The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 30, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 26, 1987
Clarence E Hood, Jr, Clemson, SC (US);
Thomas R Garrett, Six Mile, SC (US);
Charles R DuBose, Central, SC (US);
Clemson University, Clemson, SC (US);
Abstract
A hopper for dispensing seed, grain and the like comprises a housing having a lower portion and at least one dispensing opening in the lower portion; a rotatable shaft located within the housing; a drive shaft transferring rotational energy to the shaft from a low horsepower, low rpm, electric motor; a brush having a plurality of tufts of flexible bristles held in an annular member mounted on the shaft above each dispensing opening for feeding seed, grain and the like to the dispensing opening during rotation of the shaft; a marked metering plate having a metering hole therethrough and extending into a slot formed in a first side portion of the housing; and a mechanism for selectively stopping rotation of the shaft whereby when rotation of the shaft is stopped, seeds, grain and the like are blocked from access to the dispensing opening, the mechanism including a cam adjustably mounted on the shaft, a cam follower for engaging the cam and a microswitch connected to the cam follower and deactivating the electric motor to stop rotation of the shaft when the cam follower engages a predetermined point of the cam.