Patent ID: 8430139
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: A01M,F16L

Abstract:
1. An agricultural liquid material application system comprising: a mobile agricultural applicator including a chassis and a liquid material applicator tank supported on the chassis; and a fluid-transferring connection assembly being operable to selectively define a fluid passage that intercommunicates the applicator tank and a liquid material source when the connection assembly is in a fluid transfer configuration, said fluid-transferring connection assembly including a pair of complemental fluid connectors, a first one of which is configured for association with the liquid material source and a second one of which is associated with the applicator, said fluid connectors being moveable into and out of sealing engagement to restrict fluid from leaking out of the connection assembly when in the fluid transfer configuration, said connection assembly including at least one shiftable valve yieldably biased into a closed position in which flow through the fluid passage is prevented, said valve being operably coupled to a corresponding one of the fluid connectors so as to be automatically shifted out of the closed position when the connectors are in sealing engagement with one another and the connection assembly is in the fluid transfer configuration, said valve being shifted out of the closed position after the connectors are moved into sealing engagement with one another and being shifted into the closed position before the connectors are moved out of sealing engagement with one another, said corresponding one of the fluid connectors being shiftable into and out of a valve-closing position, with the fluid connectors being in sealing engagement and relatively fixed to one another when the corresponding one of the fluid connectors is out of the valve-closing position, said valve and corresponding one of the fluid connectors being operably coupled so that shifting of the corresponding one of the fluid connectors causes shifting of the valve, with the valve being shifted out of the closed position once the corresponding one of the fluid connectors has shifted out of the valve-closing position, said corresponding one of the fluid connectors being yieldably biased into the valve-closing position, said connection assembly including a drive interconnecting the corresponding one of the fluid connectors and the valve so that shifting movement of the corresponding one of the fluid connectors powers the valve into and out of the closed position, said drive including a rotatable shaft and a linkage that drivingly interconnects the shaft and valve, with rotation of the shaft causing shifting of the valve into and out of the closed position, said drive including a support frame that shiftably supports the corresponding one of the connectors, said drive including a driven element mounted on the shaft and a drive element attached to the support frame and drivingly connected to the driven element.