Method and apparatus for sectional control of air seeder distribution system for a farm implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10219425-B2
Application number	US-201615083049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2011
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An air seeder includes a header including an inlet connected to a first hose through which a mixture of air and particulate matter enters the header. The header also includes a plurality of exit ports through which the mixture of air and particulate matter exit the header. Additionally, the air seeder includes a valve associated with each one of the plurality of exit ports. The valve opens and closes to regulate the flow of the mixture of air and particulate matter out of an associated exit port while also regulating a flow of purging air through the associated exit port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air seeder comprising:
a header comprising an inlet connected to a first hose through which a mixture of air and particulate matter enters the header and further comprising a plurality of exit ports through which the mixture of air and particulate matter exit the header, and
a valve associated with each one of the plurality of exit ports, the valve configured to move between a first position and a second position to regulate a flow of the mixture of air and particulate matter out of an associated exit port while also regulating a flow of purging air through the associated exit port.

2. The air seeder of claim 1 wherein the valve permits the purging air to flow through the associated exit port while blocking the mixture of air and particulate matter from flowing through the associated exit port while the valve is in the first position and wherein the valve alternately permits the mixture of air and particulate matter to flow through the associated exit port while blocking the purging air from flowing through the associated exit port while the valve is in the second position.

3. The air seeder of claim 1 further comprising a plenum connected to a second hose that receives the purging air and provides the purging air to one or more of the plurality of exit ports.

4. The air seeder of claim 3 , comprising a blower that provides the purging air to the plenum and air for the mixture of air and particulate matter.

5. The air seeder of claim 3 , wherein the plenum is disposed beneath the header.

6. The air seeder of claim 3 , wherein the plenum is disposed beneath the header and circumferentially around the first hose.

7. The air seeder of claim 1 wherein the header has equiradially spaced exit ports.

8. The air seeder of claim 1 wherein a main portion of the first hose is substantially vertical.

9. The air seeder of claim 1 , wherein the header is a main header that is connected to a plurality of secondary headers, and each secondary header is connected to a plurality of row units.

10. A method of operating an air seeder comprising:
delivering a mixture of air and particulate matter through a first hose into a header of the air seeder via an inlet in the header that is connected to the first hose; and
controlling a valve associated with one of a plurality of exit ports in the header to selectively permit the mixture of air and particulate matter to exit the header via an associated exit port in the header while also regulating a flow of purging air through the associated exit port.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the controlling the valve permits, when the valve is in a first valve position, the purging air to flow through the associated exit port while blocking the mixture of air and particulate matter from flowing through the associated exit port and permits, when the valve is in a second valve position, the mixture of air and particulate matter to flow through the associated exit port while blocking the purging air from flowing through the associated exit port.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising delivering the purging air via a plenum connected to a second hose that receives the purging air and provides the purging air to one or more of the plurality of exit ports.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein delivering the mixture of air and particulate matter through the first hose comprises delivering the mixture through a substantially vertical first hose.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising metering the mixture of air and particulate matter using a metering assembly.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising adjusting a speed of the metering assembly when at least one of the plurality of exit ports is closed to the mixture of air and particulate matter.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Friggstad Terrance A

Classifications

• A01C7/06

  Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus · CPC title

• Y02P60/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A01C7/20

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title

• A01C7/084 Primary

  Pneumatic distribution heads for seeders · CPC title

• A01B49/06

  for sowing or fertilising · CPC title