# US 11,297,763 B2 · Agitation and leveling system for particulate material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,297,763 B2 - Document ID: US11297763B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/265,558 - Filed: 2019-02-01 - Published: 2020-08-06 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-01 - Assignees: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd. - Applicants: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd. - Inventors: Ryan D. Collins; Jared S. Wright - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297763B2 ## CPC - A01C 19/00: Arrangements for driving working parts of fertilisers or seeders {(A01C17/005 takes precedence)} - A01C 7/102: {Regulating or controlling the seed rate} - A01C 7/107: {Calibration of the seed rate} - A01C 15/007: {with agitators in the hopper} - B01F 27/1121: pin-shaped - B01F 27/1142: of the corkscrew type - B01F 27/1145: ribbon shaped with an open space between the helical ribbon flight and the rotating axis - B01F 27/1921: {comprising helical elements and paddles} - B01F 27/72: with helices or sections of helices - B01F 35/2112: {Level of material in a container or the position or shape of the upper surface of the material} - B01F 35/2117: {Weight} - B01F 35/2209: {Controlling the mixing process as a whole, i.e. involving a complete monitoring and controlling of the mixing process during the whole mixing cycle} - B01F 35/2212: {Level of the material in the mixer} - B01F 35/221422: {Speed of rotation of the mixing axis, stirrer or receptacle during the operation} - A01C 7/081: {Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means} - B01F 35/332: {alternately changing the direction of rotation} - B01F 2101/09: Mixing of cereals, grains or seeds materials - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) ## Abstract A particulate material agitation and leveling system includes a controller having a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a sensor signal indicative of a measured weight distribution of a particulate material within a storage tank of an agricultural system, determine whether a determined variation between the measured weight distribution and a target weight distribution is greater than a threshold variation, and control an agitator to decrease the determined variation in response to determining that the determined variation is greater than the threshold variation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A particulate material agitation and leveling system, comprising: a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to: receive at least one sensor signal indicative of a measured weight distribution of a particulate material within a storage tank of an agricultural system; determine whether a determined variation between the measured weight distribution and a target weight distribution is greater than a threshold variation; and control an agitator to decrease the determined variation in response to determining that the determined variation is greater than the threshold variation, wherein the agitator is configured to be positioned between the storage tank and a metering system of the agricultural system along a vertical axis of the agricultural system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor signal indicative of the measured weight distribution comprises a plurality of signals indicative of measured weights, wherein the controller is configured to determine the measured weight distribution based on the plurality of signals indicative of the measured weights and respective locations of a plurality of sensors configured to output the plurality of signals indicative of the measured weights. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 2, comprising the plurality of sensors configured to output the plurality of signals indicative of the measured weights of the particulate material within the storage tank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 2, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a weight of the particulate material at a location along the storage tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 4, wherein the location along the storage tank comprises a side of the storage tank, a corner of the storage tank, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the target weight distribution based on a user input, an initial measured weight distribution, a type of the particulate material, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 1, comprising a drive system coupled to the agitator, wherein the controller is configured to output a control signal to the drive system to control the agitator. ### Claim 8 A particulate material agitation and leveling system, comprising: a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to: receive at least one sensor signal indicative of a measured weight of a particulate material within a storage tank of an agricultural system; select an operating mode of an agitator from an agitation mode and a leveling mode based on the measured weight, wherein the agitator is configured to be positioned between the storage tank and a metering system of the agricultural system along a vertical axis of the agricultural system; and operate the agitator based on the operating mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to: receive at least one sensor signal indicative of an initial measured weight of the particulate material within the storage tank; and determine a threshold weight based on the initial measured weight. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 9, wherein selecting the operating mode is based on the measured weight and the threshold weight. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to select the agitation mode in response to the measured weight being greater than or equal to the threshold weight. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to select the leveling mode in response to the measured weight being less than the threshold weight. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 8, comprising the agitator and a drive system coupled to and configured to rotate the agitator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 13, wherein the controller, while the agitation mode is selected, is configured to operate the agitator by instructing the drive system to rotate the agitator in a first direction and then in a second direction, opposite of the first direction, to agitate the particulate material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 13, wherein the controller, while the leveling mode is selected, is configured to operate the agitator by instructing the drive system to rotate the agitator in a first direction and then in a second direction, opposite of the first direction, to level the particulate material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 8, comprising at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to output the at least one sensor signal indicative of the measured weight of the particulate material within the storage tank. ### Claim 17 A particulate material agitation and leveling system, comprising: an agitator configured to be positioned between a storage tank of an agricultural system and a metering system of the agricultural system along a vertical axis of the agricultural system; a drive system coupled to and configured to rotate the agitator; a sensor configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a measured weight of particulate material within a storage tank configured to feed the particulate material through the agitator; and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to: receive the sensor signal indicative of the measured weight of the particulate material; select an operating mode of the agitator from an agitation mode and a leveling mode based on the measured weight; and operate the drive system based on the operating mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to: receive a sensor signal indicative of an initial measured weight of the particulate material within the storage tank; and determine a threshold weight based on the initial measured weight, wherein selecting the operating mode is based on the measured weight and the threshold weight. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a measured weight distribution based on the sensor signal indicative of the measured weight of the particulate material; determine whether a determined variation between the measured weight distribution and a target weight distribution is greater than a threshold variation; and select the leveling mode in response to determining that the determined variation is greater than the threshold variation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The particulate material agitation and leveling system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to: select a direction of rotation of the agitator based on the measured weight distribution; and operate the drive system based on the selected direction of rotation of the agitator.