Air entrainment device, systems, methods, and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11212957-B2
Application number	US-201916682810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A planter includes a seed a delivery system for delivering seed from one or more hoppers to one or more row units of the planter. The seed delivery system includes a number of seed entrainers. The seed entrainers receive seed from the one or more hoppers. The seed is combined with a fluid, such as air, which moves the seed through the seed entrainer and towards one or more row units of the planter. The entrainer includes one or more outlets, with the outlets corresponding to different row units, and the outlets can be varied based upon the need of seed delivery for the planter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seed delivery assembly, comprising:
a plurality of entrainers operatively connected to one another, each of said entrainers comprising:
at least one seed entrance;
at least one primary fluid path in communication with a fluid source, wherein a fluid and seed are combined at said at least one primary fluid path;
at least one bypass path for receiving and directing an amount of the fluid;
and at least one outlet;

wherein each of the entrainers include:
a first configuration wherein the at least one outlet comprises first and second outlets and each of the first and second outlets are in fluid communication with separate row units of a planter, and
a second configuration wherein the at least one outlet comprises a single outlet in fluid communication with a row unit of a planter.

2. The seed delivery assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the entrainers comprises:
a first and a second seed entrance;
a first and a second primary fluid path that combines the fluid and seed; and
a first and a second bypass path.

3. The seed delivery device of claim 2 , wherein each entrainer further comprises:
a shared inner wall separating the first and second seed entrances.

4. The seed delivery device of claim 3 , wherein the shared inner wall includes a removable portion to change between the first and second configurations.

5. The seed delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising a first and second outlet insert positioned at the first and second outlets when the entrainer is in the first configuration, said first and second outlet insert operatively connected to the separate row units by conduits.

6. The seed delivery device of claim 5 , further comprising a connector associated with each of the separate row units.

7. The seed delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising a single outlet insert positioned at both of the first and second outlets when the entrainer is in the second configuration, said single outlet insert operatively connected to the common row unit by a conduit.

8. The seed delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass insert positioned at least partially in the at least one bypass path.

9. The seed delivery device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one bypass path comprises two paths and the bypass insert is positioned at a shared inner wall between the two paths.

10. The seed delivery device of claim 9 , wherein the bypass insert includes a variable width to adjust the amount of fluid flow through the two bypass paths.

11. A seed entrainer for planting or distributing seed, comprising:
at least one seed entrance;
at least one primary fluid path in communication with a fluid source, wherein a fluid and seed are combined at said at least one primary fluid path;
at least one bypass path for receiving and directing an amount of the fluid;
and at least one outlet;
wherein said entrainer having:
a first configuration wherein the at least one outlet comprises first and second outlets and each of the first and second outlets are in fluid communication with separate row units of a planter, and
a second configuration wherein the at least one outlet comprises a single outlet in fluid communication with a row unit of a planter.

12. The seed entrainer of claim 11 , further comprising a bypass insert positioned in the at least one bypass path to adjust an amount of fluid passing through the at least one bypass path.

13. The seed entrainer of claim 11 , wherein the at least one outlet comprises an outlet insert positioned at or near a location where the at least one primary path and the at least one bypass path combine.

14. The seed entrainer of claim 13 , wherein the outlet insert comprises first and second exits in the first configuration, or a single exit in the second configuration.

15. The seed entrainer of claim 11 , wherein in the second configuration, the outlet has an exit that is larger than outlet exits of the first configuration.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Blackwell Robert
• Killpack Dan
• Mcdowell Dalton
• Wilhelmi Matthew

Classifications

• A01C7/082 Primary

  Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders · CPC title

• A01C15/006

  Hoppers · CPC title

• B65G53/12

  the gas flow acting directly on the materials in a reservoir · CPC title

• A01C7/081 Primary

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/08

  Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows · CPC title