Deere + Company

Terry Lee Snipes

Elijah Beckham Garner

Stanley R Borkgren

Robert Thomas Casper

Donald Raymond Wisor

William Douglas Graham

Jason D Walter

Matt D Bartelson

Gerald Eric Rains

John M Schweitzer

Peter R Nedved

Sahil C Desai

William C Hughes

Andrew J Scholl

Michael E Frasier

David Walter Gregor

James Irwin Lodico

Scott Charles McCartney

Tyler G Groves

Jay H Olson

Nikolai R Tevs

Lawrence D Green

Jeffrey C Schick

Everett T Miller

Marco Antonio Da Silveira Bochi

John Wesley Hoy

Brian Lee Heston

Jay Harold Olson

An agricultural machine includes a material distribution system and a sensing system including a first sensor configured to generate an indication of a first measure of a first flow of agricultural material in a first material distribution line, a second sensor configured to generate an indication of a second measure of the first flow of the agricultural material in the first material distribution line, and a third sensor configured to generate an indication of a measure of a second flow of the agricultural material in a second material distribution line. A control system is configured to detect occurrence of an anomalous operating condition based on the measure of the second flow and at least one of the first measure of the first flow or the second measure of the first flow of the agricultural material.

Agricultural material distribution anomaly detection and control system

A seeding system includes a commodity tank configured to store a commodity, the commodity tank having an outlet. A meter has a meter inlet at the outlet of the commodity tank, a meter outlet, and a metering device between the meter inlet and the meter outlet. A manifold has a commodity inlet at the meter outlet, a first shoot having a first air inlet and a first manifold outlet, and a second shoot having a second air inlet and a second manifold outlet. A valve is positioned upstream of the first and second air inlets and configured to selectively direct an airflow to the first air inlet and to selectively direct the airflow to the second air inlet. Each of the first shoot and the second shoot are in selective communication with the commodity inlet to receive the commodity therefrom.

Seeding system

An agricultural machine includes a metering system comprising one or more meters configured to meter particulate material into a first material distribution line and a second material distribution line, a first sensor configured to generate a first sensor signal indicative of a first measure of a flow of the particulate material in the first material distribution line, a second sensor configured to generate a second sensor signal indicative of a second measure of the flow of the particulate material in the first material distribution line, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive an indication of a sensed flow rate of the particulate material in the second material distribution line, obtain an adjusted flow rate indication by applying, to the sensed flow rate, a rate offset based on the first and second sensor signals, and control the metering system based on the adjusted flow rate indication.

Agricultural seed sensing and control system

A product on demand nozzle assembly includes a chamber at least partially defined by an external wall and an array of vertically spaced nozzles. Each nozzle has an air inlet, an air and entrained product outlet extending from the external wall, and an entrainment zone between the air inlet and the air and entrained product outlet to receive a product therein to be distributed.

Seeding system with vertical array of nozzles

An example agricultural machine comprises a material distribution system that includes a material distribution line configured to convey particulate material to a component. The agricultural machine comprises a sensing system that includes a first sensor configured to generate a first sensor signal indicative of a measure of a flow of the particulate material in the material distribution line, a second sensor configured to generate a second sensor signal indicative of a measure of the flow of the particulate material in the material distribution line, and a correlation generation component configured to receive indications of the first and second sensor signals and to generate a correlation metric that represents a correlation between the first and second sensor signals. In one example, the correlation metric is applied to a sensor signal from a second material distribution line to determine a flow rate in the second material distribution line.

A closure assembly is disclosed for a work machine having a supply tank with a tank opening. The closure assembly has a lid and lift, actuator and latch mechanisms. When the closure assembly is attached to the tank, the lift mechanism is configured to support the lid off of the tank opening. The actuator mechanism mounts to the lid to move the lid with respect to the tank opening between first and second positions in which in the first position the lid overlies the tank opening and in the second position the lid is substantially clear of the tank opening. The latch mechanism may be moved into a latched orientation in which when the lid is in the first position the latch mechanism latches the lid into engagement with the tank opening.

