Modular meter system for a dry product applicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512992-B2
Application number	US-202016780331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A meter wheel system for a dry agricultural product applicator can include a bank of meter assemblies made from modular meter units. In one aspect, each meter assembly in the bank can be made from modular meter units. The modular meter units can be connected in a stacked configuration to provide a specific overall length to achieve a corresponding flow rate and then banked together to form the system. A bank of meter assemblies made from modular meter units can be secured between top and bottom plates. The plates can be bolted to each other and have receptacles that receive protrusions from top and bottom surfaces of the meter assemblies. Lengths of meter assemblies can be picked based on particular delivery rates for the section it feeds. An overall length of each meter assembly can be a multiple of a length of the modular meter unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metering bank for distributing particulate material from an applicator, the metering bank comprising:
a plurality of modular meter assemblies connected to one another along a longitudinal axis, each modular meter assembly comprising a meter housing and a meter wheel, each meter housing comprising a frame having a plurality of frame openings, the plurality of frame openings including first and second frame openings arranged on first and second sides of the frame, respectively, the first and second sides being opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first and second frame openings being configured to provide an inlet and an outlet, respectively, relative to the meter wheel;
a rotatable shaft arranged through the plurality of modular meter assemblies along the longitudinal axis, the rotatable shaft being configured to rotate the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies; and
an end cap attached to a first modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the end cap being configured to retain the rotatable shaft relative to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the meter housing of each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies comprises an interconnection system, wherein the interconnection system comprises a protrusion extending along the longitudinal axis and a receptacle extending along the longitudinal axis, and the protrusion of the modular meter assembly is configured to engage the receptacle of an adjacent modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies to connect the modular meter assembly to the adjacent modular meter assembly.

2. The metering bank of claim 1 , further comprising a support element arranged in each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the support element being contained between the meter housing and the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve.

3. The metering bank of claim 2 , wherein the tubular sleeve further includes a locking element configured to block rotation of the tubular sleeve relative to the plurality of modular meter assemblies.

4. The metering bank of claim 3 , wherein the locking element blocks the rotation by engaging the end cap.

5. The metering bank of claim 4 , wherein the locking element comprises a slot on a circumference of a first end of the tubular sleeve, the end cap comprises a protrusion, and the slot engages the protrusion to block the rotation.

6. The metering bank of claim 5 , wherein the protrusion is curved, and the slot of the tubular sleeve is curved.

7. The metering bank of claim 1 , wherein each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies further comprises a support element between the meter housing and the meter wheel, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve having first and second sleeve openings arranged on opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first and second sleeve openings corresponding to the first and second frame openings of the modular meter assembly to provide the inlet and the outlet, respectively.

8. The metering bank of claim 7 , wherein the tubular sleeve is less than 5 inches in length along the longitudinal axis.

9. The metering bank of claim 1 , further comprising a support element contained in the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve having a plurality of sleeve openings, the plurality of sleeve openings comprising a plurality of first and second sleeve openings arranged on opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second sleeve openings of the plurality of first and second sleeve openings corresponding to the first and second frame openings of a respective modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies to provide the inlet and the outlet of the respective modular meter assembly, respectively.

10. The metering bank of claim 9 , wherein the tubular sleeve is at least 16 inches in length along the longitudinal axis.

11. The metering bank of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of spacers, wherein each spacer of the plurality of spacers is positioned at an interface of adjacent modular meter assemblies of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, each spacer being configured to confine particulate material received through the inlet of a respective modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies to the respective modular meter assembly.

12. A metering bank for distributing particulate material from an applicator, the metering bank comprising:
a plurality of modular meter assemblies connected to one another along a longitudinal axis, each modular meter assembly comprising a meter housing and a meter wheel, each meter housing comprising a frame having a plurality of frame openings, the plurality of frame openings including first and second frame openings arranged on first and second sides of the frame, respectively, the first and second sides being opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, the first and second frame openings being configured to provide an inlet and an outlet, respectively, relative to the meter wheel;
a rotatable shaft arranged through the plurality of modular meter assemblies along the longitudinal axis, the rotatable shaft being configured to rotate the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies;
an end cap attached to a first modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the end cap being configured to retain the rotatable shaft relative to the longitudinal axis; and
a support element arranged in each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the support element being contained between the meter housing and the meter wheel of each modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies, the support element comprising a tubular sleeve.

13. The metering bank of claim 12 , wherein the tubular sleeve further includes a locking element configured to block rotation of the tubular sleeve relative to the plurality of modular meter assemblies.

14. The metering bank of claim 13 , wherein the locking element blocks the rotation by engaging the end cap.

15. The metering bank of claim 14 , wherein the locking element comprises a slot on a circumference of a first end of the tubular sleeve, the end cap comprises a protrusion, and the slot engages the protrusion to block the rotation.

16. The metering bank of claim 15 , wherein the protrusion is curved, and the slot of the tubular sleeve is curved.

17. The metering bank of claim 12 , wherein the tubular sleeve has a plurality of sleeve openings, the plurality of sleeve openings comprising a plurality of first and second sleeve openings arranged on opposing sides of one another transverse to the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second sleeve openings of the plurality of first and second sleeve openings corresponding to the first and second frame openings of a respective modular meter assembly of the plurality of modular meter assemblies to provide the inlet and the outlet of the respective modular meter assembly, respectively.

18. The metering bank of claim 12 , wherein the tubular sleeve is at least 16 inches in length along the longitudinal axis.

19. A metering bank for distributing particulate material

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Ruppert Rex L
• Pederson Nicholas R
• Martin Jeffrey S
• Honermann John P
• Kennedy John P

Classifications

• G01F11/24

  for fluent solid material · CPC title

• A01C7/124 Primary

  with top delivery of the seeds · CPC title

• A01C15/04

  using blowers · CPC title

• A01C15/005

  Undercarriages, tanks, hoppers, stirrers specially adapted for seeders or fertiliser distributors · CPC title

• G01F11/261 Primary

  for fluent solid material · CPC title