US3921159A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seed planter herbicide and insecticide monitor system
Assignee: Dickey John Corp
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Filing: 1974-11-20
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Granted: 1975-11-18
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Expires: 1994-11-20
Abstract
Abstract An output shaft of a herbicide and/or insecticide hopper is provided with a shaft rotation sensing device which produces control signals as the shaft rotates. Failure of the shaft to rotate will terminate dispensing of earth treatment material and will produce a control signal to interrupt the operation of a seed sensor thereby giving a visual indication on the seed planter monitor that a problem has occurred.
Inventors
- 👤 David E Steffen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 05:17
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07C; G07C3/00; A; A01; A01C; A01C7/00; A01C7/08; A01C7/10; A01C7/102; A01C7/105; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S111/00; Y10S111/903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
A monitor for interconnection with automatic seed planting apparatus having seed dispensing means, seed sensor, and a seed planter monitor interconnected with said seed sensor through a plurality of electrical leads for indicating a malfunction of the seed planting apparatus, and wherein said seed planting apparatus has earth treatment means associated therewith, said monitor comprising: connector means for connection to the plurality of leads between said seed sensor and said seed planter monitor, switch means coupled to said connector means for providing a first switching state during one instance and a second switching state during another instance, said switch means being interposed in one of the electrical leads of saId plurality of electrical leads, sensing means for mounting on said earth treatment means, said sensing means including signal means for producing a first signal condition when said earth treatment means is dispensing material and for producing a second signal condition when said earth treatment means fails to dispense material, and circuit means coupled between said sensing means and said switch means for causing said switch means to be in said first switching state during said first signal condition and in said second switching state during said second signal condition, said switching means thereby interrupting the operation of said seed planter monitor when in said second switching state to give an indication that the earth treatment means has failed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
A monitor for interconnection with automatic seed planting apparatus having seed dispensing means, seed sensor, and a seed planter monitor interconnected with said seed sensor through a plurality of electrical leads for indicating a malfunction of the seed planting apparatus, and wherein said seed planting apparatus has earth treatment means associated therewith, said monitor comprising: connector means for connection to the plurality of leads between said seed sensor and said seed planter monitor, switch means coupled to said connector means for providing a first switching state during one instance and a second switching state during another instance, said switch means being interposed in one of the electrical leads of saId plurality of electrical leads, sensing means for mounting on said earth treatment means, said sensing means including signal means for producing a first signal condition when said earth treatment means is dispensing material and for producing a second signal condition when said earth treatment means fails to dispense material, and circuit means coupled between said sensing means and said switch means for causing said switch means to be in said first switching state during said first signal condition and in said second switching state during said second signal condition, said switching means thereby interrupting the operation of said seed planter monitor when in said second switching state to give an indication that the earth treatment means has failed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A monitor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connector means includes a pair of plugs, one plug for plugging into a mating plug connected to said plurality of said electrical leads.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A monitor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said switch means includes a transistor having base, emitter and collector electrodes, said emitter and collector electrodes forming a switching junction therebetween for providing closed and open circuit conditions when said transistor is conductive and non-conductive, respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
150 words
A monitor as set forth in claim 3 wherein said circuit means includes a first timing circuit of a first time duration to maintain said transistor conductive for applying operating power to said seed sensor during a time interval less than said first time duration and to render said transistor non-conductive for removing operating power from said seed sensor at a time interval greater than said first time duration, and a second timing circuit of a second time duration which is less than said first time duration, said second timing circuit being coupled to said first timing circuit and responsive to said sensing means for recycling said first timing circuit while said earth treatment means is dispensing material thereby restarting said first timing circuit at time intervals less than said first time duration, whereby said transistor is maintained in the conductive state for applying operating power to said seed sensor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A monitor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes a shaft rotation sensing element for connection to a rotating shaft of said earth treatment means, whereby termination of rotation of said shaft of said earth treatment means will cause said sensing means to produce said second signal condition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A monitor as set forth in claim 5 wherein said shaft rotation sensing element includes a reed switch mounted in proximity to said shaft, and magnet means secured to said shaft for rotation therewith to actuate said reed switch as it passes in close proximity thereto during each revolution of said shaft.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
249 words
