Agricultural trench depth systems, methods, and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11612093-B2
Application number	US-202016928477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2020
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

An agricultural planting system for controlling the depth of an opener device comprising: an agricultural planter; an opener device mounted on the agricultural planter for engaging the ground of a field; a gauge wheel mounted on the agricultural planter for rotating on the ground of the field; a GPS device coupled to the agricultural planter, the GPS device configured to determine a location of the agricultural planter in the field; and a controller in electrical communication with the agricultural planter and the GPS device, the controller having predetermined settings associated with a map of the field, the controller being configured to select a relative elevation of the opener device and the gauge wheel based at least in part on the location determined by the GPS device, and produce, based on the location, a signal for adjusting the depth of engagement into the ground of the opener device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural planting system for controlling the depth of an opener device in an agricultural planter, the agricultural planting system comprising:
an agricultural planter;
an opener device mounted on the agricultural planter for engaging the ground of a field;
a gauge wheel mounted on the agricultural planter for rotating on the ground of the field;
a GPS device coupled to the agricultural planter, the GPS device configured to determine a location of the agricultural planter in the field; and
a controller in electrical communication with the agricultural planter and the GPS device, the controller having predetermined settings associated with a map of the field, the controller being configured to select a relative elevation of the opener device and the gauge wheel based at least in part on the location determined by the GPS device, and produce, based on the location, a signal for adjusting the depth of engagement into the ground of the opener device.

2. The agricultural planting system of claim 1 , wherein the map of the field includes a topographical map, a soil temperature map, a soil moisture map, or in any combination thereof.

3. The agricultural planting system of claim 1 , wherein the relative elevation of the opener device and the gauge wheel is selected automatically in response to the map of the field.

4. A method of controlling the depth of an opener device in an agricultural planter, the method comprising:
determining, via a GPS device, a location of an agricultural planter in a field, the agricultural planter including an opener device for engaging the ground of the field and a gauge wheel for rotating on the ground of the field;
receiving, via an input device, a map of the field; and
based at least in part on the location of the agricultural planter in the field and the map of the field, producing a signal for selecting a relative elevation of the opener device and the gauge wheel, thereby adjusting the depth of engagement into the ground of the opener device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the map of the field includes a topographical map, a soil temperature map, a soil moisture map, or in any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the relative elevation of the opener device and the gauge wheel is selected automatically in response to the map of the field.

Assignees

• Prec Planting Llc

Inventors

• Stoller Jason
• Swanson Todd

Classifications

• A01C7/044

  Pneumatic seed wheels · CPC title

• F16H25/20

  Screw mechanisms (with automatic reversal F16H25/12) · CPC title

• A01B63/20

  with gear and rack · CPC title

• F16H2025/2043

  Screw mechanisms driving an oscillating lever, e.g. lever with perpendicular pivoting axis · CPC title

• A01B63/008 Primary

  Vertical adjustment of tools (A01B63/10 takes precedence) · CPC title