Patent ID: 8770120

Claim:
A flow control apparatus for use with a product metering system of an agricultural implement, comprising: an inlet configured to receive an air/product mixture along a first velocity vector; a primary outlet axially aligned with and fluidly coupled to the inlet, the primary outlet passing the air/product mixture to a first commodity box; and a secondary outlet fluidly coupled to the inlet and extending therefrom along an axis perpendicular to the first velocity vector, wherein the secondary outlet is configured to pass the air/product mixture along a second velocity vector that is upstream and perpendicular to the first velocity vector and wherein the secondary outlet is further configured to pass the air/product mixture to a second commodity box, and wherein: the secondary outlet passes a first portion of product to the second commodity box in response to the air flow to the first commodity box being substantially unblocked by product buildup in the primary outlet and passes a second portion of product to the second commodity box in response the air flow to the first commodity box being substantially blocked by product buildup in the primary outlet; the first portion of product passed to the second commodity box in response to the air flow to the first commodity box being substantially unblocked by product buildup in the primary outlet is less than the product passed to the first commodity box when the first commodity box is substantially unblocked by product buildup in primary outlet; and the second portion of product is greater than the first portion.