Flow splitter arrangement for series fed product application units

A product-on-demand delivery system for agricultural product, said system comprising:

• an implement frame that can be transported through a field;
• a main seed hopper mounted on the frame, the main hopper having a nozzle assembly into which product in the main hopper is directed by gravity, the nozzle assembly having an upstream sidewall with an air inlet thereon, a downstream sidewall and a bottom;
• a plurality of planting units are mounted to the frame, each planting unit is provided with a seed meter for metering seed and a furrow opener for forming a planting furrow into which metered seed is deposited, wherein a first planting unit of said plurality of planting units comprises a first seed meter that is flow-coupled to the main seed hopper by a primary product hose, that is flow-coupled to the downstream sidewall of the nozzle assembly, wherein a second planting unit of said plurality of planting units comprises a second seed meter that is flow-coupled to the primary product hose by a secondary product hose that branches from the primary product hose, said secondary product hose branches from the primary product hose at an angle such that a flow velocity vector through the primary product hose at an intersection of primary and secondary product hoses is at an obtuse angle to a flow velocity vector of product through the secondary product hose at the intersection of the primary and secondary product hoses;
• an air pump pneumatically flow-coupled to the nozzle assembly by an air supply hose, the air pump generates an air stream that is directed into the air supply hose, the air supply hose being flow-coupled to said air inlet on the upstream sidewall of the nozzle assembly opposite the primary product hose, so that the air stream passes from the air inlet, through the nozzle assembly, to the primary product hose, so that seed located in the bottom of the nozzle assembly is taken up by the air stream and is directed through the primary product hose to the first seed meter, and from the secondary product hose to the second seed meter.

A product-on-demand delivery system for agricultural product, said system comprising:

• an implement frame that can be transported through a field;
• a main seed hopper mounted on the frame, the main seed hopper having a nozzle assembly with a concave bottom and an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall, the upstream sidewall and the downstream sidewall are outwardly diverging from one another, product in the main hopper is directed to the bottom of the nozzle assembly by gravity, the upstream sidewall having an air inlet and the downstream sidewall having a product outlet;
• a plurality of planting units are mounted to the frame, each planting unit is provided with an auxiliary hopper, a seed meter and a furrow opener for forming a planting furrow into which metered seed is deposited;
• a plurality of splitters each having one splitter inlet, a first splitter outlet and a second splitter outlet, each second splitter outlet of said splitters flow-coupled to an inlet end of a secondary product hose and each first splitter outlet flow-coupled to an auxiliary hopper, one splitter inlet flow-coupled to the product outlet, and remaining splitter inlets each flow-coupled to an outlet end of a secondary product hose of a splitter that is upstream in a product flow direction;
• an air pump is pneumatically flow-coupled to the nozzle assembly by an air supply hose, the air pump generates an air stream that is directed into the air supply hose, said air supply hose is flow-coupled to said air inlet on the upstream sidewall of the nozzle assembly opposite the product outlet, so that the air stream passes from the air inlet through the nozzle assembly and through the product outlet, so that seed located in the bottom of the nozzle assembly is taken up by the air stream and is directed through the product outlet to said one splitter inlet.

A product-on-demand delivery system for agricultural product, said system comprising:

• a frame;
• a main hopper mounted on the frame, the main hopper having an air nozzle to which product in the main hopper is directed, an air stream through said air nozzle entraining product therein;
• a splitter having a splitter inlet and first and second splitter outlets, said splitter inlet communicating with said nozzle;
• a primary product hose and a secondary product hose;
• said primary product hose flow-coupled to said splitter inlet;
• a primary application unit and a secondary application unit, both mounted to the frame, said primary application unit comprising a first product meter for applying the product to a field, said first product meter being flow-coupled to the nozzle by said primary product hose, said splitter inlet and said first splitter outlet;
• and
• said secondary application unit comprising a second product meter for applying the Product to the field, said second product meter being flow-coupled to the primary product hose by said secondary product hose connected thereto at said second splitter outlet, said second splitter outlet connected at an angle to the splitter inlet such that a product flow velocity vector in the splitter inlet is at an obtuse angle to a flow velocity vector of product flowing through said second splitter outlet.