High accuracy automatically controlled variable linear seed spacing planting apparatus
First Claim
1. A control system for a mobile planting permitting discrete plant spacing to be determined and maintained independent of any wheel rotation on said planting apparatus or any towing apparatus, comprising;
- (A) a ground speed sensor wherein the rate of movement relative to the ground is determined independent of wheel rotation of said planting apparatus or of wheel rotation of any towing apparatus, wherein said ground speed sensor is a Doppler effect radar;
(B) an input display device for inputting desired linear planting spacing;
(C) a variation speed motor for mechanically driving seed metering devices on said planting apparatus at varying rates independent of any wheel rotation of said planting apparatus or of said towing apparatus, wherein said variable speed motor is capable of changing speeds directly or indirectly in response to an electronic signal; and
(D) a programmable control circuit which communicates electronically with said input/display device, and with said ground speed sensor, wherein said programmable control circuit;
(i) determines the discrete number of seeds to be dispensed by said seed metering devices per linear unit of distance traveled by said planting apparatus based upon the desired linear plant spacing received from the input/display device;
(ii) determines directly or indirectly the number of units of distance traveled by the planting apparatus based upon electronic communications received form said ground speed sensor; and
(iii) determines the rate at which said variable speed motor should operate in order to cause said seed metering devices to dispense seeds to achieve said desired linear plant spacing per linear unit of distance traveled by said planting apparatus, and further determines and sends an electronic signal in order to directly or indirectly cause the rate of said variable speed motor to vary in order to correspond to said determined rate at which said variable speed motor is to operate in order to cause said seed metering devices to dispense seeds in order to achieve said desired linear planting spacing;
wherein, interposed between said ground speed sensor and said programmable control circuit, and in electronic communication with both, is a signal conditioning circuit.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for a mobile planting apparatus which permits discrete plant spacing to be determined and maintained independent of any wheel rotation on the planting apparatus or towing apparatus is disclosed, having: (1) a ground speed sensor wherein the rate of movement relative to the ground is determined independent of wheel rotation of the planting apparatus or towing apparatus; (2) an input/display device for inputting desired linear plant spacing; (3) a variable speed motor for mechanically driving seed metering devices on the planting apparatus at varying rates independent of any wheel rotation of the planting apparatus or towing apparatus, wherein the motor changes speeds in response to an electronic signal; (4) a programmable control circuit communicating electronically with the input/display device and ground speed sensor, wherein the programmable control circuit: (a) determines the number of seeds to be dispensed per linear unit of distance traveled based upon the desired spacing received from the input/display device; (b) determines the number of linear units of distance traveled based upon electronic signals from the ground speed sensor; and (c) determines the rate at which the variable speed motor should operate in order to dispense seeds to achieve the desired linear plant spacing, and sends an electronic signal to the variable speed motor to cause the motor to operate at the rate necessary to cause the seed metering devices to dispense seeds so as to achieve the desired linear plant spacing.
71 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A control system for a mobile planting permitting discrete plant spacing to be determined and maintained independent of any wheel rotation on said planting apparatus or any towing apparatus, comprising;
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(A) a ground speed sensor wherein the rate of movement relative to the ground is determined independent of wheel rotation of said planting apparatus or of wheel rotation of any towing apparatus, wherein said ground speed sensor is a Doppler effect radar; (B) an input display device for inputting desired linear planting spacing; (C) a variation speed motor for mechanically driving seed metering devices on said planting apparatus at varying rates independent of any wheel rotation of said planting apparatus or of said towing apparatus, wherein said variable speed motor is capable of changing speeds directly or indirectly in response to an electronic signal; and (D) a programmable control circuit which communicates electronically with said input/display device, and with said ground speed sensor, wherein said programmable control circuit; (i) determines the discrete number of seeds to be dispensed by said seed metering devices per linear unit of distance traveled by said planting apparatus based upon the desired linear plant spacing received from the input/display device; (ii) determines directly or indirectly the number of units of distance traveled by the planting apparatus based upon electronic communications received form said ground speed sensor; and (iii) determines the rate at which said variable speed motor should operate in order to cause said seed metering devices to dispense seeds to achieve said desired linear plant spacing per linear unit of distance traveled by said planting apparatus, and further determines and sends an electronic signal in order to directly or indirectly cause the rate of said variable speed motor to vary in order to correspond to said determined rate at which said variable speed motor is to operate in order to cause said seed metering devices to dispense seeds in order to achieve said desired linear planting spacing;
wherein, interposed between said ground speed sensor and said programmable control circuit, and in electronic communication with both, is a signal conditioning circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A mobile planting apparatus for planting discrete number of seeds per unit of distance traveled independent of any wheel rotation of said planting apparatus, or of any towing apparatus, comprising:
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(A) a frame; (B) one or more seed dispensers mounted on said frame, wherein said seed dispensers further comprise seed metering devices; (C) a ground speed sensor wherein ground speed is determined independent of any wheel rotation of said planting apparatus or of any wheel rotation of any towing apparatus, wherein said ground speed sensor is a Doppler effect radar; (D) a variable speed motor mechanically connected to said seed dispensers, and capable of driving said seed metering devices at varying rates, wherein, as the motor drives the seed metering devices at faster rate, the discrete number of seeds dispensed by the seed metering devices per unit of time is increased, and wherein said variable speed motor changes speeds directly or indirectly in response to an electronic signal; (E) an input/display device for inputting desired linear plant spacing; (F) a programmable control circuit which communicates electronically with said input/display device, and said ground speed sensor, wherein said programmable control circuit; (i) determines the discrete number of seeds to be dispensed by said seed metering devices per linear unit of distance traveled by said planting apparatus based upon the desired linear planting spacing electronic communication received from the input/display device; (ii) determines directly or indirectly the number of units of distance traveled by the planting apparatus based upon electronic communication received from said ground speed sensor; and (iii) determiners the rate at which said variable speed motor should operate in order to cause said seed metering devices to dispense seeds in order to achieve said desired linear plant spacing per linear unit of distance traveled by said planting apparatus, and further determines and sends an electronic signal in order to directly or indirectly cause the rate of said variable speed motor to vary in order to correspond to said determined rate at which said variable speed motor is to operate in order to cause said seed metering devices to dispense seeds in order to achieve said desired linear plant spacing;
wherein, interposed between said ground speed sensor and said programmable control circuit, and in electronic communication with both, is a signal conditioning circuit. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification