Planting – Drilling – Having depositor feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-06-05
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Planting
Drilling
Having depositor feature
C111S200000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240861
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to agricultural air carts and, more specifically, to apparatus for selectively controlling the operation of the air cart metering system.
As the size of agricultural implements continues to grow, the versatility of such implements becomes more significant. Large seeding implements serve to aid the farmer in efficiently seeding his fields in less time. However, a significant problem arises from this situation. Farmland is not sized in proportion to the implement size thereby creating a dilemma for the operator when only half the implement width is remaining as a final seeding pass. It simply is not acceptable for the operator to double seed a pass of half the width of the implement in order to seed the last remaining section of land. In doing so, seeds are wasted and consistent crop yield is sacrificed. In the alternative, it is also not acceptable for the last pass not to be seeded at all. Unused land is wasted crop production land.
Metering systems commonly have means to isolate a selected meter box from operation. Therefore, the ground openers associated with the particular meter that has been shut off do not receive seed. This allows the operator to traverse land with the implement without utilizing the entire implement width for seeding. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,066 a wrap spring clutch allows for disengagement of individual meter rollers from the rotational actuation of the common shaft on which they are mounted. The operator can selectively disengage meter rollers from rotation either automatically (electrically) or mechanically. U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,173 discloses a dispenser that utilizes a spring to bias a clutch assembly to engage with a metering roller. A control knob and cam are used to move the clutch assembly away from the metering roller(s) in order to disengage them. Various other means of disengaging separate meter rollers from their drives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,632,212, 3,982,670 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,243. In all this prior art, means are provided to shut off the rotation of whole meter rollers in systems where multiple meter rollers are provided. However, they do not provide means to selectively shut off or disable a portion, e.g. one-half of a metering roller located in a common housing.
Canadian Patent 1,149,235 discloses a means to disengage one or-more meter rollers within a common housing. However, this system is manually operated and the operator must stop the implement and exit his tractor cab. In addition, much of the prior art also relies on a multitude of mechanical parts giving way to significant maintenance problems and expenses.
Other implements offering the ability to isolate a meter box from operation are the Morris 7000 Series air seeder and John Deere 1900 Commodity air cart.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a metering system for an air cart wherein a meter roller comprises two parts adapted to be located in a common housing with means for selectively controlling the on/off operation of one part of the meter roller.
It is another object of this invention to provide a metering system enabling remote control of a portion of the meter roller and without requiring the operator to stop the operation of the air cart.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a meter roller assembly having a simple, compact and economically feasible design.
The invention provides an improved metering assembly for an air cart to dispense product from a centralized tank to the air distribution system of the air cart.
The invention in one aspect provides a product metering system for an air cart or the like including a meter roll having first and second axially aligned meter roll portions; a main drive shaft and a secondary drive shaft fixed to said main drive shaft for rotation therewith, the first roll portion being fixedly mounted on said main drive shaft for rotation therewith, said secondary drive shaft being co-axially arranged with and extending through said second roll portion, with said first roll portion and the main and secondary drive shafts being rotatable relative to said second roll portion, and a mechanism interacting between said secondary drive shaft and said second roll portion for connecting the latter to said secondary drive shaft for rotation therewith and for disconnecting the same whereby said first roll portion may continue to rotate while rotation of said second roll portion is stopped.
Preferably said mechanism is a clutch mechanism operable on command to effect said connecting and disconnecting functions.
In a preferred form of the invention said main drive shaft is connectable at one end of the meter roll to a main drive input and said clutch mechanism is located at the opposing end of the meter roll.
In a further preferred form said second roll portion is mounted on and fixed to a hollow shaft which extends through said second roll portion and outwardly of said opposing end of the meter roll, said secondary drive shaft extending co-axially through the center of said hollow shaft and outwardly a distance beyond an outboard end portion of said hollow shaft.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention said clutch mechanism includes a driving member fixed to an outboard end of said secondary drive shaft for rotation therewith, a driven member fixed to the outboard end portion of said hollow shaft, and clutching means for interacting between said driving and driven members for effecting a connecting and disconnecting action between said members.
Still further according to a preferred form of the invention said clutch mechanism includes a clutch coil spring wrapped around said driving and driven members, and a control element mounted for rotation relative to said secondary drive shaft, said clutch spring having one end anchored to said driven member and an opposite end anchored to said control element with the direction of wrap of said clutch spring being such that
(a) when said control element is free to rotate with said driving and driven members, rotation of said driving member tends to tighten said spring around said driving/driven members so that the rotation of said driving member is transmitted to said driven member; and
(b) when said control element is prevented from rotating with said driving member, said spring tends to loosen around at least said driving member thereby to disconnect the driving relation between said members.
In a further aspect of the invention said first and second roll portions are located in a common meter roller housing, said housing having first and second outlet openings for the metered product associated with the respective first and second roll portions.
The above-noted clutch mechanism is preferably located outboard of an end portion of said housing with said main drive shaft being connectable to a main drive input at the opposing end of said housing.
The first and second roll portions are preferably located in a common meter roller housing, said housing having first and second outlet openings for the metered product associated with the respective first and second roll portions and wherein said clutch mechanism is located outboard of an end portion of said housing with said main drive shaft being connectable to a main drive input at the opposing end of said housing, and a control mechanism for stopping rotation of said control element, on command, whereby to disconnect said clutch.
In a preferred form of the invention said control mechanism includes a solenoid controlled latch engageable with said control element on command for stopping the rotation thereof.
In further summary, in one embodiment, a metering system for an air cart is provided in which a portion, preferably one-half, of a meter roller can be selectively disengaged from a common drive input. The metering system typically comprises two roller halves located in a common housing. The driven half of the meter roller is directly rotated by the rotation of the drive input. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the controlled hal
Flexi-Coil Ltd.
Miller Larry W.
Novosad Christopher J.
Stader John William
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