AIR DISTRIBUTION FOR AN AIR SEEDER

• US 20120301231A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Inventors: Jagow, Scot, Cochran, Bob, Rice, Haydon, Cresswell, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,690,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 406/183
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/082 Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/084 Pneumatic distribution heads for seeders
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/088 Sectional seeding
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/00 Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87161 With common valve operator

Abstract

An air distribution apparatus has a manifold body, and ports defined through walls thereof, with a delivery conduit connected to each port. A port valve is configured to connect and disconnect the delivery conduit to the interior of the manifold body. A supply conduit delivers a product air stream with agricultural products entrained therein to the interior of the manifold body. The supply conduit extends vertically up from the manifold to a curved elbow and then extends horizontally from the elbow. An exhaust orifice is defined in the inner radius of the elbow. When an exhaust valve is open, a selected flow of pressurized air flows from the supply conduit through the exhaust orifice. The port valve and exhaust valve are controlled such that when the port valve closes, the exhaust valve opens. The exhaust air can be directed into the delivery conduits to clear product therefrom.

Claims

1. An air distribution apparatus comprising:

a manifold body, and a port defined through a wall of the manifold body;

a delivery conduit connected to the port;

a port valve configured such that when the port valve is open the delivery conduit is connected to an interior of the manifold body through the port, and such that when the port valve is closed, the delivery conduit is disconnected from the interior of the manifold body;

a supply conduit connected at an output end thereof to the interior of the manifold body, and connected at an input end thereof to receive a product air stream with agricultural products entrained therein;

wherein the supply conduit extends substantially vertically up from the manifold body to a curved elbow and then extends substantially horizontally from the elbow;

an exhaust orifice defined in the elbow at an inner radius of the elbow, and an exhaust valve configured such that when the exhaust valve is open, a selected flow of pressurized air flows from an interior of the supply conduit through the exhaust orifice, and such that when the exhaust valve is closed, pressurized air from the interior of the supply conduit is prevented from flowing through the exhaust orifice;

wherein the port valve and exhaust valve are controlled such that when the port valve closes, the exhaust valve opens.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the exhaust orifice is open to atmosphere, such that pressurized air from the interior of the supply conduit flows through the exhaust orifice into the atmosphere when the exhaust valve is open.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an exhaust conduit connected at an input end thereof to the exhaust orifice and with an output end thereof connected to an exhaust destination, such that the selected flow of pressurized air flows through the exhaust conduit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the output end of the exhaust conduit is connected to the delivery conduit such that the selected flow of pressurized air flows through the delivery conduit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 comprising a valve assembly connected to the port, the delivery conduit, and the exhaust conduit, and wherein the port valve and the exhaust valve are incorporated in the valve assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the port valve and exhaust valve are connected such that when the port valve closes the exhaust valve opens, and such that when the port valve opens the exhaust valve closes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a size of the exhaust orifice is configured such that the selected flow of pressurized air flowing through the exhaust orifice when the exhaust valve is open is substantially the same as an amount of air flowing through the port when the port valve is open.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the delivery conduit is connected at an output end thereof to a secondary manifold.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising:

first and second ports defined through a wall of the manifold body;

first and second delivery conduits connected to corresponding first and second ports;

first and second port valves connecting the corresponding first and second delivery conduits to the first and second ports;

first and second exhaust orifices defined in the elbow at an inner radius of the elbow, and corresponding first and second exhaust valves for stopping and starting the flow of pressurized air flows from the interior of the supply conduit through the corresponding first and second exhaust orifices;

wherein the first port valve and first exhaust valve are controlled such that when the first port valve closes, the first exhaust valve opens;

wherein the second port valve and second exhaust valve are controlled such that when the second port valve closes, the second exhaust valve opens.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the selected flow of pressurized air flowing through the exhaust orifice when the first exhaust valve is open is substantially the same as an amount of air flowing through the first port when the first port valve is open.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 comprising first and second exhaust conduits connected at input ends thereof to corresponding first and second exhaust orifices, and connected at output ends thereof to corresponding first and second delivery conduits.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising:

first and second ports defined through a wall of the manifold body;

first and second delivery conduits connected to corresponding first and second ports;

first and second port valves connecting the corresponding first and second delivery conduits to the first and second ports;

