Agricultural system

• US 9,723,778 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Original Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Inventors: Bassett, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US14/858,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20160128265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/06 Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/00 Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium F16F5/00 takes precedence; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; braking devices, stops or buffers for wing-operating appliances E05F3/00, E05F5/00

Abstract

A hydraulic control system for controlling the down force on an agricultural implement comprises a hydraulic cylinder containing a movable ram, a source of pressurized fluid coupled to the hydraulic cylinder on a first side of the ram by a first controllable valve, a fluid sump coupled to the hydraulic cylinder on the first side of the ram by a second controllable valve, and an electrical controller coupled to the valves for opening and closing the valves. The valves may be self-latching valves that remain in an open or closed position until moved to the other position in response to a signal from the controller.

Claims

1. A hydraulic control system for controlling the down force on an agricultural implement, comprising

a hydraulic cylinder containing a movable ram,

a source of pressurized fluid coupled to said hydraulic cylinder on a first side of said movable ram by a first controllable valve,

a fluid sump coupled to said hydraulic cylinder on said first side of said movable ram by a second controllable valve,

an electrical controller coupled to said first and second controllable valves for opening and closing said first and second controllable valves,

a pair of energy storage devices coupled to said hydraulic cylinder on opposite sides of said movable ram, and

a check valve coupling said hydraulic cylinder to said energy storage device.

2. The hydraulic control system of claim 1 which includes a second check valve coupling said hydraulic cylinder to said first and second controllable valves.

3. A hydraulic control system for controlling the down force on an agricultural implement, comprising

a hydraulic cylinder containing a movable ram,

a source of pressurized fluid coupled to said hydraulic cylinder on a first side of said movable ram by a first controllable valve,

a fluid sump coupled to said hydraulic cylinder on said first side of said movable ram by a second controllable valve, and

an electrical controller coupled to said first and second controllable valves for opening and closing said first and second controllable valves,

a pressure transducer coupled to said hydraulic cylinder on one side of said movable ram,

a down pressure controller for controlling the down pressure on at least a portion of the implement, and

a load sensor comprising

a mechanical element mounted for movement in response to the downward force applied to the implement,

a fluid-containing device containing a movable element coupled to said mechanical element for changing the fluid pressure in response to the movement of said mechanical element, and

a transducer coupled to said fluid-containing device for producing an output signal in response to changes in said fluid pressure.

4. The hydraulic control system of claim 3 which includes an energy storage device coupled to said fluid-containing device for receiving a limited amount of fluid in response to changes in said fluid pressure to damp pressure spikes in the output signal of said transducer.

5. The hydraulic control system of claim 4 in which said energy storage device is an accumulator receiving pressurized fluid from said fluid-containing device, said accumulator containing a movable element responsive to the pressure of the fluid received from said fluid-containing device.