FILLING AIR SEEDER PRODUCT TANKS
First Claim
1. A transport apparatus for transporting agricultural products to an air seeder, where the air seeder comprises a laterally extending furrow opener implement mounted on wheels for travel in an operating travel direction, and a tank cart towed behind the implement, the tank cart comprising a first tank with a first tank fill opening on a top of the tank cart at a front of the tank cart, and a second tank with a second tank fill opening on the top of the tank cart rearward of the first tank fill opening, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of product containers mounted on a container vehicle, each product container configured to release product contained therein through a container output port;
a vehicle operator'"'"'s station at a forward location on the container vehicle;
a gate on each container output port operative to control flow of the product through the container output port, and a gate control operative to control each gate;
a conveyor system configured to receive product from each container output port and transfer same to a conveyor discharge, wherein the conveyor discharge is movable from a discharge transport position to a discharge operating position;
wherein when in the discharge operating position the conveyor discharge is located lateral to the operator'"'"'s station, and wherein a horizontal distance between a front end of the container vehicle and the conveyor discharge is less than a horizontal distance between a rear side of the furrow opener implement and the first fill opening, such that when the furrow opener implement, the tank cart, and the container vehicle are aligned in the operating travel direction, and the conveyor discharge is oriented to discharge into the first tank fill opening, the container vehicle is lateral to the tank cart and the front end of the container vehicle is rearward of the rear side of the implement.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A agricultural product transport apparatus has a plurality of containers mounted on a vehicle. A gate on each container controls flows out to a conveyor system that receives product from each container and transfers same to a conveyor discharge located beside the operator'"'"'s station. The horizontal distance between a front end of the container vehicle and the conveyor discharge is less than the horizontal distance between a rear side of the furrow opener implement and a front fill opening on the product cart, such that the container vehicle can be driven forward behind the air seeder and the conveyor discharge positioned to discharge into the front tank fill opening while the front end of the container vehicle is rearward of the rear side of the implement. A weighing system connected to a controller allows an operator to control and management of product flow from storage to the field.
4 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A transport apparatus for transporting agricultural products to an air seeder, where the air seeder comprises a laterally extending furrow opener implement mounted on wheels for travel in an operating travel direction, and a tank cart towed behind the implement, the tank cart comprising a first tank with a first tank fill opening on a top of the tank cart at a front of the tank cart, and a second tank with a second tank fill opening on the top of the tank cart rearward of the first tank fill opening, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of product containers mounted on a container vehicle, each product container configured to release product contained therein through a container output port; a vehicle operator'"'"'s station at a forward location on the container vehicle; a gate on each container output port operative to control flow of the product through the container output port, and a gate control operative to control each gate; a conveyor system configured to receive product from each container output port and transfer same to a conveyor discharge, wherein the conveyor discharge is movable from a discharge transport position to a discharge operating position; wherein when in the discharge operating position the conveyor discharge is located lateral to the operator'"'"'s station, and wherein a horizontal distance between a front end of the container vehicle and the conveyor discharge is less than a horizontal distance between a rear side of the furrow opener implement and the first fill opening, such that when the furrow opener implement, the tank cart, and the container vehicle are aligned in the operating travel direction, and the conveyor discharge is oriented to discharge into the first tank fill opening, the container vehicle is lateral to the tank cart and the front end of the container vehicle is rearward of the rear side of the implement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A transport apparatus for transporting agricultural products to an air seeder, where the air seeder comprises a laterally extending furrow opener implement, and a tank cart carrying a plurality of product tanks, each product tank with a tank fill opening on a top of the tank cart, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of product containers mounted on a container vehicle, each product container configured to release product contained therein through a container output port; a gate on each container output port operative to control a flow of product through the container output port, and a gate control operative to control each gate; a conveyor system configured to receive product from each container output port and transfer same to a conveyor discharge; a weighing system operative to determine a weight of agricultural products in the product containers; a microprocessor controller connected to the weighing system and operative to store a weight of the product in each product container and a corresponding indicator of the identity of the product in each product container. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of transferring agricultural products from a storage facility to an air seeder, where the air seeder comprises a tank cart comprising first and second product tanks, and a distribution system for transferring first and second products from the corresponding first and second product tanks to a field during a field seeding operation, the method comprising:
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prior to beginning the field seeding operation, depositing a stored product weight of first and second agricultural products into the storage facility; transferring a quantity of first and second agricultural products from the storage facility to first and second product containers, and moving the product containers to the air seeder; providing a microprocessor controller connected to a weighing system to receive weight information and connected to selectively activate first and second gate actuators; moving the first product container to a discharge position and, with the microprocessor controller, activating the first gate actuator to open a first gate on the first product container such that the first product flows onto a conveyor intake and is transferred by a conveyor system to a conveyor discharge oriented to discharge the first product into the first product tank; with the weighing system, weighing the first product transferred to the first product tank and, with the microprocessor controller, activating the first gate actuator to close the first gate upon the microprocessor controller receiving weight information from the weighing system that a selected weight has been transferred from the first product container to the first product tank, or upon receiving an indication that the first product tank is filled to a full capacity thereof; moving the second product container to the discharge position and, with the microprocessor controller, activating the second gate actuator to open a second gate on the second product container such that the second product flows onto the conveyor intake and is transferred by the conveyor system to the conveyor discharge oriented to discharge the second product into the second product tank; with the weighing system, weighing the second product transferred to the second product tank and, with the microprocessor controller, activating the second gate actuator to close the second gate upon the microprocessor controller receiving weight information from the weighing system that a selected weight has been transferred from the second product container to the second product tank, or upon receiving an indication that the second product tank is filled to a full capacity thereof. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification