Patent ID: 6193175
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
An agricultural particulate material delivery system for delivering metered agricultural particulate material to a growing medium, the system comprising:first and second compartments adapted to contain different agricultural particulate materials;a material meter having an interior, wherein the meter is configured to thinly distribute the particulate material over the growing medium;a flow switching mechanism between the first and second compartments and the meter, wherein the flow switching mechanism is actuatable between a first position in which the flow switching mechanism supplies material from the first compartment to the interior of the meter, a second position in which the flow switching mechanism supplies material from the second compartment to the interior of the meter, and a third position in which the flow switching mechanism stops the supply of material from both the first and second compartments to the interior of the meter;an actuator coupled to the flow switching mechanism;a sensor proximate the interior of the material meter, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a material signal representing an amount of material within the meter; anda control circuit coupled between the actuator and the sensor, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a control signal for moving the actuator to actuate the flow switching mechanism between the first, second and third positions based upon the sensed amount of material within the meter.