Abstract:
An improved collector assembly comprises a generally hollow body mounted below a product supply tank for receiving plural streams of materials metered from the tank. Individual upright passages through the body corresponding in number to the metered streams from the tank receive the gravitating product streams and direct each stream into either or both of an upper loading zone and a lower loading zone in the passage. A diverter valve associated with each upper loading zone can be set to close off the upper loading zone entirely while opening only the lower zone or closing off the lower loading zone while opening only the upper loading zone. Thus, air streams passing transversely through the upper and lower loading zones respectively can be supplied with variable amounts of metered product, depending upon the position of the diverter valve within each passage. By providing multiple supply tanks and multiple collector assemblies, various product delivery scenarios can be achieved including single shoot, double shoot and triple shoot effects. In a preferred form of the invention all diverter valves are actuated by a common actuating mechanism for simultaneous adjustment.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to agricultural pneumatic seeding equipment and, more particularly, to apparatus for distributing materials such as seeds and fertilizers from a number of separate bulk supply tanks into pneumatic conveying lines that deliver the materials to a multitude of remotely located ground-engaging openers that deposit the seed and/or other materials into the ground as the machine is advanced. More especially, the present invention is directed to an improved collector assembly beneath each product supply tank wherein products from the different tanks are easily combined into one primary stream or delivered separately to their points of delivery.  
         BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY  
         [0002]    It is known in the art of air seeding to provide large, high-capacity carts that are towed by a tractor along with an implement having a multitude of ground engaging openers that deposit seeds and/or fertilizers into the soil from separate bulk supply tanks on the cart. Collector assemblies have been used below the tanks to introduce streams of materials gravitating from the tanks into pneumatic conveying lines that deliver the materials to their ultimate destinations. Such collector assemblies have heretofore comprised a generally hollow body or manifold type structure that is subdivided into a generally horizontally extending series of compartments through which individual air streams pass to define loading zones in the compartments. Metered materials from the overhead tank drop into the air streams at the loading zones and are transported thereby to the openers.  
           [0003]    It is also known in the art to utilize diverter valves in association with the pneumatic conveying streams to selectively divert materials from one tank into the streams of materials from another tank. In the case of seeds in one tank and fertilizer in another, combining the streams in this manner is known in the art as a “single shoot” operation. When the materials are delivered in separate conveying lines and delivered to different points on the ground-engaging opener, this is typically referred to as a “double shoot” operation.  
           [0004]    The present invention is directed to an improved collector assembly below each tank that provides significantly enhanced double shoot or single shoot operations, among other distinct advantages. In one preferred form of the invention, the improved collector assembly comprises a generally hollow body having a number of horizontally spaced, vertical passages therein that receive materials from metering mechanism associated with an overhead supply tank. The upright passages are segregated from one another by upright partitions in the body, and each passage has an upper loading zone that is intersected by a conveying air stream passing transversely through the passage. In addition, each passage has a lower loading zone that is intersected by a lower conveying air stream passing transversely through the passage. A diverter valve located just above the upper loading zone can be positioned in a number of alternative positions within the gravitational path of travel of materials in the passage so as to control the amount of materials that are directed into the upper loading zone verses the lower zone.  
           [0005]    In one position of the diverter valve the upper loading zone can be completely closed so that the entire volume of materials moving through the passage gravitates to the lower loading zone to combine with materials from another tank that have already been introduced into the lower air stream. This provides a single shoot operation. At another extreme, the diverter valve can completely close the lower loading zone so that all materials from the overhead tank gravitate into the upper air stream, hence preparing the machine for double shoot operation. This arrangement provides a high degree of flexibility for the farmer as different tanks of the machine can be used at different times for different materials, and different pneumatic conveying lines can similarly be used at different times to convey different materials.  
           [0006]    In one particularly preferred form of the invention, all of the diverter valves of a collector assembly are linked together by a common actuating rod so that they can all be shifted between their various adjusted positions simultaneously. Again, this greatly facilitates set up by the farmer and provides a way of obtaining uniform settings on all of the valves. Preferably, each collector assembly is comprised of a pair of separate collector modules that are stacked one on top of another to provide the desired passages through the assembly Additional modules may be provided to achieve additional flexibility such as for triple shoot operations, although each collector assembly may alternatively comprise a single composite body within which the necessary passages and valves are located. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a right front isometric view of a bulk seed supply and air distribution cart incorporating the principles of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view thereof illustrating one of the collector assemblies below a supply tank of the cart;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the collector assembly illustrating the manner in which the bottom floor thereof may be removed for seed calibration or emptying the contents of the overhead tank;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the collector assembly in the single shoot mode wherein diverter valves totally close the upper loading zones and open the lower loading zones of the drop passages through the collector assembly;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view through the collector assembly showing the interior thereof and the diverter valves in the single shoot position of FIG. 4 wherein the valves completely close the upper loading zones and open the lower loading zones;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a elevational view of the collector assembly with the diverter valves in an intermediate position wherein both upper and lower loading zones are open so that materials from the overhead tank are introduced into both upper and lower air streams passing through the collector assembly, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the collector assembly similar to FIG. 6 with parts broken away to reveal details of construction and showing the diverter valves in their double shoot position which forces metered products from the overhead container to drop only into the upper loading zones;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, exploded isometric view of the collector assembly with the front wall thereof removed to reveal interior details, the diverter valves being illustrated in their single shoot position; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is an exploded, fragmentary isometric view of the actuating mechanism for the diverter valves. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    The present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. While the drawings illustrate and the specification describes certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments.  
         [0017]    The machine illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an air cart  10  that is adapted to be connected in tandem with a towing tractor (not shown) and a planting implement having multiple openers thereon (not shown). Generally speaking cart  10  supplies seeds and/or fertilizer to the planting implement as the tractor pulls both machines in tandem across a field.  
         [0018]    The particular air cart  10  selected for purposes of illustration has three tanks  12 ,  14  and  16  included as a part thereof, although this number may vary. The tanks  12 - 16  may be used, for example, to separately contain seeds, starter fertilizer and additional fertilizer or granular inoculant for the soil.  
         [0019]    Each of the tanks is provided with its own collector assembly  18  at the bottom of the tank for introducing materials from the tank into a number of conveying air streams. Such air streams are produced by a fan  20  at the rear of the cart that delivers air to a distribution manifold  22 . Manifold  22 , in turn, directs the powerful air streams into upper and lower primary runs of conveying lines  24  and  26  respectively, in the present example there being a total of nine upper primary lines  24  and nine lower primary lines  26 . Although FIG. 1 illustrates lines  24  and  26  disconnected from the manifold  22 , it will be appreciated that, in practice, a section of pipe or hosing extends between such locations to complete each conveying line. From the front of the air cart  10 , conveying lines  24  and  26  are coupled with flexible hoses (not shown) that lead to the planting implement where appropriate divider structure splits each primary stream into a number of secondary product streams leading to individual openers of the implement.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 illustrates the collector assembly  18  that is disposed below the central tank  14  on the machine. As illustrated in that figure, a metering unit  28  containing suitable metering mechanisms such as a plurality of fluted rollers (not shown) is disposed at the bottom of the tank for discharging materials at a metered rate of flow into the collector assembly  18 . Collector assembly  18  thus effectively receives materials gravitating from the overhead tank through an outlet thereof. Preferably, although not necessarily, the metering mechanism within unit  28  is such that while the materials gravitating from the overhead tank normally flow into a region occupied by the fluted rollers, such rollers can be intentionally bypassed if and when the operator wishes to completely and rapidly empty the contents from the tank so that they pass directly into collector assembly  18  instead of being metered slowly by the metering rolls. As will subsequently be explained, the present design of collector assembly  18  is particularly conducive to rapid, complete and easy dumping of the contents of the overhead container.  
         [0021]    Each collector assembly  18  comprises a generally hollow body that includes a pair of vertically stacked collector modules  30  and  32 . The body of each module  30 , 32  is generally rectangular and is fabricated from a plurality of plate materials to present a front wall  34 , a spaced rear wall  36 , and a pair of opposite end walls  38  and  40 . Front wall  34  is provided with out-turned flanges  34   a  and  34   b ; rear wall  36  is provided with out-turned flanges  36   a  and  36   b ; end wall  38  is provided with out-turned flanges  38   a  and  38   b ; and end wall  40  is provided with out-turned flanges  40   a  and  40   b , all of which flanges facilitate bolting of collector modules  30 ,  32  to one another and to the bottom of metering unit  28 .  
         [0022]    As illustrated in particular in FIGS. 5-8, the interior of upper collector module  30  is subdivided by a plurality of upright, transversely spaced partitions  42  extending between front wall  34  and rear wall  36 , there being a total of eight such partitions. Partitions  42  cooperate with one another and with opposite end walls  38 ,  40  to present nine separate upper compartments  44  across the width of the module  30  which are effectively sealed from one another. Upper compartments  44  directly underlie corresponding outlets of the metering unit  28  so as to receive nine corresponding, discharging streams of material from such unit.  
         [0023]    Lower module  32  has a similar series of eight upright partitions  46  that extend between front and rear walls  34 ,  36  thereof and cooperate with end walls  38 ,  40  to define nine discrete compartments  48  in lower module  32 . The nine upper compartments  44  are in direct overhead registration with the corresponding nine lower compartments  48  so as to effectively define nine generally upright passages  50  extending from the upper margin of upper module  30  to the lower margin of lower module  32 , each such passage  50  having an upper portion defined by the corresponding upper compartment  44  and a lower portion defined by the corresponding lower compartment  48 .  
         [0024]    Each upper compartment  44  is provided with an upper loading zone  52  formed by a transversely J-shaped cup  54  extending between front wall  34  and rear wall  36  thereof. The generally upright leg  56  of cup  54  is located approximately halfway between adjacent partitions  42  and terminates at a distance below the top margin of upper module  30 . The concave leg  58  of each cup  54  likewise extends the entire distance between front wall  34  and rear wall  36  and has its distal end welded or otherwise secured to the proximal partition  42  or end wall  38  as the case may be. Concave leg  58  of each loading cup  54  registers with an inlet  60  in rear wall  36  and an outlet  62  in front wall  34 . As shown in FIG. 2, and also certain of the other figures, a rear tube  64  comprising part of the upper conveying line  24  is secured to back wall  36  in registration with inlet  60 , while a front tube  66  is secured to front wall  34  in registered communication outlet  62 . Thus, each upper loading zone  52  is disposed within the path of pressurized air flowing through a corresponding one of the upper primary conveying lines  24 .  
         [0025]    Each of the upright passages  50  is also provided with a lower loading zone  68  located in the corresponding lower compartment  48 . In this respect, a floor  70  extends across the entire width of the body of collector assembly  18 , and particularly across the bottom of lower module  32 . As illustrated especially in FIGS. 3, 5,  6  and  7 , floor  70  includes a transversely U-shaped, inverted channel  72  having three cup segments  74 ,  76  and  78  bolted to the upper surface thereof, each such segment including three separate cups  80 ,  82  and  84 . The length of the line of cup segments  74 ,  76  and  78  is such that when floor  70  is fastened to the bottom margin of lower module  32  by bolts  86 ,  88  and wing nuts  90 ,  92 , segments  74 - 78  slip up into lower compartments  48  while channel  72  abuts the bottom flanges of end walls  38  and  40 .  
         [0026]    Each lower loading zone  68  is in open communication with a rear inlet  94  in rear wall  36  and a front outlet  96  in front wall  34 . A rear tube  98  of the corresponding lower primary line  26  is affixed to rear wall  36  in registered communication with inlet  94 , while a front tube  100  of line  26  is affixed to front wall  34  in registered alignment with outlet  96 . Each lower loading zone  68  is disposed in the path of travel of the air stream flowing through the corresponding primary line  26  as it passes through lower compartment  48 . Such air stream thus passes into, through and out of the lower loading zone  68 .  
         [0027]    Each upper compartment  44  of the passages  50  contains its own diverter valve  102 . Each diverter valve  102  is in the nature of flapper plate that is substantially the same width in a fore-and-aft direction as the corresponding upper compartment  44 . Each valve  102  is fixed to an fore-and-aft rock shaft  104  (detailed in FIG. 9) which is journaled by front and rear walls  34 ,  36  and is located proximal to the uppermost tip of the J-shaped cup  54  of upper loading zone  52 .  
