Abstract:
A product-on-demand delivery system for agricultural product overcomes the problem of over pressuring near application units in order to achieve sufficient pressure to feed further application units. The invention provides two or more main hoppers, each hopper pressurized to a different level by a fan that charges the air nozzles on the hoppers. The near row application units have product delivery hoses that are coupled to a first hopper. The far row application units have longer product delivery hoses that are coupled to a second hopper. The fan charging the second hopper is configured to pressurize the second hopper to a higher pressure than the pressure of the first hopper. The invention provides separate product-on-demand delivery systems to better control the product flow to the row application units on the machine. A product-on-demand delivery system is also provided that can dispense two different products from two main hoppers operated at different pressures.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed to an agricultural machine with a variable pressure product distribution system for evenly distributing product onto a farm field. Particularly, the present invention relates to a delivery system on a planter machine that utilizes air pressure to distribute product, such as seed, simultaneously to a plurality of furrows as the planting machine is transported through the farm field.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Pneumatic product-on-demand delivery systems have been used on agricultural seeding machines to automatically direct seed from a main seed hopper to a plurality of individual planting units. Each of the individual planting units has an auxiliary seed hopper for receiving the seed, a seed meter for metering the seed from the auxiliary seed hopper and a furrow opener for forming a planting furrow into which the metered seed is deposited. A fan is used to create pressurized air that forms an air stream on which the seed is taken to the planting units. These systems automatically replenish the auxiliary hoppers as needed.  
         [0003]     The commercially available seed on demand delivery systems typically require a large fan to create the air stream. The large fan is required because of the pressure losses in the pneumatic system caused by abrupt changes in direction by the air stream in the main hopper.  
         [0004]     Another system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,468, herein incorporated by reference. According to this patent, a product-on-demand delivery system is configured wherein the air stream passing through the main hopper is not subjected to the abrupt changes in direction.  
         [0005]     The product-on-demand delivery system of the patent comprises a frame having a main hopper and an application unit. An air pump directs pressurized air to a manifold where the pressurized air is distributed to a plurality of air supply hoses. The air supply hoses are coupled to air inlets located on the bottom of the main hopper. Opposite the air inlets are corresponding product outlets for receiving the air streams with product, such as seed, entrained in the air stream. The product outlets are coupled to product supply hoses that are in turn coupled to auxiliary hoppers located on the application units. The bottom of the main hopper is concave and has outwardly diverging side walls. The air inlet is downwardly angled relative to the bottom and the product outlet is upwardly angled relative to the bottom.  
         [0006]     Peaked baffles are located above corresponding air inlets and outlets so that product “puddles” form beneath the baffles. Gaps are formed between adjacent baffles so that product from the main hopper can flow into the product puddles.  
         [0007]     The product-on-demand delivery system of this patent can be used to supply seed from a main seed hopper to auxiliary seed hoppers located on a planting unit. The planting unit includes auxiliary seed hoppers that each supply seed to a respective seed meter, each of which directs metered seed to a planting furrow formed by a furrow opener.  
         [0008]     Typically, seed air delivery systems use a common fan to deliver air to the complete planter. In a typical air delivery system for a bulk seed planter that supplies a plurality of application units, there is required a minimum level of air pressure to deliver the seed to the furthest row application unit from the main hopper or tank. The fan is turned up to that level to ensure adequate delivery of seed to all application units of the machine. Due to this fact, however, the closest row units that are fed by shorter seed delivery hoses can be subjected to greater flow rates or higher pressures. It is difficult to prevent the closest row units from being overfilled.  
         [0009]     The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a product-on-demand delivery system that provides product to plural application units and supplies a correct amount of product from the main hopper to both distant application units and near application units. The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a product-on-demand delivery system that delivers product, such as seed, from main hoppers to application units that reduced the probability of overfilling and plugging.  
