Down pressure adjustment device and method for use with a disc opener assembly of an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10470360-B2
Application number	US-201815908947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 22, 2010
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A disc opener unit for an agricultural implement has a down pressure adjustment device that automatically adjusts the amount of down pressure applied on a furrowing disc based on strain measurements taken by a strain gauge or load cell. The strain gauge, which may be mounted to an arm that is used to set the position of a depth setting gauge wheel, provides feedback to a processor that in turn controls the amount of hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic cylinder to adjust the down force applied on the disc. The amount of down pressure is therefore adjusted in substantially real-time in response to changes in field conditions, which improves furrow depth consistency and reduces wear on the gauge wheel and its components.

First claim

We claim:

1. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a toolbar configured to be coupled to a towing vehicle;
a rock shaft;
a cylinder coupled between the toolbar and the rock shaft, the cylinder being configured to actuate the rock shaft relative to the toolbar;
a plurality of disc opener units ganged to the rock shaft, each of the plurality of disc opener units comprising:
a disc configured to cut a trench into the ground; and
a gauge wheel assembly configured to set a penetration depth of the disc, the gauge wheel assembly comprising a gauge wheel and a depth control arm coupled to the gauge wheel via a crankshaft extending through a center of the disc, the depth control arm including a first end coupled to the crankshaft and a second end opposite the first end, the depth control arm configured to engage a depth adjustment member of the disc opener unit adjacent to the second end of the depth control arm;

a load sensor installed on the depth control arm of a first disc opener unit of the plurality of disc opener units, the load sensor being configured to detect a load applied through the gauge wheel assembly of the first disc opener unit; and
a controller configured to monitor the load applied through the gauge wheel assembly of the first disc opener unit based on data received from the load sensor, the controller being further configured to adjust an operation of the cylinder based on the monitored load to maintain a desired down pressure on the plurality of disc opener units.

2. The implement of claim 1 , wherein the load sensor is installed on the depth control arm of the first disc opener unit at a location between the first and second ends of the depth control arm.

3. The implement of claim 1 , wherein the load sensor is configured to detect the load applied though the depth control arm of the first disc opener unit, the detected load being indicative of an actual down pressure being applied on the plurality of disc opener units.

4. The implement of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the cylinder such that the monitored load is maintained within a given range of load values associated with maintaining the actual down pressure equal or substantially equal to the desired down pressure.

5. The implement of claim 1 , wherein the depth adjustment member comprises a plurality depth setting positions, the depth control arm configured to be selectively engaged with the depth adjustment member at one of the plurality of depth setting positions to set the penetration depth of the disc.

6. The implement of claim 5 , wherein the depth control arm further comprises a handle positioned adjacent to the second end of the depth control arm, the handle being operable to allow the depth control arm to be selectively engaged with the depth adjustment member at one of the plurality of depth setting positions.

7. The implement of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of depth setting positions are defined by a plurality of notches associated with the depth adjustment member.

8. The implement of claim 1 , wherein the load sensor comprises a strain gauge or a load cell.

9. The implement of claim 1 , wherein the load sensor comprises one of a plurality of load sensors, each load sensor of the plurality of load sensors being installed on the depth control arm of a corresponding disc opener unit of the plurality of disc opener units to allow the load sensor to detect the load being applied through the gauge wheel assembly of the corresponding disc opener unit.

10. The implement of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to analyze the detected loads received from the plurality of load sensors to determine when to adjust the operation of the cylinder.

11. A disc opener assembly for an agricultural implement, the disc opener assembly comprising:
a plurality of disc opener units ganged together, each of the plurality of disc opener units comprising:
a disc configured to cut a trench into the ground; and
a gauge wheel assembly configured to set a penetration depth of the disc, the gauge wheel assembly comprising a gauge wheel and a depth control arm coupled to the gauge wheel via a crankshaft extending through a center of the disc, the depth control arm including a first end coupled to the crankshaft and a second end opposite the first end, the depth control arm configured to engage a depth adjustment member of the disc opener unit adjacent to the second end of the depth control arm;

a strain gauge installed on the depth control arm of a first disc opener unit of the plurality of disc opener units, the strain gauge being configured to detect a load applied through the gauge wheel assembly of the first disc opener unit; and
a controller configured to monitor the load applied through the gauge wheel assembly of the first disc opener unit based on data received from the strain gauge, the controller being further configured to adjust a down pressure applied on the plurality of disc opener units based on the monitored load so as to maintain the penetration depth of the discs of the plurality of disc opener units substantially constant.

12. The disc opener assembly of claim 11 , wherein the strain gauge is installed on the depth control arm of the first disc opener unit at a location between the first and second ends of the depth control arm.

13. The disc opener assembly of claim 11 , wherein the strain gauge is configured to detect the load applied though the depth control arm of the first disc opener unit, the detected load being indicative of the down pressure being applied on the plurality of disc opener units.

14. The disc opener assembly of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of a cylinder operatively coupled to the plurality of opener disc units such that the monitored load is maintained within a given range of load values associated with maintaining the penetration depth of the discs of the plurality of disc opener units substantially constant.

15. The disc opener assembly of claim 11 , wherein the depth adjustment member comprises a plurality depth setting positions, the depth control arm configured to be selectively engaged with the depth adjustment member at one of the plurality of depth setting positions to set the penetration depth of the disc.

16. The disc opener assembly of claim 15 , wherein the depth control arm further comprises a handle positioned adjacent to the second end of the depth control arm, the handle being operable to allow the depth control arm to be selectively engaged with the depth adjustment member at one of the plurality of depth setting positions.

17. The disc opener assembly of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of depth setting positions are defined by a plurality of notches associated with the depth adjustment member.

18. The disc opener assembly of claim 11 , wherein the strain gauge comprises one of a plurality of strain gauges, each strain gauge of the plurality of strain gauges being installed on the depth control arm of a corresponding disc opener unit of the plurality of disc opener units to allow the strain gauge to detect the load being applied through the gauge wheel assembly of the corresponding disc opener unit.

19. The disc opener assembly of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to analyze the detected loads received from the plurality of strain gauges to determine when to adjust the down pressure applied on the plurality of disc opener units.

20. A method for operating an agricultural implement including a plu

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Kowalchuk Trevor
• Schilling Robin B
• Turner Jack

Classifications

• A01C7/205 Primary

  comprising pressure regulation means · CPC title