Truck mounted fertilizer applicator using fluid conveying

• US 4,793,742 A
• Filed: 10/05/1987
• Issued: 12/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.), CNH America Llc (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: TCI CO., LTD
• Inventors: Strand, Glen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Basinger, Sherman D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salmon, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US07/104,784
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 406/39, 406/70, 406/79, 406/123, 406/144, 406/41, 406/77, 406/122, 406/139, 406/140, 406/155, 406/181, 239/654, 239/655, 239/664, 239/673, 239/676, 239/682, 222/272, 414/489, 414/502, 414/528
• US Class Current: 406/79
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/04 using blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 9/003 Pneumatic field dusters, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted

Abstract

A truck mounted particulate material applicator which entrains metered amounts of the particles in a fluid for conveying the material outwardly along tubes forming boom assemblies. The metering assembly and the booms are mounted in the mid portion of the truck wheel base for minimizing bouncing, and excess shock loads on the booms during travel, and also for providing a centrally located distribution point for the metering assembly. The present device includes a unique manifold for entraining particulate materials such as inorganic fertilizer or grains in fluid flow streams within tubes in which they form the boom assemblies. Each tube carries the metered air entrained material a different distance from the center to cover a wide path. Separate tubes are directed toward the rear of the truck to spread the material in the path of the truck.

Claims

1. An air distribution apparatus for particulate materials discharged from a mobile boom assembly comprising a plurality of boom tubes vertically spaced apart and having axes defining a substantially common vertical plane and the boom tubes receiving particulate material from an air distribution apparatus adapted to minimize space occupied in horizontal direction, comprising:

a frame for supporting the boom assembly and the air distribution apparatus;

metering means for separating the particulate material into individual metered portions;

a plenum chamber mounted on said frame and having a longitudinal axis elongated in substantially vertical direction and being below the metering means;

a source of fluid under pressure to supply fluid to the plenum chamber;

a plurality of outlet openings from said plenum chamber, the outlet openings being spaced in vertical direction along the longitudinal axis to form vertically spaced outlet openings, and the outlet openings being of a first diameter;

a separate mixing chamber tube connected to each outlet opening, the mixing chamber tubes each having a transition section open to the respective outlet opening and tapering to a small diameter in direction away from the outlet opening;

a separate nozzle positioned to open to each mixing chamber tube and adapted to carry particulate material under gravity into the mixing chamber tube, the nozzle being substantially at right angles to the respective mixing chamber tube and having a wall portion, positioned in the mixing chamber tube to form a reduced pressure at an outlet of the nozzle as fluid flows through the mixing chamber tube;

means to mount the metering means vertically above the plenum chamber and the mixing chamber tubes;

separate conduit means for receiving each of the metered portions connected to each of the nozzles respectively, the conduit means carrying the metered portions under gravity to the respective nozzle; and

means to couple the mixing chamber tubes to corresponding ones of the vertically spaced tubes of the boom assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and means to support the boom tubes in position wherein the mixing chamber tubes have outer ends which telescopically fit within ends of the boom tubes with the boom assembly in a first position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 and means to pivotally mount the boom assembly relative to the plenum chamber for movement from the first position to a second position substantially 90°

from the first position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the metering means comprises a hopper, a conveyor belt forming the bottom of the hopper, a plurality of dividers to divide material on the belt into individual sections extending in direction of belt movement, and means to control the height of material on the belt to a metered height.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the source of fluid under pressure comprises a blower providing a flow of air into the plenum chamber at the bottom thereof.

6. The air distribution apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separate nozzles each comprise a tube passing through a wall of the respective mixing chamber tube, the nozzle tubes having generally circular cross sections, and having axes for the nozzle tubes that extend generally uprightly, said nozzle tubes having ends that are trimmed along planes that are oriented at an angle with respect to the nozzle axis, the wall portion of the nozzle tubes having a first side part positioned adjacent the inlet end of the mixing tubes and extending farther into the mixing tube than other parts of the wall portion of such nozzle tube farther from the inlet of the mixing tube.

7. The air distribution apparatus for particulate materials as specified in claim 1 wherein said metering means comprises a conveyor belt having a generally horizontal plane, said conveyor belt having a discharge end positioned above the plenum chamber, whereby the metered particulate materials fall freely through said tube means from the end of the metering conveyor.

8. The apparatus as specified in claim 7 wherein the plenum chamber forms a housing that extends uprightly, and the source of fluid under pressure comprises a blower connected to the lower end of said housing, said mixing tubes being positioned vertically above said blower.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 and means to support the boom tubes in position wherein the mixing chamber tubes have outer ends which telescopically fit within ends of the boom tubes with the boom assembly in a first position.

10. An air distribution apparatus for particulate materials comprising:

a frame;

metering means for separating the particulate materials into individual metered portions, said metering means comprising conveyor belt means for receiving unmetered material and having discharge ends in alignment with each other but on opposite sides of the frame, said metering means dividing the material coming off each of the ends of the conveyor belt means into individual metered portions;

a pair of plenum chambers mounted on opposite sides of the frame and comprising tubular housings that are elongated in upright direction and the upper ends of said plenum chambers being positioned below the respective ends of the conveyor belt means;

a plurality of separate mixing tubes mounted directly onto said plenum chambers, respectively, and positioned in vertically spaced direction on the plenum chambers, said mixing tubes having axes extending generally laterally from the plenum chambers;

means to provide fluid under pressure to each of the plenums to thereby provide a flow through the mixing tubes; and

a plurality of conduits, said metering means including means for coupling each of the individual metered portions into one conduit, each of said conduits being connected to a separate one of said mixing tubes, respectively, whereby the material being metered falls under gravity from the ends of the conveyor belt to the respective separate mixing tube.

11. The air distribution apparatus of claim 10 and a storage container mounted relative to said conveyor belt means, auger means for conveying said material from said storage conveyor to said metering means, and for depositing material on the conveyor belt means for conveying to the portions of the metering means for dividing the material into individual portions.

12. The apparatus as specified in claim 11 and a boom assembly having a plurality of boom tubes corresponding in positioning to the plurality of mixing tubes, and means to support the boom tubes on opposite sides of the frame in positions so that the boom tubes form a continuation of the mixing tubes for distribution of the particulate material.