         [0010]     The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a product-on-demand delivery system that could be used to simultaneously apply different products to different groups of rows in the field. The different products could be different kinds of seed varieties, treatments, shapes, sizes, etc., or different crops.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The invention provides a product-on-demand delivery system for agricultural product that overcomes the problem of over pressuring near application units in order to achieve sufficient pressure to feed further application units. The invention provides two or more main hoppers, each hopper pressurized to a different level by a fan that charges the air nozzles on the hoppers. The near row application units have product delivery hoses that are coupled to a first hopper. The far row application units have longer product delivery hoses that are coupled to a second hopper. The fan charging the second hopper is configured to pressurize the second hopper to a higher pressure than the pressure of the first hopper. The invention provides separate product-on-demand delivery systems to better control the product flow to the row application units on the machine.  
         [0012]     The invention provides a product-on-demand delivery system for agricultural product, said system including a frame, a first main hopper mounted on the frame, a second main hopper mounted on the frame, a first application unit and a second application unit mounted to the frame, at least one air pump.  
         [0013]     Each of the first and second main hoppers has a nozzle with a product opening into which product in the respective main hopper is directed. The nozzle has an air inlet for the introduction of pressurized air, and a product outlet for the export of pressurized air and entrained product.  
         [0014]     Each of the first application unit and the second application unit has a product meter for dispensing the product onto a field. The product meter of the first application unit is in communication with the first main hopper, and the product meter of the second application unit is in communication with the second main hopper.  
         [0015]     According to one aspect of the invention the air pump comprises two air pumps: a first air pump flow-coupled to the air inlet of the nozzle of the first main hopper, and a second air pump flow-coupled to the air inlet of the nozzle of the second main hopper.  
         [0016]     Preferably, the second air pump generates a higher air pressure than said first air pump. The second main hopper is maintained at a higher operating pressure than said first main hopper. The meter of the second application unit is further from said second main hopper than said meter of the first application unit is from said first main hopper.  
         [0017]     According to another embodiment of the invention, the air pump is a common air pump serving the first and second main hoppers and wherein a flow restriction is located between the common pump and the air inlet of the nozzle of the first main hopper. The restriction is configured to depress the air pressure within said first main hopper to a lower level than the air pressure within said second main hopper.  
         [0018]     According to another embodiment the air pump is a common air pump serving the first and second main hoppers and wherein a flow restriction is located between the common pump and each inlet of the nozzle of the first and second main hoppers. The flow restriction can be selected such that the operating pressure within the first and second main hoppers can be varied.  
         [0019]     The invention is particularly advantageous when the application units are planting units and the product is seed. Preferably, an auxiliary seed hopper is arranged at each planting unit between the hose and the meter.  
         [0020]     The invention reduces the occurrence of overfilling and plugging in the product delivery hoses. The invention also allows the machine operator to control the hopper pressure to separate areas of the machine to easily compensate for different field conditions, such as side hills that require more hopper pressure to deliver product to the outer row units.  
         [0021]     According to another aspect of the invention the first main hopper can be filled with a first product and the second main hopper can be filled with a second, different product. The first main hopper can deliver product to a first group of application units and the second main hopper can deliver product to a second group of application units. The first and second application units can be located on opposing lateral sides of the agricultural machine to apply product to different portions of the field rows. The different products can be different kinds of seeds with different treatments, or shapes, sizes, etc. The different products could be different crops.  
         [0022]     Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an agricultural planter using the subject product-on-demand delivery system.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a side cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a side cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system having an air deflecting insert.  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a side cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system having a product exposure limiting element.  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the air deflecting insert.  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the air deflecting insert.  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the product exposure limiting element.  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  is a front cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system.  
         [0031]      FIG. 9  is a front perspective and partial cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system.  
         [0032]      FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the nozzle assembly being provided with an agitator assembly.  
         [0033]      FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly being provided with an agitator assembly.  
