System for automatically setting the set point of a planter automatic down pressure control system with a seed furrow sidewall compaction measurement device
First Claim
1. An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow, comprisinga frame having (a) a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control the elevation of the frame and (b) an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted,a gauge wheel down force control system that includes an actuator applying a controllable down pressure to said gauge wheel to control the depth of said furrow,a monitoring device extending into the furrow and into the sidewalls of the furrow and producing a signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls, wherein a width of said monitoring device is slightly bigger than a width of said furrow so that said monitoring device simultaneously penetrates into both of said sidewalls of said furrow on opposite sides thereof, anda controller supplying said actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth, said controller receiving said signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls and using said signal in an algorithm to determine whether said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplying said actuator with a control signal when it is determined that said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow includes an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted, and a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control elevation. A depth control actuator applies a controllable down force to the gauge wheel, and a sidewall compaction sensor extends into sidewalls of the furrow and produces a signal representing the compaction of the soil. A controller supplies the depth control actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth. The controller uses the signal representing the compaction of the soil in the sidewalls to determine whether the down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplies the depth control actuator with a control signal when it is determined that the down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.
400 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow, comprising
a frame having (a) a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control the elevation of the frame and (b) an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted, a gauge wheel down force control system that includes an actuator applying a controllable down pressure to said gauge wheel to control the depth of said furrow, a monitoring device extending into the furrow and into the sidewalls of the furrow and producing a signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls, wherein a width of said monitoring device is slightly bigger than a width of said furrow so that said monitoring device simultaneously penetrates into both of said sidewalls of said furrow on opposite sides thereof, and a controller supplying said actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth, said controller receiving said signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls and using said signal in an algorithm to determine whether said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplying said actuator with a control signal when it is determined that said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.
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5. A method of controlling the down pressure on an agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow and including a gauge wheel down force control system that includes an actuator applying a controllable down pressure to the gauge wheel to control the depth of the furrow, said method comprising
supplying said actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point, sensing, from a monitoring device, the compaction of the soil forming the sidewalls of the furrow and producing a signal representing the sensed compaction, wherein a width of said monitoring device is slightly wider than a width of said furrow so that said monitoring device simultaneously penetrates into both of said sidewalls of the furrow on opposite sides thereof, using said signal representing the sensed compaction in an algorithm to determine whether said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and adjusting said control signal representing a down pressure set point when it is determined that said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.
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11. An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow, comprising
a frame having (a) a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control the elevation of the frame and (b) an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted, a gauge wheel down force control system that includes an actuator applying a controllable down pressure to said gauge wheel to control the depth of said furrow, a sidewall compaction measuring device extending into the furrow and into the sidewalls of the furrow and producing a signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls, wherein a width of said sidewall compaction measuring device is slightly bigger than a width of said furrow so that said measuring device simultaneously penetrates into both of the sidewalls of the furrow on opposite sides thereof, and a controller supplying said actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth, said controller receiving said signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls and using said signal in an algorithm to determine whether said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplying said actuator with a control signal when it is determined that said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.
Specification