Patent Abstract:
A product-on-demand delivery system for an agricultural machine having a main hopper arrangement wherein each outlet nozzle of the main hopper nozzle manifold is connected to plural product hoses that are each in communication with an auxiliary product hopper of an application unit. The nozzle manifold includes an inlet for receiving pressurized air, and an outlet nozzle allowing air with entrained seed or product to exit the main hopper. The outlet nozzle includes a splitter portion, such as a Y-shaped fitting, having a single splitter inlet and two splitter outlets. The single splitter inlet is coupled to a nozzle portion of the outlet nozzle and the two splitter outlets are coupled to two product hoses that are each coupled to a respective application unit. An internal divider wall extends through the nozzle portion and partially through the splitter portion from the splitter inlet to the splitter outlets. The divider wall evenly divides flow of air and entrained seed or product between the two splitter outlets to the two application units.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a product-on-demand delivery system having an improved nozzle assembly. Particularly, the invention is directed to a nozzle assembly for a bulk product hopper that delivers product to auxiliary hoppers of product application units of an agricultural machine. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   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. 
   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. 
   Another system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,468, herein incorporated by reference. In this system, 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. 
   The product-on-demand delivery system 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 and product 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. 
   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. 
   The product-on-demand delivery system advantageously supplies seed from a main seed hopper to auxiliary seed hoppers located on a planting unit. The planting unit would include 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. 
   The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a product-on-demand delivery system that includes a less costly and a less mechanically congested main hopper. The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a main hopper which could be minimized in length and which could be connected to an optimal number of auxiliary seed hoppers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a product-on-demand delivery system for an agricultural machine with an improved main hopper arrangement wherein each outlet nozzle of the main hopper nozzle manifold can be connected to plural product hoses that are each in communication with an application unit of the machine. Preferably, each product hose is in communication with an auxiliary product hopper of each application unit. 
   According to the preferred embodiment, the nozzle manifold includes an inlet for receiving pressurized air, and an outlet nozzle allowing air with entrained seed or product to exit the main hopper. The outlet nozzle includes a splitter portion, such as a Y-shaped fitting, having a single splitter inlet and two splitter outlets. The single splitter inlet is coupled to, or formed with a nozzle portion of the outlet nozzle and the two splitter outlets are coupled to two product hoses that are each coupled to a respective application unit. An internal divider wall or partition extends through the nozzle portion and partially through the splitter portion from the splitter inlet to the splitter outlets. The divider wall is a relatively thin wall arranged substantially in a vertical plane within the outlet nozzle. The two splitter outlets extend axially at diverging angles as viewed in a horizontal plane, while both rise at the same angle, as viewed in vertical planes. The divider wall evenly divides flow of air and entrained seed or product between the two splitter outlets. 
   According to a preferred embodiment a seed-on-demand delivery system is provided for dispensing seed from a planting machine onto a field. The system includes a frame, a main seed hopper mounted on the frame, at least a pair of planting units, a splitter portion, a partition, an air pump and a pair of seed supply hoses. 
   The main hopper has a nozzle assembly into which seed in the main seed hopper is directed. The nozzle assembly has an air inlet and a seed outlet. The planting units are mounted to the frame. Each planting unit is provided with a seed meter for applying the seed to the field. The splitter portion has a splitter inlet and two splitter outlets. The splitter inlet is flow coupled to the seed outlet. 
   The partition is located within the splitter portion between the splitter inlet and the two splitter outlets. The partition separates flow into the splitter inlet to the two splitter outlets. 
   The seed supply hoses are respectively coupled to the splitter outlets of the splitter portion. The seed supply hoses are in flow-communication with the respective seed meters. 
   The air pump is pneumatically coupled to the air inlet of the nozzle assembly. The air pump generates pressurized air that is directed in the air inlet so that seed located in the nozzle assembly is taken up by the air stream as the air stream passes from the air inlet through the nozzle assembly to the seed outlet. The seed-entrained air flows through the splitter portion and through the pair of seed supply hoses. The seed supply hoses direct seed to the respective seed meter of the pair of planting units. Preferably, each planting unit is provided with an auxiliary seed hopper located between the respective seed supply hose and the seed meter. 
