Method for dispensing dry granular materials

• US 5,737,221 A
• Filed: 03/20/1997
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMVAC Chemical Corporation (American Vanguard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Co. (Flowserve Corporation)
• Inventors: Newton, Cloyce Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, COLLIN
• Application Number:
  US08/821,591
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.07, 364/479, 364/479.11, 364/479.12, 364/479.13, 221/92, 221/123, 221/124, 222/129
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/105 Seed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 21/043 by chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 9/0007 Pneumatic dusters electrostatic spraying apparatus B05B5/00; single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use B05B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 9/0069 Gravity dusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 9/0092 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06

Abstract

A material dispensing system for agricultural pesticides and chemicals. The system uses distributed processing with a main controller and a plurality of sub-controllers to control pesticide metering devices. The metering devices are attached to a pesticide container.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing dry granular material from a moving agricultural implement, said implement having a main control unit and a plurality of sub-controllers, one for each of a plurality of dispensing mechanisms, each for dispensing dry granular material directly to a crop row, comprising the steps of:

determining a desired dispensing rate;

generating command data consistent with the desired dispensing rate to control the actuation of a metering device in each said dispensing mechanism to dispense said dry granular material directly to said crop row;

measuring the ground speed of the agricultural implement;

modifying the command data to account for the ground speed at each dispensing mechanism;

receiving stored calibration data for each said metering device from an electronic storage device;

further modifying the modified command data to account for the calibration data of each said metering device; and

actuating the metering device in response to the further modified command data.

2. The method, according to claim 1, for dispensing dry granular material, wherein the step of determining a desired dispensing rate comprises:

receiving material data from the electronic storage device, the material data including information pertaining to type of material being dispensed, permissible uses of said material, and permissible dispensing rates; and

selecting a desired dispensing rate from said permissible dispensing rates.

3. The method according to claim 1, for dispensing dry granular material, further comprising:

recording usage data in the electronic storage device, said usage data being retained for later retrieval and downloading for use in preparation of environmental reports, the usage data including quantity of material dispensed.

4. The method according to claim 1, for dispensing dry granular material, further comprising:

monitoring the flow of material from each of said plurality of metering devices; and

generating an alarm upon the cessation of flow from any of said plurality of metering devices.