Planter height and marker control system

For use with an agricultural planter assembly which includes a frame, a plurality of equally spaced planter units mounted to the frame, and at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, each wheel assembly being pivotally mounted to the frame and including a piston and cylinder mechanism which, when the piston rod thereof is extended, pivots the wheel assembly downwardly to effect raising of the planter units, electrical-hydraulic control means for parallel coupling the piston and cylinder mechanism of the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, and for limiting the retraction of each piston rod of each piston and cylinder mechanism to a predetermined limit less than the full return stroke of the piston rod on the lowering of the planter units thereby to control the height of the planter frame above the ground and thereby to provide limited relative movement of the piston rods of the piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies as the planter assembly traverses uneven ground, the electrical-hydraulic control means including hydraulic circuit means for supplying and relieving pressurized hydraulic fluid from the piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, said hydraulic circuit means including flow divider means for dividing pressurized hydraulic fluid from a source thereof in equal amounts to the respective parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms on a forward stroke of the piston rod of each mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, said divider means of the hydraulic circuit means comprising a rotary flow divider for dividing an input or output of hydraulic fluid to or from the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms into two increments and, on the delivery of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the wheel assemblies, delivering each increment to one of two separate hydraulic lines each of which is coupled to the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly, said electrical-hydraulic control means comprising means for counting the increments of pressurized hydraulic fluid respectively delivered to and relieved from each of the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the wheel assemblies on one side of the planter, and interrupter means (220, 114) connected to the counting means operative for causing the electrical-hydraulic control means to automatically interrupt and stop the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the rotary flow divider always on piston rod retraction and always at a point when the increment count being attained on retraction equals the counterpart increment count attained on extension.

For use with an agricultural planter assembly which is adapted to be mechanically and hydraulically coupled to a tractor and which includes a frame, a plurality of equally spaced planter units mounted to the frame, and at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, each wheel assembly being pivotally mounted to the frame and including a piston and cylinder mechanism which, when the piston rod thereof is extended, pivots the wheel assembly downwardly to effect raising of the planter units, electrical-hydraulic control means for parallel coupling the piston and cylinder mechanisms of the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, and for limiting the retraction of each piston rod of each piston and cylinder mechanism to a predetermined limit less than the full return stroke of the piston rod on the lowering of the planter units thereby to control the height of the planter frame above the ground and thereby to provide limited relative movement of the piston rods of the piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies as the planter assembly traverses uneven ground;

• the electrical-hydraulic control means including hydraulic circuit means for supplying and relieving pressurized hydraulic fluid from the piston and cylinder mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, said hydraulic circuit means including flow divider means for dividing pressurized hydraulic fluid from a source thereof in equal amounts to the respective parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms on a forward stroke of the piston rod of each mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly;
• said flow divider means of the hydraulic circuit means comprising a rotary flow divider for dividing an input or output of hydraulic fluid to or from the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms into two increments and, on the delivery of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the wheel assemblies, delivering each increment to one of two separate hydraulic lines each of which is coupled to the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly;
• the electrical-hydraulic control means comprising means for sensing the extent of the lowering of the wheel assemblies to raise the planter units, said sensing means comprising means for counting the increments of pressurized hydraulic fluid relieved from each of the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly;
• the electrical-hydraulic control means further including means for storing a predetermined count equal to the increments of pressurized hydraulic fluid relieved for retraction of the piston rods of each piston and cylinder mechanism to said predetermined limit less than the full return stroke thereof, means for comparing the actual count with the stored count and means for stopping the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the rotary flow divider when the actual count equals the stored count.

