# US 2021/0239503 A1 · Modular Meter System For A Dry Product Applicator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0239503 A1 - Document ID: US20210239503A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/780,331 - Filed: 2020-02-03 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-03 - Assignees: CNH Industrial America LLC - Applicants: CNH Industrial America LLC - Inventors: Rex L. Ruppert; Nicholas R. Pederson; Jeffrey S. Martin; John P. Honermann; John P. Kennedy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239503A1 ## CPC - A01C 7/124: {with top delivery of the seeds} - G01F 11/261: {for fluent solid material} - A01C 15/005: {Undercarriages, tanks, hoppers, stirrers specially adapted for seeders or fertiliser distributors} - G01F 11/24: for fluent solid material - A01C 15/04: using blowers - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME ## Abstract A meter wheel system for a dry agricultural product applicator can include a bank of meter assemblies made from modular meter units. In one aspect, each meter assembly in the bank can be made from modular meter units. The modular meter units can be connected in a stacked configuration to provide a specific overall length to achieve a corresponding flow rate and then banked together to form the system. A bank of meter assemblies made from modular meter units can be secured between top and bottom plates. The plates can be bolted to each other and have receptacles that receive protrusions from top and bottom surfaces of the meter assemblies. Lengths of meter assemblies can be picked based on particular delivery rates for the section it feeds. An overall length of each meter assembly can be a multiple of a length of the modular meter unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A metering bank for distributing particulate material from an applicator, the metering bank comprising: a plurality of modular meter assemblies connected to one another along a longitudinal axis, each modular meter assembly comprising a meter housing and a meter wheel, each meter housing comprising a frame having a plurality of frame openings, the plurality of frame openings including first and second frame openings arranged on first and second sides of the frame, respectively, the first and second sides being opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first and second frame openings being configured to provide an inlet and an outlet, respectively, relative to the meter wheel; a rotatable shaft arranged through the plurality of modular meter assemblies along the longitudinal axis, the rotatable shaft being configured to rotate the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly; and an end cap attached to a first modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the end cap being configured to retain the rotatable shaft relative to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The metering bank of claim 1, further comprising a support element arranged in each modular meter assembly, the support element being contained between the meter housing and the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The metering bank of claim 2, wherein the tubular sleeve further includes a locking element configured to prevent rotation of the sleeve relative to the plurality of modular meter assemblies. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The metering bank of claim 3, wherein the locking element prevents the rotation by engaging the end cap. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The metering bank of claim 4, wherein the locking element comprises a slot on a circumference of a first end of the sleeve, the end plate comprises a protrusion extending normal to the end cap, and the slot engages the protrusion to prevent the rotation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The metering bank of claim 5, wherein the protrusion is curved so as to engage a slot of the tubular sleeve that is curved. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The metering bank of claim 1, wherein each modular meter assembly further comprises a support element between the meter housing and the meter wheel, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve having first and second sleeve openings arranged on opposing sides of one another along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, the first and second sleeve openings corresponding to first and second frame openings of the modular meter assembly to provide the inlet and the outlet, respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The support element of claim 7, wherein the tubular sleeve is less than 5 inches in length along the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The metering bank of claim 1, further comprising a support element contained in the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve having a plurality of sleeve openings, the plurality of sleeve openings comprising a plurality of first and second sleeve openings arranged on opposing sides of one another along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, each of the first and second sleeve openings corresponding to first and second frame openings of a modular meter assembly to provide an inlet and the outlet, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The support element of claim 9, wherein the tubular sleeve is at least 16 inches in length along the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The metering bank of claim 1, wherein each frame comprises an interconnection system provided symmetrically on opposing sides of the frame, the interconnection system being configured to allow the frame to attach to other frames on the opposing sides. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The metering bank of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular meter assemblies further comprises a spacer between each modular meter assembly, each spacer being configured to confine particulate material received through an inlet of a given modular meter assembly to the given modular meter assembly. ### Claim 13 A method for distributing particulate material from a metering bank, the method comprising: providing a plurality of modular meter assemblies connected to one another along a longitudinal axis, each modular meter assembly comprising a meter housing and a meter wheel, each meter housing comprising a frame having a plurality of frame openings, the plurality of frame openings including first and second frame openings arranged on first and second sides of the frame, respectively, the first and second sides being opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first and second frame openings being configured to provide an inlet and an outlet, respectively, relative to the meter wheel; providing a rotatable shaft arranged through the plurality of modular meter assemblies along the longitudinal axis, the rotatable shaft being configured to rotate the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly; and providing an end cap attached to a first modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the end cap being configured to retain the rotatable shaft relative to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method bank of claim 13, further comprising providing a support element arranged in each modular meter assembly, the support element being contained between the meter housing and the meter wheel of each modular mete assembly, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve. ### Claim 15 An agricultural application implement comprising: a plurality of wheels supporting a frame supporting: a metering section comprising a plurality of metering banks, each metering bank comprising a plurality of modular meter assemblies connected to one another along a longitudinal axis, each modular meter assembly comprising a meter housing and a meter wheel, each meter housing comprising a frame having a plurality of frame openings, the plurality of frame openings including first and second frame openings arranged on first and second sides of the frame, respectively, the first and second sides being opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first and second frame openings being configured to provide an inlet and an outlet, respectively, relative to the meter wheel; a rotatable shaft arranged through the plurality of modular meter assemblies along the longitudinal axis, the rotatable shaft being configured to rotate the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly; and an end cap attached to a first modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the end cap being configured to retain the rotatable shaft relative to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The implement of claim 15, further comprising a support element arranged in each modular meter assembly, the support element being contained between the meter housing and the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The implement of claim 16, wherein the tubular sleeve further includes a locking element configured to prevent rotation of the sleeve relative to the plurality of modular meter assemblies. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The implement of claim 17, wherein the locking element prevents the rotation by engaging the end cap.