An apparatus for seed planting and earth treatment comprising: seed dispensing means for directing seeds toward the ground, seed sensing means for sensing the movement of seeds as they are directed toward the ground, a seed planter monitor interconnected with said seed sensing means through a plurality of electrical leads, said seed planter monitor having means for indicating a malfunction of said seed dispensing means, earth treatment means positioned adjacent said seed dispensing means for dispensing a material over the ground simultaneously while said seed dispensing means is directing seed toward the ground, switch means coupled to said plurality of electrical leads for providing a first switching state during one instance to apply operating power to said seed sensing means and a second switching state during another instance to remove operating power from said seed sensing means, sensing means on said earth treatment means for producing a first signal condition when said earth treatment means is dispensing material and for producing a second signal condition when said earth treatment means fails to dispense material, and circuit means coupled between said sensiNg means and said switch means for causing said switch means to be in said first switching state during said first signal condition for applying operating power to said seed sensor and in said second switching state during said second signal condition for removing operating power from said seed sensor, thereby giving an indication in said seed planter monitor that a malfunction has occurred in said earth treatment means.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
249 words
An apparatus for seed planting and earth treatment comprising: seed dispensing means for directing seeds toward the ground, seed sensing means for sensing the movement of seeds as they are directed toward the ground, a seed planter monitor interconnected with said seed sensing means through a plurality of electrical leads, said seed planter monitor having means for indicating a malfunction of said seed dispensing means, earth treatment means positioned adjacent said seed dispensing means for dispensing a material over the ground simultaneously while said seed dispensing means is directing seed toward the ground, switch means coupled to said plurality of electrical leads for providing a first switching state during one instance to apply operating power to said seed sensing means and a second switching state during another instance to remove operating power from said seed sensing means, sensing means on said earth treatment means for producing a first signal condition when said earth treatment means is dispensing material and for producing a second signal condition when said earth treatment means fails to dispense material, and circuit means coupled between said sensiNg means and said switch means for causing said switch means to be in said first switching state during said first signal condition for applying operating power to said seed sensor and in said second switching state during said second signal condition for removing operating power from said seed sensor, thereby giving an indication in said seed planter monitor that a malfunction has occurred in said earth treatment means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said switch means includes a transistor having base, emitter and collector electrodes, said emitter and collector electrodes forming a switching junction therebetween for providing closed and open circuit conditions when said transistor is conductive and non-conductive, respectively, said closed and open circuit conditions corresponding to said first and second switching states, respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
150 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said circuit means includes a first timing circuit of a first time duration to maintain said transistor conductive for applying operating voltage to said seed sensor during a time interval less than said first time duration and to render said transistor non-conductive for removing operating voltage from said seed sensor at a time interval greater than said first time duration, and a second timing circuit of a second time duration which is less than said first time duration, said second timing circuit being coupled to said first timing circuit and responsive to said sensing means for recycling said first timing circuit while said earth treatment means is dispensing material thereby restarting said first timing circuit at time intervals less than said first time duration, whereby said transistor is maintained in the conductive state for applying operating power to said seed sensor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
71 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said sensing means includes a shaft rotation sensing element for connection to a rotating shaft of said earth treatment means, whereby termination of rotation of said shaft of said earth treatment means will cause said sensing means to produce said second signal condition and interrupt operating power applied to said seed sensor thereby giving an indication of a malfunction in said apparatus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said shaft rotation sensing element includes a reed switch mounted in proximity to said shaft, and magnet means secured to said shaft for rotation therewith to actuate said reed switch as it passes in close proximity thereto during each revolution of said shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
132 words
A monitor for use with apparatus including a planter for planting seeds and a dispenser for dispensing material such as fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide and the like, comprising, first signal means responsive to a function of the seed planter for producing a first signal in accordance with seeds being planted, second signal means responsive to a function of the dispenser for producing a second signal in accordance with material being dispensed, indicating means responsive to said first signal, means electrically connecting said first signal means to said indicating means, and interrupting means electrically connecting said second signal means to said first signal means for interrupting said first signal therefrom to said indicating means, said indicating means being actuated in response to said first signal means and interruption thereof from said second signal means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
132 words
A monitor for use with apparatus including a planter for planting seeds and a dispenser for dispensing material such as fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide and the like, comprising, first signal means responsive to a function of the seed planter for producing a first signal in accordance with seeds being planted, second signal means responsive to a function of the dispenser for producing a second signal in accordance with material being dispensed, indicating means responsive to said first signal, means electrically connecting said first signal means to said indicating means, and interrupting means electrically connecting said second signal means to said first signal means for interrupting said first signal therefrom to said indicating means, said indicating means being actuated in response to said first signal means and interruption thereof from said second signal means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
A monitor for use with apparatus including a planter for planting seeds and a dispenser for dispensing materials such as fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide and the like, as set forth in claim 12 wherein said interrupting means includes switch means connected in circuit with said first signal means for interrupting operation thereof, thereby giving an indication of a malfunction of said dispenser in said indicating means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-17 | 1979-05-19 | 1979-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-17 | 1983-05-19 | 1983-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-17 | 1987-05-19 | 1987-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |