Dickey-john Corporation

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Tsi, Inc.

Barry C Mears

James M Dare

Jerome A Farm

Kyle T Kalk

A seed dispensing system is provided with a photoelectric sensor for monitoring the dispensing of seeds from a seed dispenser comprising a discharge conveyor with conveyor flights that transport seeds through the seed dispenser. The sensor outputs a signal representative of obstructions to the flow of light in an optical path of the sensor, and a computing unit is adapted to distinguish portions of the output signal that are attributable to the passage of one or more seeds from portions of the output signal that are attributable to the passage of a conveyor flight.

Photoelectric sensor for seed dispensing system

A sensor assembly is described herein that can automatically calibrate itself upon installation into an empty bin, eliminating the need to actually fill the bin to calibrate the level reading. The sensor will provide consistent measurement regardless of material properties (permittivity, density, temperature or moisture content). The capacitive nature of the sensor means that in some circumstances, it will sense the material through plastic/glass/fiber glass thereby allowing the sensor assembly to be mountable on the outside of a bin or container. The electrodes of the sensor system are designed to provide a continuous level reading.

Calibration-free continuous bin level sensor

A guidance system for internally controlling the flight path of a missile includes a guidance platform having dispersion control means mounted on the guidance platform for detecting acceleration of the missile due to lift and side forces. The dispersion control means includes dispersion detection means to calculate the velocity and position errors relative to a drag-only trajectory from the detected acceleration due to the lift and side forces. The internal guidance system also includes missile positioning means for controlling the position of the missile platform to substantially eliminate the velocity and position errors. The guidance system also includes level finding means for determining a substantially horizontal level axis and the orientation of the missile relative to a level axis. The missile positioning means also performs other functions such as missile leveling in which the wings-level axis of the missile is aligned to the level axis. Accordingly, the position of a free-falling missile may be internally controlled to increase the targeting accuracy of the missile without initialization of the missile from the launch platform.

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Auburn, IL, United States of America

Barry C Mears