Patents Assigned to Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.
-
Patent number: 12144279Abstract: An agricultural planter includes a plurality of row units attached to a toolbar. The row units include seed meters in seed meter housings for receiving, singulating, and dispensing seed or other particulate. The seed meters include a circular seed disc with a seed path for receiving the seed in the seed meter housing. Integrated with the seed meter, such as at the housing, is an electric pressure source dedicated to create a pressure differential for the seed meter or meters at a particular location on the planter. The pressure source can be positive or negative to temporarily adhere seed to the seed disc of the meter. A single pressure source can provide the pressure differential to a single meter or to multiple meters or discs at a row unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2021Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: KINZE Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Dustan Hahn, Matthew J. Wilhelmi
-
Patent number: 12114590Abstract: Agricultural seed planting systems include a processing unit, a frame, a furrow opener coupled to the frame for opening a furrow in soil, and a sensor in communication with the processing unit and adapted to sense a characteristic associated with seed planting. The sensor may generate a signal associated with the sensed characteristic and the processing unit may receive the signal. In some aspects, the sensed characteristic may be either a soil characteristic or a seed characteristic. Information associated with the sensed characteristic can be saved in memory for future use and to assist with more effective planting in the future.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2021Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Laura B. Blomme, Courtney N. Achen
-
Patent number: 12102032Abstract: A row unit for an agricultural implement has a mounting device with a rail portion for sliding engagement with a seed delivery device to facilitate quick and easy installation and removal of the seed delivery device without the use of tools. A seed meter is mounted to the underside of a cover such that as the cover is opened the seed meter moves with the cover away from the seed delivery device to provide convenient access to both the seed meter and the seed delivery device. A cam and pawl arrangement selectively retains the cover in the open position.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2021Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Wilhelmi, Dean Martin, David A. Stauffer, Chris McElvain, Gary Newell, Dalton McDowell
-
Patent number: 12058946Abstract: Agricultural devices, row unit adjustment systems, and methods of adjusting a depth of a furrow. In some aspects, an agricultural device is adapted to plant seeds and includes a frame, a furrow opener coupled to the frame and adapted to cut a furrow including a depth, a sensor adapted to sense a characteristic associated with planting seeds and generate a signal associated with the sensed characteristic, and a processing unit receiving the signal associated with the sensed characteristic. The depth of the furrow is adjustable based on the signal associated with the sensed characteristic. Such characteristic may be a characteristic of the soil, a force applied to the agricultural device, or a position of a portion of the agricultural device.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2022Date of Patent: August 13, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Courtney N. Achen, Marvin Bachman, Vaughan G. Stevenson
-
Patent number: 12029152Abstract: Agricultural electronics include many components. The components can be connected via an electronic link that connects the various components to components of an agricultural implement. This can include the use of a component type identifier and a master module. The identifier and the module can communicate data, including identification data and instructional data, to easily acknowledge and operate various electrical components of the agricultural implement. Additional sensors can be included to provide even additional data that is communicated between the module and the components of the agricultural implement to aid in providing instructions for operation and to provide additional data information.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2022Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Max Taylor, Ryan Legge, Matthew J. Wilhelmi, Dustan Hahn, Jamie Shults, Ryan Taylor, Jason Schoon, Kelly Minton, Ryan McMahan, Matthew Moeller, Will Whiteman
-
Patent number: 12022766Abstract: Agricultural electronics include many components. The components can be connected via an electronic link that connects the various components to components of an agricultural implement. This can include the use of a component type identifier and a master module. The identifier and the module can communicate data, including identification data and instructional data, to easily acknowledge and operate various electrical components of the agricultural implement. Additional sensors can be included to provide even additional data that is communicated between the module and the components of the agricultural implement to aid in providing instructions for operation and to provide additional data information.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2021Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Max Taylor, Ryan Legge, Matthew J. Wilhelmi, Dustan Hahn, Jamie Shults, Ryan Taylor, Jason Schoon, Kelly Minton, Ryan McMahan, Matthew Moeller, Will Whiteman
-