         [0034]      FIG. 12  is a schematic plan view of a product-on-demand delivery system according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0035]      FIG. 13  is a schematic plan view of a product-on-demand delivery system according to an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0036]      FIG. 14  is a schematic plan view of a product-on-demand delivery system according to an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0037]      FIG. 15  is a schematic plan view of a product-on-demand delivery system according to an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0038]      FIG. 16  is a schematic plan view of a product-on-demand delivery system according to an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0039]      FIG. 17  is a schematic plan view of a product-on-demand delivery system according to an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0040]     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.  
         [0041]     An agricultural seeding machine  10  comprises a frame  12  on which are mounted a plurality of individual planting units  14 . The planting units  14  are coupled to the frame  12  by a parallelogram linkage  16  so that the individual planting units  14  can move up and down to a limited degree relative to the frame  12 . Each of the individual planting units comprises an auxiliary seed hopper  18  for holding seed, a seed meter  20  for metering seed received from the auxiliary seed hopper  18  and a furrow opener  22  for forming a planting furrow in a field for receiving metered seed from the seed meter  20 . The seed is transferred to the planting furrow from the seed meter by a seed tube  24 . A closing assembly  26  is used to close the planting furrow with the seed contained therein. In the preferred embodiment the seed meter  20  is a vacuum seed meter, although other types of seed meters using mechanical assemblies or positive air pressure could also be used with the subject invention. It should be noted that the present invention could also be used to apply non-seed products to the field. For seed and non-seed products, the planting unit could be considered an application unit with an auxiliary hopper for holding product, a product meter for metering product received from the auxiliary hopper and an applicator for applying the metered product to a field. For example a dry chemical fertilizer or pesticide could be directed to the auxiliary hopper and metered by the product meter and applied to the field by the applicator.  
         [0042]     The main frame  12  supports a main hopper  30  and an air pump  32 . The air pump  32  is driven by a hydraulic motor; however other motor arrangements could be used, like electric motors for driving the air pump  32 . The air pump  32  directs pressurized air to a manifold  34  through main air hose  36 . The manifold  34  is formed from a hollow closed tubular support of the main frame  12 . The manifold  34  is provided with a plurality of manifold outlets corresponding to the number of planting units  14  mounted to the frame  12 . Individual air supply lines  38  extend from the manifold outlets and direct pressurized air from the manifold  34  to the upstream side of the nozzle assembly  39 . The nozzle assembly  39  is located at the bottom of the main hopper  30 . Product located in the main hopper  30  flows by gravity to the nozzle assembly  39 . The upstream side of the nozzle assembly  39  is provided with a number of air inlets  41  corresponding to the number of air supply hoses  38 . The air inlets  41  are spaced transversely along the upstream side of the nozzle assembly  39 . The downstream side of the nozzle assembly  39  is provided with a number of product outlets  43  corresponding to the number of air supply hoses  38 . The product outlets  43  are also spaced transversely along the downstream side of the nozzle assembly  39 .  
         [0043]     Each air inlet  41  is aligned with a respective product outlet  43 . Product supply hoses  42  extend from the product outlets  43  to the individual auxiliary hoppers  18  for directing product entrained in the air stream to the auxiliary hoppers  18 .  
         [0044]     The nozzle assembly  39  is provided with a concave bottom  44  having outwardly diverging sidewalls  46 . Product in the form of seed or non-seed product is placed in the main hopper  30  through a lid  48 . Portions of the nozzle assembly  39  can be opened to form a cleanout door  48  as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,468.  
         [0045]     Each air inlet  41  and corresponding product outlet  43  are formed from two plastic parts. The two plastic parts are pinned together by integral pins formed on one of the parts and receiving apertures formed on the other. The air inlet  41  is angled downwardly relative to the concave bottom  44  and correspondingly the product outlet  43  is angled upwardly relative to the concave bottom  44 . An integral baffle  58  extends between the air inlet  41  and the product outlet  43 . The baffle  58  is peaked and is located above the air stream passing from the air inlet  41  to the product outlet  43 . The downwardly angled air inlet  41  prevents product from backing up into the air supply hose  38 , whereas the upwardly angled product outlet  43  prevents product from flowing into and clogging the product supply hose  42 .  
         [0046]     Adjacent air inlet  41  product outlet  43  combinations are transversely spaced from one another so that seed or non-seed product can pass on either side of the baffles  58  and puddle beneath the baffles  58 . An air stream passing from the air inlet  41  to the product outlet  43  picks up product located in the puddle and directs it through product supply hose  42  to the auxiliary hopper  18 . The transfer of product from the main hopper  30  to the auxiliary hoppers  18  is done automatically as product is needed by the auxiliary hopper  18 . As an individual auxiliary hopper  18  fills up with product, the auxiliary hopper product inlet  60  becomes covered by product blocking and slowing the air stream so that the air stream no longer picks up product in the main hopper  30  and transports the product to the auxiliary hopper  18 . Conversely, as product is used up by the product meter  20 , the auxiliary hopper product inlet  60  is uncovered and the air stream again picks up product for delivery to the auxiliary hopper  18 . In this way the auxiliary hoppers  18  are always and automatically provided with product. The side walls of the auxiliary hoppers  18  are provided with screen vents  61  for venting air pressure in the auxiliary hoppers  18 . The vent screens  61  can also be located in the lids of the auxiliary hoppers  18  as long as the vent screens  61  are above the respective product inlets.  
         [0047]     In some situations product having large particles, like large seeds (corn and soybeans), are difficult for the air stream to pick up. To accommodate large seed, the air inlet  41  may be provided with an insert  62  having an air stream deflecting portion  64  that deflects a portion of the air stream downwardly to agitate the seed in the seed puddle and capture the seed in the air stream passing into the product outlet  43 . The insert is provided with a locating tang  66  that engages a slot formed in the air inlet  41  to correctly orient the insert  62  and the air deflecting portion  64 .  
         [0048]     In other situations the seed or non-seed product may be too light and will be readily carried by even a small air stream. To overcome this problem the baffles  58  may be provided with an element  68 . The element  68  can be clipped on to the baffles  58 . The element has an obstructing bottom  70  that limits the amount of product exposed to the air stream. Element  68  is made of plastic and is provided with finger grips  72 . By compressing the finger grips  72  the upper gap  74  is opened so that the clip can be clipped to the baffles  58 .  
         [0049]     In an alternative embodiment, the large seed insert  62  can be eliminated in favor of an agitator assembly  80 . The agitator assembly  80  comprises a transverse rod  82  extending across the nozzle assembly  39 . The transverse rod  82  is provided with a plurality of radially extending fingers  84 . As shown, in  FIG. 10  the fingers are transversely aligned with one another.  
         [0050]     The transverse rod  82  is rotated back and forth by a gearbox  86  being driven by a motor  88 . At the bottom dead center position of the fingers  84  they extend between the individual nozzles defined by the aligned air inlets  41  and the product outlets  43 . In this way the fingers  84  sweep the area between the nozzles. The gear box/motor assembly  86 / 88  drive the transverse rod fifty-one and one-half degrees in each direction from the bottom dead center illustrated in  FIG. 11 . As such, the fingers  84  sweep an arc of one-hundred three degrees.  
         [0051]      FIG. 12  illustrates in schematic, block diagram fashion an exemplary embodiment of the invention, embodied as planting machine  110 . A vehicle, such as a tractor  120 , pulls the machine  110  in the direction “A” through a field. The machine includes a frame  122  that carries first and second main product hoppers or tanks  30 ,  130 . The frame pulls a plurality of application units  14  as described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . The application units are individually identified as  14   a - 14   h . The four application units near a center line  140  of the application units are identified as  14   a - 14   d  and the four furthest from the center line  140  are identified as  14   e - 1   4   f . Although eight application units  14  are shown, it is understood that fewer or more application units are encompassed by the invention. The invention is particularly advantageous when two main hoppers or tanks  30 ,  130  and thirty two application units  14  are used.  
