Claims
- 1. In a planter having a main frame and at least two seed dispensing planter units carried thereon, the latter having a planter drive shaft; a ground-engaging distance measuring wheel carried on the frame and having a distance monitoring device associated therewith for producing an electrical signal; a seed monitoring device carried on each planter unit for producing an electrical signal indicative of the rate of seed discharge by the planter unit; a driven drive shaft; a belt drive between the drive shaft and planter shaft including an adjustable variable speed pulley means; a member rotatable in opposite directions and connected to the variable speed pulley means to open and close the latter in accordance with the direction of rotation of the member; a bidirectional electric motor drivingly connected to the rotatable member; a row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance monitoring device and for producing an electrical signal; and a seed dispensing control means for setting the desired seed density for said planter units, said control means including a comparator means for receiving signals from the seed monitoring device and the row width preset means and responsive to said signals to determine seed discharge density and to compare said discharge density to desired seed density to thereby pass an electrical signal to and for driving said electric motor in the direction necessary to make the monitored seed density substantially equal to the desired seed density.
- 2. In a planter having a main frame and a plurality of seed dispensing planter units carried thereon, each unit driven by a planter drive shaft; a ground-engaging distance measuring wheel carried on the frame and having a distance monitoring device associated therewith for producing an electrical signal; a seed monitoring device carried on each planter unit for producing an electrical signal indicative of the rate of seed discharge by the planter unit; a driven drive shaft; a belt drive between the drive shaft and planter shaft including a conical disk pulley rotatably carried on each shaft, one section of each pulley fixed to its respective shaft and the other section thereof slidable along said shaft, the movable sections being in offset and face to face relation and an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a member rotatable in opposite directions and connected to one movable pulley section to open and close the latter in accordance with the direction of rotation of the member; a bidirectional electric motor drivingly connected to the rotatable member; a row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance monitoring device and for producing an electrical signal; and a seed dispensing control means including means for setting the desired seed density for said planter units, said control means further including a comparator means for receiving signals from the row width preset means, the means for setting desired seed density and each seed monitoring device and responsive to said signals to determine seed discharge density and compare said discharge density to desired seed density to thereby pass an electrical signal to and for driving said electric motor in the direction necessary to make the actual dispensed seed density substantially equal to the desired seed density.
- 3. In a planter, the combination including a mobile frame, a ground-engaging drive wheel supported on the frame, a ground-engaging measuring wheel supported on the frame, a seed hopper supported on the frame, a seed dispensing means associated with the hopper, a seed monitoring means including means for detecting seeds dispensed from the seed dispensing means and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, distance measuring means for measuring distance traveled by the ground measuring wheel, and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, and an improved variable speed transmission means drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means comprising: a drive shaft carried by the frame and driven by the ground-engaging drive wheel; a driven shaft carried by the frame parallel with and in spaced relation to the driving shaft and drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means; a pulley nonrotatably mounted on each shaft, said pulleys aligned in opposing relation to each other, each pulley having conical disk sections with one disk section fixed on its respective shaft and one section movable thereon, each fixed section opposing the movable section of the other pulley; an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a shiftable yoke member coupled with each movable disk section; means for shifting one yoke member including a frame mounted reversible electric motor drivingly coupled with said one yoke member; row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance measuring means and for producing a signal; and a seed dispensing control means including means for presetting a desired seed density, and a comparator means, said control means coupled with the seed monitoring means, the row width preset means and electric motor and responsive to signals from said monitoring and preset means to determine the dispensed seed density and compare that density to the desired seed density and thereby drive the motor and shift the one yoke member to make dispensed seed density substantially equal to preset desired seed density.
- 4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the means for shifting one yoke member includes a threaded shaft carried by the frame generally normal to the yoke members and drivingly coupled with the electric motor, and means coupling said one yoke member with the threaded shaft, reciprocally shiftable along the latter upon rotation thereof to shift said yoke member.
- 5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein the means coupling the yoke member with the threaded shaft includes a lost motion connection.
- 6. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein the means coupling the yoke member with the threaded shaft includes a yoke control arm rigidly secured with the yoke member and shiftably coupled with a reciprocable block carried by the threaded shaft.
