AU630670B2

AU630670B2 - Storage and metering equipment

Info

Publication number: AU630670B2
Application number: AU50091/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Maurice Hayes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-02-23
Filing date: 1990-02-23
Publication date: 1992-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2010-02-23
Also published as: AU5009190A

Description

69436711 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952 Name of Applicant(s): Address of Applicant(s): Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: MAURICE HAYES 11 WINTON STREET GOONDIWINDI QLD 4390 MAURICE HAYES G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 79 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

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oo COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: STORAGE AND METERING EQUIPMENT C C g t ri; The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 THIS INVENTION relates to apparatus for delivering metered quantities of particulate or powder materials, such as herbicides, fungicides, ferti.izers and like crop additives, to broad acreage crops and similar loci. The invention is particularly concerned with the metering of nitrogenous fertilizers to irrigated crops such as cotton, and will be primarily described in this context. However, it is to be understood that the invention has considerably wider utility in that it may also be used, in preferred adaptations, for storing and metering any material to any ooooo desired location.

Cotton crops are currently fertilized with either anhydrous ammonia or an aqueous urea solution. In the former process, gaseous nitrogen is introduced with a scarifier at a 4 o15 rate of 130 units (lbs/acre). In the latter process, urea and water are mixed in a large holding tank and metered into the crop irrigation ditch, or applied by aerial spraying.

All these techniques are expensive, time consuming, and, in some cases, inefficient.

S "2C" It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an alternative system for delivering nitrogenous fertilizers to crops such as cotton, which is inexpensive, accurate, and less time consuming than previous techniques.

According to the present invention in its broadest aspect, there is provided apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a 4; K 3 required location, said apparatus comprising the combination of a dimensioned receptacle having a particulate/powder material inlet and a particulate/powder material outlet, and a conveyor, a section of said conveyor forming a base of the receptacle; and an arrangement for controlling the quantity of particulate/powder material admitted through the inlet of the dimensioned receptacle; the said conveyor when in use, conveying the particulate/powder material from the dimensioned receptacle through the outlet at a pre-determined rate to the required location.

The apparatus preferably includes a hopper for storage of the particulate/powder material.

The hopper may assume any configuration suitable for temporary storage of the particulate/powder material and preferably incorporates a lower discharge shute through which the particulate/powder material can flow under the influence of gravity. A conventional funnel shaped hopper with a conical top and apical lid is particularly suitable. The capacity of the hopper will be determined by the purpose for S: which the equipment is to be put as well as the desired S metering rate for the contained material. For the storage and metering of nitrogenous fertilizer, such as urea for application to cotton crops, a capacity of about 3 tonnes has been found to be particularly suitable.

The hopper will preferably be water-tight to prevent any hardening or solvating of the contained material, for instance urea is hydroscopic, and will preferably be designed to shed water impinging upon its outer surface. The material o from which the hopper is constructed is preferably sheet metal I p N- 4 4 such as galvanized iron.

The arrangement for controlling the amount of particulate/powder material passing into the inlet of the dimensioned receptacle may comprise a simple gate such as a panel slidable within a housing formed about the inlet.

Another closure means may be provided on the outlet of the receptacle. This may comprise an adjustable height plate or panel which can be raised or lowered over the outlet.

In order to ensure that the walls of the enclosure are such as to prevent the material spilling past them in the region where they are in close proximity with the conveyor surface, they are preferably fabricated from a resiliently flexible material, or include a resiliently flexible skirt, which abuts against the conveyor. A preferred arrangement is a skirt in the form of a brush which extends around the perimeter of the walled enclosure except in the region of the adjustable height opening.

The conveyor is preferably a closed loop fabric belt supported upon two end rollers, one roller of which is located adjacent the outlet end of the hopper and the other roller of which is adjacent the point of discharge, remote from the outlet end of the hopper. A preferred conveyor is a white cleated incline belt which is adapted to move at the rate of approximately one metre per second.

0| The conveyor rollers can be supported on a subframework connected to the hopper or other support framework.

