Air conveying system for filling of air seeder tank

• US 9,919,636 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2017
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Roberge, Martin J., Stuart, Graham Douglas, Hui, Ka Po Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Dillon, Jr., Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US15/657,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20170320422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 406 92, 406106, 406127, 406144, 406183, 414507, 111174
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/003 Bulk fertiliser or grain handling in the field or on the farm
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/006 Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/082 Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/00 Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or self-unloading A01D90/00; peculiar to refuse collecting-vehicles B65F; loading or unloading vehicles by means not incorporated therein B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/60 using fluids, e.g. having direct contact between fluid and load for railway wagons B61D5/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/14 the gas flow inducing feed of the materials by suction effect
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/4633 the element having pockets, rotated from charging position to discharging position, i.e. discrete flow
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/56 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/00 Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries

Abstract

An air cart for distributing air entrained particulate material from a chamber or tank to a plurality of distribution lines for application to an agricultural field has a tank refilling feature utilizing air flow from the cart distribution system or from a dedicated pneumatic source. The cart conveying system air flow is diverted and passed through an assembly containing multiple venturis which also receives particulate material from a supply source. The air entrained material from the source is conveyed to and gently deposited in the cart tank. Exhaust air from the tank may be directed back into the cart conveying system or vented through an air diffuser located beneath the cart. Exhaust air which is directed back to the cart conveying system may return to a location closely adjacent that from which it was originally diverted.

Claims

1. An air cart having a product tank and a pneumatic source for supplying a flow of air entrained agricultural product from a product tank to be applied by a utilization implement to an agricultural field, including:

an elongated conduit having an inlet near one end for occasionally receiving product from a supply source and an outlet near the other end for conveying product to the tank to replenish the product supply in the tank;

a venturi box having an air inlet coupled to the cart pneumatic source and an outlet coupled to the conduit one end at the supply source for providing a region of reduced air pressure to draw product from the supply source into an air flow from the pneumatic source; and

an air flow diverter intermediate the pneumatic source and both the venturi box and the utilization implement normally coupling the pneumatic source and implement, and occasionally directing air flow away from the implement and to the venturi box air inlet.

2. The air cart of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust air return for allowing exhaust air flow from the tank to be diffused through a flow to the implement only when the air flow diverter is directing air flow from the pneumatic source away from the implement.

3. The air cart of claim 1, further comprising an air lock for conveying product from the supply source to the venturi box while preventing significant air flow from the venturi box to the supply source.