Grain cart with folding auger

Abstract

A grain cart and foldable auger assembly having an upper auger assembly portion with a discharge portion, a lower auger assembly portion with an intake portion, and a compound angle joint that allows the upper auger assembly portion to be moved between operating and transport positions. When in an operating position, the upper auger portion and the lower auger portion are offset from each other by an operating offset angle. When in a transport position, the upper auger assembly portion is offset from the lower auger assembly portion by a transport offset angle such that the upper auger assembly portions folded across the front of the grain cart in a non-obstructive and non-protruding manner.

1 . A grain cart comprising:
 a wheeled frame;   a container mounted on said frame and configured to hold a quantity of grain, said container having front, rear and laterally opposed side walls;   a folding auger assembly having upper and lower auger assembly portions connected by a joint assembly, said lower auger assembly portion having a lower auger housing with first and second ends and a lower auger portion rotatably disposed in said lower auger housing, and said upper auger assembly portion having an upper auger housing with first and second ends and an upper auger portion rotatably disposed in said upper auger housing;   wherein said first end of said lower auger housing has an intake opening proximate a bottom of said container to receive grain and said second end of said lower auger housing is disposed adjacent a forward corner of said container where said front wall intersects one of said laterally opposed side walls;   wherein said first end of said upper auger housing is disposed adjacent said second end of said lower auger housing and said second end of said upper auger housing has a discharge opening to discharge grain from said container; and   wherein said joint assembly defines a pivot axis about which said upper auger assembly portion is pivotable relative to said lower auger assembly portion between an operating position in which said first end of said upper auger assembly portion abuts said second end of said lower auger assembly portion to permit grain to be discharged from said container and a transport position in which said upper auger assembly portion extends downwardly from said second end of said lower auger assembly portion diagonally across said front wall of said container substantially between said laterally opposed side walls of said container to facilitate transporting said grain cart.   
     
     
         2 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein said pivot axis is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of at least one of said upper and lower auger assembly portions. 
     
     
         3 . The grain cart of  claim 2 , wherein said pivot axis is obliquely oriented relative to respective longitudinal axes of said upper and lower auger assembly portions. 
     
     
         4 . The grain cart of  claim 3 , wherein said pivot axis is oriented at a first offset angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said upper assembly portion and a second offset angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said lower auger assembly portion. 
     
     
         5 . The grain cart of  claim 4 , wherein said first offset angle is 121° and said second offset angle is 107°. 
     
     
         6 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first end of said upper auger housing and said second end of said lower auger housing is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said respective housing. 
     
     
         7 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein respective first and second ends of said upper and lower auger housings are both oriented at an oblique angle relative to respective longitudinal axes of said housings. 
     
     
         8 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of said upper auger assembly portion is offset from a longitudinal axis of said lower auger assembly portion by an operating offset angle in said operating position. 
     
     
         9 . The grain cart of  claim 8 , wherein said upper auger portion includes a first auger coupling portion and said lower auger portion includes a second auger coupling portion configured to mate with said first auger coupling portion, and wherein at least one of said first and second auger coupling portions is angularly offset from a longitudinal axis of at least one of said upper and lower auger housings. 
     
     
         10 . The grain cart of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one universal joint connecting at least one of said first and second auger couplings with at least one of said first and second auger portions. 
     
     
         11 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein said joint assembly is configured to allow said pivot axis to move as said upper auger assembly portion is pivoted between said operating and transport positions. 
     
     
         12 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein said front wall of said housing includes a stop and said upper auger assembly portion includes a rotatable spout at said second end and a catch disposed between said spout and said first end to rest on said stop in said transport position. 
     
     
         13 . The grain cart of  claim 1 , wherein said rear wall of said container includes an upper wall portion extending downwardly at a first angle relative to horizontal and a lower wall portion extending downwardly from said upper wall portion at a second angle relative to horizontal, wherein said first angle is less than said second angle. 
     
