Flow control for agricultural implement pneumatic system
AssigneeCNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
InventorsStewart J. Millie, Andrew J. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural air seeder planting unit incorporates control valves that split flow and change direction from supply to distribution hoses. The flow area of the control valves is automatically adjusted pneumatically by movement of a piston in response to total pressure to provide a uniform velocity flow from each of the control valves.
Claims20
A pneumatic flow system for an agricultural implement, said pneumatic flow system comprising:
- a source of pressurized air;
- a system of hoses connected to said pressurized air source for distributing air to a plurality of delivery outlets, said system of hoses having at least one junction for splitting and changing air flow direction into at least a pair of flow paths to said delivery outlets;
- a control valve at said at least one junction fluidly connected to said system of hoses and displaceable to vary a flow area to said at least a pair of flow paths to said delivery outlets;
- a sensor for detecting pressure in said system of hoses immediately upstream of said control valve and generating a signal;
- and,
- a device receiving the signal from said sensor for displacing said control valve to a preselected flow area.
A pneumatic flow control system comprising:
- a source of pressurized air;
- a supply hose receiving pressurized air from said pressurized air source;
- a control valve fluidly interposed in said hose and having a valve element displaceable toward said pressurized air source to reduce a flow area between the upstream and downstream side of said control valve;
- a sensor positioned on said displaceable valve element to measure total pressure of the air from said source of pressurized air and generate a signal;
- and
- a device receiving the signal from said sensor for displacing said valve element to a pre-selected flow area as a function of the total pressure of the air from said supply hose.
An agricultural implement for planting seeds in a moveable in a given direction for planting seeds in a field, said row crop planter comprising:
- a frame;
- a seed hopper mounted on said frame;
- a tool bar assembly supported by said frame and extending laterally relative to the direction of movement of said row crop planter;
- a plurality of planting units mounted on and spaced from one another along said tool bar assembly;
- a unit connected to and receiving material from said seed unit for metering material and conveying it in a pressurized air stream via sectional control;
- at least one hose connected to said metering and conveying unit for receiving material;
- a junction connected to said at least one hose for changing direction of flow and having a plurality of delivery outlets;
- hoses connecting each said plurality of delivery outlets to a corresponding planting unit;
- a control valve at said junction displaceable to vary a flow area to said plurality of delivery outlets;
- a sensor for detecting total air pressure in said at least one hose immediately upstream of said control valve and generating a signal;
- and,
- a device receiving the signal from said sensor for displacing said control valve to a pre-selected flow area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.