AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT HAVING HOPPER WEIGHING SYSTEM

• US 20120316673A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing Incorporated (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Riffel, Jacob R., Hubalek, Verne A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/145 for controlling weight transfer between implements and tractor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/006 Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/00 Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries

Abstract

An agricultural seeding implement has a seed hopper that is weighed continuously during field operations as the seed volume in the hopper progressively diminishes. The weight information is used to perform ongoing control functions on the implement. One embodiment uses the weight information to reduce the down pressure on compaction wheels of a wing section of the machine as a function of the diminishing weight of the hopper on the main section.

Claims

1. An agricultural seeding implement comprising:

a mobile frame including a main section;

a seed hopper on the main section for dispensing seeds as the frame is advanced; and

a system coupled with the hopper for determining the weight of the hopper and performing a control function on the implement in response to determining the weight of the hopper.

2. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 1,

said system including a set of load cells mounting said hopper on said main section.

3. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 1, said frame including a wing section hingedly attached to said main section and having ground-engageable wheels that support the weight of said wing section when the wheels are on the ground,

said system comprising a hydraulic operating circuit including a hydraulic wing cylinder operably coupled with said wing section for use in applying adjustable down-pressure against the wing section when the wheels are engaging the ground,

said system further comprising an electrical control circuit operable to cause adjustment of the down-pressure against the wing section by said hydraulic wing cylinder as a function of the hopper weight determined by said electrical control circuit.

4. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 3,

said electrical control circuit including a set of load cells mounting said hopper on said main section.

5. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 4,

said set of load cells comprising three individual load cells.

6. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 3,

said electrical control circuit being operable to compare a value for the instantaneous weight of the hopper with a value for the instantaneous down pressure at said hydraulic wing cylinder and cause an adjustment in the down pressure at said hydraulic wing cylinder if the difference in values exceeds a predetermined amount.

7. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 6,

said electrical control circuit further comprising a programmable controller, a set of load cells for sensing the weight of the hopper and sending a weight signal to said controller, and a pressure transducer for sensing the hydraulic pressure at said hydraulic wing cylinder and sending a pressure signal to said controller,

said hydraulic operating circuit including electrically operated valving,

said controller being electrically connected with said valving for operating the valving in response to said signals from said load cells and said pressure transducer.

8. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 7,

said valving including an electro-proportional pressure-reducing valve operable when operated by the controller to shift to a pressure reducing position.

9. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 7,

said load cells mounting the hopper on the main frame section.

10. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 8,

further comprising a hydraulically driven blower motor,

said hydraulic operating circuit including a wing cylinder circuit for operating said wing cylinder and a blower motor circuit for operating said blower motor,

said controller being operable to cause fluid from said blower motor circuit to be drawn into one end of said wing cylinder when the down pressure in the wing cylinder is decreased.

11. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 1,

said control function comprising determining the actual amount of seeds applied over a known area, comparing a value for the actual amount with a value for the intended amount, and displaying an error message to the operator of the implement.

12. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 1,

said control function comprising calculating and displaying to the operator of the implement the estimated time of depletion of the hopper, based upon the rate of depletion of the hopper determined by comparing the weight of the hopper at known intervals.

13. An agricultural seeding implement comprising:

a mobile frame;

a seed hopper for dispensing seeds as the frame is advanced; and

a set of load cells mounting the hopper on the frame for use in determining the weight of the hopper during field operations.

14. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 13,

said load cells comprising part of a system for performing a control function on the implement in response to determining the weight of the hopper.

15. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 14,

said control function comprising adjusting hydraulic down pressure on one or more components of the implement.

16. An agricultural seeding implement as claimed in claim 14,

said frame including a wing section hingedly attached to a main section of the frame and having ground-engageable wheels that support the weight of said wing section when the wheels are on the ground,

said system further comprising a hydraulic operating circuit including a hydraulic wing cylinder operably coupled with said wing section for use in applying adjustable down-pressure against the wing section when the wheels are engaging the ground,

said system further comprising an electrical control circuit operable to cause adjustment of the down-pressure against the wing section by said hydraulic wing cylinder as a function of the hopper weight determined by said electrical control circuit.

17. An agricultural implement as claimed in claim 16,

said electrical control circuit further comprising a programmable controller connected with said load cells for receiving a weight signal from the load cells, and a pressure transducer for sensing the hydraulic pressure at said hydraulic wing cylinder and sending a pressure signal to said controller,

said hydraulic operating circuit including electrically operated valving,

said controller being electrically connected with said valving for operating the valving in response to said signals from said load cells and said pressure transducer.

18. A method of seeding comprising:

dispensing seeds from a hopper supported on a mobile frame while the frame traverses the ground;

engaging the ground with components shiftably carried on the frame while the seeds are being dispensed;

weighing the hopper as the dispensing and engaging steps are carried out; and

adjusting down pressure applied against the ground by said components in response to determining the weight of the hopper.

19. A method of seeding as claimed in claim 18,

said frame including a main section and a wing section connected to said main section for up and down movement relative to the main section,

said hopper being carried on said main section,

said components comprising wheels on said wing section,

said adjusting step comprising decreasing the down pressure applied against the ground by said wheels as the weight of the hopper decreases.

20. A method of seeding as claimed in claim 19,

said down pressure being applied by a hydraulic cylinder operably coupled with said wing section,

said adjusting step being carried out by comparing a value for the instantaneous weight of the hopper with a value for the instantaneous pressure at said hydraulic cylinder and causing an adjustment of the pressure at said hydraulic cylinder if the difference in values exceeds a predetermined amount.

21. A method of seeding as claimed in claim 20,

said comparing and causing steps being carried out by a programmable controller.

22. A method of seeding as claimed in claim 18,

said adjusting step being carried out using a programmable controller.