Portable Grain Cleaner Features Self-Loading

Portable Grain Cleaner Features Self-Loading GRAIN CLEANERS Grain Cleaners (29C) 4-3-24 "Hundreds of commercial gravityflow grain cleaners mounted high atop elevator legs have proven their performance. Why not take the same type cleaner and adapt it to any onfarm grain system - with.or without an elevator leg?" That line of reasoning prompted Mike Petri, Roanoke, Ill., to develop a new portable gravity-flow grain cleaner. ' So far as we know, it's the first portable gravity flow cleaner to offer a self contained loading system - either auger or belt conveyor. And, it's also the first portable unit to have an aspiration system incorporated within the cleaner,'' Mike told FARM SHOW. "This feature at present, is available only in the 3,000 bu. per hr. model." Here's how it works: Dirty grain is dumped into a plastic or tire hopper and picked up by the auger intake, conveyed upwards, then discharged over 8 screens inside the cleaner. Adjustable flow belts at the discharge point allow even grain distribution across all screens. Grain flow is split into 4 different directions. "Thinner grain flow over the screens means more foreign material (F/M) is removed," Mike explains. "Just as grain leaves the last bottom screen, it is caught by a high volume of air being pushed through it, sucking up any light but large pods, cobs or stems that pass over the screens. Dust and other fine F/M are also removed. This cleaning action is called aspiration." A centrifugal fan creates the suction which collects both the aspirated F/M, and F/M removed by the screens. Adjustable slides in the air passage regulate air flow so as to not remove whole grain. The fan also acts as a means of removing both types of F/M from the cleaner to a wagon or bin, through sections of flexible air pipe quick-clamped together. Clean grain exits the rear of the unit. The wide wheel base and high outlet position allow the cleaner to roll over a transport auger hopper and discharge directly into it, explains Petri. Although the portable unit comes with its own loading system, you can leave the auger off and load directly from an overhead bin or downspout by removing a top cap from the cleaner. Screening efficiency of the basic gravity cleaner is rated at removing 60% of the F/M in one pass. "However, the addition of the aspiration feature improves this figure," Mike notes. Screens to clean corn, soybeans, wheat, sunflowers, popcorn, etc. are available. For the farmer loading grain off to market, the new-style cleaner features a fine-touch F/M control with Parson's exclusive internal proportional bypass. It's a single rack and pinion valve with an enclosed shute inside the cleaner. Here, according to Mike, is an example of how it can be used: "Suppose your grain (corn) contains 4% F/M and your elevator docks anything over 3% F/M. Instead of loosing weight and money by removing more than 3% F/M, you simply set the cleaner bypass control to bypass enough grain flow so that the cleaner will only remove 1%. Any ratio of grain can be cleaned or bypassed. Typically, a cleaner without this feature could take your 4% F/M grain down to 1.6% F/M in one pass using the 60% efficiency factor, removing 2.4% F/M from the grain stream." Parson's Manufacturing, Roanoke, Ill., will be manufacturing the new portable cleaners in 1,500, 3,000, 8,000 and 11,000 bu. per hr. sizes. All models will be available with or without internal proportional bypass. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mike Petri, Grain Care Engineering, 103 West Court Street, Roanoke, Ill. 61561 (ph 309 923-7367 after 4:30 p.m.).

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