WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SEED PLANTERS AND PRODUCT APPLICATORS

• US 20140000919A1
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Bachman, Marvin, Hahn, Dustan
• Granted Patent: US 10,045,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 172/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/114 to achieve a constant working depth
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/24 Tools or tool-holders adjustable relatively to the frame
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 73/044 the axis being oriented in a longitudinal direction A01B73/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means

Abstract

An agricultural implement is provided having a tongue, a central toolbar extending from the tongue, and first and second wings extending generally outwardly from the central toolbar. The implement may include a central hopper system to provide the material to individual row units along the central toolbar and wings, or may include individual hoppers located at each of the row units along the toolbars. A weight distribution system is used with the implement to update and adjust the amount of down force applied at the outer toolbars or wings, and the individual row units. The distribution system includes an intelligent control connected to sensors and cylinders. Therefore, the intelligent control receives information from the sensors and adjusts the cylinders accordingly to provide the appropriate amount of down force and to adjust the down force on a real time basis, and can be a closed loop or open loop system.

Claims

1. An agricultural implement, comprising:

a tongue having a first end including a hitch, and an opposite second end;

a central toolbar at the second end of the tongue, the central tool bar including central wheels extending therefrom;

first and second wings extending from opposite sides of the central toolbar, each of the first and second wings including wing wheels extending therefrom; and

a weight distribution system operably connected to the central toolbar, first wing, and second wing, the weight distribution system configured to adjust down force on the wings to redistribute the weight or load of the implement at the central and wing wheels.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1 wherein the weight distribution system comprises a plurality of sensors operatively connected to a plurality of cylinders such that the system automatically adjusts the plurality of cylinders based on the plurality of sensors to redistribute the load on the central and wing wheels.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 2 further comprising an intelligent control operatively connected to the weight distribution system configured to determine the hardness of the ground to adjust the plurality of cylinders.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 3 wherein the plurality of sensors is positioned at the central and wing wheels.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises pressure sensors.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises load sensors.

7. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the weight distribution system further comprises a level system.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the weight distribution system further comprises the calculation of flow-sensor-based mass depletion at the wings.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 8 wherein the calculated flow-sensor-based mass depletion comprises weight of on-row-unit seed, fertilizer, or insecticide materials to determine real time distributed mass versus down force calculation.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of hoppers positioned at the central toolbar or the first and second wings.

11. The agricultural implement of claim 1 wherein the weight distribution system is a closed loop system, wherein the down force is adjusted automatically.

12. The agricultural implement of claim 1 wherein the weight distribution system is an open loop system, wherein the down force is adjusted manually.

13. A weight distribution system for an implement with a plurality of row units positioned at a central frame, left wing, and right wing, comprising:

an intelligent control;

a plurality of sensors associated with the plurality of row units and connected to the intelligent control; and

a plurality of cylinders operatively connected to the intelligent control and the left and right wings;

wherein the intelligent control is configured to use information from the sensors to adjust the plurality of cylinders such that the wings receive a down force based on information obtained from one or more of the plurality of sensors.

14. The weight distribution system of claim 13 wherein the weight distribution system is a closed loop system that automatically adjusts the down force.

15. The weight distribution system of claim 13 wherein the weight distribution system is an open loop system wherein the down force is adjusted manually.

16. The weight distribution system of claim 13 wherein one or more of the plurality of sensors comprise force sensors, load sensors, pressure sensors, weight sensors, level sensors, down force sensors, accelerometers, or liquid sensors.

17. The weight distribution system of claim 13 further comprising a user interface electrically connected to the intelligent control to display feedback from the system and/or to allow changes to be made to the system.

18. A method of distributing weight about a central frame, left wing, and right wing of an agricultural implement, comprising:

determining one or more characteristics of the implement, ground, or both, with one or more sensors; and

adjusting one or more cylinders of the implement to adjust down force at the left wing, right wing, or both, based upon the characteristics determined by the one or more sensors.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising repeating the steps in a closed loop to continually adjust the down force at one or both of the wings.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying information from the one or more sensors and the one or more cylinders on a user interface to allow manual or automatic adjustment of the down force.