Equalizing air pressure on air seeders

• US 10,117,376 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Gervais, Joel, Paluck, Kenneth D., Hui, Ka Po Catherine, Henry, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John
• Application Number:
  US15/253,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 111174, 111175
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/04 using blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/082 Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/00 Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries

Abstract

An agricultural air seeding system, comprising: an agricultural planting implement including at least one section at least one secondary header removably attached to the at least one section, at least one attachment bar attached to the at least one section, and a plurality of application tools removably attached to the at least one attachment bar and fluidly coupled to the at least one secondary header; an agricultural air cart coupled to the agricultural planting implement; and a pneumatic distribution system fluidly coupled to the agricultural planting implement and the agricultural air cart, the pneumatic distribution system including a plurality of conduits capable of transporting agricultural product, at least one of the plurality of conduits including at least one flow obstruction such that a substantially equal air pressure is delivered to the plurality of application tools.

Claims

1. An agricultural air seeding system, comprising:

an agricultural planting implement, including;

at least one section;

at least one secondary header removably attached to the at least one section;

at least one attachment bar attached to the at least one section; and

a plurality of application tools removably attached to the at least one attachment bar and fluidly coupled to the at least one secondary header;

an agricultural air cart coupled to the agricultural planting implement; and

a pneumatic distribution system fluidly coupled to the agricultural planting implement and the agricultural air cart, the pneumatic distribution system including a plurality of conduits capable of transporting agricultural product, at least two of the plurality of conduits each having a differing respective length and including at least one flow obstruction, the at least one flow obstruction of said at least two conduits of the plurality of conduits including a curved section with a respective lengthwise radius of curvature that corresponds to the respective length of said at least two conduits such that a substantially equal air pressure is delivered to the plurality of application tools.

2. The agricultural air seeding system of claim 1, wherein each said curved section being located on at least one of the agricultural planting implement and the agricultural air cart.

3. The agricultural air seeding system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural planting implement further includes a midpoint axis parallel to a direction of travel, wherein each said lengthwise radius of curvature is proportional to a proximity to the midpoint axis.

4. The agricultural air seeding system of claim 3, wherein the lengthwise radius of curvature of each curved section is larger than the lengthwise radius of curvature of an adjacent curved section which is closer to the midpoint axis.

5. The agricultural air seeding system of claim 2, wherein the curved sections are comprised of steel or other non-flexible material.

6. The agricultural air seeding system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one flow obstructions further includes at least one of:

b) internal dimples;

c) internal dimples and a bifurcation;

d) an internal component;

e) a restriction on a metering manifold of the pneumatic distribution system;

f) an air flap with rectangular cross-section in the pneumatic distribution system; and

g) an air bleeder on an inside of a bend of at least one of the plurality of conduits.

7. A pneumatic distribution system fluidly coupled to an agricultural planting implement including a plurality of application tools and an agricultural air cart, the pneumatic distribution system, comprising:

a plurality of conduits capable of transporting agricultural product, at least two of the plurality of conduits each having a differing respective length and including at least one flow obstruction, the at least one flow obstruction of said at least two conduits of the plurality of conduits including a curved section with a respective lengthwise radius of curvature that corresponds to the respective length of said at least two conduits such that said plurality of conduits is configured for delivering a substantially equal air pressure to the plurality of application tools.

8. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 7, wherein each said curved section being located on at least one of the agricultural planting implement and the agricultural air cart.

9. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 7, wherein the agricultural planting implement further includes a midpoint axis parallel to a direction of travel, wherein each said lengthwise radius of curvature is configured for being proportional to a proximity to the midpoint axis.

10. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 9, wherein the lengthwise radius of curvature of each curved section is larger than the lengthwise radius of curvature of an adjacent curved section which is closer to the midpoint axis.

11. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 8, wherein the curved sections are comprised of steel or other non-flexible material.

12. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 7, wherein each of the at least one flow obstructions further includes at least one of:

b) internal dimples;

c) internal dimples and a bifurcation;

d) an internal component;

e) a restriction on a metering manifold of the pneumatic distribution system;

f) an air flap with rectangular cross-section in the pneumatic distribution system; and

g) an air bleeder on an inside of a bend of at least one of the plurality of conduits.

13. An agricultural air seeding system, comprising:

an agricultural planting implement, including;

at least one section;

at least one secondary header removably attached to the at least one section;

at least one attachment bar attached to the at least one section; and

a plurality of application tools removably attached to the at least one attachment bar and fluidly coupled to the at least one secondary header;

an agricultural air cart coupled to the agricultural planting implement; and

a pneumatic distribution system fluidly coupled to the agricultural planting implement and the agricultural air cart, the pneumatic distribution system including a plurality of conduits capable of transporting agricultural product, and at least two of the plurality of conduits each have a differing respective length and include at least one flow obstruction such that the plurality of conduits delivers substantially equal air pressure to the plurality of application tools, wherein said at least one flow obstruction of each of said at least two conduits of said plurality of conduits includes at least one of;

a) a curved section;

b) internal dimples;

c) internal dimples and a bifurcation;

d) an internal component in at least one of the plurality of conduits;

e) a restriction on a metering manifold of the pneumatic distribution system;

f) an air flap with rectangular cross-section in the pneumatic distribution system; and

g) an air bleeder on an inside of a bend of at least one of the plurality of conduits.