US2994262A - Silage packer - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1961 Filed March 9, 1959 Fig. 2

/ 42 Jesse A. Bafor I 4 INVENTOR.

Ky 3 BY United States Patent 2,994,262 SEAGE PACKER Jesse A. Bator, Perry Road, North Java, N.Y. Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 798,072 3 Claims. (Cl. 100-65) This invention relates to hand-operated equipment used on the farm and more particularly to a silage packer to facilitate packing of silage and to perform the job with greater efficiency.

An object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple silage packer with means by which to much more effectively pack silage in an enclosure, for instance a silo, bin, etc.

The packer in accordance with the invention has a depending flange along one edge thereof contoured to fit the curvature of the inside wall of the enclosure accommodating the silage. In this way the inner walls of the enclosure are protected against blows from corners of the packer and furthermore, the packing is done much more completely along the edges of the silage in the enclosure.

The invention overcomes a considerable difficulty in attempting to pack silage correctly in an enclosure, it being exceedingly difiicult, if not virtually impossible to obtain the necessary compactness at the wall surface of the enclosure when using conventional means for packmg.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an enclosure, silage in the enclosure and a packer being used to compact the silage in the enclosure,

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the packer in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown an enclosure having a side wall 12 with silage 14 therein. Enclosure 10 diagrammatically represents any type of enclosure to support silage.

Packer 16 which exemplifies the invention, comprising a handle 13 fitted in a socket 20 which rises from and is rigidly fixed onto the base 22 of the packer. The base is made of metal and has reinforcing ribs 24 extending diagonally from corner to corner thereof, holding the socket 20 fixed in place. Ordinarily base 22, ribs 24 and socket 20 are cast integrally. There are means for rigidly securing handle 18 in socket 20, for example setscrew 26 threaded into a tapped aperture in the side wall of socket 20 and engaging handle 18.

The corners of the base 22 are preferably rounded to avoid sharpness at these places of the packer. One edge 30 of base 22 is smoothly curved to conform generally to the curvature of the inside surface of wall 12. Further, there is a depending flange 32 at this edge with the outer surface 34 of the depending flange being coplanar with 2,994,262 Patented Aug. 1, 1961 the edge 30. The outer surface 34 of flange 32 forms a continuation of edge 30 in a vertical downward direction when the packer is oriented as shown in FIGURE 3. The lower edge 38 of flange 32 is smoothly curved in crosssection (FIGURE 3), and the rear surface 40 of flange 32 is at right angles to the bottom surface '42 of base 22.

In use, the packer is operated as any other packer, being held by handle 18 and vertically thrust in a downward direction on the silage 14. However, the benefit of the packer is realized when packing along the edge of the silage that is, at the face of the wall 12. The curved edge 30 approximately follows the contour of the curved wall and if desired, the curvature of edge 30 may be made to precisely match the curvature of the inside surface of wall 12. This enables the packer to be worked exactly at the inner surface of wall 12. Furthermore, the presence of flange 32 enables the silage immediately adjacent to the inner surface of wall 12 to be compacted down lower than the remaining silage along the top surface thereof to obtain a greater compaction along the edges of the silage throughout the vertical height of the enclosure 10, postulating that the packer will be used throughout the necessary packing operation.

The rounded corners and edges of all parts of the packer not only improve the appearance of the packer but they also eliminate the possibility of scarring the inner surfaces of the walls of the enclosure. The rounded edge 30 together with the rounded edge 38, and the smooth curvature in a longitudinal direction of flange 32 further aid in obtaining a neat, improved compaction at the edges of the silage in enclosure 10.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hand packer for silage in a silo having a cylindrical side wall, said packer comprising a substantially rectangular base having an area substantially smaller than the cross-section of a silo, said base including three straight side edges and an arcuate fourth side edge having its center of curvature exteriorly of the base and a radius corresponding substantially to the inside radius of a silo side wall, a socket provided at the center of said base, and an upstanding handle having its lower end portion secured in said socket.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a depending arcuate flange provided under said base contiguously with said arcuate fourth side edge.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said flange has a lower edge rounded in cross-section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,171 I-Ietherington June 24, 1930 2,234,831 Porter Mar. 11, 1941 2,460,937 Kaufman Feb. 8, 1949

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