Material-conveying duct with adjustable geometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228589-B2
Application number	US-201414149641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2014
Priority date	Jan 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

An adjustable material-conveying duct and a flow area adjustment device are described. The duct may include two wall sections, the second wall section having two mounting connections, oriented at an angle with respect to one another. When the second wall section is mounted to the first wall section via a first mounting connection, the wall sections form a first angle in a flow channel of the duct. When the second wall section is mounted to the first wall section via a second mounting connection, the wall sections form a second, different angle in the flow channel. A flow sensor, controller and automatic adjustment device may also be utilized to control the orientation of the wall sections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow area adjustment device for a duct with variable flow area, the flow area adjustment device comprising:
a first duct wall section bounding, at least in part, a flow channel of the duct over a first flow region, the first duct wall section having a first and a second mounting position with respect to the duct; and
a second duct wall section bounding, at least in part, the flow channel of the duct over a second flow region adjacent the first flow region, the second duct wall section having a first end with a first mounting connection and a second end with a second mounting connection angled with respect to the first mounting connection, each of the first and the second mounting connections being configured to mount the second duct wall section to one or more of the first duct wall section and a third duct wall section adjacent the second duct wall section;
wherein, with the first duct wall section in the first mounting position, the second duct wall section is mounted to the first duct wall section via the first mounting connection and is mounted to the third duct wall section via the second mounting connection, whereby the first duct wall section and the second duct wall section form a first angle in the flow channel; and
wherein, with the first duct wall section in the second mounting position, the second duct wall section is mounted to the first duct wall section via the second mounting connection and is mounted to the third duct wall section via the first mounting connection, whereby the first duct wall section and the second duct wall section form a second angle in the flow channel that is different from the second angle.

2. The flow area adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the flow channel includes a separation flow channel for a cotton processing vehicle.

3. The flow area adjustment device of claim 2 , wherein a portion of one or more of the first duct wall section and the second duct wall section are located on a ceiling of the separation flow channel above a trash outlet of the separation flow channel.

4. The flow area adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the third duct wall section includes a third mounting connection angled with respect to the flow channel at the third duct wall section, the second and third duct wall sections being mounted together via the third mounting connection and the first mounting connection when the first duct wall section is in the second mounting position and the second duct wall section is mounted to the first duct wall section via the second mounting connection.

5. The flow area adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein in the first mounting position the first duct wall section is mounted to a side wall of the duct at a first location and in the second mounting position the first duct wall section is mounted to the side wall of the duct at a second location different from the first location.

6. The flow area adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the first duct wall section includes a bracket extending away from the flow channel, the first duct wall section being mounted to the second duct wall section via the bracket and the first mounting connection of the second duct wall section when the first duct wall section is in the first mounting position.

7. The flow area adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein, with the first duct wall section in the second mounting position and the second duct wall section mounted to the first duct wall section via the second mounting connection, the first duct wall section is substantially parallel to the second duct wall section.

8. The flow area adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first duct wall section, the second duct wall section, and the third duct wall section are formed from sheet metal; and
wherein the second mounting connection is angled at an acute angle with respect to the first mounting connection.

9. A flow area adjustment device for a duct of a material-conveying machine, the duct having a variable flow area, the flow area adjustment device comprising:
a first duct wall section including a first flow channel surface bounding, at least in part, a flow channel of the duct over a first flow region, the first duct wall section having a first and a second mounting position with respect to the duct;
a second duct wall section including a second flow channel surface bounding, at least in part, the flow channel of the duct over a second flow region adjacent the first flow region, the second duct wall section further including a first mounting tab angling away from the second flow channel surface, and a first mounting connection parallel, at least in part, to the second flow channel surface; and
a third duct wall section including a third flow channel surface bounding, at least in part the flow channel of the duct over a third flow region adjacent the second flow region, the third duct wall section further including a second mounting tab angling away from the third flow channel surface, and a second mounting connection parallel, at least in part, to the third flow channel surface;
wherein, with the first duct wall section in the first mounting position, the second duct wall section is mounted to the first duct wall section via the first mounting tab and is mounted to the third duct wall section via the first mounting connection and the second mounting connection, whereby the first duct wall section and the second duct wall section form a first angle in the flow channel; and
wherein, with the first duct wall section in the second mounting position, the second duct wall section is mounted to the first duct wall section via the first mounting connection and is mounted to the third duct wall section via the first mounting tab and the second mounting tab, whereby the first duct wall section and the second duct wall section form a second angle in the flow channel different from the first angle.

10. The flow area adjustment device of claim 9 , wherein the flow channel includes a separation flow channel of the material-conveying machine, and a portion of one or more of the first duct wall section and the second duct wall section are located on a ceiling of the separation flow channel above a trash outlet of the separation flow channel.

11. The flow area adjustment device of claim 9 , wherein the first duct wall section includes a bracket extending away from the flow channel, the first duct wall section being mounted to the second duct wall section via the bracket and the first mounting tab when the first duct wall section is in the first mounting position.

12. The flow area adjustment device of claim 9 , wherein in the first mounting position the first duct wall section is mounted to a side wall of the duct at a first location and in the second mounting position the first duct wall section is mounted to the side wall of the duct at a second location different from the first location.

13. The flow area adjustment device of claim 9 , wherein, with the first duct wall section in the second mounting position and the second duct wall section mounted to the first duct wall section via the first mounting connection, the first flow channel surface is substantially parallel to the second flow channel surface.

14. A flow area adjustment device for a duct with variable flow area, the flow area adjustment device comprising:
a flow sensor;
a controller;
a first duct wall section bounding, at least in part, a flow channel of the duct over a first flow region;
a second duct wall section bounding, at least in part, the flow channel of the duct over a second flow region adjacent the first flow region; and
a duct wall adjustment device

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Hummel Justin E
• Walmsley Tom R
• Rumohr John O
• Weber Scott D

Classifications

• A01D46/12 Primary

  using boll-from-plant strippers · CPC title

• F04D17/12 Primary

  Multi-stage pumps · CPC title

• A01D46/08 Primary

  of cotton · CPC title