Load fill sensor system for grain trailers
First Claim
1. Fill level sensing system for particulate material containment apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of linear arrays of sensors adapted for vertical attachment at laterally-spaced intervals on at least one interior sidewall of the containment apparatus, each of such linear arrays comprising a plurality of regularly, longitudinally spaced sensing transducers with signal conducting paths leading from each sensing transducer to output terminals at one end of the linear array;
(b) a signal relaying module mountable to the containment apparatus and connected to the output terminals of the plurality of linear arrays and including a wireless transmitter; and
(c) a computer and graphics display terminal remotely located from the transmitter of the signal relaying module and including a wireless receiver for receiving data from the transmitter of the signal relaying module, the computer programmed to present a graphics display image on the display terminal of the level that particulate material has reached along a predetermined dimension of the containment apparatus as particulate material is being loaded therein.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for remotely indicating the level of grain being loaded into a grain trailer. Plural vertically oriented sensing strips are affixed to a trailer'"'"'s hopper(s) sidewall of the trailer'"'"'s hopper(s) at spaced locations. Signals from transducer elements on the strips are delivered to an electronics module on the trailer'"'"'s forward wall. The electronics module includes a multiplexer for sampling the state of the strip transducers and a wireless transmitter for relaying the state data to a receiver and microprocessor in the cab of a towing vehicle. The microprocessor presents a visual display of height reached by the grain in a hopper as loading continues. Following system calibration where a pixel count of the load being displayed and a measured net weight of the load are determined using a scale, a calibration factor corresponding to the weight-per-pixel is stored for use in computing the weight and volume of subsequent loads.
33 Citations
25 Claims
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1. Fill level sensing system for particulate material containment apparatus comprising:
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(a) a plurality of linear arrays of sensors adapted for vertical attachment at laterally-spaced intervals on at least one interior sidewall of the containment apparatus, each of such linear arrays comprising a plurality of regularly, longitudinally spaced sensing transducers with signal conducting paths leading from each sensing transducer to output terminals at one end of the linear array; (b) a signal relaying module mountable to the containment apparatus and connected to the output terminals of the plurality of linear arrays and including a wireless transmitter; and (c) a computer and graphics display terminal remotely located from the transmitter of the signal relaying module and including a wireless receiver for receiving data from the transmitter of the signal relaying module, the computer programmed to present a graphics display image on the display terminal of the level that particulate material has reached along a predetermined dimension of the containment apparatus as particulate material is being loaded therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A load sensing system for grain trailers having plural hopper compartments, each such hopper compartment having vertical upper sidewall portions contiguous with inwardly and downwardly sloping bottom portions, the sidewalls meeting inwardly and downwardly sloping end walls at opposed ends of the sidewalls, the load sensing system comprising:
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(a) a plurality of vertically oriented, elongated sensing strips adapted to be attached at laterally spaced intervals on interior sidewalls in each of the plural hopper compartments, each of said sensing strips having a plurality of regularly spaced sensing transducers with signal conducting paths leading from individual ones of the sensing transducers to output terminals at one end of the sensing strip; (b) a signal relaying module adapted to be mounted on the grain trailer and electrically coupled to the output terminals of the plurality of sensing strips, said signal relaying module including a wireless transmitter; and (c) a computer terminal having a graphics display remotely located with respect to the signal relaying module and including a wireless receiver for receiving data from the signal relaying module, the computer terminal being programmed to present a graphics image on the display indicative of the level of grain in the plural hopper compartments as grain is being loaded into ones of the plural hopper compartments. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification