“Grain Bin Safety Demonstration”

PROJECT SPONSOR: AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians

DESIGN TEAM: “The Grain Brains”

Mark Newcomer

Tim Emmick

Jeremy Abbott

Nick Klenovich

FACULTY COACH: Dr. John S. Lamancusa

DATE: December 7, 2001

(from left to right)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians, a joint effort between the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and the Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania, proposed the task of creating a safety demonstration that could be used at farm shows to reveal the dangers involved with using a grain bin or gravity wagon. This task was fulfilled so that farm workers—especially young children can be made aware of the dangers behind improper use of a grain bin or gravity wagon.

The project began by researching possible alternatives to grain for the demonstration that would not rot or become moldy. The outcome was the use of plastic pellets that are used for injection molding processes. Alternatives for augers for grain transportation that are not noisy were also researched. The solution was the use of a conveyor belt with paddles to move the pellets from the storage area to the models. The third goal was to build a tabletop demonstration of a grain bin and a gravity wagon. The model shows how quickly a person can become trapped in the grain if the bin or wagon is emptied while they are in it. Finally, dimensions, specifications and recommendations were given for the construction of a larger demonstration—one that will fit on a 16 to 18 foot trailer.