A spear for sampling bulk grain by suction

Abstract

A light-weight spear has been developed to take samples of unlimited size from bulks of cereal grains. The spear is screwed on to lengths of narrow metal pipe, which are used to insert it into a bulk of grain. The sample is sucked out of the bulk through the pipe by the air stream of a domestic vacuum cleaner. This method largely overcomes the disadvantages inherent in other types of spear. The spear can be inserted into a bulk in any direction, even upwards. When sampling downwards, samples can be obtained from as deep as 9 m. Samples can be taken from directly against the walls of a store and as close as 1 cm. to the floor.