Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to multi-section agricultural sprayers and more specifically to section control valve switching for such sprayers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Most modern agricultural sprayers have a boom with multiple spray sections that can be independently controlled. A master control or switch is used to control the entire boom. In addition, each section has its own control or switch. In a typical system when the master control is on, the individual section control determines which sections are spraying. When the master control is off, all sections will not spray even though the individual section controls are on. 
     As sprayers get larger and the number of sections to be controlled increases, the switching arrangement tends to get more cumbersome and complex. Mastering the operation of systems with touch pad or keyboard type input controls often is difficult, particularly if non-sequential on-off spray section patterns are desired to accommodate irregular spray areas, field anomalies or skip row planting patterns. 
     Large sprayers can have seven or more individual spray sections to be controlled, and using a separate switch for each section requires a considerable amount of space which prevents ideally locating the switches in a convenient location. Providing a relatively simple, easy to understand and conveniently located spray control switching structure for multiple section sprayers has continued to be problematic. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved switching system for an agricultural sprayer. It is another object to overcome the aforementioned problems. 
     It is a further object to provide an improved switching system for a relatively large agricultural sprayer, wherein the system includes individual spray area control for a plurality of spray sections. It is another object to provide such a system which is relatively simple to understand and operate. It is still another object to provide such a system which permits substantial spray section control from one area, such as a multifunction control handle, using relatively few switches. It is another object to provide such a system which can be conveniently and intuitively operated from a vehicle control lever or the like utilizing only a small number of switches compared to the number of sections that are controlled. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved spray control switching system wherein different areas of the sprayer can be easily switched from one condition to another to accommodate irregular field borders or various types of field anomalies. It is another object to provide such a system wherein selected sections or areas of the spray structure can be easily locked out of operation or returned to operation from the locked out condition. It is yet another object to provide such a system wherein primary control of spray switching is located in one convenient location, such as the multifunction control handle. 
     A sprayer switching control system includes a controller connected to the sections of a sprayer to control spray rate and turn spray areas or sprayer nozzle sections on and off. The sprayer includes a multifunction control handle providing various control functions such as master spray on-off, spray boom position and ground drive speed. To control sprayer sections from the same area, toggle switch structure is incorporated into the handle and connected to the controller. The switch structure toggles the spray sections sequentially so that each section changes condition in turn as the switch structure is operated. A reset switch located adjacent the toggle switch structure is operable to reset all the sections to a preselected operating condition. Preferably, the toggle switch structure includes first and second switches located on opposite sides of the reset switch. Operating the first switch toggles the sections sequentially from a first side of the sprayer towards a second side, while operating the second switch sequences the operation in the opposite direction. For example, if the sprayer is operating near a converging field boundary, the switch corresponding to that side can be operated to turn off the outer section on that side to accommodate the narrowing spray area. If further narrowing is necessary, the switch is operated again to turn off the next section, and so on. If the spray areas widen again, the second switch is depressed to turn each section on in turn. If the spray pattern is to be narrowed from the opposite side, the second switch is operated to turn off the sections on that side. The first switch then can be operated to turn the sections on in turn as the spray area widens on that side. Such toggle operation is simple and easy to learn and can be accomplished without removing the hand from the control handle. 
     To accommodate situations where individual spray sections are to be locked out such as when the outer sections of the sprayer boom are folded in, individual boom control switches mounted on the console adjacent the control handle are connected to the controller so any one or more of the sections can be disabled. Maintaining the individual section switches also permits adjustment of the spray pattern for field anomalies or row patterns that require alternate sections or central portions of the sprayer to be switched off. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description which follows and from the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an agricultural field sprayer having multiple nozzle sections. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic of the section valve control circuit for the sprayer of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 a  is a perspective view of the console, multifunction control handle and boom control switch structure for the circuit of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 b  is an enlarged front view of the control handle. 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the subroutine for the toggle feature of the control for the processor of the control circuit of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a view of the data entry and display device for the sprayer. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the operation of the sprayer of FIG. 1 illustrating the operation of the section valve control circuit over different areas of a field. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, therein is depicted an agricultural sprayer  10  including a main frame  12  supported for forward movement over a field by front and rear ground wheels  14  and  16  powered by a conventional hydraulic drive arrangement (not shown). A vertically adjustable boom support frame  20  is connected to the rear of the frame  12  and supports a multi-section folding boom assembly  22  shown in the fully extended field working position for spraying a wide area. The assembly  22  is shown with five sections, including a center (C) section  30 , a left center (LC) section  31  and a right center (RC) section  32  connected to the center section  30 , and a left (L) outer section  33  and a right (R) outer section  34  connected to the sections  31  and  32 , respectively. The sprayer  10  may be generally of the type exemplified by the commercially available John Deere model 4710 Sprayer and includes an operator station  35  having a control console  36  (FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b ) and a main control handle  38  for controlling various sprayer and boom functions including sprayer drive functions. 
     Each of the sections  30 - 34  include spray nozzles  40  providing a desired spray pattern across the width of the sprayer. The sections are controlled by a spray control circuit  44  illustrated in FIG.  2  and including electrically controlled valves  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53 , and  54  operably connected to the sections  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34 , respectively. The valves  50 - 54  are connected to a main spray controller  60  which, in turn, is connected to a data entry and display device  62 , a rate selector switch  64 , and a bank of individual section control switches  66 , a master boom control switch structure  68  and a toggle switch structure  69 . Although the spray control circuit  44  will be described using a conventional microprocessor-based device, it is to be understood that other types of controllers, such as conventional relay-based controllers or simple logic controllers, could also be utilized with the switching structure. In addition, section control can include individual nozzle or boom area control and control of devices other than valves to effect different types of spray patterns. 
     The bank of control switches  66  includes manual switches  70 ,  71 ,  72 ,  73  and  74  establishing a preselected condition for any one or more of the associated sections  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33  and  34 , respectively. Preferably, the preselected operating condition is a disable mode so that when one of the switches  70 - 74  is moved to disable position, the corresponding one of the spray valves  50 - 54  will remain off regardless of any other control inputs to the controller  60 . The switches  70 - 74  can, for example, be used to shut off the outer sections  33  and  34  when these sections are folded inwardly out of use. In addition, if a particular spray pattern is required that is not available utilizing the simplified toggle switching arrangement on the control handle, such as center section  30  off and the remaining sections on, the pattern can be easily provided with the control switches  66 . Additional switches such as indicated at  75  and  76  may also be provided to control additional spray nozzles or additional sections on machines with more than five sections. Only the sections which are not disabled by the control switches  66  of FIG. 3 a  (non-disabled sections) will be affected by operation of switch structure located on the control handle  38 . Preferably the bank of control switches  66  is located on the console  36  at the operator station  35  adjacent but offset from the control handle  38  so the handle layout is simplified while still retaining full control of spray section patterns. 
     The control handle  38  (FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b ) includes toggle or boom indexing switch structure  88  having reset, index left and index right momentary on switches  90 ,  91  and  92 , respectively, connected to the controller  60 . The switches  91  and  92  are utilized to sequentially select spray sections which are not disabled by the switches  66  and to toggle the condition of the selected section. The switch  91  sequences the sections from right to left along the boom, while the switch  92  sequences the sections in the opposite direction or from left to right along the boom. 
     The controller  60  polls the state of the switches  90 - 92 , and if, for example, the index left switch  91  is depressed with all the non-disabled sections in the on condition, the right-most non-disabled section is toggled to the off condition and the next section to the left is selected. Pressing the switch  91  again turns off that next section. A non-disabled section is turned off and the next section is selected each time the switch  91  is depressed until the last non-disabled section is turned to the off condition. At that time, the right-most non-disabled section is again selected, and if the switch  91  is depressed without a reset via switch  90 , the right-most non-disabled section is returned to on condition, and the sequence continues. The index right switch  92  works in a similar fashion with the exception that sequencing is in the direction from the left side of the boom towards the right side. A flow chart for the toggling of the selected section is shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Depressing the index right switch  92  after the index left switch  91  has turned a section off will cause the controller  60  to return the last toggled section back to the on condition. Depressing the index left switch  91  after the index right switch  92  has turned a section off will return that section to the on condition. Therefore, the outermost operating section on either side can be conveniently toggled on and off by alternately hitting the index left and index right switches  91  and  92 . At any time, the reset switch  90  may be depressed to return all the non-disabled sections to the on condition. Once the non-disabled sections are returned to the on condition, repeatedly depressing the left index switch  91  will cause the controller  60  to turn off the non-disabled sections in turn from the right side of the boom towards the left side. After reset utilizing the switch  90 , depressing the index right switch  92  repeatedly will cause the controller to turn off the non-disabled sections sequentially from the left side of the boom towards the right. 
