Hiniker Company

Micro-trak Systems, Inc.

Herdstar, LLC

Novonix Corporation

Blue Earth Research

Thomas K Hiniker

Mark H Jaeger

Vincent N Bush

Semor D Tofte

Michael Lundgreen

Michael W Lundgreen

Robert G Baarsch

Steven W Vogel

Jeffry M Irish

Thomas C Schlosser

Dennis J Berning

Jerry A Stenzel

A power control system for automatically and proportionately metering power to a heating device used to create a warm microenvironment conducive to the health and growth of an animal during a predetermined incubation period is herein disclosed. The power control system transmits proportionally more power to a heating device where an ambient room temperature measured outside of the microenvironment is nearer a predetermined lower limit, and proportionately less power when the ambient room temperature measured outside of the microenvironment is nearer a predetermined upper limit. A method of providing a heated microenvironment within a larger environment also is disclosed.

Power control system for heating devices and method of providing a heated microenvironment within a larger environment

A system for weighing a plurality of quadruped animals is for use in a pen confining the animals. The pen has at least first and second segregated spaces with a first one-way chute allowing animal passage from the second space to the first space. A weighing station is located within a passage having an entrance and an exit, and that allows animal passage from the first area to the second area. The weighing station includes a weighing platform within the passage over which an animal must pass when passing from the first to the second space. The weighing platform has inlet and exit scales that support the weighing platform adjacent to inlet and exit ends thereof, and provides inlet and exit weight signals. A controller receives the inlet and exit weight signals and uses them in an iterative process to determine the presence of a single animal on the weighing platform. Once that determination is made, the sum of the inlet and exit weight values is very likely to accurately provide the animal weight. The controller may also use the inlet and exit weight signals to control closing of an inlet gate to bar more than one animal at a time from the weighing platform. An animal sorting system can easily incorporate this weighing system to provide more accurate sorting.

Computer-based electronic livestock weighing system

Automatic livestock weighing system

A power control device for automatically and proportionately metering power to a heating device used to create a warm microenvironment conducive to the health and growth of an animal during a predetermined incubation period is herein disclosed. The power control device transmits proportionally more power to a heating device where an ambient temperature measured outside of the microenvironment is nearer a predetermined lower limit, and proportionately less power when the ambient room temperature measured outside of the microenvironment is nearer a predetermined upper limit.

Electronic control for heating apparatus

The present invention relates to a control system for establishing and maintaining a desired uniform temperature in a room heated by a heating device. The control system includes a valve assembly for controlling the pressure of the fluid supplied to the heating device, the valve assembly including a valve actuator, a pressure sensor sensing the pressure of the fluid supplied to the heater, and a temperature control device to sense the ambient temperature of the room. The control system also includes an electronic control unit connected to the aforementioned elements, the electronic control unit including an electronic circuit which samples &ldquo;open&rdquo; and &ldquo;close&rdquo; input signals from the temperature control device, determines the rate of change of the pressure of the fluid from a predetermined pressure set point, and varies the pressure set point (which thereby varies the heating device output), according to the &ldquo;open&rdquo; or &ldquo;close&rdquo; signals by providing a command signal to the valve actuator. This command signal is based upon a difference between the predetermined desired temperature and the actual temperature, and the rate of change of the pressure of the fluid.

Uniform temperature control system

A planter monitor system monitors, measures and displays a plurality of planter performance parameters. The system includes a display console, a plurality of row unit modules and a plurality of seed sensors. The system can be used with a wide variety of planters made by different manufacturers and on many different planter types. The system can accurately monitor a wide variety of seed types (e.g. both small and large) and a wide variety of seed planting rates (low and high) and any combination thereof which can occur within the wide scope of seed planting. The system calculates an error rate from a set of data, in graph form, representing experimentally determined actual seed rates versus seed rates as would be measured, thus allowing the operator to optimize seed population and distribution by adjusting the speed of the planter apparatus and/or the seed distribution system. The accuracy of the monitor system is not affected by the wide variety of environmental conditions, such as the presence of dirt and moisture, in which such planters must necessarily be used.

Planter monitor system

A method and apparatus for locating two corresponding points on opposite sides of a wall, floor, or other structural component. A transmitter transmits a electromagnetic signal indicative of a first point located on one side of the component, a signal receiver on the other side of the component generates an electrical signal proportionate to the strength of the electromagnetic signal, and a display outputs a maximum reading when the signal receiver indicates a maximum electromagnetic signal. The sensitivity of the display may be adjusted. The transmitter, receiver, and display may be structurally integrated when not in use. The transmitter is attached to the first side of the structural component at the first point, the receiver is moved along a second side of the structural component, and the receiver is moved along the second side to a location indicated by a maximum display.

Apparatus including transmitter, receiver and display housings for

An ultrasonic ground speed sensor has a single transducer which both transmits and receives ultrasonic signals. The sensor is mounted on a vehicle in alignment with the direction of the vehicle, the transducer having a built-in angle with the body of the sensor unit. The transmitted signal is clocked by a 16 MHz clock, with the signal received by the transducer selectively filtered and amplified. A temperature sensor is also used to determine the speed of the transmitted and received signal. A 64-cycle sample period is used, as well as multiple counters and a signal processor to increase accuracy and minimize erroneous readings. A drop-out detector and monitoring system sensor is also described. The vehicle speed is calculated from a Doppler-based formula as a function of both the sum and difference of the transmitted and received signal frequencies. Also disclosed is a gasket seal having leak holes for drainage from the interior of the sensor.

Ultrasonic velocity sensor

A liquid sprayer has a tank for storing liquid, a boom supporting spraying nozzles, and a pump and liquid control system for supplying liquid under pressure to the spraying nozzle in a manner that maintains substantially uniform liquid dispensing density independent of variations in the ground speed of the sprayer. A ground speed sensor, a liquid pressure sensor, and a liquid flow meter sends signals to a controller to regulate a valve that controls the rate of flow of liquid to the spraying nozzles.

Control method and apparatus for liquid distributor

A liquid sprayer has a tank for storing liquid, a boom supporting spraying nozzles, and a pump and liquid control system for supply liquid under pressure to the spraying nozzles in a manner that maintains substantially uniform liquid dispensing density independent of the ground speed of the sprayer. A ground speed sensor, a liquid pressure sensor, and a liquid flow meter send signals to a controller to regulate a valve that controls the rate of flow of liquid to the spray nozzles.

A protected memory circuit for use with an electronic data system includes a memory element such as a shift register, and memory control or lock means to selectively control enablement of the memory element for read/write operations. A separate power supply which may be a charged capacitor is used to power the memory and memory lock circuits in case of a power interruption in the main system with which the memory is being used, so that volatile data can be stored for re-use by the main system after the main power is restored. The lock includes a counter and a gate for inhibiting clock pulses to the memory element until a predetermined number of control pulses have been received to initiate a read/write operation. At all other times the clock input is blocked or clamped to prevent spurious signals or power surge transients from altering the stored data.

Protection circuit for storage of volatile data

Input channels are provided for receiving data pulses from sensors or other parts of an electronic data system. Filters, for examle r-f decoupling filters, are provided for each channel prior to passing the pulses to a utilization device, such as a counter or the like. The shunt or grounding capacitors of the filters are tied together and connected to the output of a test pulse generator which performs two functions. In normal operation, the output circuit of the test pulse generator provides an effective AC path to ground for normal operation of the filters and their shunt capacitors. In a self-test mode, the test pulse generator provides a test pulse which is coupled through the shunt capacitors, the filters and optional wave shaping amplifiers to the utilization device for verification of the operative condition of the circuits.

Growing community of inventors

Mankato, MN, United States of America

Thomas K Hiniker