An unload conveyor and a sweep conveyor can be positioned below and above a floor of the grain bin, respectively. A below floor gearbox and an above floor gearbox can be positioned below and above a sloped wall, respectively, of a sump. The sloped wall can be designed to shed grain toward a sump basin. A coupling shaft can extend through a non-circular sump shaft aperture in the sloped wall to couple the below floor gearbox to the above-floor gearbox. The coupling shaft can extend vertically. A pair of seal cover plates can form a horizontal wall extending perpendicular to the coupling shaft. The horizontal wall can have a circular sealing aperture therein and through which the coupling shaft extends. A washer can be provided adjacent the circular sealing aperture that can be free to move laterally with wobbling of the coupling shaft.

A sweep auger system having a driveshaft with auger flighting and a backboard extending a length from an inward end to an outward end. An input of a gearbox is connected to an outward end of the drive shaft and a sweep wheel having a plurality of notches, arms and feet is connected to an output of the gearbox. A drive shield is placed around a rearward side of the sweep wheel that forms a channel that is configured to capture grain agitated by the drive wheel. A guide plate is connected to the gearbox and covers a portion of the gearbox. The guide plate angles from an upper outward edge downward and forward to a lower inward edge that is configured to urge the grain captured within the channel of the drive shield to move in front of the sweep auger system reducing grain left in the grain bin.

An unloading system for use in a storage structure having a sidewall that contains granular stored material. A reclaiming portion is spaced from the sidewall and has a floor portion that extends from a discharge opening toward the sidewall. The floor portion of the reclaiming portion is supported above the floor of the storage structure. The reclaiming portion may move with respect to the sidewall and is isolated from movement with respect to the sidewall of the storage structure. Seals between the reclaiming portion and the sidewall prevent the stored material from bypassing the reclaiming portion so that any discharge of the stored material occurs through the discharge opening.

A screw conveyor to convey powdery material, in particular cement. The screw conveyor comprises: a transfer screw; and a trough containing the transfer screw; the trough being provided with an inlet section and an outlet section of the powdery material. The screw conveyor is characterized in that the screw comprises: at least a first screw portion having a first law of continuous variation of the pitches of the screw, which can be graphically represented by means of a first function having in at least one stretch a first derivative other than zero; and at least a second screw portion having a second law of continuous variation of the pitches of the screw, which can be graphically represented by a second function having in at least one stretch a first derivative other than zero. The first law of continuous variation of the pitches is different from the second law of continuous variation of the pitches.

A bin sweep auger unplugging system for unplugging a central unloading sump in a storage bin. The bin sweep auger unplugging system generally includes an auger having a driven shaft with auger fighting, a drive unit having a drive shaft, and a clutch connected between the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The clutch selectively transfers the rotation of the drive shaft to the driven shaft of the auger. The drive shaft includes a clump breakup component that breaks up the clump of granular material above the unloading sump when the drive shaft is rotated. The clutch is disengaged when breaking up a clump of granular material to prevent the rotation of the auger.

A bin sweep auger unplugging system for unplugging a central unloading sump in a storage bin. The bin sweep auger unplugging system generally includes an auger having a driven shaft with auger fighting, a drive unit having a drive shaft, and a clutch connected between the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The clutch selectively transfers the rotation of the drive shaft to the driven shaft of the auger. The drive shaft includes a clump breakup component that breaks up the clump of granular material above the unloading sump when the drive shaft is rotated. The clutch is disengaged when breaking up a clump of granular material to prevent the rotation of the auger.

In one embodiment, a hopper spreader apparatus for spreading granular material is provided. The hopper spreader apparatus includes a hopper, a spreading unit, and a dispensing unit. The hopper has a storage cavity for storing the granular material to be spread. The spreading unit spreads the granular material. The dispensing system transports the granular material from the hopper to the spreading unit. The dispensing system includes a conveying unit and a rotating first roll. The conveying unit conveys the granular material toward the spreading unit. The rotating first roll controls a flow of granular material from the hopper to the conveying unit. The use of the rotating roll allows for control of high flow material (such as for example dry salt) while allowing for improved collapse and break-up of low flow material (such as for example wetted sand).

An unloading system for use in a storage structure having a sidewall that contains granular stored material. A reclaiming portion is spaced from the sidewall and has a floor portion that extends from a discharge opening toward the sidewall. The floor portion of the reclaiming portion is supported above the floor of the storage structure. The reclaiming portion may move with respect to the sidewall and is isolated from movement with respect to the sidewall of the storage structure. Seals between the reclaiming portion and the sidewall prevent the stored material from bypassing the reclaiming portion so that any discharge of the stored material occurs through the discharge opening.

A wet sand delivery and conveyor apparatus ships wet proppant from a sand mine wet plant to a well fracturing site and delivers the wet proppant directly to the well site. The wet sand delivery and conveyor apparatus comprises a multi-container support frame, which is mounted on a trailer bed, a plurality of containers mounted to an upper portion of the frame, and a conveyor belt mounted on the frame below the plurality of containers and positioned to receive proppant released in a gravity pour from the containers onto the conveyor belt. An auger mounted near an end of the conveyor belt is also provided to transfer sand from the end of the trailer bed to a position extending diagonally upward and away from the trailer bed to drop sand into a vessel or sand deposit site positioned underneath an upper end portion of the auger.

A screw conveyor assembly includes a first screw conveyor with a first housing and a first conveyor screw arranged therein, a second screw conveyor with a second housing and a second conveyor screw arranged therein, a transition housing to which the first housing and the second housing are connected forming a transition angle, and a runner disposed in the transition housing and arranged to conduct material being conveyed from the first conveyor screw to the second conveyor screw. The first conveyor screw is arranged upstream of the second conveyor screw. An additional conveyor element is disposed on a helix of the first conveyor screw, such that the helix is directly adjacent to the transition housing.