3-way seed flow splitter for planters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9585304-B2
Application number	US-201414516861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A row crop planter has a pneumatic system for conveying seeds to individual row units employing three-way splitters above certain master row units for supplying seed to each master row unit and a pair of associated slave row units. Each three-row splitter has an upper inlet chamber of annular shape with an offset inlet coupled to a conveying hose for receiving an air entrained seed flow, and an annular passageway extending downwardly from the inlet chamber to an outlet for delivering seeds to the master unit below. A pair of laterally extending slave outlet conduits extend obliquely upward and each has a jumper hose connecting with an adjacent slave unit. The flow circulating within the annular region allows seeds to fall downwardly and air to spiral upwardly into a supplemental air conduit. An air bypass passageway conveys air flow from the supplemental air conduit toward the slave outlet conduits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural implement for distributing an agricultural product including:
at least one centralized source of product and a plurality of spaced apart product dispensing units,
a pneumatic system for transporting product from the source to the dispensing units including a number of product conveying hoses extending from the source to certain ones of the dispensing units, each of the certain ones of the dispensing units including
a three-way flow splitter for supplying product to the certain dispensing unit and to two additional dispensing units, the three-way flow splitter comprising
an upper inlet chamber comprising a cyclone chamber,
a passageway extending downwardly from the inlet chamber,
a downward directed outlet for delivering product to the dispensing unit below, and
a pair of laterally extending outlet conduits, each outlet conduit having a hose connecting with an adjacent additional dispensing unit for delivering product from the splitter to each adjacent additional dispensing unit,

wherein the cyclone chamber swirls the incoming air entrained product allowing product to fall gently into the dispensing unit below while directing a portion of the air flow upwardly and away from the inlet chamber.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein the number of product conveying hoses is the smallest integer at least as great as the number of dispensing locations divided by three.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 2 , wherein each three-way flow splitter is located directly above the corresponding certain dispensing unit.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein each of the laterally extending outlet conduits extends obliquely upward.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein each three-way splitter further includes an internal baffle extending downwardly for directing product flow toward the dispensing unit, the baffle terminating beneath the laterally extending outlet conduits whereby product flow is directed back obliquely upwardly to each outlet conduit.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 4 , wherein each three-way splitter further includes a supplemental air conduit for merging a supplemental flow of air with each obliquely upwardly directed product flow to each adjacent additional dispensing unit.

7. An agricultural implement for distributing an agricultural product including:
at least one centralized source of product and a plurality of spaced apart product dispensing units,
a pneumatic system for transporting product from the source to the dispensing units including a number of product conveying hoses extending from the source to certain ones of the dispensing units, the certain ones of dispensing units each including
a three-way flow splitter for supplying product to the certain dispensing unit comprising a master unit and to two additional dispensing units comprising a pair of slave units, the three-way flow splitter comprising
an upper inlet chamber,
a passageway extending downwardly from the inlet chamber,
a downward directed outlet comprising a master unit outlet for delivering product to the master unit below, and
a pair of laterally extending outlet conduits comprising slave outlets, each having a hose connecting with an adjacent slave unit for delivering product from the splitter to each of the adjacent slave units,

wherein each slave outlet extends obliquely upward.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein each three-way splitter further includes an internal baffle extending downwardly for directing product flow toward the master unit outlet, the baffle terminating beneath the laterally extending slave outlets whereby product flow is directed back obliquely upwardly to the slave outlets.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 8 , wherein each three-way splitter further includes a supplemental air conduit for merging a supplemental flow of air with each obliquely upwardly directed product flow to a slave unit.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 9 , wherein the upper inlet chamber comprises a generally annular region having an offset inlet coupled to a product conveying hose for receiving an air entrained product flow, the flow circulating within the annular region allowing product to fall downwardly and air to spiral upwardly and into the supplemental air conduit.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Roberge Martin J
• Harnetiaux Travis L
• Johnson Chad M
• Prickel Marvin A
• Legner Iii Frank C

Classifications

• B65G53/528

  Flux combining or dividing arrangements (B65G53/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01C7/082 Primary

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

• A01C7/081

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/084

  Pneumatic distribution heads for seeders · CPC title