CA1149681A - Electrical feed control for pneumatic seeder and the like - Google Patents
Electrical feed control for pneumatic seeder and the likeInfo
- Publication number
- CA1149681A CA1149681A CA000395105A CA395105A CA1149681A CA 1149681 A CA1149681 A CA 1149681A CA 000395105 A CA000395105 A CA 000395105A CA 395105 A CA395105 A CA 395105A CA 1149681 A CA1149681 A CA 1149681A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- actuator
- switch
- clutch
- feed
- transducer
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
- A01C15/00—Fertiliser distributors
- A01C15/04—Fertiliser distributors using blowers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
- A01C7/00—Sowing
- A01C7/08—Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows
- A01C7/081—Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
- A01C7/00—Sowing
- A01C7/08—Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows
- A01C7/10—Devices for adjusting the seed-box ; Regulation of machines for depositing quantities at intervals
- A01C7/102—Regulating or controlling the seed rate
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention relates to improvements in air seeders, namely agricultural implements which utilize air pressure to move particulate material such as seeds from a feed zone to a dispersal or planting zone. The particulate material is normally fed from a hopper by a driven feed wheel or other similar mechanism. The invention provides an electrical pressure-sensitive transducer at the source of air pressure, a circuit connecting the transducer with an electrically-operated actuator and a suitable linkage connecting the actuator with a clutch which is used to transmit drive power to the feed wheel. As long as there is sufficient pressure at the source the actuator will keep the clutch positioned to permit the feed wheel to operate.
Should the pressure source fail the actuator will operate the clutch to stop transmitting power to the feed wheel and thus terminate the feeding of material which would otherwise clog the delivery conduits of the seeder.
The invention relates to improvements in air seeders, namely agricultural implements which utilize air pressure to move particulate material such as seeds from a feed zone to a dispersal or planting zone. The particulate material is normally fed from a hopper by a driven feed wheel or other similar mechanism. The invention provides an electrical pressure-sensitive transducer at the source of air pressure, a circuit connecting the transducer with an electrically-operated actuator and a suitable linkage connecting the actuator with a clutch which is used to transmit drive power to the feed wheel. As long as there is sufficient pressure at the source the actuator will keep the clutch positioned to permit the feed wheel to operate.
Should the pressure source fail the actuator will operate the clutch to stop transmitting power to the feed wheel and thus terminate the feeding of material which would otherwise clog the delivery conduits of the seeder.
Description
~ 9681 The present invention relates in general to the control of agricultural equipment and more specifically to the control of implements such as pneumatic seeders, fertilizer applicators and/or chemical applicators.
BACK~7ROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are several types of agricultural machines on the market which rely on machine-generated pneumatic pressure for effective operation. One such machine is the so-called "air seeder", a machine which meters and distributes, via a stream of pressurized air, seeds to ground openers for the purpose of planting the seeds. Such machines or others based on similar principles of operation can be used for application of fertilizers and chemicals to the ground. The application of fertilizers and chemicals, if done by way of an air seeder, can be accomplished simultaneously with the planting of the seeds if desired.
On many existing air seeders problems can arise should the air supplv system fail. Since such seeders normally feed the seeds mechanically into the pneumatic delivery conduit failure to stop such mechanical feed when the air supply stops can result in a jammed or blocked delivery conduit, which is often difficult and time consuming to unplug, and which in turn can cause damage to the mechanical feed.
SU~RY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes these problems of the prior art by interconnecting the control for the mechanical feed mechanism and the air supply so that should the air supply fail for any reason whatsoever the mechanical feed will stop and no additional seeds will be fed into the delivery conduit.
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`` " .lL:1~9681 Should the air supply fail all the seeds in the delivery conduit will stop their forward motion at the predetermined spacing as controlled by the feed and, more importantly no additional seeds will enter the delivery conduit, which seeds would otherwise accumulate and pile up to block the conduit in the absence of the pneumatic flow which would otherwise carry the seeds along the conduit.
The control system of the present invention is electrical in nature, is inexpensive to assemble and install and is relatively simple to operate. A pneumatic control svstem which achieves the same end is disclosed and claimed in Canadian Application Serial Number 390,527 filed November 20, 1981 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The electrical system of this invention is a viable alternative to the pneumatic system of the aforementioned application and may be used in situations where thè pneumatic system is, perhaps, difficult to install.
