Cnh Industrial America LLC

Cnh Industrial Canada, Ltd.

Cnh America LLC

Cnh Industrial Italia S.p.a.

Rex LeRoy Ruppert

Martin Jean Roberge

Joel Denis

John Paul Honermann

Jeffrey Scot Martin

Charles D O'Connell

William Allen Roach

Nicholas Ryan Pederson

Guillaume C Boily

Bradley Dennis Hansen

Keith M Ricke

Martin L Krohn

Aaron Robert Tollefsrud

Justin R Ringwald

Lyle P Mangen

Scott Reese

Randy Allan Lindemeier

Sunil Vetal

Greg Fischer

Eric Michael Jacobsthal

Jesse W Gonzales

Joel John Octave Gervais

Russell Alan Meyer

Richard A Moen

Richard D Kerner

David Hafvenstein

Matthew W Gunlogson

Joël Jean-Claude Denis

Stephen H Stuhr

Jeremy A Amundson

Warren L Thompson

John P Kennedy

Chance Peutert

Charles O'connell

Nicholas R Pederson

David C Telford

Charles D O'connell

Bradley D Hansen

An agricultural product delivery applicator for delivering particulate product to a field. The applicator includes a supply compartment to hold the product, a pneumatic conveying system, a metering system, and a controller. The pneumatic conveying system includes first delivery line operably connected to an airflow source and to the supply compartment, and a second delivery line operably connected to the airflow source and to the supply compartment. The metering system includes a first metering device associated with the first delivery line and a second metering device associate with the second delivery line. The controller controls the air flow source, the first metering device to meter product to result in a first mixed flow of airflow and product for the first delivery line, and the second metering device to meter product with the airflow to result in a second mixed flow of airflow and product for the second delivery line.

Applicator with multiple offset booms and method of controlling the same

A system for distributing particulate material from an agricultural machine includes a fan configured to provide an airflow in a supply line for distributing particulate material, a hydraulic system configured to drive the fan at a plurality of fan speeds, and a control system configured to control the hydraulic system. The control system executes a program stored in a non-transient medium operable to: determine a given product application rate for distributing the particulate material; determine a given ground speed of the agricultural machine; determine a fan speed for achieving the given product application rate at the given ground speed; and control the hydraulic system to drive the fan at the fan speed.

System for distributing particulate material from an agricultural machine

The invention provides a system for equalizing airflow in lines delivering product-conveying air to boom sections of an agricultural machine by controlling valves, such as electronically, in each air distribution line to induce additional pressure drops in lines which would cause imbalance in the system. Such valves can include, but are not limited to: ball valves, butterfly valves, gate valves, globe valves, diaphragm valves, pinch valves and/or plug valves. With the proposed system, the lines of least pressure drop can be induced with additional pressure drop by particular valves in order to bring the lines back to a balanced state.

Airflow equalizing system for distributing particulate material

The present invention provides an electronically controlled valve in each air distribution line for delivering product-conveying air to a boom section of an agricultural machine. The valves can be used to balance airflow between lines by controlling back pressure at the boom sections. In one aspect, an electronically controlled butterfly valve can be installed in each air line between a fan's plenum outlet and a dry product delivery meter. Each valve can be configured to allow some flow when in a closed position. This could be achieved, for example, by configuring a valve plate with a circular perimeter shape that has a smaller diameter than an inner diameter of the line or tube in which the valve plate is mounted.

Electronically controlled valve system for distributing particulate material

A hinge system is provided for a boom of an agricultural product applicator that facilitates a compact folded boom width in a transport mode by providing a multi-directional folding, including folding with compound movement components to reorient a primarily horizontal stack of boom sections to a primarily vertical stack of the boom sections, when fully folded. The hinge system may include multiple hinge joints with pivot axes that are oriented at different angles to allow for substantially horizontal folding movements followed by a rolling-type movement(s) that reorients a generally horizontal stack of boom sections into a generally vertical stack of boom sections to decrease an overall width of the applicator when in transport mode.

Narrow transport boom folding hinge system

An agricultural product delivery applicator for delivering particulate product to a field and including a pneumatic conveying system. The pneumatic conveying system includes an airflow source to provide an airflow, first and second delivery lines operably connected to the airflow source and to a supply compartment. Each delivery line includes a respective supply line and a respective plurality of distribution lines. The pneumatic conveying system further includes first and second distributors coupling the respective supply line with the respective plurality of distribution lines, a first mounting plate coupled to the first distributor and having a first identifier, a second mounting plate coupled to the second distributor and having a second identifier, a first motor having a relation with the first identifier, and a second motor having a relation to the second identifier.

Agricultural product delivery applicator with a pneumatic conveying system having a distributor assembly

An agricultural product delivery applicator for delivering particulate product to a field. The applicator includes a supply compartment to hold the product and a pneumatic conveying system. The system includes an airflow source to provide an airflow, and a delivery line operably connected to the airflow source and to the supply compartment. The delivery line includes a supply line and a plurality of distribution lines. The system further includes a distributor coupling the supply line with the plurality of distribution lines, a plurality of distributor outlets providing outlet channels for the distributor, and a motor mount disposed away from the aperture along an axis and supported by one or more of the plurality of distributor outlets. A motor is disposed on a delivery lines side of the distributor and fastened to the motor mount.