- 7. In a planter, the combination including a mobile frame, a ground-engaging drive wheel supported on the frame, a ground-engaging measuring wheel supported on the frame, a seed hopper supported on the frame, a seed dispensing means associated with the hopper, a seed monitoring means including means for detecting seeds dispensed from the seed dispensing means and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, distance measuring means for measuring distance traveled by the ground measuring wheel and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, an improved variable speed transmission means drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means comprising: a drive shaft carried by the frame and driven by the ground-engaging drive wheel; a driven shaft carried by the frame parallel with and in spaced relation to the driving shaft and drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means; a pulley nonrotatably mounted on each shaft, said pulleys aligned in opposing relation to each other, each pulley having conical disk sections with one disk section fixed on its respective shaft and one section movable thereon, each fixed section opposing the movable section of the other pulley; an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a pair of yoke members pivotally mounted on the frame, one member engaged with each movable disk section; a yoke control means connected with one yoke member; biasing means for urging one yoke member towards the other; means for shifting the disk sections linearly including an electric motor supported on the frame, a reversible screw drivingly coupled with the electric motor, and means connecting the screw with the yoke control means to move the yoke member upon rotation of the screw; a row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance measuring means and for producing a signal; and a seed dispensing control means including a means for presetting a desired seed density and a comparator means, said control means coupled with the seed monitoring means, the row width preset means and electric motor and responsive to signals from said monitoring means and row width preset means to determine dispensed seed density and compare said dispensed density to said desired seed density to thereby reversibly drive the motor to make the density of seeds dispensed substantially equal to the preset desired seed density.
- 8. In a planter, the combination including a mobile frame, a ground-engaging drive wheel supported on the frame, a ground-engaging measuring wheel supported on the frame, a seed hopper supported on the frame, a seed dispensing means associated with the hopper, a seed monitoring means including means for detecting seeds dispensed from the seed dispensing means and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, distance measuring means for measuring distance traveled by the ground measuring wheel and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, an improved variable speed transmission means drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means comprising: a drive shaft carried by the frame and driven by the ground-engaging drive wheel; a driven shaft carried by the frame parallel with and in spaced relation to the driving shaft and drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means; a pulley nonrotatably mounted on each shaft, said pulleys aligned in opposing relation to each other, each pulley having conical disk sections with one disk section fixed on its respective shaft and one section movable thereon, each fixed section opposing the movable section of the other pulley; an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a pair of yoke members pivotally mounted on the frame, one member coupled with each movable disk section; a yoke control arm rigidly secured with each yoke member and shiftable through an arc about the pivotal mounting of its respective yoke member; means for shifting one control arm including an externally threaded shaft supported on the frame axially parallel with both the drive and driven shafts, reciprocable means carried by the shaft, a lost motion connection coupling the reciprocable means with the one control arm, a reversible electric motor supported by the frame and drivingly coupled with the threaded shaft; a row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance measuring means and for generating a signal and a seed dispensing control means including a means for presetting a desired seed density and a comparator means, said control means coupled with the seed monitoring means, the row width preset means and electric motor, and responsive to signals from said monitoring means and row width preset means to compare the density of seeds dispensed with the desired seed density and to reversibly drive the motor to make dispensed seed density substantially equal to preset desired seed density.
- 9. An improved infinitely variable cone pulley transmission means comprised of a frame mounted driving shaft and a driven shaft mounted in parallel spaced apart relation; a pulley nonrotatably mounted on each shaft, said pulleys aligned in opposing relation to each other, each pulley having conical disk sections with one disk section fixed on its respective shaft and one section movable thereon, each fixed section opposing the movable section of the other pulley; an endless belt member operatively connecting the pulleys; a yoke member coupled with each movable disk section; means pivotally mounting the yoke members on the frame for limited rotational movement; tension means interconnecting the pivotal mounting means; and means for shifting one pivotal mounting means including a frame supported electric motor drivingly coupled with the shifting means so as to move said yoke member laterally.