     If the controller  60  detects that the master boom control switch  68  has been depressed during operation, the controller turns off all the nozzle sections on the sprayer. Depressing the master switch  68  again causes the controller  60  to return the sprayer sections to their last operating conditions, unless a new spray pattern is selected by the switches  90 - 92  and/or the control switches  66  after the nozzle sections are turned off by the master switch  68 . The data entry and display device  62  includes a spray section condition panel  100  (FIG. 5) with sprayer section indices L, LC, C, RC, and R for a five-section machine. Additional indices may be added to the panel  100  for machines with more sections. If a section is in the on condition, that section is visually highlighted so the operator can quickly and easily determine the spray pattern selected. The spray pattern may be easily changed utilizing the switches  90 - 92  and/or the switches  66 , while the master switch  68  is on or off, and the display panel  100  will highlight the nozzle sections (see, for example, C, LC and RC of FIG. 5) which are spraying or will be spraying when the master switch  68  returns the boom to the operating condition. 
     In operation (FIG. 6) assuming the operator has all the spray sections  30 - 34  on, the sprayer  10  is driven forwardly with a full spray pattern until the right-most section  34  encounters an area  101  of a waterway or the like which is not to be sprayed. The operator depresses the index left switch  91 , and the controller  60  turns off the spray valve  54  so the section  34  stops spraying. As the spray boom approaches each of the non-spray areas  102 ,  103 ,  104  and  105 , the index left switch  91  is depressed to cause the sections  32 ,  30 ,  31  and  33  to stop spraying in that order until the entire boom is in a non-spraying condition for passing over the waterway. As the section  34  approaches an area  107  where spraying is to resume, the operator depresses the index left switch  91  again, which returns the section  34  to a spraying condition. The switch  91  is repeatedly pressed for the areas  108 ,  109 ,  110  and  111  until the entire boom is again spraying. Depressing the index left switch  91  twice at the boundary to a non-spray area  114  sequentially turns off the sections  34  and  32  in turn to better follow the non-spray boundary. Upon reaching the area  116  where spraying is to resume, the operator simply depresses the index right switch  92  to toggle the section  32  on. Depressing the index right switch  92  again at the area  118  returns the section  34  to the spraying condition. As the sprayer  10  approaches an angled headland  120 , the index left switch  91  is depressed repeatedly to prevent spraying in the headland while providing optimum spray coverage at the end of the spray area. 
     While turning on the end, the operator can hit the master switch  68  to turn off the entire boom. During the turn, the off conditions can be selected for all the sections except the right-most section  34  which will first encounter a spray area. Since the boom sections were all toggled off already prior to the turn, the index left switch  91  may simply be depressed once to toggle the right-most section on. When spray area  130  is first encountered, the operator can then switch on the boom by briefly depressing the master switch  68  so the section  34  begins spraying. The index left switch  91  is depressed each time an adjacent section reaches a corresponding spray area. 
     In a spray area where a skip pattern is required or where only one or more of the centrally located spray sections are to be turned off or left on, such as at area  140 , the operator can establish the desired pattern utilizing the section control switches  66  in combination with the toggle switch structure  69 . Approaching the area  140 , the operator depresses the index left switch  91  twice to turn off the spray from sections  34  and  32  in turn and operates the individual switches  73  and  71  to turn off the sections  33  and  31 , respectively, one after the other as the sections begin to encounter the non-spray areas in the headland. 
     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Technology Category: b