MATERIAL TRANSFER SYSTEM

• US 20130022433A1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,840,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/467
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/003 Bulk fertiliser or grain handling in the field or on the farm
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/006 Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 90/02 Loading means
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 90/10 Unloading means

Abstract

A material transfer system including a first vehicle and a second vehicle. The first vehicle has a pressurized compartment maintaining a first air pressure therein. The ambient air outside of the pressurized compartment is at a second air pressure, with the first air pressure being different than the second air pressure thereby defining a pressure differential. The second vehicle has a material discharge device. The material discharge device is capable of delivering material to the first vehicle. The second vehicle having a reservoir for receiving the material. The material passing from the reservoir into the pressurized compartment without substantial loss of the pressure differential.

Claims

1. A material transfer system, comprising:

a first vehicle having a pressurized compartment maintaining a first air pressure therein, there being ambient air outside of said pressurized compartment at a second air pressure, said first air pressure being different than said second air pressure thereby defining a pressure differential; and

a second vehicle having a material discharge device, said material discharge device capable of delivering material to said first vehicle, said first vehicle having a reservoir for receiving the material, the material passing from said reservoir into said pressurized compartment without substantial loss of said pressure differential.

2. The material transfer system of claim 1, further comprising an airlock adjacent to said reservoir, said airlock mechanism being configured to receive at least a portion of the material and discharge the portion of material.

3. The material transfer system of claim 2, wherein said airlock mechanism operates in a batch mode by admitting a portion of the material into said airlock mechanism that is substantially alternately sealed from the first pressure then the second pressure.

4. The material transfer system of claim 2, wherein said airlock mechanism operates in a continuous mode to transfer the material into said pressurized compartment by moving the material through a restricted size opening in said pressurized compartment.

5. The material transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to meter a flow of the material from said material discharge device to said reservoir.

6. The material transfer system of claim 5, further comprising a first sensor associated with said reservoir to measure a first amount of material in said reservoir, said controller being configured to alter said flow of the material dependent upon said first amount.

7. The material transfer system of claim 6, further comprising a second sensor associated with said pressurized compartment to measure a second amount of the material in said pressurized compartment, said controller being additionally configured to alter said flow of the material dependent upon said second amount.

8. The material transfer system of claim 7, wherein said controller is further configured to alter said flow of the material dependent upon a combination of said first amount and said second amount.

9. The material transfer system of claim 5, wherein said controller is further configured to receive information from at least one sensor associated with said first vehicle and from at least one sensor associated with said second vehicle, said information relating to a relative position of said first vehicle to said second vehicle.

10. The material transfer system of claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to at least one of provide steering direction to an operator, assisting the operator to steer and steer at least one of said first vehicle and said second vehicle dependent upon said information, said information additionally including relative position data of said material discharge device to said reservoir.

11. A method of transferring material between vehicles, comprising the steps of:

maintaining an air pressure differential between a pressurized compartment of a first vehicle and ambient air outside of said pressurized compartment;

discharging material from a material discharge device of a second vehicle to a reservoir of said first vehicle for receiving the material; and

passing the material from said reservoir into said pressurized compartment without substantial loss of said pressure differential.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjacent to said reservoir there is an airlock mechanism through which the material travels.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of operating said airlock mechanism in a batch mode by admitting a portion of the material into an intermediate compartment that is substantially alternately sealed from the ambient air then from said pressurized compartment.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of operating said airlock mechanism in a continuous mode to transfer the material into said pressurized compartment by moving the material through a restricted size opening in said pressurized compartment.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of metering a flow of the material from said material discharge device to said reservoir, said metering step being carried out with a controller.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of measuring a first amount of material in said reservoir using a first sensor associated with said reservoir, said controller being configured to alter said flow of the material dependent upon said first amount.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of measuring a second amount of the material in said pressurized compartment using a second sensor associated with said pressurized compartment, said controller being additionally configured to alter said flow of the material dependent upon said second amount.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said controller is further configured to alter said flow of the material dependent upon a combination of said first amount and said second amount.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to receive information from at least one sensor associated with said first vehicle and from at least one sensor associated with said second vehicle, said information relating to a relative position of said first vehicle to said second vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said controller is further configured to at least one of provide steering direction to an operator, assisting the operator to steer and steer at least one of said first vehicle and said second vehicle dependent upon said information, said information additionally including relative position data of said material discharge device to said reservoir.