Other

Horton, Inc.

Chris A Nelson

Lucas L Lorenzen

Chad Kramer

James P LeClaire

Bradford K Palmer

David R Hennessy

Dave Hennessy

Lynn David Jensen

Xin Feng

A modular truss system includes an upper chord and a lower chord. Each of the upper and lower chords has a pair of terminal ends and each of the upper and lower chords is arcuate between associated ones of the pair of terminal ends. A plurality of branches is removably attached to and extends between the upper and lower chords. Each of the branches has a first end and a second end comprising a saddle that receives one of the upper or lower chords at a fixed angle with respect to the upper and lower chords. The saddles ensure the branches are properly placed on the upper and lower chords.

Modular truss system

A granular material storage capacity increasing device and system includes a housing including a plurality of roof trusses each including an inner chord. A plurality of panels is attached to the roof structure. Each of the panels extends between and is attached to adjacently positioned ones of the inner chords. Each of the panels is elongated and has a first end, a second end, an upper edge and a lower edge. An upper bend is positioned adjacent to the upper edge and defines an upper flange including the upper edge. A lower bend is positioned adjacent to the lower edge and defines lower flange including the lower edge. A primary bend is positioned between the upper and lower bends. The upper and lower flanges are attached to the inner chord. The primary bend is spaced further from the inner chord than the upper and lower bends.

Granular material storage capacity increasing device and system

A granular material storage capacity increasing device and system includes a housing including a plurality of roof trusses each including an inner chord. A plurality of panels is attached to the roof structure. Each of the panels extends between and is attached to adjacently positioned ones of the inner chords. Each of the panels is elongated and has a first end, a second end, an upper edge and a lower edge. An upper bend is positioned adjacent to the upper edge and defines an upper flange including the upper edge. A lower bend is positioned adjacent to the lower edge and defines lower flange including the lower edge. A primary bend is positioned between the upper and lower bends. The upper and lower flanges are attached to the inner chord. The primary bend is spaced further from the inner chord than the first and second ends.

A rotational control apparatus includes a first rotatable assembly and a second rotatable assembly. The first assembly is rotatably mounted to a first support mount. The second assembly is rotatably mounted to the first assembly and is axially moveable relative to the first assembly. The first and second assemblies have respective coaxial surfaces adjacent to and spaced from one another and further have respective axial surfaces that frictionally engage one another when the second assembly is in a first axial position and disengage when the second assembly is in a second axial position. The second assembly is capable of rotation independent of the first assembly when the second assembly is in the second axial position. The rotational control apparatus includes an eddy current drive comprised of a first eddy current coupling assembly associated with the coaxial surface of the first assembly and a second eddy current coupling assembly associated with the coaxial surface of the second assembly, the second eddy current coupling assembly adjacent the first eddy current coupling assembly with an air gap therebetween.

Two-speed rotational control apparatus with eddy current drive

A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the down pressure exerted by an actuating device on a seed channel opener of a planting implement in order to maintain the seed channel opener at a predetermined depth. The method and apparatus includes a depth control device which senses the load on the depth control wheel of the planting implement and transmits a sensed load output to an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes a micro-controller which receives, monitors and analyzes the sensed load output and compares it to the predetermined depth value. When the micro-controller detects a change between the predetermined depth value and sensed output value, a signal is transmitted to a regulating control valve which adjusts the down pressure exerted by the actuating device on the seed channel opener to maintain the proper cutting depth.

Depth control device for planting implement

A fan assembly (,) which incorporates variable pitched blades (,), is driven by the engine of a vehicle and is used in cooling the engine. A control system (,) is provided which is responsive to at least one signal representative of an operating parameter of the engine and a second signal indicative of a desired cooling requirement to establish an efficient pitch for the blades of the fan assembly. In one embodiment, the speed of the engine is sensed and used in combination with a cooling requirement signal developed by the engine control module (,) to regulate the pitch of the fan assembly. In a second embodiment, engine charge air temperature and coolant temperature signals are utilized in establishing the desired pitch. Furthermore, fuzzy logic controls (,) can be utilized to anticipate the cooling needs of the engine based on variations in the overall dynamic system as derived from information available through the engine control module.

Control system for cooling fan assembly having variable pitch blades

A fan assembly (10) includes first and second housing sections (70, 72) which, when mated by a first set of fasteners, define a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings (162) that lead to an internal housing chamber (82). The fan assembly (10) also includes a plurality of blade units (140), each of which includes an integral support stem (142) having a journal portion (148) rotatably mounted within a respective one of the openings (162), an enlarged flange portion (144) and a radial post portion (138) rotatably supported by a hub member (106) within the internal chamber (82). Each blade unit (140) preferably has a thrust bearing (156), bushing sleeve (158) and fan blade (152) integrated with the support stem (142), with the fan blade (152) being preferably molded to the support stem (142) following positioning of the thrust bearing (156) and bushing sleeve (158) to form an integral component. The fan assembly (10) further includes an actuator member (112) that is movably supported within the internal housing chamber (82) and which is adapted to engage a pin (166) of the support stem (142) at a position offset from a rotational axis thereof to adjust the pitch of the fan blades (152). The fan assembly (10) is adapted to be attached to a drive device (12) with a portion (42) of the drive device (12) covering a first set of fasteners (78) such that the first and second housing sections (70, 72) can only be disassembled following detachment from the drive device (12). A sensing arrangement (58, 180) is also preferably provided to generate signals indicative of at least one of the pitch and rotating speed of the fan blades (152).

Integrated fan assembly with variable pitch blades

A rotational control apparatus (A) having a rotatable input (26 or 180) and output (26 or 180) with respective interface discs (106, 180). Three sets of two diametrically opposed pistons (64 and 66, 68 and 70, 72 and 74) are controllable to rotatably relate the interface discs (106, 180). The piston sets (64 and 66, 68 and 70, 72 and 74) include piston heads (76) with dissimilar diameters such that each of the sets of pistons (64 and 66, 68 and 70, 72 and 74) may apply a dissimilar torque for a given amount of air pressure. Each of the piston sets (64 and 66, 68 and 70, 72 and 74) may be actuated independently or in combination with each of the other sets of pistons (64 and 66, 68 and 70, 72 and 74) such that the interface discs (106, 180) may be rotatably related to each other with varying degrees of torque. The rotational control apparatus (A) also includes a unique interface disc (106) with a frustoconical annular projection (136) for drawing relatively hot air away from the hub (26) near the interface disc (106) and out of the apparatus (A). The rotational control apparatus (A) further includes a unique set of axially extending channels (38, 60, 111) for the conveyance of air for cooling the interface discs (106, 180) from a location remote from the interface discs (106, 180). Blades (152) on interface disc (106) draw relatively cool air through the channels (38, 60, 111) to the hub (26) near the interface disc (106).

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Bloomington, MN, United States of America

Chris A Nelson