WHAT HAPPENS AT A GRAIN ELEVATOR ?
• The farmer drives his loaded grain truck into an elevator driveshed. • The elevator agent weighs the loaded truck on a large scale. • Then the grain is dumped through a floor grate into a tank. (photo) • The agent takes samples of the grain to check how it should be graded. The grade determines how much the farmer is paid for the grain. • After the grain is dumped the empty truck is weighed again. This is how the weight of the grain is determined. • The grain is raised by conveyor belt to the top of the building where a distributor sends it to a storage bin. • Later the agent may clean the grain or blend it with other grain. • Inside the elevator there are many compartments called bins or storage tanks. There may also be extra buildings attached to the elevator which are used for storage. The extra bin is called an annex. • When the grain is ready to be shipped it is moved to a different bin (boxcar surge bin or hopper car surge bin). • A large swivelling pipe empties the grain from
