System For Automatically Setting The Set Point Of A Planter Automatic Down Pressure Control System With A Seed Furrow Sidewall Compaction Measurement Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317381-A1
Application number	US-201715586743-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 4, 2017
Priority date	May 4, 2017
Publication date	Nov 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow includes an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted, and a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control elevation. A depth control actuator applies a controllable down force to the gauge wheel, and a sidewall compaction sensor extends into sidewalls of the furrow and produces a signal representing the compaction of the soil. A controller supplies the depth control actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth. The controller uses the signal representing the compaction of the soil in the sidewalls to determine whether the down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplies the depth control actuator with a control signal when it is determined that the down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.

First claim

1 . An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow, comprising
a frame having (a) a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control the elevation of the frame and (b) an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted, a gauge wheel down force control system that includes an actuator applying a controllable down pressure to said gauge wheel to control the depth of said furrow, a sidewall compaction sensor extending into the furrow and into the sidewalls of the furrow and producing a signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls, and a controller supplying said actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth, said controller receiving said signal representing the compaction of the soil in said sidewalls and using said signal in an algorithm to determine whether said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplying said actuator with a control signal when it is determined that said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.

2 . The agricultural row unit of claim 1 in which said sidewall compaction sensor includes lateral projections that extend into the sidewalls of the furrow, and a load cell coupled to said projections to produce an electrical signal that changes with the compaction of the soil in the furrow sidewalls.

3 . The system of claim 2 in which said projections are wings that extend laterally from opposite sides of a bar that is dragged along the furrow, the tips of said wings extending into the furrow side walls.

4 . The agricultural row unit of claim 2 which includes a controller that receives said electrical signal and produces said control signal based at least in part on said electrical signal from said load cell.

5 . A method of controlling the down pressure on an agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow and including a gauge wheel down force control system that includes an actuator applying a controllable down pressure to the gauge wheel to control the depth of the furrow, said method comprising
supplying said actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point, sensing the compaction of the soil forming the sidewalls of the furrow and producing a signal representing the sensed compaction, using said signal representing the sensed compaction in an algorithm to determine whether said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and adjusting said control signal representing a down pressure set point when it is determined that said down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.

6 . The method of claim 5 in which said sidewall compaction sensor includes lateral projections that extend into the sidewalls of the furrow, and a load cell coupled to said projections and producing an electrical signal that changes with the compaction of the soil in the furrow sidewalls.

7 . The method of claim 6 in which said projections are wings that extend laterally from opposite sides of a bar that is dragged along the furrow, the tips of said wings extending into the furrow side walls.

8 . The method of claim 6 in which a controller receives said electrical signal and produces said control signal based at least in part on said electrical signal from said load cell.

Assignees

• Dawn Equipment Company

Inventors

• Bassett Joseph D

Classifications

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01C5/068

  Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels · CPC title

• A01C7/06

  Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus · CPC title

• A01C7/205 Primary

  comprising pressure regulation means · CPC title

• A01C5/064

  with rotating tools · CPC title