Accuracy of fertilizer dispensed through a fixed opening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296568-B2
Application number	US-201214369842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2012
Priority date	Dec 30, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A conditioner for a fertilizer box configured to convey compacted particles away from a conveyor path of fertilizer particles. The conditioner may include a plurality of wings for deflecting a portion of a flow of fertilizer particles from a conveyor path. A method includes determining a constant effective dispense opening for a fertilizer box having the conditioner and using the constant effective dispense opening to determine a fertilizer dispense rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fertilizer dispensing system, comprising:
a fertilizer box configured to hold fertilizer particles, the fertilizer box having a dispense opening for dispensing the fertilizer particles therethrough;
a conveyor configured to move the fertilizer particles along a flow path through the dispense opening; and
a conditioner configured to deflect a compacted portion of the fertilizer particles out of the flow path to provide a constant effective dispense opening throughout a variety of conveyor speeds, the conditioner comprising a structure having a to and sides formed by a plurality of spaced-apart wings angled outwardly in a downstream direction of said conveyor and forming at least one space between adjacent spaced-apart wings through which said compacted portion is removed by said conditioner from the flow path and away from the dispense opening.

2. The fertilizer dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a non-automated gate assembly configured to cover a portion of the dispense opening.

3. The fertilizer dispensing system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a controller configured to manipulate the speed of the conveyor to achieve a desired dispense rate in response to the speed of the conveyor and the size of the dispense opening.

4. The fertilizer dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to calculate a fertilizer dispense rate using the speed of the conveyor and a determined size of the effective dispense opening.

5. A variable fertilizer dispensing apparatus, comprising:
a conditioner configured for mounting within a fertilizer box having a feed conveyor to move fertilizer particles down a flow path to a dispense opening in the fertilizer box, wherein the conditioner comprises a structure having a top and sides formed by a plurality of spaced-apart wings angled outwardly in a downstream direction of said feed conveyor and forming at least one space between adjacent spaced-apart wings such that the conditioner is configured to deflect a portion of the fertilizer particles from the flow path through said at least one space between said spaced-apart wings.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the said plurality of wings is adjacent to the flow path of the conveyor.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the wings are provided in a spaced apart arrangement to provide a relief flow path therebetween.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the conditioner is configured for mounting within the fertilizer box.

9. A method, comprising:
creating a conveyor flow of fertilizer particles in a fertilizer box toward a dispense opening in the fertilizer box; and
peeling off a portion of the fertilizer particles from the flow to produce a constant effective gate opening
determining a constant effective dispense opening of a fertilizer box having a preconditioner for conditioning a conveyor flow of fertilizer particles prior to dispensing through the dispense opening, wherein the step of determining a constant effective dispense opening of a fertilizer box comprises determining an amount of conditioned fertilizer dispensed through the dispense opening at a baseline conveyor speed.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a conveyor speed of a conveyor of the fertilizer box.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
wherein the fertilizer box has a movable feed gate for changing a size of the dispense opening, determining the position of the movable feed gate.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a fertilizer dispense rate using the constant effective dispense opening and a conveyor speed rate of the fertilizer box.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
displaying the dispense rate.

14. A method comprising:
creating a conveyor flow of fertilizer particles in a fertilizer box toward a dispense opening in the fertilizer box;
peeling off a portion of the fertilizer particles from the flow to produce a constant effective gate opening;
determining a speed of a conveyor creating a flow path of fertilizer particles through a dispense opening of the fertilizer box, the fertilizer particles preconditioned by a conditioner; and
determining a dispense rate of the fertilizer particles using the constant effective dispense opening and the speed of the conveyor, wherein the determined speed of the conveyor is different from a baseline speed used to determining the constant effective opening.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining the size of a dispense opening in the fertilizer box.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining the size of a dispense opening in the fertilizer box comprises detecting the position of a movable gate relative to the dispense opening.

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Peterson John

Classifications

• A01C15/122

  with moving floor parts · CPC title

• B65G37/00

  Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes (series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10) · CPC title

• A01C15/06 Primary

  with distributing slots {, e.g. adjustable openings for dosing} · CPC title

• B65G47/74 Primary

  Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types · CPC title

• Y02P60/21

  Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures · CPC title