PARTICULATE FLOW SENSING FOR AN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT
First Claim
1. A flow determining device for an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material and material metering structure, an air delivery system for conveying the material from the source to the ground, the sensor comprising;
- a first sensor located in the air delivery system for providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor;
a second sensor located in the air delivery system for providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy; and
a processor connected to the first and second sensors for determining a particulate material mass flow signal in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An impact sensor is located in a distribution tower which divides the seed and/or nutrient flow into individual rows, and a second sensor provides a compensation signal dependent upon one or more variables such as the velocity of the air in the conveying system, implement vibrations. As the seed/fertilizer bounces off of the impact sensor and flows into the individual row air streams, the impact sensor provides a force signal to a processor which calculates the total particulate mass flow rate from the force signal and the air velocity signal. To determine individual seed and fertilizer rates, a rate controller temporarily changes the metering rate of one of the materials, and the processor then calculates the desired information from the mass flow change and meter speed change. Another embodiment includes seed sensor structure at the meter output for achieving or confirming accuracy.
79 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A flow determining device for an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material and material metering structure, an air delivery system for conveying the material from the source to the ground, the sensor comprising;
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a first sensor located in the air delivery system for providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor; a second sensor located in the air delivery system for providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy; and a processor connected to the first and second sensors for determining a particulate material mass flow signal in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of determining flow in an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material, metering structure, and an air delivery system including an upright distribution tower for conveying the material metered from the source to the ground, the method comprising;
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locating a first sensor in the distribution tower; providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor; locating a second sensor in the air delivery system; providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy utilizing the second sensor; and determining a particulate material mass flow rate in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification