Baffle retention channel for an inductor box of an agricultural implement

• US 9,089,088 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Chad M., Connors, Michael J., Prickel, Marvin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US13/737,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20140190378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 111/174, 111/175, 111/170, 111/200, 111/77, 406/184, 406/188, 406/190, 406/191, 406/125, 406/145, 221/211, 285/140.1, 285/210, 285/901, 222/563
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/082 Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/084 Pneumatic distribution heads for seeders
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/46 Gates or sluices, e.g. rotary wheels

Abstract

An agricultural product distribution system is presented includes an inductor box configured to receive agricultural product and conveyed air to combine the conveyed air and the agricultural product. The conveyed air is configured to direct the agricultural product through ports to multiple distribution units. Moreover the inductor box includes a baffle retention channel configured to receive a removable baffle. Furthermore, the removable baffle includes at least one opening configured to control an amount of conveyed air directed through the ports to the multiple distribution units.

Claims

1. A agricultural product distribution system comprising:

an inductor box configured to receive agricultural product and conveyed air and to combine the conveyed air and the agricultural product, wherein the conveyed air is configured to direct the agricultural product through ports to a plurality of distribution units, the inductor box comprises a baffle retention channel that receives a removable baffle, and the removable baffle comprises at least one opening configured to control an amount of the conveyed air directed through the ports to the plurality of distribution units.

2. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, comprising a tank configured to provide the agricultural product to the inductor box.

3. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, comprising an air supply configured to supply the conveyed air to the inductor box.

4. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, wherein each distribution unit of the plurality of distribution units comprises an agricultural product hopper, a metering device, or some combination thereof.

5. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural product comprises coated seeds.

6. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, wherein the baffle retention channel comprises breaches to enable debris to evacuate the baffle retention channel.

7. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural product comprises corn, soybeans, grain sorghum, sweet corn, popcorn, sunflower, cotton, edible beans, sugar beets, or peanuts.

8. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural product comprises fertilizer, herbicide, or insecticide.

9. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, comprising the removable baffle configured to be inserted into the baffle retention channel.

10. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1, wherein a number of the at least one opening, a size of the at least one opening, or some combination thereof, is selected based at least in part on a type of the agricultural product, a size of the agricultural product, or some combination thereof.

11. An agricultural product distribution system comprising:

a removable baffle selected from a plurality of removable baffles, wherein each removable baffle of the plurality of removable baffles comprises at least one opening and each removable baffle of the plurality of removable baffles has a different baffle configuration than other removable baffles of the plurality of removable baffles; and

an inductor box configured to receive agricultural product and conveyed air and to combine the conveyed air and the agricultural product, wherein the conveyed air is configured to direct the agricultural product through a plurality of ports to a plurality of distribution units, the inductor box comprises a baffle retention channel configured to receive the removable baffle, and the at least one opening is configured to control an amount of conveyed air directed through the plurality of ports to the plurality of distribution units.

12. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, wherein the at least one opening is arranged in the baffle configuration based at least in part according to a distance between the plurality of distribution units and the inductor box.

13. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, wherein an opening size of the at least one opening is selected based at least in part on a size of the agricultural product.

14. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, wherein an number of openings of the at least one opening is selected based at least in part on a size of the agricultural product.

15. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, wherein an aperture size of the at least one opening is at least partially based on a length of an air conduit coupled to the plurality of ports.

16. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, the baffle retention channel comprises:

an upper channel that is configured to receive an upper edge of the removable baffle; and

a lower channel that is configured to receive a lower edge of the removable baffle.

17. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, wherein the removable baffle comprises a plate having the at least one opening.