   Preferably, the splitter inlet and the two splitter outlets form a Y-shape and the seed outlet comprises a nozzle portion formed integrally with the splitter portion on an upstream end of the splitter portion. Preferably, the partition extends into the nozzle portion. 
   According to the invention the main product tank or hopper can feed twice as many application units with product, such as seed, given the same number of outlets. A reduction in outlet nozzle congestion at the main hopper is achieved. 
   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 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of an agricultural planter using the subject product-on-demand delivery system. 
       FIG. 2  is a side cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system. 
       FIG. 3  is a side cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system having an air deflecting insert. 
       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. 
       FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the air deflecting insert. 
       FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of the air deflecting insert. 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the product exposure limiting element. 
       FIG. 8  is a front cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system. 
       FIG. 9  is a front perspective and partial cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly of the product-on-demand delivery system. 
       FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the nozzle assembly being provided with an agitator assembly. 
       FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the nozzle assembly being provided with an agitator assembly. 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary, half section of an alternate embodiment of the assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view taken generally along line  13 — 13  of  FIG. 12 . 
       FIG. 14  is a fragmentary, schematic plan view of the product-on-demand delivery system of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   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. 
   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. 
   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 . The product outlets  43  lie opposite the air inlets  41 . 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 . 
   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  47 . 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. 
   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 . 
   Adjacent air inlet  41 /product outlet  43  combinations are transversely spaced from one another so that product such as seed 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. 
   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 . 
   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  can be made of plastic. The upper gap  74  is opened so that the clip can be clipped to the baffle  58 . 
   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. 
   The transverse rod  82  is rotated back and forth by an agitator drive  85  comprising a gearbox  86  being driven by a motor  88 . Alternately, the motor  88  can be replaced by an electric clutch that selectively transfers rotary power to the gearbox from a mechanical drive. The mechanical drive can be, for example, a drivetrain that receives rotary power from a wheel of the frame that carries the hopper. 
   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. 
     FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate an alternate product outlet nozzle  140 . The outlet nozzle  140  includes a nozzle portion  143  extending from the sidewall  46 . The outlet nozzle  140  includes an internal partition or divider wall  146  located within the nozzle portion  143  and oriented in a vertical plane. The internal partition  146  bisects the internal cross section of the nozzle portion  143 . 
   The outlet nozzle  140  includes a splitter portion  150  that is formed with or coupled to the nozzle portion  143 . Although the splitter portion is shown as a unitary part of the nozzle portion  143 , it could also be formed separately as a fitting that is coupled to the nozzle portion  143 . The partition  146  extends into the splitter portion  150 . The splitter portion  150  has a splitter inlet  162 , bisected into sections  162   a ,  162   b  by the partition  146  and two splitter outlets  164 ,  166 . While the preferred embodiment is described and illustrated having two splitter outlets, the invention also encompasses a splitter fitting having three or more outlets as well. 
   The splitter outlets  164 ,  166  are clamped to product hoses  174 ,  176  by hose clamps  178 ,  180 . Alternatively, quick connect fittings can be provided between the outlets  164 ,  166  and the hoses  174 ,  176 . The product hoses  174 ,  176  are each coupled to separate application units  14  as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
   In comparison to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 14 , each outlet nozzle  140  can feed two application units  14 . Thus, only half as many outlets  140  as application units  14  need be provided on the main hopper. 
   The embodiment of  FIGS. 12 through 14  reduces the amount of space required at the bottom of the product tank  30  by splitting the cross sectional area of the outlet nozzle vertically. Product, such as seed, is picked up and carried into the outlet nozzle in the same way, but the outlet nozzle is divided vertically to allow two product hoses and two application units to be fed with the same nozzle. The vertical divider wall ensures that no product or air flow can cross between sides of the nozzle, keeping each side separate. Without the divider, product may tend to plug one of the two hoses during operation. The air inlet to the nozzle is still of round cross section without a divider as the air flows straight through from the inlet to the outlet while picking up product. 
   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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0