Agricultural implement with a weight distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9872428-B2
Application number	US-201414285076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

An agricultural implement for applying an ingredient to a geographic area, the agricultural implement includes a chassis, weight bearing conveyance devices, a component and a weight distribution system. The weight bearing conveyance devices including a fore conveyance device and an aft conveyance device. The fore and aft conveyance devices are connected to and carry the chassis respectively in a fore and an aft position. The component is carried by and coupled to the chassis. The weight distribution system is configured to allow an adjustment of a position of the component relative to the chassis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural implement for applying an ingredient to a geographic area, said agricultural implement comprising:
a chassis;
a plurality of weight bearing conveyance devices including a fore conveyance device and an aft conveyance device, said fore and aft conveyance devices being connected to said chassis respectively in a fore and an aft position of said chassis for moving the agricultural implement across said geographic area;
at least one component carried by and coupled to said chassis, said at least one component holding the ingredient; and
a weight distribution system configured to allow movement of a position of said at least one component along said chassis only in a fore or aft direction,
wherein said weight distribution system is further configured to move said position of said at least one component in only said fore or aft direction along said chassis as the ingredient is removed from said at least one component and is applied to the geographical area.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein said weight distribution system is configured to move the position of said at least one component dependent upon a detected weight distribution between said fore conveyance device and said aft conveyance device, the weight distribution system includes:
a fore weight detector associated with said fore conveyance device and configured to create a fore weight signal representative of a weight carried by said fore conveyance device;
an aft weight detector associated with said aft conveyance device and configured to create an aft weight signal representative of a weight carried by said aft conveyance device;
at least one actuator coupled to said at least one component and configured to move said at least one component along said chassis; and
a controller communicatively coupled to said fore weight detector, said aft weight detector and said at least one actuator.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 2 , wherein said controller is configured to receive said signals and to actuate said at least one actuator dependent upon values of said signals.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 3 , wherein said controller is further configured to move said position of said at least one component dependent upon a first computed value relating to a compression of ground beneath said fore conveyance device and a second computed value relating to a compression of ground beneath said aft conveyance device.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 4 , wherein said controller is further configured to move said position of said at least one component to approximately equalize said first computed value and said second computed value.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , further comprising a foldable member coupled to said chassis, said weight distribution system moving the position of said at least one component dependent upon whether or not said foldable member is in a transport mode.

7. A weight distribution system for use with an agricultural implement configured to apply an ingredient to a geographic area, the agricultural implement having a chassis and a plurality of weight bearing conveyance devices including a fore conveyance device and an aft conveyance device, the fore and aft conveyance devices being connected to the chassis respectively in a fore and an aft position of the chassis for moving the agricultural implement across said geographic area, and at least one movable component carried by and coupled to the chassis, the weight distribution system comprising:
at least one actuator configured to move a position of the at least one movable component relative to the chassis to thereby alter a weight distribution between the fore conveyance device and the aft conveyance device, the at least one movable component being said at least one movable component holding the ingredient, said at least one actuator moving a position of said at least one movable component along the chassis only in a fore or aft direction,
wherein said at least one actuator is further configured to move said position of said at least one movable component in only said fore or aft direction as the ingredient is removed from said at least one movable component and is applied to the geographical area.

8. The weight distribution system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a controller;
a fore weight detector associated with said fore conveyance device and configured to create a fore weight signal representative of a weight carried by said fore conveyance device; and
an aft weight detector associated with said aft conveyance device and configured to create an aft weight signal representative of a weight carried by said aft conveyance device, and said at least one actuator being coupled to said at least one movable component and configured to move said at least one movable component along said chassis, said controller being communicatively coupled to said fore weight detector, said aft weight detector and said at least one actuator.

9. The weight distribution system of claim 8 , wherein said controller is further configured to receive said signals and to actuate said at least one actuator dependent upon values of said signals.

10. The weight distribution system of claim 9 , wherein said controller is further configured to move said position of said at least one movable component dependent upon a first computed value relating to a compression of ground beneath said fore conveyance device and a second computed value relating to a compression of ground beneath said aft conveyance device.

11. The weight distribution system of claim 10 , wherein said controller is further configured to move said position of said at least one movable component to approximately equalize said first computed value and said second computed value.

12. The weight distribution system of claim 7 , further comprising a foldable member coupled to said chassis, the weight distribution system moving the position of said at least one movable component dependent upon whether said foldable member is folded inward or is extended outward.

13. A method of distributing weight of an agricultural implement configured to apply an ingredient to a geographic area, the agricultural implement having a chassis and a plurality of weight bearing conveyance devices including a fore conveyance device and an aft conveyance device, the fore and aft conveyance devices being connected to the chassis respectively in a fore and an aft position of the chassis for moving the agricultural implement across said geographic area, and at least one movable component carried by and coupled to the chassis, the method comprising the steps of:
determining that a weight distribution change between the fore conveyance device and the aft conveyance device is needed; and
moving a position of the at least one movable component along the chassis in only a fore or aft direction dependent upon a detected weight distribution determined in said determining step, said at least one movable component holding the ingredient that is being applied to the geographic area,
wherein said steps are carried out by a controller that is configured to move said position of said at least one movable component as the ingredient is applied to the geographical area.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said determining step includes the steps of:
creating a fore weight signal representative of a weight carried by said fore conveyance device, said fore weight signal being created by a fore weight detector associated with said fore conveyance device; and
creating an aft weight signal representative of a weight carried by said aft conveyance devic

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Bernier Kevin T
• Krohn Martin L

Classifications

• A01C23/008 Primary

  Tanks, chassis or related parts · CPC title

• A01M7/0042

  Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted · CPC title

• Y10T29/49766

  torquing threaded assemblage or determining torque herein · CPC title

• A01M7/0085

  Tanks · CPC title