Air seeder pneumatic control system
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorAndrew W. Harmon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seeder assembly for placing a commodity in underlying soil, where the seeder has a chassis member with at least one ground engaging mechanism configured to contact an underlying ground, a row unit coupled to the chassis, a third tank coupled to the chassis and to the row unit, a second tank coupled to both the chassis and the third tank, and a first tank coupled to the second tank. The first tank may be a commodity cart. The first tank may have a metering system and a pneumatic distribution system that distributes the material throughout the seeder assembly. The second tank may include one or more sensors and a status indicator. The second tank may calibrate the metering system, using sensors or by using a load cell.
Claims20
A seeder assembly for dispensing product, comprising:
- a chassis having a first end and a second end;
- a row unit coupled to the chassis;
- a first tank configured to contain a product, wherein the first tank is disposed along a flow path;
- a second tank fluidly coupled to the first tank via the flow path, wherein the second tank is configured to receive product from the first tank, the second tank comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, and a screen, the screen permitting air flow while retaining product in the first chamber until a height of the product in the first chamber is at or above the screen;
- a third tank fluidly coupled to the second tank via the flow path, wherein the third tank is configured to receive product from the second tank;
- wherein the row unit is fluidly coupled via the flow path to the third tank;
- wherein the row unit is configured to dispense product that is received from the third tank via the flow path.
A method for distributing product from a seeder assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a first tank, a second tank, a third tank, a row unit, and a fan;
- storing the product in the first tank;
- producing a fluid flow in a flow path between the first tank and the row unit via the fan;
- dispensing product from the first tank into the airflow and to the second tank via the flow path;
- collecting the product in a first chamber of the second tank while air passes through a screen and into a second chamber of the second tank when a height of the product in the first chamber is at or above the screen;
- transferring product from the second tank to the third tank via the flow path;
- sending product from the third tank to the row unit via the flow path;
- and
- releasing product from the row unit to an underlying ground.
A tank for a seeder assembly comprising:
- an inlet and an outlet;
- a first chamber fluidly coupled to the inlet;
- a second chamber fluidly coupled between the first chamber and the outlet;
- and
- a screen with a first end and a second end, the screen being located between the first chamber and the second chamber and the first end thereof being located above the second end;
- wherein the screen partially separates the first chamber from the second chamber and is configured to permit air flow therethrough while retaining product in the first chamber;
- wherein the inlet is located at or above the first end of the screen, and
- wherein the tank is configured such that product collects in the first chamber while air passes through the screen and the product remains in the first chamber until a height of the product in the first chamber is at or above the first end of the screen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.