Flow control assembly for an agricultural metering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016120106-A1
Application number	US-201514931918-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flow control assembly for an agricultural metering system includes a first gate control rod configured to couple to a first gate of a seed meter and a second gate control rod configured to couple to a second gate of the seed meter. The flow control assembly also includes a locking assembly configured to block translation of the first gate control rod at least while the second gate control rod is in a positioned that corresponds to an open position of the second gate and to block translation of the second gate control rod at least while the first gate control rod is in a position that corresponds to an open position of the first gate.

First claim

1 . A flow control assembly for an agricultural metering system comprising:
a first gate control rod configured to couple to a first gate of a seed meter, wherein the first gate control rod is configured to move the first gate between a closed position and an open position via translation of the first gate control rod between a first position that corresponds to the closed position of the first gate and a second position that corresponds to the open position of the first gate; a second gate control rod configured to couple to a second gate of the seed meter, wherein the second gate control rod is configured to move the second gate between a closed position and an open position via translation of the second gate control rod between a first position that corresponds to the closed position of the second gate and a second position that corresponds to the open position of the second gate; and a locking assembly configured to block translation of the first gate control rod from the first position at least while the second gate control rod is in the second position and to block translation of the second gate control rod from the first position at least while the first gate control rod is in the second position.

2 . The flow control assembly of claim 1 , comprising a first handle coupled to the first gate control rod to facilitate translation of the first gate control rod, and a second handle coupled to the second gate control rod to facilitate translation of the second gate control rod.

3 . The flow control assembly of claim 1 , comprising a blocking assembly configured to selectively block translation of at least one gate control rod from a respective first position.

4 . The flow control assembly of claim 3 , wherein the blocking assembly comprises a first plate configured to selectively engage a second plate coupled to the at least one gate control rod to block translation of the at least one gate control rod from the respective first position.

5 . The flow control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the locking assembly comprises:
a plate coupled to the first gate control rod; a cam coupled to the second gate control rod; and a shaft having a first end configured to engage the cam, wherein the plate is configured to contact a second end of the shaft at least while the first gate control rod is in the second position to block translation of the second gate control rod from the first position via contact between the cam and the first end of the shaft.

6 . The flow control assembly of claim 5 , wherein the plate comprises an opening configured to substantially align with the second end of the shaft while the first gate control rod is in the first position to facilitate movement of the shaft through the plate as the second gate control rod translates from the first position toward the second position, and the plate is configured to contact the shaft while the shaft extends at least partially through the opening to block translation of the first gate control rod from the first position.

7 . The flow control assembly of claim 5 , wherein the locking assembly comprises a biasing member coupled to the shaft, and the biasing member is configured to urge the first end of the shaft into contact with the cam.

8 . The flow control assembly of claim 5 , comprising a support configured to couple the shaft to a frame of the agricultural metering system and to facilitate movement of the shaft in response to translation of the second gate control rod.

9 . The flow control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the locking assembly is configured to block translation of the first gate control rod from the first position while the second gate control rod is translated from the first position by more than a first threshold distance, and to block translation of the second gate control rod from the first position while the first gate control rod is translated from the first position by more than a second threshold distance.

10 . The flow control assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
a third gate control rod configured to couple to a third gate of the seed meter, wherein the third gate control rod is configured to move the third gate between a closed position and an open position via translation of the third gate control rod between a first position that corresponds to the closed position of the third gate and a second position that corresponds to the open position of the third gate; wherein the locking assembly is configured to block translation of the third gate control rod from the first position at least while the first gate control rod is in the second position.

11 . A flow control assembly for an agricultural metering system, comprising:
a locking assembly comprising:
a plate configured to couple to a first gate control rod, wherein the first gate control rod is configured to couple to a first gate of a seed meter and to move the first gate between a closed position and an open position via translation of the first gate control rod between a first position that corresponds to the closed position of the first gate and a second position that corresponds to the open position of the first gate;
a cam configured to couple to a second gate control rod, wherein the second gate control rod is configured to couple to a second gate of a seed meter and to move the second gate between a closed position and an open position via translation of the second gate control rod between a first position that corresponds to the closed position of the second gate and a second position that corresponds to the open position of the second gate; and
a shaft having a first end configured to engage the cam, wherein the plate is configured to contact a second end of the shaft at least while the first gate control rod is in the second position to block translation of the second gate control rod from the first position via contact between the cam and the first end of the shaft.

12 . The flow control assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plate comprises an opening configured to substantially align with the second end of the shaft while the first gate control rod is in the first position to facilitate movement of the shaft through the plate as the second gate control rod translates from the first position toward the second position.

13 . The flow control assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plate is configured to contact the shaft while the shaft extends at least partially through the opening to block translation of the first gate control rod from the first position.

14 . The flow control assembly of claim 11 , wherein the locking assembly comprises a biasing member coupled to the shaft, and the biasing member is configured to urge the first end of the shaft into contact with the cam.

15 . The flow control assembly of claim 11 , comprising a support configured to couple the shaft to a frame of the agricultural metering system and to facilitate movement of the shaft in response to translation of the second gate control rod.

16 . A flow control assembly for an agricultural metering system comprising:
a locking assembly comprising:
a first plate configured to couple to a first gate control rod, wherein the first gate control rod is configured to couple to a first gate of a seed meter and to move the first gate between a closed position and an open position via translation of the first gate control rod between a first position that corresponds to the closed position of the first gate and a second position that corresponds to the open position of the first gate;
a first cam configured to couple to a second gate control rod, wherein the second gate control rod is co

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Zacharias Darwin Lloyd
• Bent Ethan Curtis Stephen

Classifications

• A01C7/12 Primary

  Seeders with feeding wheels · CPC title

• A01C7/082

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

• A01C7/107

  Calibration of the seed rate · CPC title

• F16K3/029

  with two or more gates · CPC title

• A01C7/208

  Chassis; Coupling means to a tractor or the like; Lifting means; Side markers · CPC title