Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

The Ohio State University

Robert G Holmes

Gregory P Gordon

Fang Shui

Scott A Shearer

Both a pneumatic, linear actuator operating as a slave actuator and a master linear actuator formed by an electric motor driven screw mechanism are linked to drive a load. The high accuracy master linear actuator has a conventional control system which dominates the control of load position or other control variable. A force sensor detects the force applied to the load by the master actuator or the force is calculated by a computer and the sensed force signal is applied to a slave actuator control to cause the slave to apply a supplemental force, typically considerably greater than the master actuator force, to the load as a function of the master actuator force. This obtains the high accuracy characteristic of the master actuator system simultaneously with the high force characteristic of the slave actuator.

Master-slave position and motion control system

An apparatus for detecting the relative position of a remote object, such as a vehicle, upon a construction or agricultural site in cartesian, polar or other coordinates. A laser light beam is scanned in a circular path from a selected reference point at the site through a generally horizontal plane above the site. A pair of photo detectors which are spaced a selected distance are mounted to the remote object in the plane of the scanning beam. The beam is scanned at a constant velocity and the time of its alignment along a reference radial, and its interception with each of the two spaced photo detectors is detected and used to compute the position of the remote object.

Position detection system for use with agricultural and construction

A seed planter comprises a seed transport member having a porous surface and an air jet directed normally to this surface. The porous surface is moved past a plurality of seeds, whereupon the air jet retains a single seed on the porous surface, and the seed transport member carries this retained seed to a seed unloading station, where the impingement of the air jet upon the surface is interrupted, thus allowing the retained seed to fall from the porous surface. The planter is capable of metering both flat and spherical seeds very accurately at metering rates of about 40 seeds per second and can be made of small width so that a single row of planters on a planter assembly can plant closely spaced rows. A planter assembly capable of planting multiple rows of seeds is provided by mounting a plurality of the seed planters on a frame.

Seed planter, planter assembly and method of picking up and discharging

A seed planter comprises a seed transport member, usually in the form of a disc, having a number of depressions provided with ramp surfaces sloping downwardly from the surface of the seed transport member into the depression. Air is fed into the deepest portion of the depression and a single seed is trapped in this portion by the low pressure region which forms between the seed and the walls of the depression. Ejection of the seed from the depression is accomplished by increasing the pressure in this low pressure region. The planter is capable of metering spherical seeds very accurately at metering rates of about 40 seeds per second and can be made of small width so that a single row of planters on a planter assembly can plant closely spaced rows. The planter can also be used for sorting seed, for example by distinguishing spherical seeds from flat seeds. A planter assembly capable of planting multiple rows of seeds is provided by mounting a plurality of the seed planters on a frame.

Method and apparatus for sorting objects exhibiting identifiable dynamic response to vibrational phenomena, such objects including potatoes, onions, tomatoes and other comestibles. The system utilizes an elongate sorting zone incorporating a surface which oscillates at a predetermined frequency and amplitude which varies from a minimum at the input of the zone to a maximum value at the output thereof. The objects to be sorted move along the zone supported from two positions for a coding interval promoting their dynamic reaction with the oscillatory surface. Objects with higher resilience characteristic are rejected from the zone, while those exhibiting a lesser resilence are transported therethrough. The oscillatory surface is dynamically balanced and readily mounted upon field harvesting devices. By adjustment of frequency of the sorting zone oscillatory surfaces, a multi-stage sorting system is made available.

Sorting system and apparatus

Method, apparatus and system for sorting objects exhibiting identifiable dynamic response to vibrational phenomena, such objects including tomatoes and other comestibles. The system utilizes an elongate sorting zone incorporating a surface which oscillates at a predetermined frequency and amplitude which varies from a minimum at the input of the zone to a maximum value at the output thereof. Conveyor belts transport the objects to be sorted along the zone for a coding interval promoting their dynamic reaction with the oscillatory surface. Objects with higher resilience characteristic are rejected from the zone, while those exhibiting a lesser resilience are transported therethrough. The oscillatory surface is dynamically balanced and readily mounted upon field harvesting devices. By adjustment of frequency of the sorting zone oscillatory surfaces, a multi-stage sorting system is made available.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

Robert G Holmes