The invention provides a product leveling system within at least one tank or particulate material supply compartment that helps to encourage uniform movement of an agricultural product out of the bottom of the compartment. More specifically, the invention relates to a product leveling system that helps monitor areas in which agricultural product is prone to starving and also prone to accumulation, such that quantities of the agricultural product can be diverted from the areas prone to accumulation to the areas prone to starving. For instance, at least one leveling device having a driving shaft and a helical coil may be rotatably mounted within the compartment and rotated to encourage agricultural product to be moved from areas of accumulation to areas where the agricultural product is more quickly removed, resulting in starving. The product leveling system may include three coils mounted about the compartment.

Product leveling device within a tank

A metering system for distributing particulate material includes a meter housing containing a metering wheel. An inlet and/or outlet of the meter housing provides a projection extending into the opening of the inlet and/or outlet so that the flow of particulate material is optimized. This can provide even distribution of such material, including at low rotating speeds such as 5 RPM, while using a polyurethane metering wheel with straight vanes. In one aspect, projections extending into the inlet on opposing sides can substantially form an hourglass shape, and the outlet can comprise a substantially diagonal shape, analogous to a parallelogram, instead of more traditional rounded/rectangular shapes.

Metering system for distributing particulate material

A meter wheel system for a dry agricultural product applicator can include a bank of meter assemblies made from modular meter units. In one aspect, each meter assembly in the bank can be made from modular meter units. The modular meter units can be connected in a stacked configuration to provide a specific overall length to achieve a corresponding flow rate and then banked together to form the system. A bank of meter assemblies made from modular meter units can be secured between top and bottom plates. The plates can be bolted to each other and have receptacles that receive protrusions from top and bottom surfaces of the meter assemblies. Lengths of meter assemblies can be picked based on particular delivery rates for the section it feeds. An overall length of each meter assembly can be a multiple of a length of the modular meter unit.

Modular meter system for a dry product applicator

The invention provides an unloading system which can be arranged to move a bin or box a distance away from metering equipment of an agricultural machine, such as a dry pneumatic applicator, to allow access to bottom oriented-gates of the bin and retractable chutes for directing particulate material out of the bin and away from the machine. In one aspect, the bin can be lifted or vertically raised by one or more cylinders to allow access to the bottom gates and allow gravity to empty the material from the box, through the bottom gates, down one or more chutes directed to a particular area. One or more hoppers of the bin, typically 1 to 4, can each have a bottom positioned slide gate or door that can be operated to expose a chute for emptying the material out of the box.

System for unloading particulate material from an agricultural machine

The invention provides a pneumatic conveying system having a series of supply lines with at least portions of the lines being wear resistant to extend the useful lifespan of an agricultural product delivery applicator. The wear resistant supply line(s) may be made from a hard material and have a curve(s) defined by angled or mitered segments that are welded or otherwise joined to collectively provide the curve(s) The wear resistant supply lines may be at least partially reinforced by way of, for example, welded or other build up wear resistant material(s) at high wear zones of the supply lines.

Wear resistant granular direction altering device

A foldable rear boom section of an agricultural product applicator includes at least one first tube connected to a first end of a respective at least one second tube and a hinge assembly coupled to the first and second tubes and configured to pivot the second tube with respect to the first tube about a pivot axis. Further, a nozzle is connected to a second end of the second tube. Pivoting the first and second tubes about the pivot axis causes the foldable rear boom section and the nozzle to transition between an extended position and a retracted position.

Foldable rear boom section

A tubular sleeve for a modular meter system for distributing particulate material from an applicator can be inserted through a meter assembly that is built from modular meter unit housings to define the boundary wall of a meter cavity and provide internal structural support for the meter assembly. The tube can be provided with inlet and outlet openings that can be inserted through modular meter housings to form an overall meter assembly of a particular length and therefore volume/flow rate. In one aspect, a tube or tubular sleeve can be inserted into a stack of connected meter units while assembling a modular meter assembly. A circumferential sidewall of the tube can have pairs of oppositely positioned openings that provide inlets and outlets for a meter assembly.

Support element for a modular meter assembly of a dry product applicator

The invention provides a pneumatic conveying system for an agricultural product applicator, which system comprises multiple fans configured to serve separate boom sections of the applicator to more efficiently conduct airflow with respect to each section. In aspects of the invention, multiple centrifugal fans of the same or similar size can be used, or multiple centrifugal fans of various sizes can be used, such as one or more larger fans and one or more smaller fans. Exemplar aspects could include three small or medium sized centrifugal fans, four small or medium sized centrifugal fans, and five small or medium sized centrifugal fans, thereby allowing the system to raise outlet air pressure at an elevated flow. Another aspect of the invention could include configuring one fan to supercharge another fan, in series, also allowing the system to raise outlet air pressure at an elevated flow.

Growing community of inventors

Benson, MN, United States of America

Rex LeRoy Ruppert