The invention may be incorporated in new equipment or it may be added with very little difficulty to existing seeder equipment as an improvement thereto. The invention involves the provision of a suitable pressure-sensitive pick-up, such as a piezo-electric transducer, which is positioned within the source of pressurized air and which provides an electrical signal which is used to operate a control unit or actuator.
The control unit could be a solenoid which is mechanically connected to a clutch unit which in turn is adapted to transmit mechanical power to the feed unit. When the control unit is actuated the clutch will operate so as to effect operation of the feed unit but should there be a failure of the air supply '~
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the clutch unit will operate so as to disengage the drive unit from the feed unit and thus stop the feed unit, thereby preventing the entry of any additional seeds into the delivery conduit.
Various controls or switches can be incorporated into the electrical circuit so that control of various mechanisms can be achieved or so that the operator can deliherately disengaa,e the mechanical feed even though the pressure source is still operative.
Broadly speaking therefore the present invention provides in an agricultural implement for dispensing particulate material and having: feed means for feeding predetermined amounts of the material to a delivery conduit, drive means for the feed means, a source of air under pressure, and air conduit means connecting the source with the delivery c,onduit to aid in the,passage of fed material along the delivery conduit, the ' improvement comprising:clutch me'ans loc'ated between the drive - means and the feed means, electrically-controlable actuatormeans operatively connected to the clutch means, pressure-sensitive transducer means located a~. the source, and circuit means connecting the transducer means with the actuator means, whereby pressure-sustained electrical signals transmitted from the transducer means to the actuator means penmits the actuator means to maintain the clutch means in a position to connect the drive means with the feed means, but a negative pressure change at the source will cause the actuator means to operate the clutch means to disconnect the drive means from the feed means to thereby terminate the feeding of the material.
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~968i BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows schematically the principles of operation of an air seeder without the present invention incorporated therein.
Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of an electrical control system according to the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of an electrical control system according to the present invention.
Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of an electrical control system according the the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED Er~BODIMENT
Figure 1 is intended to illustrate, purely in a general form, the environment in which the present invention operates. It is understood that while particularly applicable ; to air seeders, of which there are many varieties, the invention could be applicable to other analogous equipment.
Figure -1 first of all generally illustrates an air seeder 22 which has a source of pressurized air which, for the sake of simplicity, is illustrated as a centrifugal blower 10. Such a blower could be directly powered by the engine of the tractor which carries or pulls the air seeder; it could be powered by a "power take off" (PTO) mechanism; it could have its own source of power such as a battery-operated electric motor or an auxiliary fuel powered motor; or it could be ground driven. The blower 10 is shown as having vanes 12 which are attached to the shaft 14 and as the shaft rotates according to the arrow A air is forced into the outlet 16 so as to create a pressurized flow of air, which air is conducted via a suitable line or tube 18 to the delivery conduit 20 of the seeder 22.
Seeds introduced into the delivery conduit 20 are transported c}~ /, ,;,, ~9~i81 therealong by the pressurized air to the lower end of the delivery conduit 20 where they exit into a furrow prepared by a coulter or other suitable mechanism to which the seeder is attached.
As shown in Figure 1 the seeder 22 includes a hopper 24 which contains the seeds 26 to be planted. At the exit from the hopper a feed wheel 28 is provided which wheel has means such as studs or flutes 30 around the periphery. The studs define therebetween pockets which~ as the wheel 28 rotates, pick up seeds from the hopper and deposit them at a rate determined by the stud spacing and the rotation speed into the entranceway 32 of the delivery conduit from which they are transported pneumatically to the planting site. Other feed mechanisms are well known and the present invention may be used therewith, such other mechanisms including rubber rollers, augers, belts or agitators.
It is clear that if there is a failure of the pneu~atic system and the feed means as described continues to operate, the passage of seeds through the delivery conduit 20 could slow down to the point where the fed seeds can no longer pass through the delivery conduit and the accumulated seeds plùg the delivery conduit.
The present invention involves the addition of certain equipment to the basic air seeder structure. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2 a pressure-sensitive electrical transducer such as a piezo-electric transducer 34 is located in the blower outlet 16 so as to sense the presence of pressurized air from the outlet 16. The transducer 34 should be positioned in such a manner that the pressure sensed thereby is maximized. A wire /r~
1 ~96~1 36 extends from the transducer 34 to a depth control switch 38 the purpose of which will be described hereinbelow. With the switch 38 actuated an electrical signal from the transducer 34 is transmitted via the amplifier 40 to a control device such as solenoid 42 located adjacent the drive mechanism for the feed wheel 28.