Closure arrangement for tank opening of agricultural machine

A seeding system includes a commodity tank configured to store a commodity. The commodity tank has a first outlet and a second outlet. A volumetric meter has a meter inlet at the first outlet of the commodity tank, a meter outlet, and a metering device between the meter inlet and the meter outlet. A manifold has a commodity inlet at the outlet of the volumetric meter, an air inlet, and a manifold outlet. A first dispersion device has a plurality of outlets and an inlet in communication with the manifold outlet. A second dispersion device has a plurality of outlets and an inlet in communication with the second outlet of the commodity tank. The second outlet of the commodity tank bypasses the volumetric meter.

A product distribution system includes a product on demand pick-up assembly including a hopper. The hopper is configured such that an air stream flowing into the pick-up assembly entrains product therein and conveys product downstream through a plurality of conduits. The product distribution system further includes a container for storing product prior to delivery of product to the pick-up assembly and a meter and conveyor assembly configured to move product from the container to the pick-up assembly hopper such that an amount of product greater than a predetermined quantity is maintained in the pick-up assembly hopper during operation of the system.

A data processor retrieves or accesses a reference bin level versus reference phase for a determined seed type. A measurement device, receiver, or phase measurement module measures an observed phase of a primary received signal. The data processor is adapted to determine an estimated bin level of seeds, where the estimated bin level is established as the reference bin level that corresponds to a respective reference phase that is closest in value to the observed phase.

System and method for measuring a bin level via an electromagnetic signal

A closure arrangement for a tank includes a tank lid and an opening flange. The opening flange has first and second tank flange lips spaced by an offset distance. The tank flange lips extend toward one side of the tank. The tank has a lid flange with first and second lid lips spaced by an offset distance corresponding to the offset distance. The lid lips extend, at least in part, toward a second side of the tank. The lid lips include first and second walls arranged at a tank interior side of the respective first and second tank flange lips in an offset direction. When the tank lid is closed over the tank opening, one or more seals engage the tank flange lips from the tank interior side and engage the lid lip walls of the lid flange from an exterior side of the tank in the offset direction.

Sealed closure arrangement for tank opening of agricultural machine

In a method of operating a seed cart, a compartment is provided defining a volume for receiving a commodity. A distribution manifold is provided including two sets of passages, the distribution manifold being associated with the compartment to selectively receive a commodity in one or both of the two sets of passages. A fan is operated to create an air stream. The air stream from the fan is divided into a plurality of primary tubes. An inlet divider plenum is provided having two outlets in communication with each one of the primary tubes. The flow of air from each of the plurality of primary tubes is divided amongst the two corresponding outlets with a corresponding movable vane within the inlet divider plenum such that an airflow ratio between the two sets of passages is controlled in response to the position of the vane.

Air seeding cart and manifold for same

A volumetric metering system for a seeding machine is provided with a plurality of movable inserts each insert defining a ledge over which the seed falls to the meter outlet. The inserts are selectively movable between an open position in which seed is allowed to flow over the ledge and a closed position in which the inserts close the product flow to the outlet. By locating the product shut-off after the meter but before product enters the distribution system, there will only be a short delay in stoppage of product flow once the shut-off is closed.

Volumetric metering system with sectional shut-off

A volumetric metering system for a seeding machine is provided with movable gates disposed downstream from the meter roller but before the product enters a distribution system to selectively stop the flow of product through sections of the metering system. By placing the shut-off gate after the meter but before product enters the distribution system, there will not be a delay in stoppage of product flow while the meter empties of product. Furthermore, by locating the gate before the distribution system, the metered product is not mixed with the air stream or with additional products, causing a need for product redirection into a pressurized tank or separation of multiple products.

A seed belt cup planter includes seed-intercepting indexing pocket structure facing an adjacent cup on the downward run of the belt towards a furrow for orienting the seed released from the adjacent cup relative to the furrow. In one embodiment, the indexing pocket structure is located on the underside of the cups and receives and orients a cylindrically shaped seed such as a short sugar cane billet. The seed pickup side of the cup is shaped to efficiently receive cylindrical seeds as well as round and oval seeds of differing sizes from a seed puddle. A divider located in the seed hopper between adjacent columns of cups helps channel the seed to the cups and limits pressure on the seed puddle.

Growing community of inventors

East Moline, IL, United States of America

Terry Lee Snipes