CA2548837A1

CA2548837A1 - Seed hopper and routing structure for varying material delivery to row units

Info

Publication number: CA2548837A1
Application number: CA002548837A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Donald Keith Landphair; Patrick Eugene Pinkston; Richard Hugo Clark; Chris Warren Foster; Chad Erik Braden; Robert Wallace Martin; Christopher Allen Myers
Original assignee: Deere and Co
Current assignee: Deere and Co
Priority date: 2006-05-29
Filing date: 2006-05-29
Publication date: 2007-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-29
Also published as: CA2548837C

Abstract

Left and right main hoppers offset laterally from each other on opposite sides of the centerline of a seeding machine provide an operator access area between the hoppers. A third hopper located forwardly of and between the two main hoppers has a capacity less than that of each of the main hoppers for refuge or male seed.
The hoppers are sized to maximize productivity. In one embodiment, first and second hoppers communicate with downstream conduit structure, and valve structure selects one or the other of the first and second hoppers for delivery of the material.
The valve structure can be operated remotely and can be map based.
Alternatviely, selectively blockable nozzle structure is located in the first and second hoppers.
Easily changeable connector structure facilitates row pattern selection and hose routing.

Claims

1. In an agricultural seeder adapted for forward movement over soil by hitch structure and having a transversely extending frame with a centerline, the frame supporting tools for depositing one or more materials in the soil, material hopper and routing structure comprising:
left and right hoppers offset laterally from each other on opposite sides of the centerline and defining an operator access area between the hoppers;
a central hopper located between the left and right hoppers adjacent the operator accesses area; and conduit structure connected to the right, left and central hoppers and selectively attachable to different ones of tools, wherein the selective attachment of the conduit structure determines which hopper feeds each of the tools.

2. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the central hopper is offset forwardly from the right and left hoppers and is located forwardly of the operator access area.

3. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the central hopper extends over the hitch structure.

4. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the central hopper has a capacity substantially less than a capacity of the left and right hoppers.

5. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the central hopper is a refuge seed hopper and the right and left hoppers comprise non-refuge seed hoppers.

6. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein the refuge seed hopper has a capacity less than half of the total capacity of the left and right hoppers.

7. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein the central hopper comprises a male seed corn hopper and the left and right hoppers comprise female seed corn hoppers.

8. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 4 wherein the central hopper has a capacity of approximately 20% of a total capacity of the left, right and central hoppers.

9. The material hopper and routing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conduit structure includes a connector facilitating interchangeability of hopper routing to the row units, the connector including a selectively attachable and removable cap preventing material flow through one or more of the conduits when attached, wherein the cap is connectible in series with the conduit structure, the cap providing support for different conduit sections when attached.

10. In an agricultural seeder adapted for forward movement over soil and having a transversely extending frame, the frame supporting distributing units for depositing one or more materials in the soil, material hopper and routing structure comprising:
a plurality of hoppers containing at least two different materials;
a plurality of conduits connected to the distributing units; and means communicating the conduits with the hoppers for delivering the material in the hoppers to preselected distributing units to provide a selected row delivery pattern in the soil.

11. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 10 wherein the means communicating the conduits comprises a connector having a selectively attachable cap preventing material flow through one or more of the conduits.

12. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 11 wherein the connector comprises first and second mating portions, and wherein the cap is connectible in series between the portions to prevent the material flow.

13. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 10 wherein the means communicating the conduits includes a Y-shaped connector portion having first and second branches connectible to a selected one of the conduits, and cap structure for selectively blocking one of the branches.

14. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 13 wherein the cap structure is connectible in series with one of the branches and the selected one of the conduits to selectively prevent material flow through the selected one of the conduits.

15. In an agricultural implement adapted for forward movement over soil and having a transversely extending frame, the frame supporting distributing units for delivering one or more materials to the soil, material hopper and routing structure comprising:
first and second hoppers, each hopper containing material to be delivered to the soil;
downstream conduit structure connected between the hoppers and extending towards the distributing unit;
upstream conduit structure connected to a source of air and to the first and second hoppers; and valve structure for selecting one of the first and second hoppers for delivery of the material to the soil;

16. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 15 wherein the valve structure comprises an air valve connected upstream of the first and second hoppers.

17. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 15 wherein the valve structure comprises an air and seed valve connected downstream of the first and second hoppers.

18. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 15 including a hopper conduit structure extending into the first and second hoppers, wherein the valve structure includes selectively blockable and unblockable nozzle structure located in the first and second hoppers, the nozzle structure facilitating pickup of material from the hoppers when unblocked and preventing pickup of material when blocked.

19. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 15 wherein the valve structure comprises a remotely operable valve.

20. The material hopper and routing structure set forth in claim 19 wherein the remotely operable valve comprises a map-based switching valve for automatically changing material flow in accordance with a map.