Intelligent Agricultural Solutions LLC

J. I. Case Company

Appareo Systems, LLC

Ias, Inc

Intelligent Malt, LLC

Paul Nystuen

Barry Douglas Batcheller

Adam Reich

Bradley Richard Thurow

Nicholas Lloyd Butts

Marshall T Bremer

Bradley K Schleusner

Jeffrey Lee Johnson

David Batcheller

Joseph A Heilman

Flemming Schøler

Nicholas Struve

Kevin L Brekkestran

Joshua N Gelinske

Robert Vincent Weinmann

Jonathan Louis Tolstedt

Calvin J Kraning

Peder Pederson

Jeffrey L Johnson

Robert J Volesky

Tyler Peterson

Adam Nystuen

Karl-Heinz Mertins

Paul D Johnson

David C Batcheller

Jonathan L Tolstedt

Nicholas L Butts

A sectional control funnel box includes a box body having an upper receiving portion for receiving particulate matter and a plurality of chutes extending from the upper receiving portion. At least one blocker door is disposed between the upper receiving portion and at least one of the chutes, and the blocker door is movable between an open state and a closed state. An actuator is connected to the blocker door and configured to drive the blocker door between the open state and the closed state. An auger is disposed in the upper receiving portion to evenly distribute particulate material within the upper receiving portion.

Sectional control funnel box

A sectional control device controls the flow of particulate material from a meter assembly to a primary manifold of an air seeding system. The sectional control device includes a plate assembly having particulate openings extending between the meter assembly and the primary manifold and a shut-off mechanism configured to control the flow of the particulate material through the particulate openings. The shut-off mechanism includes a gate configured to slide between an open position, where particulate material can flow through the particulate opening, and a closed position, where particulate material is prevented from flowing through the particulate opening. The shut-off mechanism also includes an actuator configured to drive the gate between the open position and the closed position.

Sectional control device

Methods and devices for agitating material. In some embodiments, an agitator is positioned in a receptacle to agitate material therein. The agitator may include a shaft, an arm extending from the shaft, and at least one knife extending from the arm. In some embodiments, the agitator may further include one or more agitator elements operably connected to at least one knife.

Material agitator

An innovative spraying system, comprising features such as a weather station that senses environmental factors that may affect spraying operations, a system for creating and distributing droplets of a uniform and appropriate size, a flow management system that would allow the sprayer to control nozzle rate and direction individually, a high-rate flow system capable of filling the sprayer at rates of up to at least 400 gallons per minute, a modular chemical cartridge system, in which various chemicals are stored in pre-loaded, easy to install cartridges, a direct injection system, mixing chemicals and water as needed, optionally based on sensed changing conditions, electrostatic application of chemical to optimize the amount of chemical applied to plant matter.

Innovative spraying system

An intelligent spray nozzle, comprising an input pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, a flow modulator, a nozzle pressure sensor, a linear actuator, and an output orifice modulator, wherein an input pressure read from the input pressure sensor and a flow rate read from the flow rate sensor are used as inputs by the flow modulator to drive the at least one linear actuator to control an output spray rate from the intelligent spray nozzle, and wherein a nozzle pressure read from the nozzle pressure sensor is used as feedback for the output orifice modulator, wherein an output orifice is modified by the output orifice modulator to achieve optimal output spray.

Interactive liquid spraying system and method

A harvesting machine capable of automatic adjustment, comprising a plurality of acoustic material flow sensors, a control system, a processor, and application software, wherein the plurality of acoustic material flow sensors are mounted internal to the harvesting machine at points of crop material flow and are capable of sensing an amount of crop material passing by them. The control system operates in a cause-and-affect mode for interactively enabling manual or automatic responses to Mass Material Distribution (MMD) information and equipment-related performance parameters. An interactive combine control method is also provided.

