Distribution and leveling system for an agricultural product storage compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266064-B2
Application number	US-201916265428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A distribution and leveling system for a particulate material storage compartment includes an auger configured to be disposed within the particulate material storage compartment. The auger is configured to move particulate material across the particulate material storage compartment via rotation of the auger about a first rotational axis. The distribution and leveling system also includes an agitator positioned below the auger. The agitator is configured to agitate the particulate material via rotation of the agitator about a second rotational axis. In addition, the first rotational axis is substantially parallel to the second rotational axis, rotation of the auger and rotation of the agitator are independently controllable, and the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are substantially aligned with one another along a longitudinal axis of the particulate material storage compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distribution and leveling system for a particulate material storage compartment, comprising:
an auger configured to be disposed within the particulate material storage compartment, wherein the auger is configured to receive particulate material from an inlet on a lateral side of the particulate material storage compartment, and the auger is configured to move the particulate material laterally across the particulate material storage compartment via rotation of the auger about a first rotational axis to facilitate distribution of the particulate material laterally along a plurality of seed meter inlets positioned to receive the particulate material from the particulate material storage compartment along a vertical axis; and
an agitator positioned below the auger, wherein the agitator is configured to agitate the particulate material via rotation of the agitator about a second rotational axis;
wherein the first rotational axis is substantially parallel to the second rotational axis, rotation of the auger and rotation of the agitator are independently controllable, and the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are substantially aligned with one another along a longitudinal axis of the particulate material storage compartment.

2. The distribution and leveling system of claim 1 , comprising a first drive motor configured to drive the auger to rotate, and a second drive motor configured to drive the agitator to rotate.

3. The distribution and leveling system of claim 1 , wherein the auger comprises a shaft and a spiral blade extending along the shaft.

4. The distribution and leveling system of claim 1 , wherein the agitator comprises a shaft and a plurality of blades extending from the shaft.

5. A distribution and leveling system for a particulate material storage compartment, comprising:
a first drive unit configured to drive an auger to rotate about a first rotational axis to move particulate material across the particulate material storage compartment;
a second drive unit configured to drive an agitator to rotate about a second rotational axis to agitate the particulate material; and
a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the first drive unit and to the second drive unit, the controller is configured to independently control rotation of the auger and the agitator, and the controller is configured to control the agitator in a product transfer mode while a signal indicative of the particulate material within the particulate material storage compartment exceeding a first threshold level at a first lateral position is not received.

6. The distribution and leveling system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the first drive unit to drive the auger to rotate in response to receiving a signal indicative of filling the particulate material storage compartment with the particulate material.

7. The distribution and leveling system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to control the agitator in a leveling mode in response to receiving the signal indicative of the particulate material within the particulate material storage compartment exceeding the first threshold level at the first lateral position.

8. The distribution and leveling system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the second drive unit to rotate the agitator in a rotational direction configured to move the particulate material toward the first lateral position while in the product transfer mode, and the controller is configured to instruct the second drive unit to alternatingly rotate the agitator in opposite rotational directions while in the leveling mode.

9. The distribution and leveling system of claim 5 , wherein the first lateral position is located at an opposite lateral end of the particulate material storage compartment from an inlet of the particulate material storage compartment.

10. The distribution and leveling system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the first drive unit to terminate rotation of the auger in response to receiving a signal indicative of the particulate material within the particulate material storage compartment exceeding a second threshold level at a second lateral position.

11. The distribution and leveling system of claim 10 , wherein the second lateral position is located at an opposite lateral end of the particulate material storage compartment from an inlet of the particulate material storage compartment.

12. A distribution and leveling system for a particulate material storage compartment, comprising:
an auger configured to be disposed within the particulate material storage compartment, wherein the auger is configured to receive particulate material from an inlet on a lateral side of the particulate material storage compartment, and the auger is configured to move the particulate material laterally across the particulate material storage compartment via rotation of the auger about a first rotational axis to facilitate distribution of the particulate material laterally along a plurality of seed meter inlets positioned to receive the particulate material from the particulate material storage compartment along a vertical axis;
a first drive motor configured to drive the auger to rotate;
an agitator positioned below the auger, wherein the agitator is configured to agitate the particulate material via rotation of the agitator about a second rotational axis;
a second drive motor configured to drive the agitator to rotate; and
a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the first drive motor and to the second drive motor, and the controller is configured to independently control rotation of the auger and the agitator.

13. The distribution and leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the first rotational axis is substantially parallel to the second rotational axis.

14. The distribution and leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are substantially aligned within one another along a longitudinal axis of the particulate material storage compartment.

15. The distribution and leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the first drive motor to drive the auger to rotate in response to receiving a signal indicative of filling the particulate material storage compartment with the particulate material.

16. The distribution and leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the agitator in a product transfer mode while a signal indicative of the particulate material within the particulate material storage compartment exceeding a threshold level at a lateral position is not received.

17. The distribution and leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control the agitator in a leveling mode in response to receiving a signal indicative of the particulate material within the particulate material storage compartment exceeding a threshold level at a lateral position.

18. The distribution and leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the first drive motor to terminate rotation of the auger in response to receiving a signal indicative of the particulate material within the particulate material storage compartment exceeding a threshold level at a lateral position.

19. The distribution and leveling system of claim 18 , wherein the lateral position is

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Schilling Robin Bruno
• Roberge Martin J

Classifications

• B01F35/221422

  Speed of rotation of the mixing axis, stirrer or receptacle during the operation · CPC title

• B01F35/333

  the rotation sense being changeable, e.g. to mix or aerate, to move a fluid forward or backward or to suck or blow · CPC title

• A01C7/081

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• B01F27/70

  with paddles, blades or arms · CPC title

• B01F33/805

  for granular material · CPC title