Flexi-coil Ltd.

Francis G Lang

Robert K Benneweis

Dean J Mayerle

Russell James Memory

David R Hundeby

Cameron D Bodie

Paul Gerhard Weisberg

Blake R Neudorf

Shane C Durant

A primer system for agricultural product distribution machines, such as an agricultural air seeder, a precision planter, a sprayer, or the like, includes a tank or a bin for holding the product, a distribution system for conveying and distributing the product from the tank and a driving mechanism for driving the product from the tank into the distribution system at a certain rate. The driving mechanism can run automatically or can be selectively operated, based on commands received from a microcontroller. The microcontroller may receive signals from a user interface and from sensing equipment, such as a ground speed detector, a pressure sensor, a flow metre, or the like. In a regular mode of operation, the controller runs the driving mechanism automatically at a rate calculated based on the signals received from the above mentioned systems. Most agricultural machines have the automated mode of operation of the driving mechanism, conditioned by the ground speed of the tractor being higher than a minimum speed. A bypass mode of operation of the driving mechanism can be selected by pressing a primer button on the user interface. The primer button triggers a bypass signal, instructing the microcontroller to run the driving mechanism at a predetermined dispensing rate, regardless of other factors, such as the detected ground speed. The bypass mode of operation could also be activated upon reception, at the microcontroller, of bypass signals from sensors such as an implement height detector, determining the height of an implement of the agricultural product distribution machine relative to the ground.

Primer system for agriculture product distribution machines

An air seeder is provided with a control system for controlling the velocity of air flowing though the product delivery tubes between the product storage tanks and the planting mechanism for delivering the product into the ground. A multiple tank air seeder would be provided with a bank of product delivery tubes for each product storage tank with an air damper mechanism incorporated into each respective bank of product delivery tubes. An electric actuator is mounted on the air cart to connect to each respective air damper mechanism and effect the movement thereof between a fully closed and a fully opened position and, thereby restrict the movement of air through the product delivery tubes. The control mechanism includes a control panel from which the electric actuators for the air damper mechanisms and an electric actuator for controlling the rotational speed of the fan creating the flow of air through the product delivery tubes can be controlled. The air velocity is controlled by setting a base fan speed through the control panel and then sequentially setting the rotational position of each respective air damper mechanism so that each bank of product delivery tubes can have a different resulting air velocity for proper delivery of the product, e.g. seed or fertilizer, through the respective product delivery tubes.

Air flow control for air seeders

Growing community of inventors

Saskatoon, Canada

Francis G Lang