A friction driven beltless grain spreader system is presented that includes a spreader cone having a pulley and a grain deflector configured to disperse the flow of grain. A motor having a driven wheel and an idler wheel are pivotally connected to the spreader cone in operative engagement with the pulley such that the idler wheel is positioned between the driven wheel and the pulley. A tension member applies a force that pulls the driven wheel and intermediary wheel into the pulley. As the motor rotates the driven wheel rotates the idler wheel which rotates the pulley. When forces spike, such as when the motor is turned on or a heavy flow of grain hits the system, one or more of the driven wheel, intermediary wheel and/or pulley slip with respect to the other wheels thereby preventing breakage of the system.

A system and method for discharging material from a chute on a farm implement into a container or bin such that the discharged material is evenly distributed in the container or bin. The system and method includes a farm implement with a bin for holding material, a conveyor for discharging material from the bin and a chute at the end of the conveyor for directing the material discharged from the conveyor. The chute may be moved into a plurality of positions based on sensor outputs to facilitate the even distribution of material in the container or bin receiving the discharged material.

A variable diameter discharge system for controlling the flow and distribution of a material being fed into a bin. The variable diameter discharge system generally includes a storage bin including a bin opening for receiving a material to be stored in the storage bin. A hopper is suspended beneath the bin opening such that materials fed into the bin opening pass through the hopper. A ring member is connected to the hopper which includes a plurality of guide members adjustable between a first position and a second position. An opening is defined between the guide members; with the opening enlarging as the guide members are adjusted toward the second position. Springs connected between the guide members and the ring member bias the guide members toward the first position. The guide members move from the first position to the second position when a material is flowing through the opening.

An exemplary system for filling a holding tank with agricultural product generally includes a supply line. The supply line includes an inlet, a plurality of outlets, and a plurality of junctions. The inlet is connected with a conveyance device such that the supply line is operable to receive a flowing agricultural product blown by the conveyance device. The outlets are open to a holding space of the holding tank, and includes a first outlet and a second outlet. The plurality of junctions includes a first junction associated with the first outlet, and a second junction associated with the second outlet. The first junction is configured to direct agricultural product to flow out of the first outlet until the first outlet becomes blocked, and to thereafter direct agricultural product to flow toward the second junction. The second junction is configured to direct agricultural product to flow out of the second outlet.

In one aspect, an apparatus includes an elongated housing, first and second spaced-apart material inlet openings in a top wall of the housing, an outlet opening in a bottom wall of the housing, a first conveyor configured to move material received from the first material inlet toward the outlet opening, and a second conveyor configured to move material received from the first material inlet toward the outlet opening. The outlet opening is longitudinally disposed between the first and second spaced-apart material inlet openings. In another aspect, an apparatus includes a housing having first and second opposite ends and an outlet opening in a bottom wall of the housing. The first end is configured to receive a portion of a first conveyor and the second end is configured to receive a portion of a second conveyor. The first and second conveyors are configured to move material toward the outlet opening.

A method and apparatus to facilitate the loading of a grain bin such that the level in the grain bin increases generally uniformly and the distribution of grain size in the grain bin is generally uniform as well. The method includes redirecting the flow of the grain from the conveyer as it flows into the grain bin. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an adjustable leveling band for redirecting the grain uniformly to a plurality of radially extending chutes. In one embodiment, the angle of the chutes can also be easily adjusted.

Systems and methods are disclosed for sensing and analyzing filling of a grain cart while receiving grain from a combine. Time-of-flight sensors may be mounted on a grain spout (or nozzle) extending from the combine over the grain cart during operation. The sensors provide signals indicative of distances of surfaces of accumulating grain from the sensors, and these distances may be determined by onboard processing circuitry. A third sensor may detect a spout-to-ground distance to help compute the grain level information. Other parameters such as cross-sectional areas, volumes, and locations in the cart may be determined based on the sensed signals. Open or closed loop control of cart and/or combine positioning may be provided based on the signals.

A filling device (1) for filling a container with a particulate material (28) comprises a supply container (2) that can be filled with the particulate material (28), wherein the supply container (2) has a lower opening (2.2). Moreover, the filling device (1) comprises a radial distribution unit (3), which can be supplied with the particulate material via the lower opening (2.2) of the supply container (2) and which is connected to the supply container (2) in such a way that it can rotate about a rotational axis (A), in order to distribute in the container the particulate material (28) supplied from the supply container (2) to the distribution unit (3). The filling device is characterized in that the distribution unit (3) can be driven by a drive unit (4) that is arranged outside the supply container (2).