Implement frame mounted product meters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11930735-B2
Application number	US-202017615865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 25, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A product distribution system for an air seeder includes a plurality of furrow openers and a plurality of product distributors mounted on an implement frame. Each product distributor comprises a seed container and a plurality of seed delivery conduits extending radially outward from the seed container A seed meter apparatus is connected to receive the seed product from the seed container and operative to meter seeds of the seed product into each of the seed delivery conduits. A seed product dispenser is operative to convey a seed product from a seed product tank into each seed container, and is operative to maintain a level of the seed product in each seed container above a selected level. The product distributors are spaced across the width of the implement frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product distribution system for an air seeder, the system comprising:
a plurality of furrow openers mounted on an implement frame of the air seeder;
a plurality of product distributors mounted on the implement frame, each product distributor comprising:
a seed container;
a plurality of seed delivery conduits extending radially outward from the seed container;
a seed meter apparatus connected to receive a seed product from the seed container and operative to meter seeds of the seed product into each of the seed delivery conduits;

a seed product dispenser operative to convey the seed product from a seed product tank into each seed container, and operative to maintain a level of the seed product in each seed container above a selected level;
wherein the product distributors are spaced across a width of the implement frame.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the implement frame comprises a plurality of lateral frame members extending across the width of the implement frame and spaced between a front of the implement frame and a rear of the implement frame, and the plurality of furrow openers is spaced along the lateral frame members, and wherein the seed delivery conduits extend radially outward from each seed container and connect to selected furrow openers located forward, rearward, right, or left of the seed container.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein seed product dispenser is one of an on-demand dispenser and a meter.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising a pressurized air source operative to direct a pressurized air stream into a plenum connected to each seed delivery conduit, such that an air stream flows through each seed delivery conduit.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each seed meter apparatus is operative to resist air flow from the seed delivery conduits to the corresponding seed container.

6. The system of claim 1 comprising a fertilizer product tank and a fertilizer meter apparatus operative to dispense a fertilizer product from the fertilizer product tank into a primary air stream flowing through a primary conduit and wherein each product distributor comprises:
a substantially vertically oriented supply conduit mounted on the implement frame and connected to the primary conduit and operative to receive a portion of the primary air stream;
a manifold mounted on an upper end of the supply conduit, wherein the manifold is operative to direct a final air stream out of the manifold through each of a plurality of manifold ports spaced around a circumference of the manifold;
a plurality of fertilizer delivery conduits, each connected at an input end to one of the manifold ports, and connected at an output end to one of the furrow openers;
wherein the supply conduit extends upward through the seed container.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the seed delivery conduits are provided by the fertilizer delivery conduits.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the seed meter apparatus is connected to each seed delivery conduit at a Y-junction.

9. The system of claim 8 comprising an air conduit connected at a bottom of an interior of the seed container and to an output of the seed meter apparatus at each Y-junction to substantially equalize air pressure across the seed meter apparatus.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the seed meter apparatus comprises a plurality of rotatable augers extending radially outward from the seed container, each auger sloping upward from a lower input end connected to receive seeds from the seed container to a discharge end connected to direct the seeds from the auger into a corresponding one of the seed delivery conduits.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each fertilizer delivery conduit slopes downward and outward from the manifold, and comprising a discharge conduit sloping downward from the discharge end of each auger to the corresponding fertilizer delivery conduit.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein each auger is rotated by a corresponding auger motor, and comprising a dispensing control operative to control each auger motor independently.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein each product distributor comprises:
a fertilizer container mounted on the implement frame;
a plurality of fertilizer delivery conduits extending radially outward from the fertilizer container;
a fertilizer meter apparatus connected to receive the fertilizer product from the fertilizer container and operative to meter the fertilizer product into each of the fertilizer delivery conduits;
wherein one of the seed container and the fertilizer container is located inside the other of the seed container and the fertilizer container;
wherein a fertilizer product dispenser is operative to convey a fertilizer product from a fertilizer product tank into each fertilizer container, and is operative to maintain a level of the fertilizer product in the fertilizer container above a selected level; and
wherein a pressurized air source is operative to direct a pressurized air stream through the seed delivery conduits and the fertilizer delivery conduits.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the fertilizer product dispenser is one of an on-demand dispenser and a meter.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the seed conduits are connected to deliver seeds from the seed metering apparatus to seed furrows created by seed furrow openers mounted on the implement frame and the fertilizer conduits are connected to deliver fertilizer product from the fertilizer metering apparatus to fertilizer furrows created by fertilizer furrow openers mounted on the implement frame.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the fertilizer conduits are provided by the seed conduits, and wherein the fertilizer conduits are connected to deliver seeds and fertilizer product from the fertilizer metering apparatus to combined seed and fertilizer furrows created by the furrow openers mounted on the implement frame.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein each seed metering apparatus comprises:
a seed disc rotatably mounted under the seed container about a substantially vertically oriented disc rotational axis extending upward through the seed container, and a disc drive operative to rotate the seed disc;
a plurality of seed chutes, each seed chute sloping downward from the seed container to an open discharge end configured to slide along an upper face of an outer portion of the seed disc as the seed disc rotates, and wherein the discharge ends of the seed chutes are substantially equally spaced around the outer portion of the seed disc;
wherein the discharge end of each seed chute defines a loading zone, and each space between adjacent seed chutes defines a discharge zone;
a plurality of seed apertures defined in the outer portion of the seed disc and extending through the seed disc from the upper face of the seed disc to a lower face of the seed disc, each seed aperture configured to receive one of the seeds, wherein the seed apertures are substantially equally spaced along a seed aperture path;
a stationary dispensing plate mounted under the seed aperture path on the seed disc such that the lower face of the seed disc slides along an upper face of the dispensing plate;
wherein the dispensing plate defines a plurality of dispensing apertures, each dispensing aperture located on the seed aperture path at a corresponding discharge zone, and each dispensing aperture extending through the dispensing plate from the upper face of the dispensing plate to a lower face of the dispensing plate and configured to allow one of the seeds to pass through into one of the seed delivery conduits.

Assignees

• Bourgault Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Jagow Scot
• Novlan Douglas
• Hantke Glenn

Classifications

• A01C7/084 Primary

  Pneumatic distribution heads for seeders · CPC title

• A01C7/06

  Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus · CPC title

• A01C7/081

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/04

  Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices · CPC title

• Y02P60/00

  Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries · CPC title