethylene, polypropylene or the like, in the same manner and of
the same or a different material as the hopper 15 and can be
configured to the particular dimensions the hopper 15. The hopper
15 is typically constructed in a generally rectangular
cross-sectional configuration, but may be constructed in the
cross-sectional shape of other polygons and may also be round, oval
or elliptical in configuration, or the like, according to the
respective manufacturer's specifications. Under each of these
circumstances, both the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 can
be configured in like manner, to individually and collectively fit
over the hopper 15 in the manner illustrated in the drawings and
described above.
[0021] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
described above, it will be recognized and understood that various
modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims
are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within
the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *