We disclose an apparatus for maintaining a flow of grain moving toward a rotating sweep conveyor. A rake extends longitudinally along the sweep. The rake is disposed along the leading sidewall of the sweep such that the rake is in the path of movement of the sweep as the sweep rotates within the bin. The rake has a plurality of projections that protrude from a shaft. A reciprocating drive assembly is connected to the driven roller and to the shaft. The reciprocating drive assembly causes the shaft to move forward and backward along the longitudinal axis of the sweep. The reciprocating shaft movement causes the projections to engage grain piles in the path of the sweep, causing the pile to collapse into a flowable particulate to be received by the sweep.

Embodiments of methods and systems of transferring proppant for fracking to reduce risk of production and release of silica dust at a well site are provided. An embodiment of a method can include positioning a plurality of containers each having proppant for fracking contained therein onto a conveyor at a well site, downwardly discharging proppant from each respective container of the plurality of containers, funneling proppant from the one or more outlets of each of the plurality of containers through a plurality of conveyor hoppers, receiving proppant onto the conveyor belt, conveying proppant on the conveyor to a chute, and depositing the proppant into the chute for use in a blender or other location at the well site.

We disclose a roller guard with discharge for friction-driven sweep conveyors. This disclosure limits the introduction of particulate matter into the interface between a driven roller and an inner surface of a continuous conveyor belt. The roller guard assembly is mounted between an upper belt portion and a lower belt portion near the drive roller and has a retaining wall member oriented at an angle that is neither parallel with nor at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt and at such an angle that particulates carried on the inner surface of the lower belt portion are directed toward the discharge aperture in the first sidewall.

We disclose a roller guard with discharge for friction-driven sweep conveyors. This disclosure limits the introduction of particulate matter into the interface between a driven roller and an inner surface of a continuous conveyor belt. The roller guard assembly is mounted between an upper belt portion and a lower belt portion near the drive roller and has a retaining wall member oriented at an angle that is neither parallel with nor at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt and at such an angle that particulates carried on the inner surface of the lower belt portion are directed toward the discharge aperture in the first sidewall.

The invention relates to a grain sweep (1) for use on a floor comprising at least a first drive means (2), an elongated frame (3) comprising a rotatably arranged inner end (4) and an outer end (5), a drive wheel (6) adapted to rotate the elongated frame (3) around said inner end (4), and a grain moving means (7) adapted to move grain. The grain sweep (1) further comprises at least one resilient member (8) arranged at either said inner (4) or outer end (5) of said elongated frame (3), wherein the resilient member (8) allows the elongated frame (3) to move from said upper position towards a lower position when pressure is applied upon the elongated frame (3), and wherein the resilient member (8) allows the elongated frame (3) to move back towards said upper position when the pressure is removed.

A modular storage bin sweep system utilizing paddles to sweep particulate matter across a floor may comprise a sweep assembly including at least two units connectable together. The assembly may comprise a plurality of interconnected paddles, a power unit configured to the paddles, a drive unit configured to move the sweep assembly with respect to a surface of the bin below the sweep assembly. In some embodiments, a traction enhancement structure may increase traction of the drive unit on the floor. In some embodiments, a pivot unit is configured to permit a degree of pivotability of the axes of the units with respect to each other, and may be combined with a drive unit. In some embodiments, the power unit includes a rotary electrical power transfer structure configured to transfer electrical power to the power unit when rotating in the bin.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

A seed tender includes a supplying container configured to hold seed and a conveyor configured to transfer the seed to a receiving container. The seed tender includes first and second actuators configured to selectively control the movement of the conveyor. The seed tender includes a sensor system configured to detect at least one of an object in a path of movement of the conveyor, a position of the conveyor, or an orientation of the conveyor. The seed tender includes an electronic control unit configured to receive a signal from the sensor system and to selectively energize and de-energize the first and second actuators based at least in part on the signal from the sensor system. The controlled movement of the conveyor is at least partially based on at least one of the detected object, the detected position of the conveyor, or the detected orientation of the conveyor.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.