Distribution Ramp For Dry Agricultural Product Applicator
A distribution ramp system for a dry product applicator with a pneumatic conveyance system is provided which lifts product that drags along a bottom surface(s) of a delivery line's wall(s) back into a main central or primary airflow portion that carries the product downstream through the pneumatic conveyance system. The system may include a ramp that nests against a bottom wall of the delivery line with a narrow front and wide back so the ramp presents a gradual wedge facing toward the incoming upstream airflow entrained with particulate material of the product, urging particulate material dragging on the bottom wall to lift away from the bottom wall and toward reentry into the primary airflow portion.
The invention relates generally to agricultural product application equipment such as self-propelled dry product applicators and; in particular; to a distribution ramp system for a dry agricultural product applicator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONEfforts have been made to allow dry agricultural product applicators to increase coverage in a single pass of an agricultural field. These include implementing boom-based pneumatic delivery systems instead of spinner-based broadcast spreader delivery systems. Other efforts include making the applicators larger and implementing longer booms that widen the application coverage per pass. The longer booms need longer product delivery lines such as tubes or hoses to pneumatically deliver the dry agricultural product. During pneumatic delivery, dry agricultural product particulate material can drift or settle out of the delivery line's centrally flowing main airflow portion and cling to or drag along the delivery line's inner circumferential surface or inside wall surface(s). This may include gravitationally settling out or dragging on the bottom of the inside wall. Relatively long delivery lines that move product toward the outer boom ends may be particularly susceptible to this type of gravitational or downward settling. The particulate material's settling, dragging, or drifting out of the main airflow portion can lead to delivery inconsistencies. These inconsistencies can be problematic when it occurs near a distributor that divides the airflow into separate airflows that flow through separate downstream lines to delivery nozzles on the applicator. Particulate material settling out of the main airflow upstream of or inside the distributor can lead to an uneven distribution of the particulate material through the distributor's outlet(s), downstream lines, downstream delivery nozzles, and potentially uneven application to the field.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA distribution ramp system for a dry agricultural product applicator with a pneumatic conveyance system is provided which redirects product that drags along a lower surface(s) of a delivery line's wall(s) back into a main central or primary airflow. A product delivery line ramp or distribution ramp of the distribution ramp system may present an angled surface that is tightly nested against a lower wall of a product delivery line in a manner that may lift the settled product back into the primary airflow. The nested ramp may include a narrow front end and wide back end, so the ramp presents a gradual wedge facing toward the incoming upstream airflow entrained with particulate material. This urges particulate material dragging on the bottom wall to lift away from the bottom wall, directing it upwardly for reentry into the primary airflow portion without abrupt changes in direction to promote glancing-type material redirection in preference to collision-induced bouncing-type redirection, resulting in less pressure drop.
According to one aspect of the invention, a distribution ramp system is provided for a dry agricultural product applicator with a pneumatic conveyance system through which particulate material of a dry agricultural product is guided from an upstream bulk storage system to downstream nozzles for delivery onto an agricultural field. The distribution ramp system may include a product delivery line with a circumferential sidewall that defines a bottom wall or lower wall segment. A distribution ramp with a ramp body may be mounted against the product delivery line lower wall segment. The ramp body may include a first end that defines a front end facing an upstream direction. A second end of the ramp defines a back end facing a downstream direction. A ramp surface extends between the front and back ends and is inclined with respect to the product delivery line's lower wall. This arrangement lifts or guides particulate material flowing along the product delivery line's lower wall segment upwardly away from the product delivery line lower wall.
According to another aspect of the invention, the ramp body may have a convex surface lower wall that nests snugly against a concave lower wall of the product delivery line, without an abrupt shoulder or intervening gap that could disrupt a smooth flow transition of particulate material from the delivery line onto the ramp surface and without trapping particulate material between the ramp and the product delivery line. This may be done with the matching radii of curvatures of the engaging convex and concave surfaces of the ramp body and delivery line. The ramp may have a pair of side edges extending angularly away from each other from the front end to the back end, so the ramp widens toward its back end and presents a narrow front that initially encounters and wedges under the low-height flowing particulate material.
According to another aspect of the invention, a mounting arrangement is defined at a point of engagement between the ramp and the product delivery line to positionally lock them to each other. The mounting arrangement may include a cooperating projection(s) and receptacle(s). The projection(s) may be defined by orientation bosses that extend downwardly from the ramp lower wall. The orientation bosses may define generally rectangular perimeter shapes and the orientation bosses may be arranged at different angles with respect to each other and a longitudinal axis of the ramp, including aligned with or perpendicular to it.
According to another aspect of the invention, at least one lock may be defined at the engagement of the ramp and the product delivery line to resist withdrawal of the ramp. The lock may include crush ribs at the orientation bosses that can deform to provide shoulders that engage corresponding surfaces of the product delivery line as mechanical stops that resist withdrawal of the orientation bosses. The orientation bosses may be taller than a thickness dimension of the product delivery line sidewall, so outer ends of the bosses extend beyond an outer circumferential surface of the product delivery line sidewall. Corresponding exposed portions of the crush ribs may deform to provide barb-like or other shoulders that resist withdrawal of the bosses from the openings or receptacles of the product delivery line.
Other aspects, objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout.
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Many changes and modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. One example is that although system 5 is shown in a horizontal use orientation, it is understood that it can be implemented in a vertical use orientation, depending on the particular end-use application. This can be done by mounting distribution ramp 71 in a line or other component that is arranged generally vertical instead of horizontal. The above description(s) of components and systems of the horizontal orientation apply equally to such a vertical orientation, only rotated 90° or upright. As another example, although ramp 71 is described as a friction fit-type mounting that may deform the crush ribs 131, it is understood that other mounting approaches can be implemented. Examples include mounting ramp 71 to line 39 with fasteners or other mounting hardware or by adhesion with a suitable adhesive product. In implementations in which both ramp 71 and line 39 are made from similar metallic materials, ramp 71 may be attached to line 39 by welding. The scope of these changes will become apparent from the appended claims.
Claims
1. A distribution ramp system for a dry agricultural product applicator with a pneumatic conveyance system through which particulate material of a dry agricultural product is guided from an upstream bulk storage system to downstream nozzles for delivery onto an agricultural field, the distribution ramp system comprising: a second receptacle extending into the product delivery line circumferential sidewall that receives the second projection of the distribution ramp; the first and second projections of the distribution ramp extend entirely through the first and second openings and beyond the product delivery line circumferential sidewall.
- a product delivery line of the pneumatic conveyance system, the product delivery line including a circumferential sidewall that defines a wall segment; and
- a distribution ramp with a ramp body mounted against the product delivery line wall segment; the ramp body including: a first end that defines a front end facing an upstream direction; a second end that defines a back end facing a downstream direction; and a ramp surface extending between the front and back ends, the ramp surface inclined with respect to the product delivery line wall segment to guide particulate material flowing along the product delivery line wall segment upwardly away from the product delivery line wall segment while traveling along the ramp surface;
- a mounting arrangement at a point of engagement between the ramp body and the product delivery line to positionally lock the ramp body with respect to the product delivery line and wherein the mounting arrangement includes:
- a projection; and
- a receptacle: with the projection received in the receptacle to longitudinally and transversely locate the distribution ram with respect to the product delivery line;
- wherein: the projection defines a first projection extending from the distribution ramp; the receptacle defines a first receptacle extending into the product delivery line circumferential sidewall; and
- mounting arrangement further includes: a second projection extending from the distribution ramp;
- wherein:
- each of the first and second projections defines a height dimension;
- the product delivery line circumferential sidewall defines a thickness dimension; and
- the height dimensions of the first and second projections are greater than the thickness dimension of the product delivery line circumferential sidewall;
- the first and second receptacles are defined by first and second openings extending through the entire thickness dimension of the product delivery line circumferential sidewall; and
2. The distribution ramp system of claim 1, wherein:
- the product delivery line has a circular cross-sectional perimeter shape with the product delivery line wall segment defining a concave surface;
- the ramp body has a bottom wall defining a convex surface; and
- the ramp body bottom wall convex surface nests against the product delivery line wall segment concave surface.
3. The distribution ramp system of claim 2, wherein the product delivery line defines a lower wall segment and the ramp body is nested against the lower wall segment.
4. The distribution ramp system of claim 3, the ramp body including:
- a pair of side edges extending angularly away from each other from the front end to the back end so that the ramp surface has a variable width that widens from the front end to the back end.
5. The distribution ramp system of claim 1, wherein the ramp body is secured to the product delivery line by at least one of a fastener, an adhesive, or by way of welding.
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. (canceled)
9. The distribution ramp system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second projections includes at least one lock that engages the product delivery line circumferential sidewall to resist withdrawal of the first and second projections from the respective first and second openings.
10. The distribution ramp system of claim 9, wherein at least one lock is defined by a crush rib that extends along the height dimension of each of the first and second projections.
11. The distribution ramp system of claim 10, wherein the first and second projections are defined by first and second orientation bosses, with each of the orientation bosses including:
- a pair of short sidewalls;
- a pair of long sidewalls that have a greater length or width dimension than the short sidewalls;
- pair of short sidewalls and the pair of long sidewalls intersecting each other to define a generally rectangular perimeter shape of the orientation bosses.
12. The distribution ramp system of claim 11, wherein the first and second orientation bosses are arranged generally perpendicularly with respect to each other, with:
- a first one of the pair of orientation bosses is arranged with its long sidewalls generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the distribution ramp; and
- a second one of the pair of orientation bosses is arranged with its long sidewalls generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the distribution ramp.
13. The distribution ramp system of claim 12, wherein:
- the first orientation boss includes at least one crush rib extending transversely away from the longitudinal axis of the distribution ramp; and
- the second orientation boss includes at least one crush rib extending aligned with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the distribution ramp.
14. The distribution ramp system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the orientation bosses includes multiple crush ribs on at least one of its sidewalls.
15. The distribution ramp system of claim 1, wherein the product delivery line is a first product delivery line; and the system includes a second product delivery line defining a product distributor connected to, and receiving product from the first product delivery line; and wherein:
- the product distributor includes: an inlet end connected to the first product delivery line as a primary delivery line through which a primary airflow carries air-entrained dry agricultural product; and an outlet end connected to multiple downstream secondary delivery lines through which respective secondary airflows carry air-entrained dry agricultural product; and
- the distribution ramp is mounted upstream of the product distributor outlet end.
16. The distribution ramp system of claim 15, wherein the distribution ramp is mounted in the first product delivery line upstream of the product distributor inlet end to guide the dry agricultural product along a travel path extending angularly upward away from the delivery line wall segment.
17. The distribution ramp system of claim 15 wherein:
- the distributor includes a distributor body;
- a mixer with a mixer shaft is arranged concentrically in the distributor body and rotates to distribute the dry agricultural product in the distributor body; and
- the distribution ramp is mounted upstream of the product distributor inlet end to guide the dry agricultural product toward the mixer shaft.
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 17, 2020
Publication Date: Jul 22, 2021
Inventors: Nicholas R. Pederson (Willmar, MN), Charles O'Connell (Willmar, MN), Joel Denis (Saskatoon)
Application Number: 16/746,139