EP-4736615-A1 - SOLID MATERIAL APPLICATION SYSTEM AND RELATED APPLICATION MACHINE AND METHOD

Abstract

A solid material application system (104) includes a solid material tank (112), a plurality of metering screws (214) below the solid material tank and a blower (202) in fluid communication with a plurality of flow lines (114). Each metering screw is contained in a housing (208) having a solid inlet (210a-c) connected to the solid material tank and a solid outlet (212a-c) axially offset from the solid inlet. Each flow line is connected to the solid outlet of one of the housings of one of the metering screws. Each metering screw is configured to rotate such that solid material falling through the solid inlet from the tank into the housing is transferred axially along the metering screw to the solid outlet. The blower is configured to entrain the solid material in air in each of the plurality of flow lines. Related application machine and method are also disclosed.

Inventors

• SNYDER, Todd Brandon

Assignees

• Agco Corporation

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20250528

Claims (15)

1. A solid material application system comprising: a solid material tank; a plurality of metering screws below the solid material tank, each metering screw contained in a housing having a sidewall around an axis of rotation of the metering screw, the housing having a solid inlet connected to the solid material tank through the sidewall, and a solid outlet through the sidewall and axially offset from the solid inlet; a plurality of flow lines, each flow line connected to the solid outlet of the housing containing one of the metering screws; and a blower in fluid communication with each of the flow lines; wherein each metering screw is configured to rotate such that solid material falling through the solid inlet from the solid material tank into the housing is transferred axially along the metering screw to the solid outlet; and wherein the blower is configured to entrain the solid material in air in each of the plurality of flow lines.
2. The application system of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the metering screw at a variable rate.
3. The application system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a slide gate configured to control a size of the solid inlet.
4. The application system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing comprises an end cap at one end of each metering screw, wherein each metering screw is removable from the housing when the end cap is removed.
5. The application system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the solid inlet comprises a plurality of solid inlets on an individual flow line, and wherein the solid outlet comprises a plurality of solid outlets on the individual flow line, each solid outlet axially offset from a corresponding solid inlet.
6. The application system of claim 5, wherein each metering screw is configured to rotate such that solid material falling through each solid inlet from the solid material tank into the housing is transferred axially along the metering screw to the corresponding solid outlet.
7. The application system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the blower is in fluid communication with the solid material tank.
8. The application system of claim 7, wherein the blower is further configured to pressurize air in the solid material tank.
9. The application system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each metering screw exhibits a diameter, and wherein each metering screw has threads exhibiting a thread depth of less than 40% of the diameter, preferably less than 30% of the diameter, and more preferably less than 20% of the diameter.
10. An application machine comprising: a chassis supported by ground-engaging elements; and the application system of any one of claims 1 to 9 carried by the chassis.
11. The application machine of claim 10, wherein each of the flow lines terminates at a different transverse position relative to a centerline of the chassis.
12. A method of applying a solid material using the application system of any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising: providing air from the blower through at least some of the plurality of flow lines; rotating at least some of the plurality of metering screws; and entraining the solid material in the air in at least some of the plurality of flow lines.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing air from the blower to the solid material tank.
14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein rotating at least some of a plurality of metering screws comprises transferring the solid material axially along the metering screw from the solid inlet to the solid outlet.
15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising individually adjusting a rotational speed of at least some of the metering screws to control an individual flow rate of the solid material to each corresponding flow line.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS n/a FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to transfer of solid material, more particularly to the metering of solid material to distribution lines, such as solid fertilizer to be spread onto an agricultural field using a dry-particulate spreader. BACKGROUND Agricultural particulate delivery machines include row crop planters, grain drills, fertilizer spreaders, etc. Row crop planters include multiple row planting units (or simply "row units") attached to a toolbar and towed behind a tractor. Each of the row units is responsible for opening a furrow, dispensing seeds into the furrow, and closing the furrow after the seeds are placed. By way of example, the seed furrows may be opened by a first pair of disks extending downwardly from the row unit at its leading end, closed by a second pair of disks extending downwardly from the row unit at its trailing end, and then tamped or packed down by a trailing wheel that follows both pairs of disks. Row crop planters and other types of planters may include mechanisms for placing fertilizer pellets or other particulate material in or on the ground along with the seeds. Fertilizer spreaders typically have a solid material hopper and an air flow system to deliver particulate material from the hopper to the field. For example, a fertilizer spreader may include a series of elongate tubes extending from the hopper chamber to a product applicator (e.g., a strike plate) that directs the material toward the ground. Such pneumatic agricultural product delivery systems are commonly employed in planters, air drills, fertilizer and pesticide applicators, and a variety of other agricultural implements. Many conventional machines that that apply solid materials meter those products using metering wheels. For example, solid materials may be metered as described in Canadian Patent 2,291,321, "Apparatus and Method for Dispensing Particles," granted February 13, 2007. As the metering wheels turn, they dispense or drop dry product out, where the material is entrained into an air stream. Such metering wheels can generally dispense enough product to supply a whole boom of a fertilizer spreader or multiple hoses of an air distribution system. Metering wheels have some disadvantages, such as difficulty in providing variable solid flow rates, and tendency to become gummed up in high-moisture situations. The flow rate of solid material is typically determined by the diameter of the metering wheels as well as the rotational speed of the metering wheels. BRIEF SUMMARY In some embodiments, a solid material application system includes a solid material tank, a plurality of metering screws below the solid material tank, a plurality of flow lines, and a blower in fluid communication with each of the flow lines. Each metering screw is contained in a housing having a sidewall around an axis of rotation of the metering screw. The housing has a solid inlet connected to the solid material tank through the sidewall and a solid outlet through the sidewall and axially offset from the solid inlet. Each flow line is connected to the solid outlet of the housing containing one of the metering screws. Each metering screw is configured to rotate such that solid material falling through the solid inlet from the solid material tank into the housing is transferred axially along the metering screw to the solid outlet. The blower is configured to entrain the solid material in air in each of the plurality of flow lines. The application system may optionally include a motor configured to rotate the metering screw. Such a motor may be configured to rotate the metering screw at a variable rate. The application system may have a slide gate configured to control a size of the solid inlet. The housing may include an end cap at one end of each metering screw. Thus, the metering screw may be removable from the housing when the end cap is removed. The solid inlet may be composed of a plurality of solid inlets on an individual flow line. In such embodiments, the solid outlet may be composed of a plurality of solid outlets on the individual flow line, and each solid outlet is axially offset from a corresponding solid inlet. Each metering screw may be configured to rotate such that solid material falling through each solid inlet from the solid material tank into the housing is transferred axially along the metering screw to the corresponding solid outlet. The blower may optionally be in fluid communication with the solid material tank. Thus, the blower may pressurize air in the solid material tank. Each metering screw may exhibit a diameter, and may have threads exhibiting a thread depth of less than 40% of the diameter, such as less than 30% of the diameter, or even less than 20% of the diameter. An application machine includes a chassis supported by ground-engaging elements and the application system carried by the chassis. In the application machine, each of the flow lines may ter