     
         14 . A grain cart comprising:
 a wheeled frame;   a container mounted on said frame and having a top and bottom and front, rear and laterally opposed side walls;   a lower auger assembly portion having a lower auger housing and a lower auger portion disposed in said lower auger housing, said lower auger assembly extending upwardly from said container bottom;   an upper auger assembly portion having an upper auger housing pivotally connected to said lower auger housing and an upper auger portion disposed in said upper auger housing, said upper auger assembly portion being pivotable relative to said lower auger assembly portion between an operating position wherein said upper auger assembly portion extends outwardly from said container at an angularly offset orientation relative to said lower auger assembly portion and a transport position wherein said upper auger assembly portion is disposed along one of said container walls;   wherein said upper and lower auger portions include opposed ends configured to couple with one another in said operating position, at least one of said opposed ends has an angularly offset orientation with respect to a longitudinal axis of a respective one of said auger portions, and said at least one auger portion with an angularly offset end includes a universal joint that transmits rotational forces to said end through said angular offset.   
     
     
         15 . The grain cart of  claim 14 , wherein said operating offset angle is greater than zero and less than 20°. 
     
     
         16 . The grain cart of  claim 14 , wherein said operating offset angle is 12° to 16°. 
     
     
         17 . The grain cart of  claim 14 , wherein said operating offset angle is 14.5°. 
     
     
         18 . The grain cart of  claim 14 , wherein said operating offset angle is a compound offset angle composed of a plurality of angular components relative to a plurality of orthogonal axes. 
     
     
         19 . The grain cart of  claim 18 , wherein said compound offset angle is composed of a first angle θ 1  of about 11° in a plane defined by first and second orthogonal axes, a second angle θ 2  of about 3° in a plane defined by second and third orthogonal axes, and a third angle θ 3  of about 13° in a plane defined by first and third orthogonal axes. 
     
     
         20 . The grain cart of  claim 14 , wherein said lower auger housing is a tubular housing with a first diameter and said upper auger housing is a tubular housing with a second diameter, and wherein said second diameter is greater than said first diameter. 
     
     
         21 . The grain cart of  claim 14 , wherein said rear wall of said container includes an upper wall portion extending downwardly at a first angle relative to horizontal and a lower wall portion extending downwardly from said upper wall portion at a second angle relative to horizontal, wherein said first angle is less than said second angle. 
     
     
         22 . A grain cart comprising:
 a wheeled frame with a hitch;   a container mounted on said frame and having a top and bottom and front, rear and laterally opposed side walls;   a lower auger assembly portion having a lower auger housing and a lower auger portion disposed in said lower auger housing, said lower auger assembly extending upwardly from said container bottom;   an upper auger assembly portion having an upper auger housing pivotally connected to said lower auger housing and an upper auger portion disposed in said upper auger housing, said upper auger assembly portion being pivotable relative to said lower auger assembly portion between an operating position wherein said upper auger assembly portion extends outwardly from said container and a transport position wherein said upper auger assembly portion is disposed along one of said container walls; and   wherein said rear wall of said container includes an upper wall portion extending downwardly at a first angle relative to horizontal and a lower wall portion extending downwardly from said upper wall portion at a second angle relative to horizontal, wherein said first angle is less than said second angle.   
     
     
         23 . The grain cart of  claim 22 , wherein said first angle is about 2° less than said second angle. 
     
     
         24 . The grain cart of  claim 22 , wherein said first angle is about 26° and said second angle is about 28°. 
     
     
         25 . A grain cart comprising:
 a wheeled frame;   a container mounted on said frame and having a top and bottom and front, rear and laterally opposed side walls;   a lower auger assembly portion having a lower auger housing and a lower auger portion disposed in said lower auger housing, said lower auger assembly extending upwardly from said container bottom;   an upper auger assembly portion having an upper auger housing pivotally connected to said lower auger housing and an upper auger portion disposed in said upper auger housing, said upper auger assembly portion being pivotable relative to said lower auger assembly portion between an operating position wherein said upper auger assembly portion extends forwardly and laterally outward from said container at an angularly offset orientation relative to said lower auger assembly portion and a transport position wherein said upper auger assembly portion is disposed along one of said container walls;   wherein said upper and lower auger housings include opposed ends configured to abut one another in said operating position, and wherein at least one of said opposed ends is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of one of said upper and lower auger housings.   
     
     
         26 . The grain cart of  claim 25 , wherein opposed ends of said upper and lower housings abut one another at an oblique angle relative to longitudinal axes of said upper and lower auger assembly portions. 
     
     
         27 . The grain cart of  claim 25 , wherein said oblique angle is 82.75°.