         [0052]     According to the system shown in  FIG. 12 , the first main hopper  30  is charged with the air pump  32  as described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , while the second main hopper  130  is charged with a separate air pump  132 . Each application unit of the group  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c  and  14   d  that is nearest to the centerline  140  of the machine  110  is connected by a hose  42  to the first main hopper  30 , as described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . Application units  14   e ,  14   f ,  14   g ,  14   h  are each connected by a longer hose  142  to the second main hopper  130  in like fashion. According to this arrangement, because the application units  14   e ,  14   f ,  14   g ,  14   h  are furthest from the centerline  140  of the machine  110 , an increased pressure in the second main hopper  130  is advantageous to overcome the increased pressure drop within the hoses  142  to ensure delivery of the product to these far units.  
         [0053]     According to the invention, the pump  132  charges the second main hopper  130  at a pressure higher than the pump  32  charges the first main hopper  30 . According to this embodiment, a greater degree of control of product delivery air pressure ensures that the close application units are not over-pressured or over-fed with product compared to the furthest application units.  
         [0054]      FIG. 13  illustrates in schematic, block diagram fashion an exemplary further embodiment of the machine  110   a , wherein a single pump  232  charges both of the main hoppers  30 ,  130 . However, according to this system, a restriction  250 , such as an orifice, is located between the pump  232  and the first main hopper  30 , but not between the pump  232  and the second main hopper  130 . Thus, the pump  232  can be set to the higher pressure necessary for the second main hopper  130  to deliver the product to the furthest application units whereas the restriction  250  reduces the pressure to the first main hopper  30  which delivers product to the closest application units. The restriction  250  can alternatively be a manually adjustable damper or a control damper.  
         [0055]      FIG. 14  illustrates an alternate embodiment machine  110   b  wherein the pump  232  is common to the hoppers  302 ,  130  but a restriction  350  is also included between the pump  232  and the hopper  130 . The restrictions  250 ,  350  can be pre-selected to vary the operating pressure within the two hoppers  30 ,  130 . The restrictions  250 ,  350  can be orifices, manually adjustable dampers or control dampers.  
         [0056]     Regarding the embodiment of  FIGS. 12-14 , when thirty two application units  14  are used, the centermost sixteen application units  14  can be hose-connected to the first main hopper  30  and the outside sixteen application units (eight on each side of the centermost sixteen application units) can be hose-connected to the second main hopper  130 , operated at the higher air pressure.  
         [0057]      FIGS. 15-17  illustrates further embodiments of the machine  410 - 410   b  similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 12-14  except the hoses  42   a ,  142   a  and routed to different sides of the machine  410 . According to the embodiments of  FIGS. 15-17 , different seed varieties, treatments, sizes, shapes, etc. or different crops can be dispensed from the hoppers  30 ,  130  to different rows of application units, for example, the product dispensed from application units  14   a - 14   d  could differ from the product dispensed from application units  14   e - 14   h.    
         [0058]      FIG. 15  uses two air pumps  32 , 132  to pressurize the first and second grain hoppers  30 ,  130  to different pressures.  
         [0059]      FIG. 16  illustrates an alternate embodiment to that illustrated in  FIG. 15  except that the common pump  232  pressurizes both hoppers with the restriction  250  acting to depress the pressure in the first main hopper  30 .  
         [0060]      FIG. 17  illustrates an alternate embodiment to that shown in  FIG. 16  wherein the further restriction  350  is used between the common pump  232  and the second main hopper  130 . According to this embodiment the restrictions  250 ,  350  can be selected to set the relative pressures of the main hoppers  30 ,  130 .  
         [0061]     From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.