wherein the first and second port valves and the exhaust valve are controlled such that when the first or the second port valve closes, the exhaust valve opens to a first degree such that a first selected flow of pressurized air flows from an interior of the supply conduit through the exhaust orifice, and such that when the first and the second port valve close, the exhaust valve opens to a second degree such that a second selected flow of pressurized air flows from an interior of the supply conduit through the exhaust orifice.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first selected flow of pressurized air flowing through the exhaust orifice is substantially the same as an amount of air flowing through the first or second port when the corresponding first or second port valve is open, and wherein the second selected flow of pressurized air flowing through the exhaust orifice is substantially the same as an amount of air flowing through the first and second ports when the corresponding first and second port valves are open.

14. An air distribution manifold apparatus comprising:

a manifold body, and a port defined through a wall of the manifold body;

a delivery conduit connected to the port;

a port valve configured such that when the port valve is open the delivery conduit is connected to an interior of the manifold body through the port, and such that when the port valve is closed, the delivery conduit is disconnected from the interior of the manifold body;

a supply conduit connected at an output end thereof to the interior of the manifold body, and connected at an input end thereof to receive a product air stream with agricultural products entrained therein;

an exhaust conduit connected at an input end thereof to receive a clean air stream with substantially no agricultural products entrained therein, and connected at an output end thereof to the delivery conduit in proximity to the port;

an exhaust valve configured such that when the exhaust valve is open, the delivery conduit is connected to the exhaust conduit, and such that when the exhaust valve is closed, the delivery conduit is disconnected from the exhaust conduit;

wherein the port valve and exhaust valve are controlled such that when the port valve closes, the exhaust valve opens.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the manifold body comprises substantially circular top and bottom plates oriented substantially horizontally, and a substantially vertical body wall extending between the top and bottom plates, and wherein the port is defined through the body wall.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the supply conduit is oriented substantially vertically and is connected at the output end thereof to the interior of the manifold body through an aperture in one of the top and bottom plates.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the manifold body is a flat fan type manifold body where the supply conduit directs the product air stream into a first end of the a flat manifold body which divides the product air stream into channels with the ports at the ends of the channels on a second opposite end of the flat manifold body.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the supply conduit extends substantially vertically up from the manifold body to a curved elbow and then extends substantially horizontally from the elbow, and wherein the exhaust conduit is connected at the input end thereof to the supply conduit at an inner radius of the elbow.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising a valve assembly connected to the port, the delivery conduit, and the exhaust conduit, and wherein the port valve and the exhaust valve are incorporated in the valve assembly.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the port valve and exhaust valve are connected such that when the port valve closes the exhaust valve opens, and such that when the port valve opens the exhaust valve closes.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the delivery conduit is connected at an output end thereof to one of a furrow opener and a secondary manifold.

22. A method of controlling delivery of an agricultural product to a selected section of furrow openers of an air seeder, the method comprising:

for each air seeder section providing a delivery conduit connected at an output end thereof to deliver the agricultural product to the section of furrow openers, and connected at an input end thereof to a port defined through a wall of a manifold body;

connecting an output end of a supply conduit to an interior of the manifold body, and directing a product air stream with the agricultural product entrained therein into an input end of the supply conduit such that the agricultural product moves through the supply conduit, the manifold body, the ports, and the delivery conduits to each section of furrow openers;

closing a selected port to stop the delivery of the agricultural product to the selected section of furrow openers, and exhausting a selected flow of pressurized air from the supply conduit;

stopping exhausting the selected flow of pressurized air from the supply conduit and opening the selected port to restart the delivery of the agricultural product to the selected section of furrow openers.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the supply conduit extends substantially vertically up from the manifold body to a curved elbow and then extends substantially horizontally from the elbow and wherein the selected flow of pressurized air is exhausted from the supply conduit through an exhaust orifice defined in the elbow at an inner radius of the elbow.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the selected port is closed by providing a port valve configured such that when the port valve is open the delivery conduit is connected to an interior of the manifold body through the port, and such that when the port valve is closed, the delivery conduit is disconnected from the interior of the manifold body.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising connecting the exhaust orifice to the delivery conduit in proximity to the input end thereof such that the selected flow of pressurized air from the supply conduit passes through the delivery conduit.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the selected section of furrow openers comprises one of a secondary manifold connected to a plurality of furrow openers and a single furrow opener.