Preferably such connection is by way of a pivotal linkage to enable the conveyor to be pivoted away from the hopper opening so that the hopper and/or the conveyor may be easily cleaned.

The conveyor may be driven by one of the rollers through a suitable reduction gearbox by a motor controlled by the aforementioned regulating means. A typical motor is a quarter horsepower, 12V electric motor driving a right angle drive 22-1 reduction gearbox connecting the conveyor roller through a 3/8' chain drive. The power to the electric motor is preferably supplied by a lead battery during night-time Soperation and by a solar panel during day-time operation.

The power source is, however, interrupted by the regulating means.

The regulating means is a device which turns the motor on and off for pre-determined time periods at predetermined time intervals. The electronic circuitry of the 0 2a: regulating means is preferably adjusted so that the motor can be turned on and off for time periods of 1.5 to 7 seconds over time intervals ranginq from 15 seconds to 5 minutes.

The most preferred arrangement is for the motor to be turned on for approximately three seconds every minute. This will permit metering of urea at the rate of about three kilograms per minute.

6 The equipment thus described, enables fertilizer to be readily and economically delivered to irrigation channels of cropping systems at desired rates of application. It is particularly adaptable to use at various locations to enable variation in metering of fertilizer during the entire cropping cycle.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a side-on perspective view of **fee: equipment according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the conveyor 0 regulating means of the invention; and oo oo Figure 3 is a partial side-on perspective view of the material regulating means of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in all of which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, a hopper indicated generally at 10, having a cylindrical body 11, a oI conical lower section 12 and a conical upper section 13, is 20* supported atop a wheeled framework 14 by support struts and bracing members 15a. The top of the hopper is provided with a covered hatch 16 through which the material to be dispensed may be introduced into the hopper. The lower end of the hopper includes a circular collar 17 (see Figure 3) to which is fitted a plate 18 having inwardly turned longitudinal edges 19 on which a movable gate 20 slides. The plate 18 includes a circular opening substantially the same diameter as the collar 17, which aligns with the opening in the bottom of the hopper when in a fully retracted position.

A handle 20a is provided on one edge of the gate so that the gate can be manipulated in the direction indicated by the double headed arrow to open and close the bottom of the hopper.

A walled enclosure depends downwardly directly beneath the hopper outlet. This comprises an adjustable height plate 21 on the side facing the direction of travel of the conveyor 22, and three fixed walls 23 on each of the o.4 remaining sides. The fixed walls 23 are each provided with a see* or ~brush skirt 24 to ensure that the walls are in abutting 0666 contact with the conveyor yet do not impede the movement of :.e the conveyor. The adjustable height plate 21 includes slots to enable it to be moved vertically in relation to fixing bolts 25 so that the opening between the bottom edge of the 0*@g ~plate 21 and the conveyor surface 22 can be set to the 6* required amount. This opening will regulate the quantity of o i material to be released onto the conveyor.

The conveyor 22 extends in a sLbstantially horizontal disposition directly beneath the hopper from the outlet thereof. The conveyor is a continuous cleated incline belt supported by rollers 26, 27 at each extremity. Roller 26 is freely rotating within ball bearing race 28, and roller 27 is power driven by sprocket wheel 29. The conveyor is 8 adapted for movement in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in Figure 2.

The power to drive the sprocket wheel 29 is derived from lead accumulator batteries 30 during night-time operation and by a solar panel 31 during day-time operation.

The power source is electrically connected to regulating means 32 which, in turn, operates an electric motor 33 connected by way of a step-down gearbox 34 and a drive chain to the sprocket wheel 29.

The regulating means 32 includes a circuit which enables the electric motor 33 to be turned on and off for pre-determined time periods at pre-determined time intervals.

Two dial controls 36, 37 enable each of these parameters to be set over an infinitely variable range. Thus, the one dial 36 sets the time for which the motor is turned on, e.g. for periods ranging from 1.5 to 7 seconds, and the other dial 37 sets the time intervals between the activation of the motor, m e.g. intervals ranging from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. By appropriately manipulating the dials, the required movement of the conveyor over a period of time can be regulated and hence the application rate of material can be accurately controlled.

