Great Plains Manufacturing, Incorporated

Great Plaines Manfacturing, Inc.

Verne A Hubalek

Gregory W Arnett

Jacob R Riffel

Alex Potuzak

Timothy J Ptacek

Larry C Spaeny

Steven Gerald Dunning

Michael D Swan

Dan J Obenland

Matthew S Stewart

A distribution tower comprising an upright conduit for pneumatically conveying particulate material in a primary stream. The tower additionally includes a distribution head at the upper end of the conduit, with the distribution head comprising a plenum chamber for receiving the primary stream of particulate material from the conduit. The distribution head further comprises a plurality of discharge outlets for directing particulate material out of the plenum chamber by splitting the primary stream into a plurality of secondary streams. Each of the secondary streams is discharged from the distribution head via one of the discharge outlets. The tower additionally includes a flow adjustment system configured to adjust a distribution of particulate material between the secondary streams without completely restricting the flow of any of the secondary streams through their respective discharge outlet. The tower further includes a control system for controlling operation of said flow adjustment system.

Seed-flow adjustment system

A ground opener for an agricultural implement. The ground opener comprising an opening disc, and a support assembly securing the opening disc to the agricultural implement. The support assembly comprises an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and a rearward bar. At least a portion of each of the bars is orientated at an offset angle with respect to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement.

Ground opener with skewed support assembly

A depth-adjustment assembly for ground openers of an agricultural implement. The ground openers each include an opening disc, a gauge wheel, and a support assembly securing the ground opener to the agricultural implement. The support assembly is configured to raise and lower the ground opener with respect to the ground and/or to adjust a down-pressure of the ground opener. The depth-adjustment assembly comprises for each of the ground openers, a linkage assembly and a depth-adjustment arm configured to adjust a relative position between the opening disc and the gauge wheel. At least a portion of the linkage extends in parallel relationship with the support assembly. The depth-adjustment assembly further comprises a laterally-extending common pivot bar. Each linkage assembly is secured to the common pivot bar, such that rotation of said common pivot bar is configured to simultaneously adjust the relative position between the opening disc and the gauge wheel of each of the ground openers.

Ground openers with common depth-adjustment

A ground-opening apparatus for an agricultural implement. The ground-opening apparatus comprises an opening disc for excavating a furrow in the ground, and a support assembly securing the opening disc to the agricultural implement. The support assembly comprises an upper bar, a lower bar, a forward bar, and a rearward bar. The upper bar and the lower bar extend generally in parallel relationship. The lower bar and the rearward bar are joined at a lower, rearward joint. A rotational axis of the opening disc extends through the lower, rearward joint of the support assembly.

Ground opener with floating opener body

A metering device for dispensing agricultural product from a bin. The metering device comprises a housing enclosing an interior space, and a metering assembly removably received within the interior space of the housing. The metering assembly is configured to convey agricultural product through the metering device. The metering assembly comprises a rotatable sub-shaft, a first metering wheel positioned on the sub-shaft and configured to rotate with the sub-shaft, a second metering wheel positioned on the sub-shaft and configured to rotate with the sub-shaft, and a dividing element positioned on the sub-shaft between the first metering wheel and the second metering wheel.

Metering device with removable metering assembly

A metering device for dispensing agricultural product from a bin. The metering device comprises a housing enclosing an interior space, and a gate assembly removably received within the interior space of the housing. The gate assembly is configured to guide agricultural product through the housing. The gate assembly comprises a product gate comprising an arcuately-extending gate valve. The product gate at least partially defines a channel within the interior space of the housing through which agricultural product can flow. The gate assembly further comprises a gate key configured to selectively secure the product gate within the housing. Rotation of the gate key is configured to cause a corresponding rotation of the product gate.

Metering device with removable gate assembly

A metering device for dispensing agricultural product from a bin. The metering device comprises an upper housing and a lower housing removably engaged with the upper housings. The metering device further includes at least one metering wheel positioned within an interior space presented by the upper housing or the lower housing.