A clutch mechanism, such as a spring-wrap clutch 44 (well known in the agricultural field) is positioned between the power source (not shown) for the feed wheel 28 and the wheel 28 itself, preferably on a drive shaft 46 for the feed wheel 28.
The clutch 44 is intended to be controlled via the solenoid 42 and to that end the movable armature 48 extending from the solenoid is pivotally connected as at S0 to one leg 51 of a lever arm 52, the other leg 53 of which extends at right angles to the leg 51, the lever-arm 52 being pivotally connected to the seeder structure as at 54. The leg 53 carries a dog 56 for cooperation with a correspondin~ dog or tang 58 on the spring of the clutch 44 such that when the dogs 56, 58 are apart the spring of the clutch will wrap down to connect the drive with the feed wheel so as to permit operation of the feed wheel 28.
- Insofar as the switch 38 and its function is concerned it should be understood that air seeders are usually assembled to and are used in conjunction with mechanisms such as coulters or cultivators which prepare the soil for reception of the seed, as by preparing a furrow to a required depth. Thus the seeder should operate only when the furrow, or the equipment creating the furrow, is at the correct depth relative to a predetermined cb~
~9681 datum such as the ground surface. Also, such equipment usually is pivotable away from the ground surface to provide adequate clearance for transportation purposes. The switch 38 is provided and operates so as to ensure that the seeder feeds seeds for planting only at the correct time, that is when the coulter or other preparation device is at the correct depth.
By using the switch 38 in conjunction with the electrical feed control of this invention, improvements in flexibility, versatility and cost effectiveness are achieved since, in the past, the mechanical systems which controlled the feed mechanism in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the cultivator were complex, bulky, expensive and awkward in use.
In the drawings the switch 38 is shown schematically only since varioue types of commerically available switches could be used. Also, the connections and devices which effect operation of the switch are shown schematically only since such will depend on the equipment configuration being utilized and the exact structure thereof does not form a part of this invention.
The switch 38 has two conditions, namely "on" or "off". When in the "on" position current from the transducer 34 is permitted to reach the amplifier 40, such current flow being prevented when the switch 38 moves to its "off" position.
The switch 38 will be in its "on" position only when the ground is ready to receive seeds, namely when the seeder equipment is positioned at the correct depth. When that position has been reached, as determined by the remote position sensor 60 the switch 38 is moved from its "off" to its "on" position. The remote sensor 60 could be electrical in nature, as a micro cb/~
~96t31 switch or a proximity sensor, in which case the switch 38 could be an electrically operated solenoid switch. The remote sensor 60 could be mechanical in nature, in which case suitable linkages could connect the sensor 60 to a suitable mechanically operated version of the switch 38. In either case any movement of the seeder away from the correct depth, as by encountering a situation causing the seeder to raise,will cause the sensor 60 to detect such movement and to thereby cause the switch 38 to move from its "on" to its "off" position. The switch 38 could be, for example, spring loaded so that a breaking of the current normally passed thereto by an electrical sensor 60 will cause the desired switch movement, or, if mechanical, the linkages connecting the switch 38 to the sensor 60 could themselves move the switch to its "off" position.
The operation of the invention according to Figure 2 .:
should be readily apparent from the foregoing. With the seeder at the correct depth and the switch 38 at its "on" position the transducer 34 will sense sufficient pressure from the blower 10 to transmit an electrical current through the switch 38 to the amplifier 40 which in turn provides sufficient current to the solenoid 42 so as to force the armature 48 thereof dcwnwardly (as in Figure 2).
That position is shown in Figure 2 wherein the lever arm 52 has pivoted about the pivot 54 so that the dogs 56, 58 are disengaged. As described above the lack of engagement between the dogs 56, 68 permits the spring of the clutch 44 to wrap down so as to connect the input member of the clutch (the drive means) with the output mem~er of the clutch (the feed wheel 28) directly or indirectly.
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~96~31 Should the blower 10 stop functioning for any reason the pressure sensed by the transducer 34 will no longer be sufficient to sustain the amplified current required to operate the solenoid 42. The armature 48 will retract aided by the bias of an internal spring to thereby cause the lever arm to pivot about 54 and the dogs 56, 58 will be brought into engagement, causing the spring of the clutch to open thereby stopping the transmission of power to the feed wheel. Thus should there be a failure in the air supply the feed mechanism will immediately cease to function and no more seeds will pass into the delivery conduit 20.
Should the seeder be raised from its operative orientation even though there be no failure of the air supply the switch 38 will be moved from its "on" position to its "off"
position as described above, thereby causing a cessation of current transmitted to the amplifier 40 and the solenoid 42 and causing the clutch 44 to stop the feed wheel 28 as described above.
Figure 3 shows an embodiment similar to that of Figure 2 but with the addition of a remote control switch 62 in the line 36. The switch includes an actuator 64 which is operable by the machine operator. Should the operator wish to-stop the feed wheel 28 he could operate the switch 62 so as to interrupt the flow of current in line 36, thereby causing the solenoid 42 to be deactivated, thereby causing the clutch to stop rotation of the feed wheel 28. By providing the switch 62 the present invention thus permits either automatic or manual control of the feed wheel 28. This feature is advantageous when the operator wishes to till the soil without seeding or depositing any material while a seeding or depositing operation is otherwise underway.
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~1~9f~81 Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. In this instance the transducer 34, the depth control switch 38 and the remote control switch 62 are connected in such a manner that when they are all switched to an "on" or operating position they trigger a logic circuit 66 (such as an AND gate) which in turn pro-vides current to the amplifier 40 and solenoid 42 so as to effect the desired clutch operation.
In the drawings the circuitry relating only to the operative units of the invention has been illustrated.
It is understood that a D.C. or an A.C. power source will be required for the amplifier and the various solenoids.
A positive or negative power supply can be utilized and since the necessary connections therefor will depend on the application and are well within the expertise of a skilled electrician it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the power supply and its connections.
The foregoing describes the invention utilizing a solenoid 42 which is energized so as to maintain the clutch in its engaged condition to effect drive of the feed wheel. It would be possible, within the ambit of the invention to utilize a solenoid and an appropriate trans-ducer in such a manner that clutch engagement is maintained when the solenoid is not energized and so that energization of the solenoid will result in disengagement of the clutch and thereby disconnect the seed wheel from its drive. In this case the solenoid would be oriented so that its spring bias keeps the dogs 56, 5~ out of engagement and when energized the armature would move so as to bring the dogs mab/ ~b ~96~31 56, 58 into engagement so as to disengage the clutch. For this embodiment the transducer 34 could be a normally-open microswitch connected to a pressure-sensitive diaphragm at the blower outlet 16 which would close to complete the electric circuit should there be a drop in pressure.
A diaphragm operated normally-closed micro-switch could be used as a transducer in the other embodi-ments wherein a constant electrical signal is used to elec-trically operate the solenoid 42 to maintain the clutch in its engaged condition.
The above provides the best description of the invention as presently available but it is understood that variations therein could occur to someone skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the~scope of protection to be afforded the invention is to be determined from the claims appended hereto.
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BACK~7ROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are several types of agricultural machines on the market which rely on machine-generated pneumatic pressure for effective operation. One such machine is the so-called "air seeder", a machine which meters and distributes, via a stream of pressurized air, seeds to ground openers for the purpose of planting the seeds. Such machines or others based on similar principles of operation can be used for application of fertilizers and chemicals to the ground. The application of fertilizers and chemicals, if done by way of an air seeder, can be accomplished simultaneously with the planting of the seeds if desired.
On many existing air seeders problems can arise should the air supplv system fail. Since such seeders normally feed the seeds mechanically into the pneumatic delivery conduit failure to stop such mechanical feed when the air supply stops can result in a jammed or blocked delivery conduit, which is often difficult and time consuming to unplug, and which in turn can cause damage to the mechanical feed.
SU~RY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes these problems of the prior art by interconnecting the control for the mechanical feed mechanism and the air supply so that should the air supply fail for any reason whatsoever the mechanical feed will stop and no additional seeds will be fed into the delivery conduit.
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`` " .lL:1~9681 Should the air supply fail all the seeds in the delivery conduit will stop their forward motion at the predetermined spacing as controlled by the feed and, more importantly no additional seeds will enter the delivery conduit, which seeds would otherwise accumulate and pile up to block the conduit in the absence of the pneumatic flow which would otherwise carry the seeds along the conduit.
The control system of the present invention is electrical in nature, is inexpensive to assemble and install and is relatively simple to operate. A pneumatic control svstem which achieves the same end is disclosed and claimed in Canadian Application Serial Number 390,527 filed November 20, 1981 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The electrical system of this invention is a viable alternative to the pneumatic system of the aforementioned application and may be used in situations where thè pneumatic system is, perhaps, difficult to install.
The invention may be incorporated in new equipment or it may be added with very little difficulty to existing seeder equipment as an improvement thereto. The invention involves the provision of a suitable pressure-sensitive pick-up, such as a piezo-electric transducer, which is positioned within the source of pressurized air and which provides an electrical signal which is used to operate a control unit or actuator.
The control unit could be a solenoid which is mechanically connected to a clutch unit which in turn is adapted to transmit mechanical power to the feed unit. When the control unit is actuated the clutch will operate so as to effect operation of the feed unit but should there be a failure of the air supply '~
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the clutch unit will operate so as to disengage the drive unit from the feed unit and thus stop the feed unit, thereby preventing the entry of any additional seeds into the delivery conduit.
Various controls or switches can be incorporated into the electrical circuit so that control of various mechanisms can be achieved or so that the operator can deliherately disengaa,e the mechanical feed even though the pressure source is still operative.
Broadly speaking therefore the present invention provides in an agricultural implement for dispensing particulate material and having: feed means for feeding predetermined amounts of the material to a delivery conduit, drive means for the feed means, a source of air under pressure, and air conduit means connecting the source with the delivery c,onduit to aid in the,passage of fed material along the delivery conduit, the ' improvement comprising:clutch me'ans loc'ated between the drive - means and the feed means, electrically-controlable actuatormeans operatively connected to the clutch means, pressure-sensitive transducer means located a~. the source, and circuit means connecting the transducer means with the actuator means, whereby pressure-sustained electrical signals transmitted from the transducer means to the actuator means penmits the actuator means to maintain the clutch means in a position to connect the drive means with the feed means, but a negative pressure change at the source will cause the actuator means to operate the clutch means to disconnect the drive means from the feed means to thereby terminate the feeding of the material.
cb/ J~,~
~ .
~968i BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows schematically the principles of operation of an air seeder without the present invention incorporated therein.
Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of an electrical control system according to the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of an electrical control system according to the present invention.
Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of an electrical control system according the the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED Er~BODIMENT
Figure 1 is intended to illustrate, purely in a general form, the environment in which the present invention operates. It is understood that while particularly applicable ; to air seeders, of which there are many varieties, the invention could be applicable to other analogous equipment.
Figure -1 first of all generally illustrates an air seeder 22 which has a source of pressurized air which, for the sake of simplicity, is illustrated as a centrifugal blower 10. Such a blower could be directly powered by the engine of the tractor which carries or pulls the air seeder; it could be powered by a "power take off" (PTO) mechanism; it could have its own source of power such as a battery-operated electric motor or an auxiliary fuel powered motor; or it could be ground driven. The blower 10 is shown as having vanes 12 which are attached to the shaft 14 and as the shaft rotates according to the arrow A air is forced into the outlet 16 so as to create a pressurized flow of air, which air is conducted via a suitable line or tube 18 to the delivery conduit 20 of the seeder 22.
Seeds introduced into the delivery conduit 20 are transported c}~ /, ,;,, ~9~i81 therealong by the pressurized air to the lower end of the delivery conduit 20 where they exit into a furrow prepared by a coulter or other suitable mechanism to which the seeder is attached.
As shown in Figure 1 the seeder 22 includes a hopper 24 which contains the seeds 26 to be planted. At the exit from the hopper a feed wheel 28 is provided which wheel has means such as studs or flutes 30 around the periphery. The studs define therebetween pockets which~ as the wheel 28 rotates, pick up seeds from the hopper and deposit them at a rate determined by the stud spacing and the rotation speed into the entranceway 32 of the delivery conduit from which they are transported pneumatically to the planting site. Other feed mechanisms are well known and the present invention may be used therewith, such other mechanisms including rubber rollers, augers, belts or agitators.
It is clear that if there is a failure of the pneu~atic system and the feed means as described continues to operate, the passage of seeds through the delivery conduit 20 could slow down to the point where the fed seeds can no longer pass through the delivery conduit and the accumulated seeds plùg the delivery conduit.
The present invention involves the addition of certain equipment to the basic air seeder structure. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2 a pressure-sensitive electrical transducer such as a piezo-electric transducer 34 is located in the blower outlet 16 so as to sense the presence of pressurized air from the outlet 16. The transducer 34 should be positioned in such a manner that the pressure sensed thereby is maximized. A wire /r~
1 ~96~1 36 extends from the transducer 34 to a depth control switch 38 the purpose of which will be described hereinbelow. With the switch 38 actuated an electrical signal from the transducer 34 is transmitted via the amplifier 40 to a control device such as solenoid 42 located adjacent the drive mechanism for the feed wheel 28.
A clutch mechanism, such as a spring-wrap clutch 44 (well known in the agricultural field) is positioned between the power source (not shown) for the feed wheel 28 and the wheel 28 itself, preferably on a drive shaft 46 for the feed wheel 28.
The clutch 44 is intended to be controlled via the solenoid 42 and to that end the movable armature 48 extending from the solenoid is pivotally connected as at S0 to one leg 51 of a lever arm 52, the other leg 53 of which extends at right angles to the leg 51, the lever-arm 52 being pivotally connected to the seeder structure as at 54. The leg 53 carries a dog 56 for cooperation with a correspondin~ dog or tang 58 on the spring of the clutch 44 such that when the dogs 56, 58 are apart the spring of the clutch will wrap down to connect the drive with the feed wheel so as to permit operation of the feed wheel 28.
- Insofar as the switch 38 and its function is concerned it should be understood that air seeders are usually assembled to and are used in conjunction with mechanisms such as coulters or cultivators which prepare the soil for reception of the seed, as by preparing a furrow to a required depth. Thus the seeder should operate only when the furrow, or the equipment creating the furrow, is at the correct depth relative to a predetermined cb~
~9681 datum such as the ground surface. Also, such equipment usually is pivotable away from the ground surface to provide adequate clearance for transportation purposes. The switch 38 is provided and operates so as to ensure that the seeder feeds seeds for planting only at the correct time, that is when the coulter or other preparation device is at the correct depth.
By using the switch 38 in conjunction with the electrical feed control of this invention, improvements in flexibility, versatility and cost effectiveness are achieved since, in the past, the mechanical systems which controlled the feed mechanism in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the cultivator were complex, bulky, expensive and awkward in use.
In the drawings the switch 38 is shown schematically only since varioue types of commerically available switches could be used. Also, the connections and devices which effect operation of the switch are shown schematically only since such will depend on the equipment configuration being utilized and the exact structure thereof does not form a part of this invention.
The switch 38 has two conditions, namely "on" or "off". When in the "on" position current from the transducer 34 is permitted to reach the amplifier 40, such current flow being prevented when the switch 38 moves to its "off" position.
The switch 38 will be in its "on" position only when the ground is ready to receive seeds, namely when the seeder equipment is positioned at the correct depth. When that position has been reached, as determined by the remote position sensor 60 the switch 38 is moved from its "off" to its "on" position. The remote sensor 60 could be electrical in nature, as a micro cb/~
~96t31 switch or a proximity sensor, in which case the switch 38 could be an electrically operated solenoid switch. The remote sensor 60 could be mechanical in nature, in which case suitable linkages could connect the sensor 60 to a suitable mechanically operated version of the switch 38. In either case any movement of the seeder away from the correct depth, as by encountering a situation causing the seeder to raise,will cause the sensor 60 to detect such movement and to thereby cause the switch 38 to move from its "on" to its "off" position. The switch 38 could be, for example, spring loaded so that a breaking of the current normally passed thereto by an electrical sensor 60 will cause the desired switch movement, or, if mechanical, the linkages connecting the switch 38 to the sensor 60 could themselves move the switch to its "off" position.
The operation of the invention according to Figure 2 .:
should be readily apparent from the foregoing. With the seeder at the correct depth and the switch 38 at its "on" position the transducer 34 will sense sufficient pressure from the blower 10 to transmit an electrical current through the switch 38 to the amplifier 40 which in turn provides sufficient current to the solenoid 42 so as to force the armature 48 thereof dcwnwardly (as in Figure 2).
That position is shown in Figure 2 wherein the lever arm 52 has pivoted about the pivot 54 so that the dogs 56, 58 are disengaged. As described above the lack of engagement between the dogs 56, 68 permits the spring of the clutch 44 to wrap down so as to connect the input member of the clutch (the drive means) with the output mem~er of the clutch (the feed wheel 28) directly or indirectly.
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~96~31 Should the blower 10 stop functioning for any reason the pressure sensed by the transducer 34 will no longer be sufficient to sustain the amplified current required to operate the solenoid 42. The armature 48 will retract aided by the bias of an internal spring to thereby cause the lever arm to pivot about 54 and the dogs 56, 58 will be brought into engagement, causing the spring of the clutch to open thereby stopping the transmission of power to the feed wheel. Thus should there be a failure in the air supply the feed mechanism will immediately cease to function and no more seeds will pass into the delivery conduit 20.
Should the seeder be raised from its operative orientation even though there be no failure of the air supply the switch 38 will be moved from its "on" position to its "off"
position as described above, thereby causing a cessation of current transmitted to the amplifier 40 and the solenoid 42 and causing the clutch 44 to stop the feed wheel 28 as described above.
Figure 3 shows an embodiment similar to that of Figure 2 but with the addition of a remote control switch 62 in the line 36. The switch includes an actuator 64 which is operable by the machine operator. Should the operator wish to-stop the feed wheel 28 he could operate the switch 62 so as to interrupt the flow of current in line 36, thereby causing the solenoid 42 to be deactivated, thereby causing the clutch to stop rotation of the feed wheel 28. By providing the switch 62 the present invention thus permits either automatic or manual control of the feed wheel 28. This feature is advantageous when the operator wishes to till the soil without seeding or depositing any material while a seeding or depositing operation is otherwise underway.
- _ g _ ~h//-~
~1~9f~81 Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. In this instance the transducer 34, the depth control switch 38 and the remote control switch 62 are connected in such a manner that when they are all switched to an "on" or operating position they trigger a logic circuit 66 (such as an AND gate) which in turn pro-vides current to the amplifier 40 and solenoid 42 so as to effect the desired clutch operation.
In the drawings the circuitry relating only to the operative units of the invention has been illustrated.
It is understood that a D.C. or an A.C. power source will be required for the amplifier and the various solenoids.
A positive or negative power supply can be utilized and since the necessary connections therefor will depend on the application and are well within the expertise of a skilled electrician it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the power supply and its connections.
The foregoing describes the invention utilizing a solenoid 42 which is energized so as to maintain the clutch in its engaged condition to effect drive of the feed wheel. It would be possible, within the ambit of the invention to utilize a solenoid and an appropriate trans-ducer in such a manner that clutch engagement is maintained when the solenoid is not energized and so that energization of the solenoid will result in disengagement of the clutch and thereby disconnect the seed wheel from its drive. In this case the solenoid would be oriented so that its spring bias keeps the dogs 56, 5~ out of engagement and when energized the armature would move so as to bring the dogs mab/ ~b ~96~31 56, 58 into engagement so as to disengage the clutch. For this embodiment the transducer 34 could be a normally-open microswitch connected to a pressure-sensitive diaphragm at the blower outlet 16 which would close to complete the electric circuit should there be a drop in pressure.
A diaphragm operated normally-closed micro-switch could be used as a transducer in the other embodi-ments wherein a constant electrical signal is used to elec-trically operate the solenoid 42 to maintain the clutch in its engaged condition.
The above provides the best description of the invention as presently available but it is understood that variations therein could occur to someone skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the~scope of protection to be afforded the invention is to be determined from the claims appended hereto.
mab/ ~I7
Claims (11)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In an agricultural implement for dispensing particulate material and having: feed means for feeding predetermined amounts of said material to a delivery con-duit, drive means for said feed means, a source of air under pressure, and air conduit means connecting said source with said delivery conduit to aid in the passage of fed material along said delivery conduit, the improvement comprising clutch means located between said drive means and said feed means, electrically-controlable actuator means operatively connected to said clutch means pressure-sensitive transducer means located at said source, and circuit means connecting said transducer means with said actuator means, whereby pressure-sustained electrical sig-nals transmitted from said transducer means to said actuator means permits said actuator means to maintain said clutch means in a position to connect said drive means with said feed means, but a negative pressure change at said source will cause said actuator means to operate said clutch means to disconnect. said drive means from said feed means to thereby terminate the feeding of said material.