A shute 38 is provided on the end of the conveyor to direct the metered material to the desired location as it passes from the conveyor.

In order to assist in the cleaning of the conveyor .I I l. i 9 and/or the hopper, the conveyor can be pivoted about pivot points 39, 40 located on the struts which support one end of the conveyor. The other end of the conveyor is supported by a chain 41 and can be raised or lowered as need be.

The equipment thus described is particularly useful for delivering metered amounts of fertilizer to irrigation channels of broad acreage crops such as cotton. In use, the equipment is filled with nitrogenous fertilizer, such as urea, and is towed to a position adjacent an irrigation channel such that the shute 38 is located directly above the ditch. The solar panel 31 is located adjacent to the equipment and is arranged at the necessary attitude with 'a respect to the sun to collect the maximum amount of light "0 over the daylight operating period of the equipment.

The adjustable height plate 21 is set to the height which is necessary to deliver the required amount of fertilizer 43 onto the conveyor when in motion, and the gate is moved to an open position by sliding it fully outward with respect to its retaining plate 18, thereby permitting "2 Ora the fertilizer to fall freely onto the conveyor 22 in the area bounded by the walled enclosure 23.

The regulating means 32 is adjusted to provide the S desired rate of dispensing of the fertilizer to the irrigation channel, in the manner previously indicated, and, when all parameters of the equipment have been established, is turned on.

The conveyor is thereby set in motion for predetermined periods of time over pre-determined time intervals, and transports the fertilizer in the required quantities to the adjacent irrigation channel where it is dissolved and transported in the flow to the plants growing downstream from the point of discharge.

In this manner, a very efficient fertilization means is provided for irrigation crops.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth in the following claims.

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Claims

1. Agparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location, said apparatus comprising the combination of a dimensioned receptacle having a particulate/powder material inlet and a particulate/powder material outlet, a conveyor, a section of said conveyor forming a base of the receptacle, and an arrangement for controlling the quantity of particulate/powder material admitted through the inlet of the dimensioned receptacle; the said conveyor when in use, conveying the particulate/powder material from the dimensioned receptacle through the outlet at a pre-determined rate to the required location.

2. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of eoeoo 13 particulate/powder material from a source to a required S location as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control arrangement comprises a gate which is slidable across the said coco inlet to fully or partially close off said inlet.

3. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of 2t particulate/powder material from a source to a required S location as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the source of particulate/powder material is a storage hopper. .i 4. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in claim 3, wherein the storage hopper includes a lower discharge shute through which the particulate/powder material flows under the influence of gravity to the inlet of the receptacle. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of I- I I 1 12 particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the storage hopper is funnel shaped with a conical top and apical lid.

6. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the walls of the receptacle are fabricated from a resiliently flexible material or include a resiliently flexible skirt which contacts the conveyor.

7. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in claim 6, wherein the walls include a resiliently flexible skirt in the form of bristles.

8. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of ••ego: i1 particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, oee* wherein the conveyor is a closed loop fabric belt supported upon rollers.

9. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of o 2U particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in claim 8, wherein the conveyor is Sinclined at a small angle with respect to the horizontal. 0. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the particulate/powder outlet has an associated adjustable closure means for regulating the quantity of particulate/powder material released onto the conveyor. iApparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of K r o d 13 particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and including a motor for driving the conveyor at a predetermined rate.

12. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in claim 11, wherein said motor is powered by a battery or by solar cells.

13. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12 and including a device which turns the motor on and off for pre-determined time periods at pre-determined time intervals.

14. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of oe e particulate/powder material from a source to a required location as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and o which is mounted on a mobile framework. •ego

15. Apparatus for regulating the rate of delivery of particulate/powder material from a source to a required location substantially as herein described with reference to S the accompanying drawings. DATED this 2nd day of September 1992 MAURICE HAYES By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. 17 s~