System and method for an air cart and rotary air lock
AssigneeCNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
InventorsJim Henry, Mark Wileniec
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is provide for filling a pressurized tank of an air cart or other storage element while operating to deliver product to a ground engaging tool, such as for seeding or fertilizer placement. A rotary air lock coupled between a feeder and a storage tank includes a plurality of vanes providing pockets in between for holding particulate materials, The rotary air lock rotates the pockets from the feeder to a sealed area and from the sealed area to the storage tank, As such, the rotary air lock transfers the particulate materials to the storage tank while substantially maintaining a pressure in the storage tank. The system may be filled during, field operations, and a filling or conveyor system may be controlled via a vehicle to vehicle (V2V) operation.
Claims17
An agricultural product delivery system comprising:
- a feeder for receiving particulate materials;
- a pressurized storage tank for holding particulate materials;
- a rotary air lock coupled between the feeder and the storage tank, the rotary air lock comprising first and second vanes providing a pocket in between for holding particulate materials, wherein the rotary air lock rotates the pocket from the feeder to a sealed area and from the sealed area to the storage tank;
- a metering box operatively connected to the storage tank and configured to transfer the particulate materials from the storage tank to a ground engaging tool;
- sensing hardware in communication with the sealed area, the sensing hardware being configured to measure a volume of particulate material transferred from the feeder to the storage tank by the rotary air lock;
- and. wherein:
- with the pocket in communication with the storage tank, the particulate materials exit the pockets and fall into the storage tank;
- and
- the rotary air lock is operable to transfer particulate materials from the feeder to the storage tank while substantially maintaining a pressure in the storage tank.
A method for filling an agricultural product delivery system comprising:
- (a) receiving particulate materials at a feeder;
- (b) pressurizing a storage tank for holding the particulate materials;
- (c) using a rotary air lock to transfer the particulate materials from the feeder to the storage tank while substantially maintaining a pressure in the storage tank, wherein the rotary air lock comprises a plurality of vanes providing pockets in between for holding the particulate materials, and wherein the rotary air lock rotates the pockets from the feeder to a sealed area and from the sealed area to the storage tank such that the particulate materials exit the pockets and fall into the storage tank;
- (d) transferring the particulate materials from the storage tank to a ground engaging tool with a metering box operatively connected to the storage tank;
- and
- (e) using a sensing hardware, sensing a volume;
- of particulate material passing through the sealed area from the feeder to the storage tank.
An agricultural product delivery system comprising;
- a ground engaging tool;
- a feeder for receiving particulate materials;
- a pressurized storage tank for holding particulate materials;
- a rotary air lock coupled between the feeder and the storage tank, the rotary air lock comprising a plurality of vanes providing pockets in between for holding particulate materials, wherein the rotary air lock rotates each pocket from the feeder to a sealed area and from the sealed area to the storage tank;
- sensing hardware in communication with the sealed area, the sensing hardware being configured to measure a volume of particulate material transferred from the feeder to the storage tank by the rotary air lock:
- and
- a metering box operatively connected to the storage tank and configured to transfer the particulate materials from the storage tank to the ground engaging tool;
- wherein:
- with the pockets in communication with the storage tank, the particulate materials exit the pockets and fall into the storage tank;
- the rotary air lock is operable to transfer particulate materials from the feeder to the storage tank while substantially maintaining a pressure in the storage tank, and
- the storage tank is operable to transfer particulate materials under pressure to the ground engaging tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.