Harvesting machine capable of automatic adjustment

A method of estimating the mass of crop entering into a grain tank on a harvesting machine, comprising the steps of mounting a load sensor on the upper bearing of a conveyor belt moving crop through the clean grain elevator into the grain tank, connecting the load sensor to a processor, using the load sensor to measure a load on the conveyor belt when no crop is present in the clean grain elevator, and also when crop is moving through the clean grain elevator, and comparing the load with no crop present to the load when crop is present to estimate the mass of crop moving through the clean grain elevator.

Load-based yield sensor

An agricultural planting system and method comprising a soil sampling and analysis means, wherein soil samples are taken and analyzed in real-time during a planting operation (or, optionally, via a separate, prior operation) to determine the conditions and nutrient content of the soil, and a planting system, wherein the planting system is capable of planting seeds in any arbitrary position on an X-Y plane directly beneath the planting system, whereby the data gathered from the analyzed soil samples are used to determine the optimal placement of seeds or plants in a field in order to take advantage of the soil conditions present and to optimize crop yield.

Method and system for optimizing planting operations

A material flow sensor for a harvesting machine comprising an acoustic chamber comprising an impact plate and a housing, microphone, a pneumatic impulse line connecting the housing and the microphone, and an electronics module, wherein the housing is shaped so as to direct sound waves created by crop matter striking the impact plate into the pneumatic impulse line, wherein the sound waves move through the pneumatic impulse line into the microphone, which detects the sound waves and converts them into an electrical signal that is a representation of the sound power derived from the sound waves, which in turn is a representation of the mass of the crop matter striking the material flow sensor.

Acoustic material flow sensor

A harvesting machine capable of automatic adjustment, comprising a plurality of acoustic material flow sensors, a control system, a processor, and application software, wherein the plurality of acoustic material flow sensors are mounted internal to the harvesting machine at points of crop material flow and are capable of sensing an amount of crop material passing by them, wherein the control system is capable of adjusting a plurality of internal elements of the harvesting machine, wherein the software is hosted on the processor, and the processor is operatively coupled to the control system and the acoustic material flow sensors, wherein the software uses information sensed by the acoustic material flow sensors to determine if the internal elements of the harvesting machine are set for optimal machine performance, and the software sends commands to the internal elements of the harvesting machine in order to improve the machine performance.

A steering system for an articulated vehicle has pivotal wheel steering such as front axle wagon-wheel steering, a hydraulic actuator for pivoting the axle with respect to the vehicle, and a pair of hydraulic actuators for causing articulation of the vehicle. The system includes sensors for providing signals dependent on the degree of front wheel pivot relative to the vehicle and the degree of articulation of the vehicle. These signals are detected by a microprocessor controller which in turn controls the sequence of actuation of the axle and articulation hydraulic actuators. The actuators are operated sequentially so that small directional changes of the vehicles are achieved solely through pivoting of the axle. Operation of the axle and articulation actuators is controlled by a manual steering unit having a conventional hydraulic steering valve, with sequencing being provided through manipulation of a hydraulic fluid diverter valve. The timing and duration of the diverter valve actuation is controlled by the controller as a function of various dynamic turning parameters of the vehicle and the response time of the valve. A make-up valve system is also preferably included for automatically returning the articulation cylinders to their home position under certain conditions as the vehicle operates in a pivotable wheel steering mode.

Steering control system for articulated vehicle

The present invention is a steering system for an articulated vehicle which has at least one axle mounted for wagon-wheel steering with respect to the vehicle, a hydraulic actuator for pivoting the axle with respect to the vehicle and a pair of hydraulic actuators for causing articulation of the vehicle. The improved steering system includes sensors for providing signals dependent on the degree of axle pivot relative to the vehicle, the degree of articulation of the vehicle and the desired direction of the vehicle travel. These signals are detected by a controller which in turn controls actuation of the axle and articulation hydraulic actuators. The actuators are operated in a sequential manner so that small directional changes of the vehicle are achieved solely through pivoting of the axle. Operation of the axle and articulation actuators are controlled through manipulation of a hydraulic fluid diverting valve, with the timing and duration of valve actuation being controlled by the controller as a function of various dynamic turning parameters of the vehicle and the response time of the valve.

Growing community of inventors

West Fargo, ND, United States of America

Paul Nystuen