         [0028]    Each valve  102  is moveable between a position completely covering and thus closing off the upper loading zone  52  as shown in FIG. 5, and an alternative extreme position shown in FIG. 7 in which the valve is inclined in the opposite direction to close off lower loading zone  68 . The FIG. 5 position of valve  102  may be referred to as the “single shoot” position wherein only the lower loading zone  68  is open while upper loading zone  52  is completely closed, while the FIG. 7 position of valve  102  may be referred to as the “double shoot” position in which upper loading zone  52  is open but lower loading zone  68  is completely closed. FIG. 6 illustrates the valves  102  in an intermediate position wherein both the upper loading zones  52  and the lower zones  68  are fully open.  
         [0029]    In order to actuate the diverter valves  102  between their various positions, actuating mechanism broadly denoted by the numeral  106  is provided. In one preferred form of the invention, actuating mechanism  106  is designed to operate all of the diverter valves  102  simultaneously. More specifically, actuating mechanism  106  includes an operating lever  108  for each valve  102 , such lever  108  being affixed to an outer end of rocker shaft  104  where it projects forwardly beyond front wall  34 . Each lever  108 , in turn, has an elongated slot  110  at its distal end remote from the point of connection of lever  108  to rocker shaft  104 .  
         [0030]    Mechanism  106  further includes a single push-pull rod  112  that extends across the front of the upper collector module  30  adjacent its upper margin. Further, mechanism  106  includes a series of nine couplings  114  secured to rod  112  at spaced locations along the latter and connecting rod  112  with the nine operating levers  108 . As illustrated perhaps best in FIG. 9, each coupling  114  comprises a block  116  that is slidably adjustably positionable along the length of rod  112  and is secured in a selected position by a set screw  118 . Further, each coupling  112  includes a pin  120  projecting rearwardly from block  116  into the slot  110  of the corresponding actuating lever  108 . Thus, as actuating lever  112  is pushed or pulled along its length, such motion is transmitted to operating levers  108 , and the arcuate motion of levers  108  relative to the straight line reciprocal motion of rod  112  is accommodated by virtue of the coupling pins  120  moving between opposite ends of slots  110  in levers  108 . A handle  122  at one end of rod  112  facilitates manipulation thereof.  
         [0031]    A pair of guide brackets  124  and  126  are secured to front wall  34  of upper collector module  30  adjacent opposite lateral ends thereof and reciprocably support the push-pull rod  112 . Rod  112  has a pair of cross holes  128  and  130  therein generally adjacent handle  122  that are adapted to removeably receive a cotter pin  132 . Holes  128 ,  130  are so located that when rod  112  has diverter valves  102  positioned in the double shoot position of FIG. 5, holes  128  and  130  are both located to the left side of guide bracket  126  as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example. Thus, cotter pin  132  may be inserted into hole  130  at such time to bear against the inboard surface of guide bracket  126  and prevent rod  112  from being shifted axially to the right, which would remove diverter valves  102  from their double shoot position. By removing cotter pin  132 , rod  112  can be shifted rightwardly from the double shoot position of FIG. 4 until diverter valves  102  are brought to their single shoot positions as illustrated in FIG. 7, for example. Thereupon, cotter pin  132  may be inserted into hole  128  which is now located on the outboard side of guide bracket  126 , thus locking rod  112  against leftward movement and thereby retaining diverter valves  102  in the single shoot position.  
         [0032]    As illustrated in FIG. 6, when cotter pin  132  is completely removed from rod  112 , rod  112  may be positioned in an intermediate position wherein diverter valves  102  open both upper and lower loading zones  52  and  68 . Additional holes in rod  112  could be provided to receive cotter pins or the like on opposite sides of guide bracket  126  to hold diverter valves  102  in such intermediate position, if desired. Alternatively, other means could be provided for releasably locking rod  112  and diverter valves  102  in such intermediate position.  
       OPERATION  
       [0033]    During operation, air streams from lines  24  and  26  are constantly passing through the body of each collector assembly  18 . Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, all nine upper loading zones  52  and all nine lower loading zones  68  are always exposed to conveying streams of air. If it is desired for product from the overhead tank to be metered into only the lower primary lines  26 , the push-pull rod  112  is set in the FIG. 4 position so as to cause all nine of the diverter valves  102  to close their respective upper loading zones  52  as illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, product gravitating through passages  50  lands on the diverter valves  102  and is directed away from upper loading zones  52  into lower compartment  48  and lower loading zones  68 . Upon entering the lower loading zones  68 , the product is immediately entrained in the air streams passing through loading zones  68  and conveyed downstream through lower primary lines  26 .  
