Apparatus, systems and methods for row unit downforce control
AssigneePrecision Planting LLC
InventorsDerek A. Sauder, Ian R. Radtke, Jason J. Stoller
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Abstract
Systems, methods and apparatus for controlling the downforce applied to a row unit of an agricultural implement having multiple row units. A downpressure control device in fluid communication with a down chamber of the least one actuator maintains as a selected downpressure, any one of a continuous range of pressures in the downpressure chamber. A lift pressure control device in fluid communication with a lift chamber of the at least one actuator for controlling pressure in the lift chamber maintains as a selected lift pressure, any one of a continuous range of pressures in the lift chamber.
Claims20
An agricultural implement having multiple row units, each row unit comprising opening discs for opening a trench in soil and gauge wheels for setting a depth of the trench, and having a system for applying downforce to the row units, the system comprising:
- a first actuator, said first actuator disposed to apply force to a first row unit, said first actuator including a first down chamber and a first lift chamber, pressure in said first down chamber tending to oppose pressure in said first lift chamber;
- a second actuator, said second actuator disposed to apply force to a second row unit, said second actuator including a second down chamber and a second lift chamber, pressure in said second down chamber tending to oppose pressure in said second lift chamber;
- a first downpressure control device in fluid communication with said first down chamber for controlling pressure in said first down chamber, said first downpressure control device configured to maintain as a selected first downpressure any one of a continuous range of pressures in said first downpressure chamber;
- a second downpressure control device in fluid communication with said second down chamber for controlling pressure in said second down chamber, said second downpressure control device configured to maintain as a selected second downpressure any one of a continuous range of pressures in said second downpressure chamber, wherein said selected second downpressure is different from said selected first downpressure;
- a lift pressure control device in fluid communication with both said first lift chamber and said second lift chamber for controlling pressure in said first lift chamber and said second lift chamber, said lift pressure control device configured to maintain as a selected lift pressure any one of a continuous range of pressures in both said first lift chamber and said second lift chamber.
A method of controlling the force applied to a first agricultural row unit by a first actuator having a first chamber and a second chamber and of controlling the force applied to a second agricultural row unit by a second actuator having a third chamber and a fourth chamber, the first and second agricultural row units including opening discs for opening a trench in soil and gauge wheels for setting a depth of the trench, the method comprising:
- maintaining a first selected pressure in the first chamber by modifying an operating state of a first control device in fluid communication with the first chamber;
- maintaining a second selected pressure in the third chamber by modifying an operating state of a second control device in fluid communication with the third chamber;
- determining a first soil penetration criterion associated with the first row unit;
- determining a second soil penetration criterion associated with the second row unit;
- determining whether either said first soil penetration criterion or said second soil penetration criterion exceeds a predetermined range;
- and
- reducing a third selected pressure when either said first soil penetration criterion or said second soil penetration criterion exceeds said predetermined range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.