- 10. In a planter having a main frame and a plurality of seed dispensing planter units carried thereon, each unit driven by a planter drive shaft; a ground-engaging distance measuring wheel carried on the frame and having a distance monitoring device associated therewith for producing an electrical signal; a seed monitoring device carried on each planter unit for producing an electrical signal indicative of the rate of seed discharge by the planter unit; a driven drive shaft; a belt drive between the drive shaft and planter shaft including a conical disk pulley rotatably carried on each shaft, one section of each pulley fixed to its respective shaft and the other section thereof slidable along said shaft, the movable sections being in offset and face to face relation and an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a member rotatable in opposite directions and connected to one movable pulley section to open and close the latter in accordance with the direction of rotation of the member; tension means connecting the other movable section to the one section for movement therewith and for exerting upon the former a generally constant force; a bidirectional electric motor drivingly connected to the rotatable member; a row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance monitoring device and for producing an electrical signal; and a seed dispensing control means including means for setting the desired seed density for said planter units, said control means further including a comparator means for receiving signals from the row width preset means, the means for setting desired seed density and each seed monitoring device and responsive to said signals to determine seed discharge density and compare said discharge density to desired seed density to thereby pass an electrical signal to and for driving said electric motor in the direction necessary to make the actual dispensed seed density substantially equal to the desired seed density.
- 11. In a planter, the combination including a mobile frame, a ground-engaging drive wheel supported on the frame, a ground-engaging measuring wheel supported on the frame, a seed hopper supported on the frame, a seed dispensing means associated with the hopper, a seed monitoring means including means for detecting seed dispensed from the seed dispensing means and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, distance measuring means for measuring distance traveled by the ground measuring wheel, and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, and an improved variable speed transmission means drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means comprising: a drive shaft carried by the frame and driven by the ground-engaging drive wheel; a driven shaft carried by the frame parallel with and in spaced relation to the driving shaft and drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means; a pulley nonrotatably mounted on each shaft, said pulleys aligned in opposing relation to each other, each pulley having conical disk sections with one disk section fixed on its respective shaft and one section movable thereon, each fixed section opposing the movable section of the other pulley; an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a shiftable yoke member coupled with each movable disk section; means for shifting one yoke member including a frame mounted reversible electric motor drivingly coupled with said one yoke member; tension means between the shifting means and the other yoke member for moving the latter in unison with the one yoke member and for exerting upon the other yoke member a generally constant force; row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance measuring means and for producing a signal; and a seed dispensing control means including means for presetting a desired seed density, and a comparator means, said control means coupled with the seed monitoring means, the row width preset means and electric motor and responsive to signals from said monitoring and preset means to determine the dispensed seed density and compare that density to the desired seed density and thereby drive the motor and shift the one yoke member to make dispensed seed density substantially equal to preset desired seed density.
- 12. The invention described in claim 11 wherein there is further provided means to adjust the tension means and vary the force exerted upon the other yoke member.
- 13. In a planter, the combination including a mobile frame, a ground-engaging drive wheel supported on the frame, a ground-engaging measuring wheel supported on the frame, a seed hopper supported on the frame, a seed dispensing means associated with the hopper, a seed monitoring means including means for detecting seed dispensed from the seed dispensing means and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, distance measuring means for measuring distance traveled by the ground measuring wheel and for generating a signal corresponding thereto, an improved variable speed transmission means drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means comprising: a drive shaft carried by the frame and driven by the ground-engaging drive wheel; a driven shaft carried by the frame parallel with and in spaced relation to the driving shaft and drivingly coupled with the seed dispensing means; a pulley nonrotatably mounted on each shaft, said pulleys aligned in opposing relation to each other, each pulley having conical disk sections with one disk section fixed on its respective shaft and one section movable thereon, each fixed section opposing the movable section of the other pulley; an endless belt operatively connecting the pulleys; a pair of yoke members pivotally mounted on the frame, one member coupled with each movable disk section; a yoke control arm rigidly secured with each yoke member and shiftable through an arc about the pivotal mounting of its respective yoke member; means for shifting one control arm including an externally threaded shaft supported on the frame axially parallel with both the drive and driven shafts, reciprocable means carried by the shaft, a lost motion connection coupling the reciprocable means with the one control arm, a reversible electric motor supported by the frame and drivingly coupled with the threaded shaft; tension means connecting the reciprocable means with the other control arm for movement in unison and for exerting upon said arm a constant force; a row width preset means for receiving signals from the distance measuring means and for generating a signal and a seed dispensing control means including a means for presetting a desired seed density and a comparator means, said control means coupled with the seed monitoring means, the row width preset means and electric motor, and responsive to signals from said monitoring and row width preset means to compare the density of seeds dispensed with the desired seed density and to reversibly drive the motor to make dispensed seed density substantially equal to preset desired seed density.
- 14. The invention described in claim 13 further provided with means to adjust the tension means and vary the force exerted upon the control arm.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 677,811 filed on Apr. 16, 1976, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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677811 |
Apr 1976 |
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