         [0034]    If the air streams coming into lower loading zones  68  have already been loaded with materials from an upstream tank, the products gravitating through the collector assembly simply join with the existing materials and travel together through lower primary lines  26  to their ultimate destinations. Combining products from two different tanks in this manner into lower primary lines  26  provides a single shoot operation.  
         [0035]    On the other hand, if the operator desires to have products from the overhead tank enter only into the upper primary lines  24 , the push-pull rod  112  is positioned as shown in FIG. 7 to cause all nine of the diverter valves  102  to close all nine lower loading zones  68  and open all nine upper loading zones  52 . Thus, product metered from the tank gravitates into the passages  50  and is directed by the diverter valves  102  directly into upper loading zones  52  where the transversely moving streams of air entrain the materials and carry them downstream in upper lines  24 . If product from an upstream tank has already been introduced into lower primary lines  26 , such product merely passes through lower loading zones  68  and continues to travel within lower lines  26  without being combined in any way with the product introduced into upper lines  24  at the upper loading zones  52 . This results in a double shoot operation.  
         [0036]    If, for any reason, the operator prefers to have product from the overhead tank entering both upper lines  24  and lower lines  26 , he positions the push-pull rod  112  in the intermediate position of FIG. 6, wherein diverter valves  102  are positioned to open all nine upper loading zones  52  as well as all nine lower loading zones  68  at the same time. Different degrees of openness of the upper and lower loading zones can also be achieved by positioning control rod  112  at any selected one of a number of positions to correspondingly vary the relative amounts of product to flowing into zones  52  and  68 .  
         [0037]    It will thus be seen that the collector assembly  18  of the present invention provides a great deal of flexibility and convenience for the farmer. Various combinations of tanks and supply lines can be used to best suit the farmer&#39;s particular needs at any given time. For example, the cart  10  shown in FIG. 1 has three tanks  12 ,  14  and  16 , each of which is provided with its own collector assembly  18 . In one exemplary use of this construction, rear tank  12  may be filled with fertilizer, center tank  14  may contain seeds, and front tank  16  may contain additional fertilizer or an inoculant. If a double shoot operation is desired, the collector assembly  18  associated with rear tank  12  may be set so that all materials from tank  12  bypass the upper loading zones  52  and drop into lower loading zones  68  for pickup by the lower primary lines  26 . The collector assembly  18  of middle tank  14  may be set to close its lower loading zones  68  so that all materials from tank  14  are diverted into only the upper zones  52 , where they are picked up by the air streams within upper primary lines  24 . Thus, fertilizer from rear tank  12  and seeds from middle tank  14  are maintained separate from one another in a double shoot operation. Meanwhile, the collector assembly for the front tank  16  may be set to drop product into either or both of the primary lines  24  and  26  as may be desired, depending upon the nature of the products within the front tank  16 .  
         [0038]    In other situations it may be desirable, for example, to use all three tanks for the same product. All three tanks may be filled with seeds, for example. By first cleaning out the tanks completely, tanks that have previously been used for fertilizer may now be used for seeds, and vice versa.  
         [0039]    To facilitate such clean out, the floor  70  of each collector assembly may be quickly and easily removed by simply unscrewing the wing nuts  90 ,  92  and allowing floor  70  to drop out. The diverter valves  102  for that particular assembly are then set in the single shoot position of FIG. 5 (see also FIG. 3 with floor  70  removed), allowing the contents of the overhead tank to drop straight through passages  50 , by-passing the upper loading zones  52 . Ideally, the metering unit  28  above collector assembly  18  can be adjusted at this time to permit the gravitating product flow to by-pass metering mechanism associated with the unit so as to drop cleanly and quickly through the collector assembly into a suitable receptacle below the machine.  
         [0040]    It will also be appreciated that calibration of the metering unit  28  can be easily achieved in a manner similar to cleaning out of the tank. By removing the floor  70  from that particular collector assembly and placing it with a calibrating receptacle, product can be run through the metering mechanism of the metering unit and discharged into the calibrating container for measurement. Desired adjustments of the metering mechanism can then be readily carried out.  
         [0041]    The inventor(s) hereby state(s) his/their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his/their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.