Apparatus for dispensing particles
US6158363A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 6, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P60/00
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An air seeder for planting agricultural crops includes: a storage tank for containing particles to be dispensed; a metering mechanism for transferring particles from the storage tank; an air distribution system for receiving particles from the metering mechanism, the air distribution system comprising a bank of tubes for transporting particles in a flow of air having a flow rate, and a damper mechanism at the bank of tubes for selective control of the flow rate within the bank of tubes; an air flow source for providing a flow of air to the bank of tubes; a particle velocity sensor located at each tube for providing a sensor output signal corresponding to a measured particle velocity; and a control mechanism operably connected to the sensors and to the damper mechanism for selective adjustment of the flow rate in the bank of tubes, the control mechanism being adapted to receive the sensor output signals, normalize the values corresponding to the sensor output signals, and display the normalized values.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.