In Bin Spreader/Cleaner

1989 - Volume #13, Issue #1, Page #25

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

You've never seen anything like the new combination "spreader-cleaner" invented by Gerald Hoppe, St. Clair, Minn., that mounts in the top of any grain bin and both cleans and spreads grain as it's augered into the bin.

"It has totally eliminated the need for conventional grain cleaners in my operation and does as good a job or better than any cleaner on the market thanks to its revolutionary vacuum design that sucks chaff, dirt and fines from grain as it enters the bin," Hoppe told FARM SHOW. "An added benefit is that it can be turned upside down inside the bin, once it's filled with grain, to aerate grain at the top of the bin, sucking out hot air from the peak and blowing it outside the bin."

The new spreader-cleaner consists of a cone-shaped screen positioned above a fan powered by a 1 hp electric motor. A vertical cylinder above the screen fits inside the bin opening with the spreader-cleaner below it. Grain is augered into the cylinder and then down across the cone-shaped screen. Chaff, fines, insects and bees' wings are sucked down through the screen by the fan which blows them outside the bin where they can be loaded into a truck or trailer.

"As far as I know, this is the first grain cleaner that uses vacuum power. It's a great improvement over gravity screens. In addition to working as well or better than any other cleaner on the market, it has no belts, pulleys, gears or flighting so maintenance is minimal. The fan is the only moving part."

Hoppe, who has tested the cleaner extensively on his own farm, got the idea for the new unit while trying to find room for a grain cleaner at his bin site. "My bins are arranged in a circle with a dryer and auger in the middle. As a result, there was no space to put a grain cleaner. I decided to design a machine that would do two jobs at once on top of my bins."

When used upside down, the spreader-cleaner eliminates hot air and moisture migration in the peak which prevents crusting and allows corn to "breathe", greatly reducing spoilage, says Hoppe. "My system produces more suction per square inch at the peak than a bin floor aeration system. The two systems complement each other and could be used at the same time."

Hoppe says the new spreader-cleaner doesn't have to be used inside the top of a bin. It can also be positioned on the end of an auger for loading into trucks or flat storage.

Hoppe says the spreader-vacuum cleaner can be transferred from bin to bin. "How-ever, I'd like to keep the price down so farmers could afford to have one unit in each bin. I'm currently looking for a manufacturer for this patented invention."

For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Hoppe, Box 157, St. Clair, Minn. 56080 (ph 507 245-3454).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

In bin spreader/cleaner GRAIN HANDLING Cleaners (27) 13-1-25 You've never seen anything like the new combination "spreader-cleaner" invented by Gerald Hoppe, St. Clair, Minn., that mounts in the top of any grain bin and both cleans and spreads grain as it's augered into the bin. "It has totally eliminated the need for conventional grain cleaners in my operation and does as good a job or better than any cleaner on the market thanks to its revolutionary vacuum design that sucks chaff, dirt and fines from grain as it enters the bin," Hoppe told FARM SHOW. "An added benefit is that it can be turned upside down inside the bin, once it's filled with grain, to aerate grain at the top of the bin, sucking out hot air from the peak and blowing it outside the bin." The new spreader-cleaner consists of a cone-shaped screen positioned above a fan powered by a 1 hp electric motor. A vertical cylinder above the screen fits inside the bin opening with the spreader-cleaner below it. Grain is augered into the cylinder and then down across the cone-shaped screen. Chaff, fines, insects and bees' wings are sucked down through the screen by the fan which blows them outside the bin where they can be loaded into a truck or trailer. "As far as I know, this is the first grain cleaner that uses vacuum power. It's a great improvement over gravity screens. In addition to working as well or better than any other cleaner on the market, it has no belts, pulleys, gears or flighting so maintenance is minimal. The fan is the only moving part." Hoppe, who has tested the cleaner extensively on his own farm, got the idea for the new unit while trying to find room for a grain cleaner at his bin site. "My bins are arranged in a circle with a dryer and auger in the middle. As a result, there was no space to put a grain cleaner. I decided to design a machine that would do two jobs at once on top of my bins." When used upside down, the spreader-cleaner eliminates hot air and moisture migration in the peak which prevents crusting and allows corn to "breathe", greatly reducing spoilage, says Hoppe. "My system produces more suction per square inch at the peak than a bin floor aeration system. The two systems complement each other and could be used at the same time." Hoppe says the new spreader-cleaner doesn't have to be used inside the top of a bin. It can also be positioned on the end of an auger for loading into trucks or flat storage. Hoppe says the spreader-vacuum cleaner can be transferred from bin to bin. "How-ever, I'd like to keep the price down so farmers could afford to have one unit in each bin. I'm currently looking for a manufacturer for this patented invention." For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Hoppe, Box 157, St. Clair, Minn. 56080 (ph 507 245-3454).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW