US2988204A - Barn cleaner - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1961 c. F. sUTHl-:RLAND BARN CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4, 1957 wwwwm "lm/ENTOR.

CARL F. SUTHERL/VD BY Y Aframey June 13, 1961 c. F. sun-IERLAND BARN CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1957 INVENTOR.

CARL SUTHER/ A/VD BY r q Y l /f Affomey June 13, 1961 c. F. sun-IERLAND BARN CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 4, 1957 BAR/V INVENTOR.

URL F. SUTHERLAND BY A Homey United States Patent 2,988,204 BARN CLEANER Carl F. Sutherland, 5113 Tonyawatha Tr., Madison, Wis., assignor of four-sevenths to John Weigand and Cleone Weigand Filed Apr. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 650,784 14 Claims. (Cl. 198-224) This invention relates to a barn cleaner, and more particularly to a device for removing refuse from the gutters of a livestock barn wherein the operation of the device and the manner of removal of refuse is a function of the quantity and location of the refuse and is determined thereby. t

Heretofore it has been well known to provide in th gutters of a barn, particularly in a dairy barn, wherein the 4gutters are disposed behind rows of stalls, a plurality of blades disposed transversely of the gutters and connected to a conveyor chain or cable or like conveying means whereby refuse has been removed from the gutter to a point outside the barn by applying. a driving force to the chain or cable. Many variations have been used or proposed; for example, it is well known to make the cable endless and to cause it to pass through the gutters,y

thence outside the barn, thence again through the gutters in a suitable path. Thus such a device may more accurately be described as comprising a gutter and blades therein, passing adjacent to or within a livestock enclosure, thence passing through a door or opening in the barn wall (the gutter being discontinuous outside the barn) so that refuse is scraped along the gutter by blades attached to the cable and is dumped or unloaded outside the barn. Thence the cable with its associated blades may pass again into the barn through another opening and thence again pass through one or more gutters. Such a cable with associated blades may travel continuously in one direction.

It has also been well known to cause a cable with associated blades to be disposed in a gutter extending through an aperture in a barn wall and terminating outside the barn wall and to operate said cable in a reciprocating manner; each of the blades being hingeably attached to the chain or cable and provided with a stop to limit thev amount of the travel in at least one direction. Only one run of such a cable need be provided with such blades and disposed in a gutter; the remainder of the cable may pass through suitable guides or pulleys and over a suitable driving pulley. 'I'he run of the cable disposed within the trench may be caused, first to travel inwardly from the barn wall, and the blades attached thereto may be so disposed that as they pass over refuse in the gutter they rotate hingeably with respect to said cable; each blade being hinged to a suitable clamp at-V tached to the chain or cable. Thus as the blades travel away from the barn wall, i.e., from the point at which the refuse is later to be dumped, they are folded upward out of the way and pass over the refuse. The direction of the cable may then be reversed. By reason of each of the clamps attached to the cable being provided with a stop to limit the rotation of each of the blades in one direction, each of the blades may be prevented in its hingeable rotation, in the other direction, from rotating further than desired and the stops may be so disposed as to cause the blades to be maintained in a verticalA position with respect to the bottom of the gutter; there upon the blades push the refuse ahead of them as the` cable is drawn toward the aperture in the barn wall and.

the blades scrape the refuse along the gutter through a suitable aperture in the barn wall, and thence to a point. of termination of the gutter, whereupon the refuse falls.

away from the end of the gutter and from the blades.

'Ille direction of the traveliof4 the cable may again bei F ICB reversed, the plurality of blades attached thereto may be caused to travel further along the gutter, thereupon to pick up another load of refuse whereby reversal again of the direction of travel of the cable will cause the second load of refuse to be dumped just outside the barn. This process may be repeated as many times as is necessary to remove all of the refuse from the gutter. It has been proposed to so operate the device as to cause all of the refuse in the gutter to be removed with one pass of the cable but this is generally impractical because friction of the refuse with the gutter is so great that in order to accomplish removal of all of the refuse which may be present, it would generally be necessary to provide a cable or chain of very large dimensions and a driving means such as, for example, an electric motor of extremely high horse power. -It has therefore been conventional to operate the device manually in order to cause the cable to carry the blades inwardly away from the wall of the barn a few feet further each time the blades are brought back to pick up a new load. Mechanical and electronic controlling devices have also been employed to cause the cable to travel a pre-set or predetermined additional distance inward each time to get a new load.

Such means, proposed heretofore, for automatically controlling the cycle of operation of the cable have all been arranged to cause the cable to travel a pre-determined or pre-set distance, inward each time, or to travel in accordance with some pre-set or pre-determined plan of operation. All such arrangements have the disadvantage that generally the refuse in lthe gutter is not uniformly disposed along the length of the gutter. It often tends to be concentrated in a few places and the points of concentration are seldom the same on one occasion as on the next. Heretofore, in the case of such concentration, devices which followed a pre-set plan of operation caused the device to be heavily loaded on some cycles and to be very lightly loaded or scarcely loaded at all on other cycles. When only a small amount of refuse is present, the device takes just as long to do the work as when a great deal of refuse is present. When a great deal of refuse is present the device will be heavily loaded or may be very nearly over-loaded on many cycles, and when only a very little refuse is present the device is loaded too far below its capacity o-n most of the cycles. If only a small amount of refuse lies in the trench at a point far distant from the barn wall, the device nonetheless has to `go through its regularly pre-set plan of operation and may cycle a number of times before reaching any refuse at all.

The device of this invention obviates these diliculties and provides etiiciency in removing the refuse from such a gutter. The operation of the device is responsive to the quantity and location of refuse in the gutter. As will be hereinafter more fully described, the device does not become overloaded with a large amount of refuse to be removed, nor does it operate on an underloaded or unloaded basis if very little refuse is present. If a great deal of refuse is present the device will operate through a large number of cycles to move the material, whereas if only a very little refuse is present, for example, at any distance from the barn wall, the device may make only one cycle to remove it.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device for removing refuse from longitudinally disposed kreceptacles within livestock enclosures wherein the operation of the device is load responsive.

, anically removing a more nearly equal quantity of refuse Patented June 13, 1961.

from a livestock enclosure in each cycle of a removing device.

Further objects will become apparent from the drawings and the following detailed description in which it is my intention to illustrate the applicability of the inventiorr without thereby limiting its scope to less than that of all those equivalents which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts and;

FIGURE l is a plan view of' a device according to the invention installed in a gutter disposed at the rear of a plurality of stallsl in a livestock enclosure;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional viewof the device of FIGURE l taken on the section line 2 2 showing one step in the operation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is another cross-sectional view of the de vice of FIGURE 1 taken on the section line 2 2 showing another step in the operation thereof;

FIGURE 4 is another cross-sectional View of the device of FIGURE 1 taken on the section -line 2-2 showing another step in the operation thereof;

FIGURE 5 is an elevation 0n one of the blades of the device shown in FIGURES 1 to 4;

FIGURE 6 is a partially cut-away perspective view of an apparatus for driving and controlling the device f FIGURES l to 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the drive mechanism of FIGURE 6,;

FIGURE 8 is la plan view of the drive mechanism of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 9 is a schematic view of the electrical circuitry employed in the device of FIGURE 6;`

FIGURE l() is a partially cut-away perspective View of a modified driving and controlling device.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a portiony of a barn or livestock enclosure wherein a gutter indicated generally as and comprising three runs, respectively indicated as 1, 2 and 3, is disposed behind a plurality of stalls 4. Run 1 of the gutter extends through aperture 6 in barn wall 7 and connects with a suitable receptacle 8 disposed to receive refuse removed from trenchY or gutter 1. Extending along gutter 1 adjacent oneedge thereof, is provided cable 10 Which passes rst along an edge of run 1, thence over pulley 11, thence along the inner edge of run 2, thence over pulley 12, thence along the inner edge of run 3, thence over driving means 30, thence through aperture 13 in barn wall 7, thence over pulley 14, disposed outside the barn, thence over pulley 15, which is supportedover refuse disposal receptacle 8 by bracket 16, which is attached to one of the sides of said receptacle, and thence again to adjacency with an edge of run 1.

Asl shown in FIGURES l to 4, and in greater detail in FIGURE 5, cable 10 may have attached thereto a plurality of clamps 17. Attached to each of clamps 17, there may be provided a blade 18. Each of blades 18 may be provided with a projection 19 which may be adapted to come into contact with a portion of clamp 17 as blade 1 8 is rotated counter-clockwise into a Vertical position, While the absence of a stop on the other side of blade 18 permits the blade to rotate well out of the way of the refuse in the clockwise direction.

As may be seen in FIGURES 1-4, a blade 24 is clamped to cable 10 by means of clamp 25. Blade 24v is securely and rigidly atlixed to clamp 25 in such manner that it cannot hinge in the manner of the other blades 18 and is rigidly disposed in a substantially vertical position with respect to the bottom ofthe gutter.

' As cable 10 carries the blades 18 and 24 in the direction shown by the arrow in FIGURES l and 2, a quantity of refuse 22 contained within trench 5 is scraped along the bottom of the gutter by rigid blade 24, whereas the hinged blades 18' easily rotate out of the way and pass over material 22. In a manner which will be hereip extending. at an upward angle.

inafter more fully described, the tension which is createdl in cable 10 as a result of the load produced on blade 24, by reason of the building up of refuse 22 ahead of the blade, is utilized to cause the direction of travel of cable 10 to be reversed so that as shown in FIGURE 3, a certain portion 2'2" of refuse 22 is picked up, that is, disposed ahead of blades 18 in such manner that as cable 1i)Y thereafter continues to move blades 18 out of the barn, portion 22l of refuse 22 is moved outv ofthe barn and into receptacle 8.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the portion of refuse 22 scraped along by blades 18 is scraped through aperture 6 into receptacle` 8. As cable 10 continues to travel inthe same direction, blade 24 and clamp 25 are caused to come into contact with stop 26 which may be securely attached to any suitable support; for example, it may be attached to a wall of receptacle 8. As a result, a back tension is produced in the cable 10 and a tension device adapted to respond to this back tension is utilized to cause. cable 10 to again reverse direction and carry blade 24 and blades 18 back through gutter run 1 of gutter 5 until again, as has been previously described in connection with FIG- URES 2 and 3, another portion of refuse 22 is encompassed by the blades, back tension is again produced in cable 10 by reason of the resistance exerted by material 22 to the passage of blade 24, the cable is again caused to reverse and the additional portion of material 22 thereupon engaged by blades 18 is removed from the barn in the manner shown in FIGURE 4. The cycle will be automatically repeated as many times as necessary to cause al1 of refuse 22 within gutter 5 to be removed. A switch 28 (FIGURE 1) may be provided near the end of gutter 5 so that when all of the refuse in gutter 5 has been removed and clamp 17 of the first or leading blade 18 comes, into, contact therewith, the driving means is shut off. Otherwise, manual means, not shown, may be provided for shutting the device off.

Referring now to FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, there is shown driving'and controlling means for the barn cleaning device of the invention indicated generally as 30 which may consist of a drum 31 supported by bearings f32 and 33 on fixed axle or shaft 34 (FIGURE 6) and having several turns of cable 10 passing around the outer periphery of drum 31. The peripheral member of drum 31 is shown as, being supported by spokes 35 extending radially from hubs encircling the outer races of bearings 32 and #33. Preferably the sides of the drum are enclosed by sheet metal members, which seal such driving and control means within the interior of drum and thereby prevent contact of dirt, refuse, et cetera, with the mechanism contained withiny the drum but these are not shown.

The ends of shaft 34 outside the drum may be xedly supported by any suitable means such as supports 38 and 3,9 which may be constructed so as to rigidly carry the` weight of drum 31 and mechanism contained therein and resist torque supplied thereto and prevent the rotation of shaft 34. Within the drum there is provided a frame 40 having frame side members 43 and 44 securely attached' to shaft 34 by heavy clamps 41V and 42 which prevent rotation of frame 40 with respect to shaft 34. Rotation of frame 40 with respect to shaft 34 may be prevented by other means such as, for example, by welding frame 40 to shaft 34, however, it is preferable that such means as clamps 41 and 42 be used.

Two separate members may rotate on shaft 34. lOne of these is the drum previously described. The other is a frame which carries single phase motor `45, and which consists of sleeve 46 (FIGURE 7) which rotates on shaft 34 and two members extending therefrom; one aV frame or motor base 47 extending at a downward angle and carrying a reversible single phase motor 45 mounted thereon and depending therefrom; the other member 48 These membersV may be connected, and, preferably are connected, by a brace-4Q. Thus. it may be seen that all of the frame comprising members y46, 47 and 48 rotates with respect to the immovable frame 40 but is restricted in the degree of rotation possible by springs 29 and 36 which are atixed at the outward ends of members 47 and 48 on one end and affixed at the other end to the immovable frame member 40.

The driving of the device is accomplished by motor 45 which is suspended by arms Y61 from member 47 and which drives spur gear 50 which in turn drives gear 51. Mounted on the same shaft 53, which is suspended from member 47 by means of arms 61' (one arm not shown), as gear 51 is a somewhat smaller gear S2 which drives ring gear 54. (Suitable bearings are fitted in the arms 61 and surround the shaft 53, but are not shown.) Ring gear 54 is fastened securely to the spokes 35 of drum 31 by any suitable means. Thus, any rotation of gear 54 is transmitted to drum 31. When going one direction, that is, emptying outside the barn, the device runs until the blade 24 reaches the stop 26 (FIGURE 4) causing the drum to cease revolving whereupon the rotatable frame continues to rotate with its sleeve 46 for a distance with respect to the frame `40. The single phase motor 45, (as a result of this stopping) is loaded up and stalled and same thereupon inherently reverses. Going in the other direction, it is desirable that the device reverse before quite so much resistance is encountered and therefore, upon the slowing up of the rotation of the drum initiating the movement of the rotatable frame, the arm or linger 38 attached to the rotating member 46 lifts away from and therefore, opens breaker points 39 (FIGURE 7). When rotation in the opposite `direction takes place spring 37 is utilized to keep contact between the breaker points. When breaker points 39 (FIGURE 9) are opened, a variable resistance or impedance S5, actually a multiple switch slidably connectible to any of a number of resistances of various sizes, is included in the circuit. By turning the knob on 55 the farmer may select any degree of load which he wishes the device to pick up as a matter of course. In both directions of motor rotation, as the cable is stopped or merely slowed down, as is the case in its ingress to the barn, the motor continues to run at its normal speed but cannot drive the ring gear due to the tension in its cable. Consequently, pinion 52 starts to climb up or down the ring gear causing the movable frame to revolve approximately one way or the other. It is to be noted that the climbing of the motor is opposed to a degree by the action of springs 29 and 36. When the reversal of the motor has been accomplished the springs together with the motor action force the frame back to its normal position. Instead of reversing the motor by means of overloading it, other means (not shown) such as a microswitcb could be used to measure the deflection of the springs and in response thereto activate a reversing switch. This method of reversal, however, would entail calibrating the springs whereas the present device merely entails the hand adjustment of a variable resistance. It will be noted that generally the operation of my device has the effect of reducing the power of the motor and thus increasing the ease with which it reverses, but note that this reduction only occurs just at the time that the motor is encountering resistance and does not reduce the power of the motor either while it is carrying the load nor While the cable is going back for more refuse.

Referring now in detail to FIGURE 9, the diagram of the wiring system for the device and more particularly that part of the diagram dealing with the starting of the device. Starter winding 67 and capacitor 68 are electrically connected by means of line 63 and breaker points 39. A tap wire 64 extends from winding 67 to and around, for a number of turns 60, a magnetic core 73. The line 65 to motor winding 66 is also wound or looped around core 73 with a limited number of turns l62 (preferably one turn electrically insulated from coil 60 although as many as 5 turns may be suitable).

Upon excitation of a line switch (not shown) current ows in the line 72 through the normally closed breaker points 39 to starter winding 67 which activates motor winding 66. As the motor begins to operate, a voltage is induced in starter winding 67 which in turn creates a magnetic eld through and around core 73 as a result of coil 60, thus opening breaker points 39. When the conveyor reaches the end of its travel and the motor stalls the voltage in winding 67 is reduced to Zero since the motor has ceased to rotate and the voltage in the main line 65 is increased as is the voltage in loop 62 and therefore the induced eld through and around core 73 is also increased. However, since there is still an induced voltage in core 73, breaker points 39 remain in an opened position. The motor then reverses; voltage in coil 62 returns to normal and the induced voltage in winding 67 is again increased to its normal value. Therefore, although the motor may be reversed many times in the course of operating the device, breaker points 39 always remain open during the operation and only close upon closure of the line switch. This closure renders the circuit operative for the next operational sequence of the device.

It is to be noted that if the circuit did not contain the loop or loops 62 around core 73, las is usual, the motor as it began to stall would cause the induced voltage in starter winding 67 to drop off and, of course, the flux around core 73, as a result of the reduced voltage in coil 60, would also drop 01T. Hence the breaker points 39 would close, line voltage would flow through the capacitor 68 and into the starter winding 67, thus giving the motor an additional impetus in its then rotating direction and preventing the motor from reversing direction. As is apparent from the above, the particular starting circuit described prevents this additional voltage from imparting an additional force to the motor and enables it to change direction as is required. In essence then, this particular modification of my invention has the advantage of almost complete automatic control and the great advantage of a load responsive device which, as explained, does away with costly and needless cleaning cycles.

Referring now to FIGURE l0 there is shown a barn cleaner having a modified type of driving and reversing means. Y

A single phase reversible motor supported on longitudinal frame member 89 and having a driving pulley 81 serves as the driving means for the device. Adjacent the motor 80 and in the same plane as the pulley 81 is a driven pulley 82 which is keyed to` a shaft 83 and which is driven by virtue of an endless belt 84 extending around said driving and driven pulleys.

Shaft 83 is supported on longitudinal frame member 89 by bearing surface and has mounted on the extremity opposite pulley 82 a spur gear 85 which drives the internal gear 86 on the inner side of pulley 86. Pulley 86 revolves around stationary shaft 87 (appropriate bearing surfaces provided but not shown) which is supported by vertical member 88 and longitudinal frame member 89.

Extending upwardly and outwardly from stationary shaft 87 and biasing pulley 86 are two fixed arms 90 which have at their outer extremity a shaft running therebetween upon which are mounted idler pulleys 91 and 91.

Frame 89 is supported at one end by compression spring assembly 92 and rests on a support 93 near the other extremity of same and is pivoted around shaft 87.

A continuous cable 10 having blade members similar to that of FIGURE 5 extends from the barn around pulleys 9S and 94, thence around pulley 86, thence around idler pulley 91 and pulley 86, thence around idler pulley 91' and pulley 86, thence around a return pulley (not shown) back into the barn.

As the cable leaves the barn with the blades carrying a quantity of refuse, the leading blade, after depositing the refuse before it into a receptacle similar to that of FIG- URE 1, swings around the return pulley (not shown) and contacts stop 96 which cause the `arm 96' aixed thereto, to compress spring 97 .which in turn causes arm 98, to

which spring 97 is affixed, to move in a counter-clockwis@y direction around a pivot 99. Arm 99 has at its upper extremity a bifurcated portion 98 which upon excitation of arm 98 contacts reversing switch 100 which effectively serves to reverse the motor 80 and hence the direction of the cable 10. Upon reversal of the motor and due tothe spring 97 the arm 98 is returned to its normal position as is the switch 100 due to the bifurcated character of the upper extremity of arm 98. It is to be noted that switch 100 only serves as a reversing switch when activated in the counter-clockwise direction.

Reversal of the motor etc. in the opposite direction is achieved by the friction drag of the rotatable blades over the refuse as` the cable enters the barn. This drag, when all blades are passing over refuse, is sufiicient to cause a drag on the cable 10 and a consequent torque around shaft 87, around which the longitudinal frame 85 and everything mounted thereon is pivoted. While the force on the; blades is rather small due to the aforementioned drag, as a result of the distance between the centers of the idler pulleys and the pivot point, a fairly large torque results which is sufiicient to pivot the frame around its pivot point. A s the frame rotates for a distance, contact with switch 101 is broken and the other starter winding is called into play thus effectively reversing the motor. Since the actual distance that the motor raises is less than 1/2, after the initial torque causes the rotation of the frame `the motor returns to its normal position aided by the slowing down and reversal of the cable.

It can be seen that reversal of the motor in this direction can be, controlled by the particular spring used in the spring assembly- 92. As, for example, a stiff spring would result in a greaterdegree of refuse being removed from the barn on each cycle.

Hand reversalV adjustments are also provided but in the essence of yclarity are no-t shown.

This modification, has the advantage of almost complete` automatic operation outside of turning they device on and oir. Another advantage is its load responsive feature in one direction which cuts down on unnecessary cycles of the device.

I have sold a number of these devices and they-t have proved to be efiicient and completely satisfactory and everything I claim them to be.

While thisI invention has been described by the above modifications, it is, of course, to` be understood that there are a great number of Variations which will suggest themselves.` to anyone familiarfwith suchv equipment andit is distinctly understood that this invention should not be limited except as to such limitations as are clearly' imposed in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

l. A device for cleaningrefuse from barn gutters comprising' a singlephase reversible motor, a driving pulley, al driven pulley-in the same plane with said driving pulley and connected thereto by an endless belt; said driven pulleybeing keyed to a shaft having at its opposite extremity a spur gear which drives an internal gear onfthe innen side of a pulley member; said pulley beingrotated around a non-revolving shaft; an idler pulley mounted outside the periphery of said pulley member' on the outer extremity of arm members whose inner extremities are firmly affixed on either side of said pulleygear-member tosaid` non-revolving shaft; a longitudinally extending' frame member supported at one extremity by. a cornpression spring and supporting at a point along its length said non-revolving shaft and-having mountedthereon said motor and-'revolving shaft; said frame member adapted to be pivoted, for a short arcuate path, around said. nonrevolvi-ng shaft; said pivoting effecting reversall of said motor.- inone direction by actuating'an appropriate switch on:l said; motor, reversing'in the other direction' being` effectedfby the leading blade onY anendless cable coming in? contactY with a.` stopaffixed to anVV arm which causes another arm tov contact areversing switch.

2. A device for cleaning refuse from barn gutters and depositing same in receptacle means, said device comprising an endless cable wrapped around a rotatable cylindrical member for a limited number of turns wherein rotation of said rotatable cylindrical member imparts a motion to said cable, affixed to said cable one restrained blade and a plurality of hinged blades rotatable in one direction, a driving means consisting of a single phaseV reversible motor and a load-responsive reversing means to effect a change of direction to said cable upon subjection of said cable and said rotatable cylindrical member to tension produced by a predetermined amount of refuse contacting the restrained blade and said rotatable cylindrical member, a shut-off means activated by one of the rotatable blades.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said hinged blades consist of a blade portion and a laterally extending projection adapted to limit the rotation of the blade to one direction and wherein reversability of the motor is initiated inV one direction by the contact of the restrained blade with a stop and in the other direction by tension on the cable produced by a quantity of refuse contacting said restrained blade.

4. In a device for cleaning refuse out of barns, comprising anendless cable, a restrained blade and a plurality of hinged blades rotatable in one direction affixed to said cable, driving means and load-responsive reversing means wherein thek driving and reversing means consist of a reversible motor mounted on a rotatable base and geared to impart motion to a ring gear, said ring gear being IfirmlyI axed to aV rotatable cylindrical member around which said cable passes, reversibility of said motor being accomplished by the stoppage of said cable due to tensionexerted on said cable by a quantity of refuse contactingv said restrained blade and the consequent movement of saidr rotatable frame which effects a momentary stalling of said motor and a consequent reversing of said same.

5. A- device as in claim 4 wherein stalling of said motor, initiated by` the contact of said restrained blade and a quantity of refuse, is accomplished by the opening of spring contact' breaker points thusly allowing a manually adjustable variable resistor to enter the circuit, said resistor, due to predetermined adjustment, adapted to determine the degree of load to be carried'from the barn.

6. A barn gutter cleaner comprising a loadV paddle in the gutter, a motor and means connecting the motor to the load paddle for moving it along the gutter, and means for reversing the direction in which said motor drives said paddle including a sensing paddle extending into the gutter and driven'by said motor for sensing litter in the gutter and responsive thereto for actuating the reversing means.

7. A reciprocating barn gutter cleaner comprising-load paddle means andl sensing paddle means in the gutter, said load paddle meansbeing alternatively'collapsedf to by-pass litter when the cleaner moves in ones direction and extended across the gutter to pick uplitter when: the cleaner moves inthe opposite direction,V said sensinglpaddle means being extended into the gutter when said load paddle means is collapsed whereby to engage litter bypassed by the load paddle, a motor, meansl connecting said paddles to said motor and means for reversing the direction in which said motor drives said' paddles along the gutter when said sensing paddle means islengaged by litter inthe gutter.

8. A barn gutter cleaner comprising barn` gutter paddle means, a motor and a cable by which the motor drivesthe paddle meansalong a; barn gutter,.said motor having a reversing switch for reversingV itsdirection, of rotation, sheave means about which saidcable is wound, a platform` upon which the motor is mounted for bodily movement with theplatform, means connecting said platform and said reversing switch-whereby movement of Said platform will-actuate Said switch, resilient means-biasing said platform to a predetermined position from which said platform will move if the load imposed by the paddle means is greater than the bias of the resilient means whereby the platform will remain in said predetermined position except when the load on the paddles exceeds the bias of said bias means whereby the platform will move to actuate said switch.

9. A barn gutter cleaner for removing litter from the gutter comprising load-moving means, litter sensing means, a motor, load transmitting means, said load-transmitting means connecting the motor to the load-moving means and litter-sensing means for moving the load moving means into contact with the litter, and means responsive to the load transmitted by said load transmitting means pursuant to contact of the litter sensing means with the litter for reversing the direction in which said motor drives said cleaner.

10. The device of claim 9 in which said load transmitting means comprises cable means, said cable means being responsive to change in tension therein.

11. A device for removing litter from a barn gutter and comprising a load paddle in the gutter, a motor, means connecting the motor to the paddle for moving the paddle in one direction toward the litter to pick up a litter load and then in the opposite direction to discharge said load, litter sensing means for reversing the direction in which said motor drives the paddle after the load paddle has moved far enough in said one direction to pick up said load.

12. A device for cleaning refuse from barn gutters comprising an endless cable having attached thereto a plurality of hinged blades rotatable in one direction, at least one restrained blade aixed to said cable, driving means, reversing means which is initiated only by force exerted against said blades, and in at least one direction of movement is initiated by force against the restrained blade, the force from refuse contacting the restrained blade placing the cable under tension and subsequently sucient tension being exerted thereon to reverse the movement of said cable.

13. A device as in claim 12, wherein said driving means is a single phase reversible motor.

14. A device as in claim 13 wherein a starting circuit is utilized to start and reverse said driving means, said circuit containing a starter winding, a tap wire extending from said starter winding and encircling a magnetic core, a line wire to said driving means and encircling said core for a limited number of turns in an electrically insulated relation from the coil of said tap wire.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,003 Willson June 16, 1903 2,548,709 Drexler Apr. 10, 1951 2,785,790 Bruecker Mar. 19, 1957

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