Patent ID: 6158363
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: A01C,G01F,Y02P

Abstract:
In an air seeder implement for planting agricultural crops, said air seeder having a frame; at least two storage tanks mounted on said frame to contain a supply of first and second products to be planted into the ground; a fan mounted on said frame and being operable to create a flow of air; a fan drive mechanism operably connected to said fan to power the rotation of said fan through a range of speeds; a bank of air flow tubes corresponding to each said storage tank and being operably associated with said fan to receive said flow of air therethrough; and air dampers mounted within each said bank of air flow tubes for rotation relative thereto, said air dampers being operable to restrict the flow of air through said bank of air flow tubes as a function of the rotated position of said air dampers between a fully open position in which the flow of air is unrestricted through said bank of air flow tubes and a closed position in which the flow of air is fully restricted from flowing through said bank of air flow tubes, a control system for controlling the flow of air through said bank of air flow tubes comprising:a first actuator operably connected to said air dampers for a first bank of air flow tubes corresponding to a first storage tank to effect rotation thereof between said open and closed positions;a second actuator operable connected to said air dampers for a second bank of air flow tubes corresponding to a second storage tank to effect rotation thereof between said open and closed positions;a third actuator operably connected to said fan drive mechanism and being operable to vary the speed of operation of said fan and, thereby, effect a selective variance in the velocity of said air flow into said banks of air flow tubes;a control mechanism comprising a microprocessor, driver electronics controlled by said microprocessor for independent manipulation of each said actuator, and a control panel having input keys for inputting data into said microprocessor, the control mechanism being operably connected to each said actuator for independent selective control thereof, whereby each said actuator can be selectively manipulated to control the velocity of air flowing through each said bank of air flow tubes; anda particle velocity sensor corresponding to each said bank of air flow tubes, said control panel being operable to display a numerical representation corresponding to each sensed particle velocity.