Implement for adjustably metering an agricultural field input according to different frame sections

• US 9,894,829 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Raven Industries Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Shivak, Stanislaus Montgomery
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US14/727,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20150257331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 111118, 111130, 239 63, 239 76, 239155, 239159, 239170, 239172, 239176, 239548, 239550, 239551, 239566, 239146, 239147, 239163, 239164, 239565, 239562, 239556, 239557, 700231, 700240, 700241, 700242, 700244, 700282, 700283, 700284, 701 50
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/007 Metering or regulating systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/042 Adding fertiliser to watering systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/04 Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/042 using pneumatic means
• 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: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1681 with a selecting mechanism comprising a gate valve, sliding valve or cock and a lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/169 having three or more selectively effective outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0406 with several pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0423 for supplying liquid or other fluent material to several spraying apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/003 using interconnected flow control elements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0605 specially adapted for solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0641 using a plurality of throttling means G05D7/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0652 the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0664 the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a plurality of diverging flows from a single flow G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13

Abstract

A metering device for an agricultural implement to apply a field input, for example, pneumatically delivered granular product including seed or fertilizer, to an agricultural field. the rate of application of dispensers of one section of the implement can be collectively varied in relation to the rate of application of the dispensers of a different section of the implement frame.

Claims

1. A seeder system for applying a granular input product to an agricultural field at variable rates between sections comprising:

a product supply configured for storing the granular input product;

a plurality of product dispensers, each of the product dispensers of the plurality of product dispensers at respective sections of a plurality of sections of the seeder system;

a plurality of pneumatic lines configured to convey input product therethrough, each of the plurality of pneumatic lines are associated with the respective sections, and each of the plurality of pneumatic lines extends between at least the product supply and at least one product dispenser associated with the respective sections; and

a metering system including;

a plurality of metering wheels in communication with the product supply, each metering wheel of the plurality of metering wheels associated with the respective sections of the plurality of sections,

a controller configured to independently control the rates of rotation of each metering wheel of the plurality of metering wheels relative to the rates of rotation of the other metering wheels, and

wherein each metering wheel is configured to introduce the granular input product to respective pneumatic lines of the plurality of pneumatic lines according to the independently controlled rates of rotation, and each of the product dispensers is configured to dispense the granular input product at the respective sections according to the independently controlled rates of rotation.

2. The seeder system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a speed input for each respective section, the rates of rotation of each metering wheel are independently controlled according to each respective speed input.

3. The seeder system of claim 1, wherein the rate of rotation of each metering wheel includes one of the following:

no rotation, a maximum rate or rotation, or a plurality of rates of rotation therebetween.

4. The seeder system of claim 1, wherein the product supply includes a plurality of hopper bottoms, each hopper bottom is associated with one or more respective sections and separate from other hopper bottoms.

5. The seeder system of claim 4, wherein each metering wheel of the plurality of metering wheels is located within respective hopper bottoms of the plurality of hopper bottoms to introduce input product from the respective hopper bottoms to the pneumatic line of each of the respective sections.

6. The seeder system of claim 1, wherein each section of the plurality of sections includes a frame section, each frame section is non-overlapping with adjacent frame sections across a lateral width of the frame sections and each frame section includes a plurality of product dispensers.

7. The seeder system of claim 1, wherein the seeder system is an air seeder system and at least one section includes a plurality of respective product dispensers, the pneumatic line includes a pneumatic main line coupled between the respective metering wheel and a manifold, a plurality of pneumatic conveying lines are coupled between the manifold and the plurality of respective product dispensers.

