Particle delivery system of an agricultural row unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11516958-B2
Application number	US-201916726670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2019
Priority date	Dec 24, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A particle delivery system of an agricultural row unit includes a particle belt having a particle acceleration section. The particle belt is configured to receive a particle, to accelerate the particle at the particle acceleration section, and to expel the particle toward a trench in soil. The particle delivery system includes a first hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a first location and a second hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a second location. The particle acceleration section is disposed generally at the first location, a substantially no-slip condition exists between the first hub assembly and the particle belt at the first location and between the second hub assembly and the particle belt at the second location, and the first hub assembly and the second hub assembly are configured to stretch the particle belt at the particle acceleration section to accelerate the particle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A particle delivery system of an agricultural row unit, comprising:
a particle belt having a particle acceleration section, wherein the particle belt is configured to receive a particle from a particle metering and singulation unit, to accelerate the particle at the particle acceleration section, and to expel the particle toward a trench in soil;
a first hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a first location; and
a second hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a second location, wherein the particle acceleration section is disposed generally at the first location, a substantially no-slip condition exists between the first hub assembly and the particle belt at the first location and between the second hub assembly and the particle belt at the second location, and the first hub assembly and the second hub assembly are configured to stretch the particle belt at the particle acceleration section to accelerate the particle at the particle acceleration section.

2. The particle delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the first hub assembly is configured to stretch the particle belt at the first location, and the second hub assembly is configured to retract the particle belt at the second location, such that the first hub assembly and the second hub assembly stretch the particle belt along the particle acceleration section.

3. The particle delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the first hub assembly comprises an outer hub configured to rotate, an inner hub disposed eccentrically within the outer hub and configured to rotate with the outer hub, a plurality of cogs coupled to the inner hub and configured to pivot relative to the inner hub, and a plurality of guides coupled to the outer hub and configured to pivot relative to the outer hub;
wherein each guide of the plurality of guides is configured to slide along a respective cog of the plurality of cogs, and the plurality of cogs are configured to engage the particle belt at the first location, such that the rotation of the inner hub, the rotation of the outer hub, and the pivoting of the plurality of cogs stretch the particle belt at the first location.

4. The particle delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the inner hub is non-rotatably coupled to the outer hub.

5. The particle delivery system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the inner hub and the outer hub comprises a pulley or a gear.

6. The particle delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the particle belt comprises a base and a plurality of flights extending from the base, and each pair of opposing flights of the plurality of flights is configured to receive the particle from the particle metering and singulation unit.

7. The particle delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the base has a plurality of recesses, and each recess of the plurality of recesses is configured to receive a respective cog of the plurality of cogs to establish the substantially no-slip condition between the first hub assembly and the particle belt at the first location.

8. The particle delivery system of claim 6 , wherein the base of the particle belt is formed from an elastic material configured to stretch, retract, or both.

9. The particle delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the first hub assembly and the second hub assembly are configured to drive rotation of the particle belt.

10. The particle delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the particle belt has a belt retraction section disposed generally at the second location and generally opposite the particle acceleration section, and the particle belt is configured to retract at the belt retraction section.

11. A particle delivery system of an agricultural row unit, comprising:
a particle metering and singulation unit configured to meter a plurality of particles from a particle storage area;
a particle belt having a particle acceleration section, wherein the particle belt is configured to receive the plurality of particles from the particle metering and singulation unit, to accelerate the plurality of particles at the particle acceleration section, and to expel the plurality of particles toward a trench in soil;
a first hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a first location; and
a second hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a second location, wherein the particle acceleration section is disposed generally at the first location, a substantially no-slip condition exists between the first hub assembly and the particle belt at the first location and between the second hub assembly and the particle belt at the second location, and the first hub assembly and the second hub assembly are configured to stretch the particle belt at the particle acceleration section to accelerate the particle at the particle acceleration section.

12. The particle delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the first hub assembly comprises an outer hub configured to rotate, an inner hub disposed eccentrically within the outer hub and configured to rotate with the outer hub, a plurality of cogs coupled to the inner hub and configured to pivot relative to the inner hub, and a plurality of guides coupled to the outer hub and configured to pivot relative to the outer hub;
wherein each guide of the plurality of guides is configured to slide along a respective cog of the plurality of cogs, and the plurality of cogs are configured to engage the particle belt at the first location, such that the rotation of the inner hub, the rotation of the outer hub, and the pivoting of the plurality of cogs stretch the particle belt at the first location.

13. The particle delivery system of claim 12 , wherein the particle belt comprises a base and a plurality of flights extending from the base, and each pair of opposing flights of the plurality of flights is configured to receive the particle from the particle metering and singulation unit.

14. The particle delivery system of claim 13 , wherein the base has a plurality of recesses, and each recess of the plurality of recesses is configured to receive a respective cog of the plurality of cogs to establish the substantially no-slip condition between the first hub assembly and the particle belt at the first location.

15. The particle delivery system of claim 11 , wherein the particle metering and singulation unit comprises a disc configured to extract each particle of the plurality of particles from the particle storage area, rotate the particle, and deposit the particle at a position generally above the particle belt.

16. A particle delivery system of an agricultural row unit, comprising:
a particle belt having a particle acceleration section and a particle exit section, wherein the particle belt is configured to receive a particle from a particle metering and singulation unit, to accelerate the particle at the particle acceleration section, and to expel the particle toward a trench in soil at the particle exit section;
a first hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a first location;
a second hub assembly engaged with the particle belt at a second location, wherein the particle acceleration section is disposed generally at the first location, a substantially no-slip condition exists between the first hub assembly and the particle belt at the first location and between the second hub assembly and the particle belt at the second location, and the first hub assembly and the second hub assembly are configured to stretch the particle belt at the particle acceleration section to accelerate the particle at the particle acceleration section; and
a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Chad Michael
• Anderson Brian John
• Stanhope Trevor Philip
• Schoeny Christopher
• Raducha Kregg Jerome

Classifications

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title

• A01C7/20 Primary

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title

• A01C7/082 Primary

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

• A01C7/122

  using more than one feeding wheel; using double-run feeding wheels · CPC title

• A01C7/042

  using pneumatic means · CPC title