Weight distribution system for seed planters and product applicators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10045474-B2
Application number	US-201313927177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2013
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

An agricultural implement is provided having a tongue, a central toolbar extending from the tongue, and first and second wings extending generally outwardly from the central toolbar. The implement may include a central hopper system to provide the material to individual row units along the central toolbar and wings, or may include individual hoppers located at each of the row units along the toolbars. A weight distribution system is used with the implement to update and adjust the amount of down force applied at the outer toolbars or wings, and the individual row units. The distribution system includes an intelligent control connected to sensors and cylinders. Therefore, the intelligent control receives information from the sensors and adjusts the cylinders accordingly to provide the appropriate amount of down force and to adjust the down force on a real time basis, and can be a closed loop or open loop system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a tongue having a first end including a hitch, and an opposite second end;
a central toolbar at the second end of the tongue, the central toolbar including central wheels extending therefrom;
a first wing and a second wing extending from opposite sides of the central toolbar, each of the first wing and the second wing including wing wheels extending therefrom and a fold cylinder configured to fold the wings from a position wherein the wings are generally perpendicular to the tongue to a position wherein the wings are generally adjacent to the tongue;
a weight distribution system operably connected to the central toolbar, the first wing, and the second wing, the weight distribution system comprising a plurality of sensors and is configured to adjust down force on the first wing and the second wing based, at least in part, on relative loads acting on the central wheels and the wing wheels, and wherein said loads comprise a weight on the implement including the weight of the wings and the ground force on the central and wing wheels;
a plurality of cylinders operatively connected to the plurality of sensors;
wherein at least one of the plurality of cylinders operatively connects the central toolbar and the first wing;
wherein at least one of the plurality of cylinders operatively connects the central toolbar and the second wing; and
wherein the weight distribution system automatically adjusts the plurality of cylinders based on the plurality of sensors to redistribute the load between the central wheels and the wing wheels.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1 further comprising a user interface electrically connected to the weight distribution system to display feedback from the system and/or to allow changes to be made to the system.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 1 further comprising a controller operatively connected to the weight distribution system configured to determine the hardness of the ground to adjust the plurality of cylinders.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 3 wherein the plurality of sensors is positioned at the central wheels and the wing wheels.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises pressure sensors.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises load sensors.

7. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the weight distribution system further comprises a level sensor.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 4 wherein the weight distribution system further comprises the calculation of flow-sensor-based mass depletion at the wings.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 8 wherein the calculated flow-sensor-based mass depletion comprises weight of on-row-unit seed, fertilizer, or insecticide materials to determine real time distributed mass versus down force calculation.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of hoppers positioned at the central toolbar or the first and second wings and wherein the weight on the implement further includes the weight of the plurality of hoppers.

11. The agricultural implement of claim 1 wherein the weight distribution system is a closed loop system, wherein the down force is adjusted automatically.

12. The agricultural implement of claim 1 wherein the weight distribution system is an open loop system, wherein the down force is adjusted manually.

13. The agricultural implement of claim 1 further comprising:
markers attached to distal ends of the first and second wings, said markers having a marker cylinder capable of folding the markers from a position wherein the markers are adjacent to the wings into a position wherein the markers extend from the wings;
and wherein the weight on the implement further includes the weight of the markers.

14. A method of distributing weight about a central frame, left wing, and right wing of an agricultural implement, comprising:
determining one or more characteristics associated with each of the central frame, the left wing and the right wing of the implement with one or more sensors, said one or more characteristics comprising a weight on the implement including the weight of the wings and the ground force on the central and wing wheels; and
using a controller to actuate one or more cylinders of the implement to independently adjust down force at the left wing, the right wing, or both the left wing and the right wing, based upon the one or more characteristics associated with two or more of the central frame, the left wing, and the right wing;
wherein at least one of the one or more cylinders is operatively connected between the central frame and the left wing;
wherein at least one of the one or more cylinders is operatively connected between the central frame and the right wing;
wherein the wings include fold cylinders configured to fold the wings from a position wherein the wings are generally perpendicular to the tongue to a position wherein the wings are generally adjacent to the tongue.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising repeating the steps in a closed loop to continually adjust the down force at one or both of the wings.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying information from the one or more sensors and the one or more cylinders on a user interface to allow manual or automatic adjustment of the down force.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining one or more characteristics associated with ground of a field, and using the controller to actuate the one or more cylinders of the implement based upon the one or more characteristics associated with the ground.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Bachman Marvin
• Hahn Dustan

Classifications

• A01B63/24 Primary

  Tools or tool-holders adjustable relatively to the frame · CPC title

• A01B63/114

  to achieve a constant working depth · CPC title

• A01C7/205

  comprising pressure regulation means · CPC title

• A01B73/044 Primary

  the axis being oriented in a longitudinal direction (A01B73/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01C7/20

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title