8. The seeder system of claim 1, wherein the each section includes one product dispenser.

9. An air seeder system comprising:

at least one product supply configured for storing granular input product;

a plurality of sections including at least first and second sections;

the first section includes a first metering wheel, a first pneumatic line, and a first product dispenser, wherein the first pneumatic line extends at least between the first product dispenser and the at least one product supply, and the first metering wheel is in communication with the at least one product supply, wherein the first metering wheel is configured to introduce granular input product to the first pneumatic line and dispense granular input product through the first product dispenser according to a first variable rate of rotation of the first metering wheel, and

the second section includes a second metering wheel, a second pneumatic line, and a second product dispenser, wherein the second pneumatic line extends at least between the second product dispenser and the at least one product supply, and the second metering wheel is in communication with the at least one product supply, wherein the second metering wheel is configured to introduce granular input product to the second pneumatic line and dispense granular input product through the second product dispenser according to a second variable rate of rotation of the second metering wheel; and

a controller configured to independently control at least the first and second variable rates of rotation of the first and second metering wheels, respectively, and the first and second product dispensers are configured to dispense the granular input product according to the independently controlled first and second variable rates of rotation.

10. The air seeder system of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a speed input for each respective section, the first and second variable rates of rotation of each metering wheel are independently controlled according to each respective speed input.

11. The air seeder system of claim 9, wherein the independently controlled first and second variable rates of rotation of each metering wheel includes one of the following:

no rotation, a maximum rate or rotation, or a plurality of rates of rotation therebetween.

12. The air seeder system of claim 9, wherein the at least one product supply includes a first hopper bottom and a second hopper bottom, the first hopper bottom associated with the first section and the second hopper bottom associated with the second section.

13. The air seeder system of claim 12, wherein the first metering wheel introduces input product from the first hopper bottom to the first pneumatic line and the second metering wheel introduces input product from the second hopper bottom to the second pneumatic line.

14. The air seeder system of claim 9, wherein at least the first section includes a plurality of product dispensers.

15. The air seeder system of claim 14, further comprising at least one manifold and a plurality of pneumatic conveying lines, the pneumatic line includes a first pneumatic main line coupled between the first metering wheel and the manifold, each pneumatic conveying line is coupled between the manifold and the plurality of product dispensers.

16. The air seeder system of claim 9, wherein each section includes one product dispenser.

17. A method of dispensing granular input product from an implement, the method comprising:

dispensing the granular input product from a plurality of sections, the granular input product dispensed at independent dispensation rates at each of the sections of the plurality of sections;

wherein dispensing the granular input product at the independent dispensation rate at each respective section of the plurality of sections includes;

determining a rate of rotation of a metering wheel of the respective section, the rate of rotation corresponding to the independent dispensation rate,

rotating the metering wheel at the selected rate of rotation to introduce the granular input product to a pneumatic line from a product supply, and

conveying the granular input product through the pneumatic line to one or more product dispensers according to the independent dispensation rate and corresponding rate of rotation of the metering wheel; and

repeating dispensing the granular input product at the independent dispensation rate for each metering wheel of a plurality of metering wheels, the rate of rotation of each metering wheel is independent of the rates of rotation of the other metering wheels.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the rate of rotation of the metering wheel and rotating the metering wheel at the selected rate of rotation for each respective section are independently controlled by a controller.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the rate of rotation of the metering wheel includes providing a speed input for each respective section, the rates of rotation of each metering wheel corresponds to each respective speed input.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the speed input for each respective section includes providing a speed input of one of the following:

no rotation, a maximum rate or rotation, or a plurality of rates of rotation therebetween.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein introducing input product to the pneumatic line includes conveying granular input product from the product supply through one or more hopper bottoms to each of the pneumatic lines according to the independent rate of rotation of each metering wheel, each hopper bottom is associated with a respective pneumatic line.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein introducing granular input product to the pneumatic main line includes dispensing input product through a plurality of product dispensers.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein introducing granular input product to the pneumatic line includes introducing granular input product to a pneumatic main line and a plurality pneumatic conveying lines in communication with the pneumatic main line, each of the pneumatic conveying lines is associated with a respective product dispenser of the plurality of product dispensers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein introducing granular input product to the pneumatic main line further comprises introducing granular input product to at least one manifold coupled between the pneumatic main line and the plurality of product dispensers, the plurality of pneumatic conveying lines couples the manifold to each of the respective product dispensers.