Patent number: 11937530Abstract: Agricultural machines utilize global positioning systems (GPS) to acquire the location of the machine as well as the location of an event, which may be based upon an operation of the agricultural machine. Because of the possibility of outage and/or inaccuracy of the GPS, a GPS augmentation system can be included with the agricultural machine. The GPS augmentation system can supplement the location determination of the GPS, or can be used in place of the GPS when the GPS is not available. An unmanned vehicle can also be used as part of the augmentation system to provide additional information for the location of the agricultural machine and/or the event.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Jason Schoon, Jeremy Nadke, Ryan McMahan, Matthew Moeller
-
Patent number: 11937533Abstract: A planter includes a seed a delivery system for delivering seed from one or more hoppers to one or more row units of the planter. The seed delivery system includes a number of seed entrainers. The seed entrainers receive seed from the one or more hoppers. The seed is combined with a fluid, such as air, which moves the seed through the seed entrainer and towards one or more row units of the planter. The entrainer includes one or more outlets, with the outlets corresponding to different row units, and the outlets can be varied based upon the need of seed delivery for the planter.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Robert Blackwell, Dan Killpack, Dalton McDowell, Matthew Wilhelmi
-
Patent number: 11930731Abstract: Continued and precise operation of an agricultural implement exists even where a subsystem, such as a GPS receiver, wireless communicator, a sensor, or the like, fails, falters, or is otherwise unusable. Data is continually tracked to the extent possible during failure or faltering and is temporarily stored. The temporary data is later stitched or otherwise harmonized with historical data once the failing system is repaired or otherwise once again available. During failure or faltering, views, and even mapped views, of historical and real-time data are displayed. Predicted or anticipated data can be included within these views or can even be used when stitching.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Jason Schoon, Ryan McMahan, Matthew Moeller, Daniel Hunter
-
Patent number: 11930736Abstract: Agricultural electronics include many components. The components can be connected via an electronic link that connects the various components to components of an agricultural implement. This can include the use of a component type identifier and a master module. The identifier and the module can communicate data, including identification data and instructional data, to easily acknowledge and operate various electrical components of the agricultural implement. Additional sensors can be included to provide even additional data that is communicated between the module and the components of the agricultural implement to aid in providing instructions for operation and to provide additional data information.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Max Taylor, Ryan Legge, Matthew J. Wilhelmi, Dustan Hahn, Jamie Shults, Ryan Taylor, Jason Schoon, Kelly Minton, Ryan McMahan, Matthew Moeller, Will Whiteman
-
Patent number: 11895938Abstract: Continued and precise operation of an agricultural implement exists even where a subsystem, such as a GPS receiver, wireless communicator, a sensor, or the like, fails, falters, or is otherwise unusable. Data is continually tracked to the extent possible during failure or faltering and is temporarily stored. To continue operations during periods of unavailability, a representation of planted ground is anticipated by other agricultural implements and/or calculated with agricultural data from other agricultural implements. Normal operations then continue until data sync can catch back up to real-time.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Ryan McMahan, Jason Schoon, Matthew Moeller, Matthew Baker
-
Patent number: 11730079Abstract: An agricultural planting implement includes a number of row units. The row units include one or more seed meters for receiving, singulating, and dispensing seed to the ground such that preferred spacing of subsequent seed is attained. A seed meter provides seeds one at time to a seed carrier, such as a brush wheel. The brush wheel may move the seeds one at a time to a seed conveyor by directly moving seeds along a curved portion of a seed disc in the seed meter. The seed conveyor may be a flighted belt, and the velocity of the seeds when transferred from the seed carrier may match the velocity of the flighted belt. The seed conveyor conveys the seeds to a position near the bottom of a furrow, and ejects the seeds with little or no horizontal velocity relative to the bottom of the furrow.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2020Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Wilhelmi, Dustan Hahn, Philip Willis, Dean Martin, Dalton McDowell, Gary Newell
-
Patent number: 11716925Abstract: A seed metering system, for use on a row crop planter, selects individual seeds from a seed reservoir and dispenses the seeds singularly at a controlled rate. A direct drive seed metering system includes a seed disc having a plurality of suction apertures with a recessed pocket adjacent to an aperture. The recessed pockets act to agitate seeds in the seed reservoir and to direct seed flow towards the apertures. A seed path relief system aids in the placement of the seeds such that they are released from an outer edge of the seed disc. An adjustable seed singulator is mounted adjacent to the face of the seed disc where inner and outer blades are adjusted radially to compensate for the singulation of various seed sizes and shapes. The seed disc is driven via engagement of an internal gear with the external gear of an independent drive motor.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Matthew J. Wilhelmi, Kale J. Brockmann
-
