Independently controlled meter rollers and air conveyance components system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756777-B2
Application number	US-201514932817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure includes an agricultural system having first and second product meters configured to meter product to first and second lines, respectively. First and second motors are coupled to the first and second product meters and configured to drive them at first and second metering rates, respectively. An air source is configured to provide first and second airflows to the first and second lines, respectively. A controller electrically coupled to the first and second motors is configured to receive first and second inputs indicative of first and second numbers of first and second outlets fluidly coupled to the first and second lines, respectively. The controller is configured to instruct the first and second motors to drive the first and second product meters at the first and second metering rates, respectively, based on the first and second inputs, and to instruct the air source to provide the first and second airflows with first and second dynamic pressures or first and second velocities.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural product distribution system, comprising:
a first product meter configured to meter agricultural product from a product tank to a first primary line;
a second product meter configured to meter agricultural product from the product tank to a second primary line;
a first motor coupled to the first product meter and configured to drive the first product meter at a first metering rate;
a second motor coupled to the second product meter and configured to drive the second product meter at a second metering rate;
an air source configured to provide a first airflow to the first primary line and a second airflow to the second primary line; and
a controller electrically coupled to the first motor and to the second motor, wherein the controller is configured to receive a first input indicative of a first number of first outlets fluidly coupled to the first primary line, to receive a second input indicative of a second number of second outlets fluidly coupled to the second primary line, to instruct the first and second motors to drive the first and second product meters at the first and second metering rates, respectively, based on the first and second inputs, and to instruct the air source to provide the first airflow with a first dynamic pressure or a first velocity to the first primary line based on the first metering rate and the second airflow with a second dynamic pressure or a second velocity to the second primary line based on the second metering rate.

2. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the air source comprises one fan configured to supply the first airflow to the first primary distribution line and the second airflow to the second primary distribution line, and the first and second dynamic pressures or the first and second velocities are the same and are determined based on an average of the first and second target metering rates.

3. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second product meters comprise fluted rollers, straight flutes, spiral flutes, knobbed rollers, or a combination thereof.

4. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1 , comprising first secondary lines fluidly coupled to the first primary line and second secondary lines fluidly coupled to the second primary line, wherein the first and second secondary lines comprise the first and second outlets, respectively.

5. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the air source comprises a first fan fluidly coupled to the first primary line and a second fan fluidly coupled to the second primary line, the controller is communicatively coupled to the first and second fans, and the first fan provides the first airflow and the second fan provides the second airflow.

6. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1 , comprising a first flow regulating device coupled to the first primary line and fluidly coupled to the air source and a second flow regulating device coupled to the second primary line and fluidly coupled to the air source, wherein the first and second flow regulating devices are communicatively coupled to the controller, and the controller is configured to adjust the first dynamic pressure or the first velocity of the first airflow and the second dynamic pressure or the second velocity of the second airflow by controlling the first and second flow regulating devices.

7. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises one or more user input features configured to enable an operator to manually enter the first and second inputs.

8. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the first product meter and the second product meter each include an axis of rotation extending in a first direction, the first product meter and the second product meter are disposed in a line extending in a second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are substantially orthogonal to one another.

9. The agricultural system of claim 1 , comprising a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft, wherein the first motor is coupled to the first drive shaft and the second motor is coupled to the second drive shaft.

10. The agricultural system of claim 1 , comprising a common drive shaft, wherein the first motor and the second motor are coupled to the common drive shaft.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Chahley Dennis W
• Engel Gordon Anthony
• Turner Jack Donald
• Thompson Dennis George
• Erker Gregory Jacob
• Kowalchuk Trevor Lawrence
• Rapley Anthony Charles

Classifications

• H04L63/062

  for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819) · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title

• G06F21/73

  by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers · CPC title

• A01C7/081 Primary

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title