For use with an agricultural planter assembly which is adapted to be mechanically and hydraulically coupled to a tractor and which includes a frame, a plurality of equally spaced planter units mounted to the frame, and at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, each wheel assembly being pivotally mounted to the frame and including a piston and cylinder mechanism which, when the piston rod thereof is extended, pivots the wheel assembly downwardly to effect raising of the planter units, electrical-hydraulic control means for parallel coupling the piston and cylinder mechanisms of the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, and for limiting the retraction of each piston rod of each piston and cylinder mechanism to a predetermined limit less than the full return stroke of the piston rod on the lowering of the planter units thereby to control the height of the planter frame above the ground and thereby to provide limited relative movement of the piston rods of the piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies as the planter assembly traverses on uneven ground;

• the electrical-hydraulic control means including hydraulic circuit means for supplying and relieving pressurized hydraulic fluid from the piston and cylinder mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, said hydraulic circuit means including flow divider means for dividing pressurized hydraulic fluid from a source thereof in equal amounts to the respective parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms on a forward stroke of the piston rod of each mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly;
• said flow divider means of the hydraulic circuit means comprises a rotary flow divider for dividing an input or output of hydraulic fluid to or from the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms into two increments and, on the delivery of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the wheel assemblies, delivering each increment to one of two separate hydraulic lines each of which is coupled to the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly;
• the electrical-hydraulic control means comprising means for sensing the extent of the lowering of the wheel assemblies to raise the planter units, said sensing means comprising means for counting the increments of pressurized hydraulic fluid relieved from each of the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly;
• the electrical-hydraulic control means characterized wherein said rotary flow divider includes a shaft which makes one revolution for each increment of fluid passing therethrough, said sensing means includes a magnetic circuit having a magnetic path which includes said rotating shaft, an electrical coil associated with said reluctance circuit, said shaft having a notch therein which is adapted to traverse the magnetic path on each revolution thereof so that the reluctance of the reluctance circuit is altered each time the notch is in the magnetic path of the reluctance circuit thereby to generate an electrical signal in said electrical coil, and said electrical signal defining a count of an increment of pressurized hydraulic fluid supplied from the rotary flow divider on each revolution of said shaft.

For use with an agricultural planter assembly which is adapted to be mechanically and hydraulically coupled to a tractor and which includes a frame, a plurality of equally spaced planter units mounted to the frame, and at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, each wheel assembly being pivotally mounted to the frame and including a piston and cylinder mechanism which, when the piston rod thereof is extended, pivots the wheel assembly downwardly to effect raising of the planter units, electrical-hydraulic control means for parallel coupling the piston and cylinder mechanisms of the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, and for limiting the retraction of each piston rod of each piston and cylinder mechanism to a predetermined limit less than the full return stroke of the piston rod on the lowering of the planter units thereby to control the height of the planter frame above the ground and thereby to provide limited relative movement of the piston rods of the piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies as the planter assembly traverses on uneven ground;

• the electrical-hydraulic control means including hydraulic circuit means for supplying and relieving pressurized hydraulic fluid from the piston and cylinder mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly, said hydraulic circuit means including flow divider means for dividing pressurized hydraulic fluid from a source thereof in equal amounts to the respective parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms on a forward stroke of the piston rod of each mechanism for the at least two wheel assemblies on each side of the planter assembly;
• said flow divider means of the hydraulic circuit means comprising a rotary flow divider for dividing an input or output of hydraulic fluid to or from the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms into two increments and, on the delivery of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the wheel assemblies, delivering each increment to one of two separate hydraulic lines each of which is coupled to the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the at least two wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly;
• the electrical-hydraulic control means characterized wherein said rotary flow divider includes a shaft which makes one revolution for each increment of pressurized hydraulic fluid which is admitted to or relieved from the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms for the wheel assemblies on one side of the planter assembly, and wherein said control means include electrical sensing means for sensing each revolution of said shaft and for generating an electrical signal, counter circuit means having a first input connected to said electrical sensing means and a second input for receiving a predetermined count which is related to the number of increments which pass through said rotary flow divider to result in retraction of the piston rods in the piston and cylinder mechanisms said predetermined limit less than the full return stroke of each piston rod, said counter circuit means being operable to decrement said predetermined count on each count received from said electrical sensing means as pressurized hydraulic fluid is being supplied to the parallel coupled piston and cylinder mechanisms to retract the piston rods therein to lower the wheel assemblies to lower the planter units until the predetermined count is decremented to zero where said counter circuit means generates a control signal which is supplied to a solenoid operated valve in the supply line from the source of pressurized hydraulic fluid to close said valve to stop the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the piston and cylinder mechanisms.