Patent number: 11632894Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a toolbar that extends transverse to a tongue when in a field use configuration. The toolbar can be lifted and/or rotated relative to the tongue to transition between a field use and a transport use. A lifting assembly includes one or more actuators and linkage systems to lift the toolbar attached thereto in an arced manner in moving from a field use configuration to a transport configuration. A rotating mechanism can also include one or more actuators to rotate the toolbar about a pivot member. An anti-rotation link includes a member is connected to the toolbar and can be positioned at least partially within a groove to mitigate rotation of the toolbar, such as during the lifting of the toolbar.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2018Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Jon Kinzenbaw, Robert Blackwell, Riley Lind
-
Patent number: 11558991Abstract: An agricultural planter includes systems, methods, and apparatuses for maintaining down force pressure at row units of the planter. The row units may include an electric linear actuator connected to linkages of the row units to maintain a down force pressure for the row unit. The linkage may also be removed and replaced with a strut or like mechanism to apply a direct down force pressure to components of the row unit. One or more sensors can be included to obtain information related to the ground to automatically adjust the amount of down force provided based upon a ground characteristic in order to maintain a substantially uniform furrow depth.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2019Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Courtney N. Achen, Marvin Bachman, Rhett Schildroth, Merlan Rolffs, Michael J. Myers, John Kollman, John P. Mulherin
-
Patent number: 11558996Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a number of row units. The row units include one or more seed meters for receiving, singulating, and dispensing seed to the ground such that preferred spacing of subsequent seed is attained. Seed delivery systems are included to aid in transporting the seed from the seed meter to the ground in a controlled manner to mitigate skips and to aid in controlling the spacing of the seeds, which can be based upon the ground speed of the implement as it moves through the field. The seed delivery systems can control the transport of the seed to a furrow in the field such that the seed can experience zero or near zero relative velocity so that the seed will have little to no movement once positioned in the furrow.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2019Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Matthew J. Wilhelmi, Marvin Bachman, Dustan Hahn, Michael J. Myers, Vaughan Stevenson, Robert Blackwell, Courtney N. Achen
-
Patent number: 11382257Abstract: A planting system and method for planting multiple seed varieties includes a planter having a plurality of tanks and a plurality of row units. A plurality of seed meters are included in of the plurality of the row units. The seed meters are selectively operated at a time to plant a seed variety associated with the meter being operated. The determination of the seed meter used is based, in part, upon the location of the planter in the field. A cleanout system removes any unplanted seed before a different variety of seed is to be planted based upon an updated location.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2019Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventor: James E. Straeter
-
Patent number: 11324161Abstract: A planting unit includes a seed meter for singulating and dispensing seed. Opening wheels or discs are included to create an opening in the field, such as a furrow. The unit includes one or more continuous tracks for supporting the row unit as it moves through the field. The tracks can be positioned on opposite sides. The tracks reduce compaction around the created furrow and provide better control of seed depth placement. One or more motors are included to operate the tracks to move the planting unit through a field for planting independent of a tow vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Dustan Hahn, Matthew J. Wilhelmi, Susanne Veatch, Rhett Schildroth, Robert Blackwell, Michael J. Myers
-
Patent number: 11297753Abstract: Agricultural devices, row unit adjustment systems, and methods of adjusting a depth of a furrow. In some aspects, an agricultural device is adapted to plant seeds and includes a frame, a furrow opener coupled to the frame and adapted to cut a furrow including a depth, a sensor adapted to sense a characteristic associated with planting seeds and generate a signal associated with the sensed characteristic, and a processing unit receiving the signal associated with the sensed characteristic. The depth of the furrow is adjustable based on the signal associated with the sensed characteristic. Such characteristic may be a characteristic of the soil, a force applied to the agricultural device, or a position of a portion of the agricultural device.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2019Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Courtney N. Achen, Marvin Bachman, Vaughan G. Stevenson
-
Patent number: 11252853Abstract: The use of self-powered, autonomous vehicles in agricultural and other domestic applications is provided. The vehicles include a self-propelled drive system, tracks or wheels operatively connected to the drive system, a power supply operatively connected to the drive system, an attachment mechanism for attaching equipment to the vehicle, and an intelligent control operatively connected to the drive system, power supply, and attachment mechanism. The vehicle is configured to connect to the equipment to perform agricultural operations based upon the equipment. Multiple vehicles can be used in a field at the same time. Furthermore, the invention includes the ability to move one or more of the autonomous vehicles from field to field, home to field, or from generally any first location to a second location.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Robert Blackwell, Rhett Schildroth, Michael J. Myers, Merlan J. Rolffs, Derrick Becker