Debris removal system for an agricultural metering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11452254-B2
Application number	US-201916676534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2019
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

A meter roller for an agricultural metering system includes multiple flutes and corresponding recesses. The flutes and the corresponding recesses are configured to meter flowable particulate material from a storage tank to a material distribution system via rotation of the meter roller. The meter roller also includes multiple air passages formed within a body of the meter roller. Each air passage is fluidly coupled to a central cavity of the meter roller and extends to a base of a respective recess, and the air passage is configured to flow air from the central cavity into the respective recess.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A meter roller for an agricultural metering system, comprising:
a plurality of flutes and a corresponding plurality of recesses, wherein the plurality of flutes and the corresponding plurality of recesses are configured to meter flowable particulate material from a storage tank to a material distribution system via rotation of the meter roller; and
a plurality of air passages formed within a body of the meter roller, wherein each air passage of the plurality of air passages is fluidly coupled to a central cavity of the meter roller and extends to a respective recess of the plurality of recesses, and each air passage of the plurality of air passages is configured to flow air from the central cavity into the respective recess;
wherein the plurality of air passages comprises a first set of air passages extending to a first recess of the plurality of recesses and a second set of air passages extending to a second recess of the plurality of recesses; and
wherein the first set of air passages are distributed along a rotational axis of the meter roller, or the second set of air passages are distributed along the rotational axis of the meter roller, or a combination thereof.

2. The meter roller of claim 1 , wherein at least one air passage of the plurality of air passages extends to a base of a respective recess of the plurality of recesses.

3. The meter roller of claim 1 , comprising an inlet fluidly coupled to the central cavity and configured to flow the air into the central cavity.

4. The meter roller of claim 3 , wherein the inlet is substantially coaxial with a rotational axis of the meter roller.

5. A debris removal system for an agricultural metering system, comprising:
at least one air passage extending to a metering cavity of the agricultural metering system, wherein the at least one air passage is directed toward a recess of a meter roller disposed within the metering cavity and configured to meter flowable particulate material from a storage tank to a material distribution system via rotation of the meter roller;
a valve assembly fluidly coupled to the at least one air passage, wherein the valve assembly is configured to control an airflow through the at least one air passage; and
a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the valve assembly, the controller is configured to output an output signal to the valve assembly indicative of instructions to selectively provide the airflow to the at least one air passage, and the controller is configured to:
receive a first input signal indicative of a weight of the flowable particulate material within the storage tank and instruct the valve assembly, via the output signal, to provide the airflow to the at least one air passage in response to determining that a difference between the weight and an expected weight is greater than a threshold value; or
receive a second input signal indicative of an obstruction within the recess of the meter roller and instruct the valve assembly, via the output signal, to provide the airflow to the at least one air passage in response to identifying the obstruction within the recess; or
a combination thereof.

6. The debris removal system of claim 5 , comprising an air source fluidly coupled to the valve assembly and communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the air source is configured to provide the airflow to the valve assembly, and the controller is configured to output a second output signal to the air source indicative of instructions to control a flow rate of the airflow.

7. The debris removal system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one air passage extends through a housing of the agricultural metering system and is directed toward the recess of the meter roller.

8. The debris removal system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one air passage extends through a body of the meter roller and is directed toward the recess of the meter roller.

9. An agricultural metering system, comprising:
a housing having a metering cavity;
a meter roller disposed within the metering cavity of the housing, wherein the meter roller comprises a plurality of flutes and a corresponding plurality of recesses, and the plurality of flutes and the corresponding plurality of recesses are configured to meter flowable particulate material from a storage tank to a material distribution system via rotation of the meter roller; and
a debris removal system comprising a plurality of air passages, wherein each air passage of the plurality of air passages extends through a body of the meter roller from a central cavity of the meter roller to a respective recess of the plurality of recesses of the meter roller, and the plurality of air passages is configured to flow air from the central cavity into the plurality of recesses;
wherein the debris removal system comprises an air source configured to provide the flow of the air to the central cavity to enable the flow of the air to pass through the plurality of air passages concurrently from the central cavity into the plurality of recesses.

10. The agricultural metering system of claim 9 , wherein the debris removal system comprises:
a valve assembly fluidly coupled to the central cavity, wherein the valve assembly is configured to control the flow of the air through the plurality of air passages; and
a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the valve assembly, and the controller is configured to output an output signal to the valve assembly indicative of instructions to selectively provide the flow of the air to the passage plurality of air passages.

11. The agricultural metering system of claim 10 , wherein the air source is fluidly coupled to the valve assembly and communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the air source is configured to provide the flow of the air to the valve assembly, and the controller is configured to output a second output signal to the air source indicative of instructions to control a flow rate of the flow of the air.

12. The agricultural metering system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a first input signal indicative of a weight of the flowable particulate material within the storage tank, and the controller is configured to instruct the valve assembly, via the output signal, to provide the flow of the air to the plurality of air passages in response to determining that a difference between the weight and an expected weight is greater than a threshold value.

13. The agricultural metering system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a second input signal indicative of an obstruction within at least one recess of the plurality of recesses of the meter roller, and the controller is configured to instruct the valve assembly, via the output signal, to provide the flow of the air to the plurality of air passages in response to identifying the obstruction.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Stuart Graham Douglas
• Ryder Nicholas George Alfred

Classifications

• A01C7/082

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

• A01C7/126 Primary

  Stubbed rollers or wheels · CPC title

• A01C7/123

  Housings for feed rollers or wheels · CPC title

• A01B71/08 Primary

  Means for protecting against dust or the like, or for cleaning agricultural implements (discs for ploughs A01B15/16; lifting or cleaning apparatus for harrows A01B19/10; discs for harrows A01B23/06; screening of rotary driven tilling tools A01B33/12) · CPC title

• G01F11/24

  for fluent solid material · CPC title