2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said actuator means is an electrically operated solenoid having an armature thereof pivotally connected to a pivotable lever arm, said lever arm being operatively connectable with said clutch means for control thereof.
3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said circuit means includes amplifier means therein for amplifying said signals being transmitted to said actuator means.
4. The improvement of claim 1, 2 or 3 and including switch means responsive to the position of said delivery conduit relative to a datum, said switch means being positioned in said circuit means, said switch means permitting the transmission of said signals to said actuator means when said delivery conduit is correctly positioned relative to said datum, and preventing the transmission of said signals to said actuator means to terminate the feeding of said material when said delivery conduit is incorrectly positioned relative to said datum.
5. The improvement of claim 1, 2 or 3 and including an operator-controllable remote control switch positioned in said circuit means, said switch normally permitting transmission of said signals and being selectively movable by the implement operator to a position to prevent the transmission of said current so as to terminate the feeding of said material.
6. The improvement of claim 1, 2 or 3 and including independent first and second switch means positioned serially in said circuit means, both switch means normally permitting transmission of said signals in said circuit means, said first switch means being movable to a position, in response to movement of said delivery conduit means from a correct to an incorrect position relative to a predetermined datum, for preventing the transmission of said signals in said circuit means and said second switch means being remotely controllable by the implement operator for movement to a position for preventing the transmission of said signals in said circuit means such preventing by either of said switch means terminating the feeding of said material.
7. The improvement of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said transducer means is a piezo-electric device.
8. The improvement of claim 1, 2 or 3 and including independent first and second switch means each connected to logic means in said circuit means, said first switch means having a first position representing a correct position of said delivery conduit means relative to a predetermined datum and a second position representing incorrect positioning of said delivery conduit relative to said datum, said second switch means being operator-manipulatable between first and second operative and non-operative positions respectively, said logic means permitting the transmissions of said signals from said transducer means to said actuator means only when each of said first and second switch means is in its first position.
9. The improvement of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said transducer means comprises a pressure-sensitive diaphragm mounted at said outlet and a normally-closed microswitch connected to said diaphragm.
10. In an agricultural implement for dispensing particulate material and having: feed means for feeding predetermined amounts of said material to a delivery conduit, drive means for said feed means, a source of air under pres-sure, and air conduit means connecting said source with said delivery conduit to aid in the passage of fed material along said delivery conduit, the improvement comprising clutch means located between said drive means and said feed means, electrically-controlable actuator means operatively connected to said clutch means, pressure-sensitive transducer means located at said source, and circuit means connecting said transducer means with said actuator means, said actuator means being adapted to maintain said clutch means in a position to connect said drive means with said feed means in the absence of any electrical signals transmitted from said transducer means to said actuator means but effecting operation of said clutch means to disconnect said drive means from said feed means upon receipt of electrical sig-nals transmitted from said transducer means to said actuator means due to a negative pressure change at said source.
11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said transducer means comprises a pressure-sensitive diaphragm mounted at said outlet and a normally-open microswitch con-nected to said diaphragm
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000395105A CA1149681A (en) | 1982-01-28 | 1982-01-28 | Electrical feed control for pneumatic seeder and the like |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000395105A CA1149681A (en) | 1982-01-28 | 1982-01-28 | Electrical feed control for pneumatic seeder and the like |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1149681A true CA1149681A (en) | 1983-07-12 |
Family
ID=4121929
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000395105A Expired CA1149681A (en) | 1982-01-28 | 1982-01-28 | Electrical feed control for pneumatic seeder and the like |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1149681A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10246274B2 (en) | 2015-11-04 | 2019-04-02 | Cnh Industrial Canada, Ltd. | Systems and methods for air cart pressurization monitoring |
-
1982
- 1982-01-28 CA CA000395105A patent/CA1149681A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10246274B2 (en) | 2015-11-04 | 2019-04-02 | Cnh Industrial Canada, Ltd. | Systems and methods for air cart pressurization monitoring |
| US10759612B2 (en) | 2015-11-04 | 2020-09-01 | Cnh Industrial Canada, Ltd. | Systems and methods for air cart pressurization monitoring |
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