Metering device for agricultural product

An implement for dispensing agricultural product. The implement comprises a bin for holding agricultural product, with the bin including a plurality of product openings for dispensing agricultural product from the bin. The implement additionally includes a plurality of metering devices secured to a bottom of the bin and configured to receive agricultural product from the bin through the product openings. The implement further includes a plurality of flow tents positioned within the bin. Each flow tent is positioned between a pair of the product openings. The flow tents extend upward from an interior side of the bottom of the bin so as to guide agricultural product towards the product openings.

Flow tent for an agricultural product bin

When the operator of a cultivation air seeder shifts the tractor valve to raise the cultivators and openers from the ground as the seeder prepares to turn around at the end of a field, the operating and control system of the seeder causes the cultivators to be raised first, followed in sequence by the trailing openers. The seed meter turns off as soon as the cultivators leave their lowered position, but the blower stays on so that seeds in the conduits downstream from the meter continue to be delivered to and deposited into the ground by the openers until the cultivators reach their raised position, whereupon the openers are raised. Depending upon the particular seeding mode selected by the operator, the cultivators and openers either lower simultaneously as the operator shifts the tractor valve to the lowering position when starting down the next pass, or the cultivators are lowered first, followed in sequence by the openers. Regardless of the selected seeding mode, the seed meter turns on as soon as the cultivators reach their lowered positions.

Cultivation air seeder having sequentially operated tools

An agricultural seeding implement has a seed hopper that is weighed continuously during field operations as the seed volume in the hopper progressively diminishes. The weight information is used to perform ongoing control functions on the implement. One embodiment uses the weight information to reduce the down pressure on compaction wheels of a wing section of the machine as a function of the diminishing weight of the hopper on the main section.

Agricultural implement having hopper weighing system

A steerable agricultural implement configured to be coupled to a tractor by a multi-point hitch system that restrains side-to-side articulation between the tractor and the implement. The agricultural implement includes a steering controller that receives a positional attribute from a steering system of the tractor and controls a degree of pivot of a wheel assembly of the agricultural implement based on the positional attribute of the tractor steering system. The wheel assembly is configured with a steering actuator that is operable to pivot a portion of the wheel assembly without transmitting force beyond the wheel assembly, abutment stops to define maximum degrees of pivot of the portion of the wheel assembly and relieve the steering actuator without transmitting force beyond the wheel assembly, and a quick release free-wheel mechanism to enable a disconnected or 'free wheel' operation of the wheel assembly independent of the steering actuator.

Steerable agricultural implement with multi-point hitch

The seed distribution tower of an air seeder splits a single, primary stream of conveying air and seeds into a plurality of secondary streams for delivery to openers that deposit the seeds into the ground as the seeder advances. As seeds enter the head of the tower in an upward vertical direction through an inlet at the bottom of the head, they are scattered 360&#xb0; in a horizontal direction by an inverted, overhead distribution cone. The inlet through which the seeds enter the distribution head has an eased configuration to reduce turbulence and promote laminar flow within the head during the dramatic transition from vertical to horizontal movement. Sensitive components such as tram line valves, solenoid actuators, and blockage sensors are protectively housed within the interior of the distribution head to avoid exposure to hostile environmental elements.

Seed distribution tower for an air seeder

A cultivation air seeder has an ornamental facing around three sides of its large, metallic bulk seed hopper to enhance the appearance of the hopper and provide environmental protection for sensitive mechanical, electronic and hydraulic components. A front section of one facing panel on each side of the machine is hinged about a generally upright axis to allow the panel section to be opened and closed like a door for operator access to the components behind it. The facing can be stylishly molded from a synthetic resinous material or other non-metallic substance to facilitate manufacture and is disposed to conceal unsightly weld lines and other imperfections on the exterior surface of the hopper.

Growing community of inventors

Lindsborg, KS, United States of America

Verne A Hubalek