Patent ID: 8350689

Claim:
A product-on-demand delivery system for an agricultural machine, the system comprising; a frame; a main hopper mounted on the frame, said main hopper having a nozzle assembly into which product in said main hopper is directed, the nozzle assembly comprising an air inlet and a product outlet; an application unit mounted to the frame, the application unit provided with an auxiliary hopper and a product meter for dispensing the product to a field, the product meter in communication with the auxiliary hopper to receive product therefrom, the auxiliary hopper having a product inlet; a product hose flow-coupled to said product outlet and to said auxiliary hopper inlet; an air source to deliver an air stream to the air inlet, through the nozzle to entrain product in the air stream and move the product through the product hose to the associated auxiliary hopper until the auxiliary hopper is filled after which the delivery of product ceases until the level of product in the auxiliary hopper is decreased; a sensor to detect disconnection of the product hose; and a monitor coupled to the sensor to provide an alert to an operator in the event the product hose is disconnected.