Mobile material distribution system

Claim 2

Apparatus for controlling delivery of particulate material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the speed of the vehicle to maintain a selected mass per unit area comprising a distributor, means for delivering particulate material to the distributor along a predetermined path, means in said path responsive to the rate of mass flow of particulate material moving along said path to produce a signal proportional to the mass flow rate of particulate material, means for producing a signal proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle, means for comparing the signals and means responsive to the output of the last-named means to change the speed of the means for delivering the mass to the distributor so as to effect a uniform distribution of particulate material per unit area independently of the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising operator-controlled means for selecting the mass per unit area to be distributed.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising operator-controlled means for changing the speed of movement of the means for delivering material independently of the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for nullifying rapid fluctuations in the signals from the mass and road speed sensing means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising operator-controlled means for initialing a change in the feed rate independently of the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 comprising a timer for restoring the feed rate to its initial feed rate.

Claim 8

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of particulate material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle to thus maintain a constant mass per unit of area comprising a distributor, a conveyor for delivering particulate material to the distributor, means situated between the conveyor and the distributor for measuring the rate of mass flow of particulate material delivered from the conveyor to the distributor and producing a signal proportional thereto, means for measuring the ground speed of the vehicle and producing a signal proportional thereto, means for comparing the signals and means responsive to said compared signals to change the speed of the conveyor so as to compensate for changes in the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 9

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of particulate material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle to thus maintain a constant mass per unit of area comprising a distributor, a conveyor for delivering particulate material to the distributor, means situated between the conveyor and the distributor for measuring the rate of mass flow of particulate material delivered from the conveyor to the distributor and producing a signal proportional thereto, means for measuring the ground speed of the vehicle and producing a signal proportional thereto, means for comparing the signals and means responsive to said compared signals to change the speed of the conveyor so as to compensate for changes in the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 10

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle to thus maintain a constant mass per unit area comprising a distributor, a conveyor for delivering the material to the distributor, means situated between the conveyor and the distributor for measuring the rate of mass flow of material delivered by the conveyor to the distributor and producing a signal proportional thereto, said means comprising an inclined deflector plate supported adjacent the conveyor with its upper end at the delivery end of the conveyor, an inclined sensing plate supported on a pivot axis in an inclined position adjacent the lower end of the deflector plate in a position such that the lower end of the deflector plate gravitationally delivers material onto the sensing plate adjacent the said pivot axis thereof, said sensing plate being inclined in an opposite direction to the direction of inclination of the deflector plate with its lower end directly above the distributor, sensing means operable to produce a signal proportional to the mass of material sliding downwardly on said sensing plate to the distributor, means for producing a signal proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle, means for comparing the two signals and means responsive to the output of said last means for changing the speed of the conveyor so as to compensate for changes in the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 11

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle to thus maintain a constant mass per unit area comprising a distributor, a conveyor for delivering the material to the distributor, means situated between the conveyor and the distributor for measuring the rate of mass flow of material delivered by the conveyor to the distributor and producing a signal proportional thereto, said means comprising an inclined deflector plate supported adjacent the conveyor with its upper end at the delivery end of the conveyor, an inclined sensing plate supported on a pivot axis in an inclined position adjacent the lower end of the deflector plate in a position such that the lower end of the deflector plate gravitationally delivers material onto the sensing plate adjacent the said pivot axis thereof, said sensing plate being inclined in an opposite direction to the direction of inclination of the deflector plate with its lower end directly above the distributor, sensing means operable to produce a signal proportional to the mass of material sliding downwardly on said sensing plate to the distributor, means for producing a signal proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle, means for comparing the two signals and means responsive to the output of said last means for changing the speed of the conveyor so as to compensate for changes in the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said deflector plate and sensing plate are inclined at opposite angles of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the means situated between the conveyor and distributor is a sensor and wherein a closed loop feedback control system is employed wherein said sensor closes the loop.

Claim 14

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the speed of the vehicle to thus maintain delivery at a selected mass per unit of area comprising a distributor, a hopper for holding a quantity of material, a conveyor supported with its receiving end below the hopper, an inclined deflector supported with its upper and adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor, an inclined sensor pivotally supported adjacent the lower end of the deflector in a position such that the material sliding down the deflector is deposited onto the sensor substantially at the pivot axis, said sensor being inclined in the direction opposite that of the deflector and being supported with its lower end directly above the distributor, means operable by the sensor in response to a predetermined rate of mass flow to produce a predetermined signal, means operable by the speed of the vehicle to produce a signal, a motor for driving the conveyor and a comparator operable in response to both said signals to change the speed of the motor to increase the speed of the conveyor with an increase in the speed of the vehicle and to decrease the speed of the conveyor with a decrease in the speed of the vehicle.

Claim 15

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the speed of the vehicle to thus maintain delivery at a selected mass per unit of area comprising a distributor, a hopper for holding a quantity of material, a conveyor supported with its receiving end below the hopper, an inclined deflector supported with its upper and adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor, an inclined sensor pivotally supported adjacent the lower end of the deflector in a position such that the material sliding down the deflector is deposited onto the sensor substantially at the pivot axis, said sensor being inclined in the direction opposite that of the deflector and being supported with its lower end directly above the distributor, means operable by the sensor in response to a predetermined rate of mass flow to produce a predetermined signal, means operable by the speed of the vehicle to produce a signal, a motor for driving the conveyor and a comparator operable in response to both said signals to change the speed of the motor to increase the speed of the conveyor with an increase in the speed of the vehicle and to decrease the speed of the conveyor with a decrease in the speed of the vehicle.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein there is a vertically disposed chamber supported above the distributor with its lower end substantially concentric with the distributor and with its upper end adjacent the hopper, said chamber containing a side wall opening through which projects the discharge end of the conveyor and wherein the deflector and sensor are located within the chamber, one above the other, and extending downwardly in opposite directions from one side to the other.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein a bracket pivotally supported outside the chamber with a portion extending into the chamber pivotally supports the sensor and wherein there is a hydraulically-actuated transducer outside the chamber in engagement with the bracket at the opposite side of the pivot axis from the sensor plate which holds the sensor plate at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the conveyor is an endless means supported with one run parallel to the bottom of the hopper at the inside, said hopper being provided with an opening through which the run enters and an opening through which the run leaves and a doctor blade mounted at the opening through which endless means leaves controlling the thickness of the material on the surface of the belt.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said endless means is comprised of spaced parallel slats.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the means operable by the sensor plate is a hydraulically distended plunger protruding from a fixed hydraulic cylinder.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the position of engagement of the plunger with the bracket is adjustable relative to the pivot axis.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the conveyor is an auger.

Claim 23

Apparatus for controlling delivery of material from a hopper to a distributor comprising means for delivering material from the hopper to a flow path for gravitational delivery to the distributor means including an inclined support surface situated in said flow path which measures only the dead weight of the gravitationally flowing mass on said support surface for producing a signal substantially proportional only to the mass of material flowing on said support surface and hence the rate of mass flow at any given instant, said signal being produced in a manner which is substantially independent of impact forces of said material on said sensing means, and means operable by said signal to change the rate at which the means for delivering the material delivers material to maintain a predetermined selected flow of material along said flow path.

Claim 24

Apparatus for controlling delivery of material from a hopper to a distributor comprising means for delivering material from the hopper to a flow path for gravitational delivery to the distributor means including an inclined support surface situated in said flow path which measures only the dead weight of the gravitationally flowing mass on said support surface for producing a signal substantially proportional only to the mass of material flowing on said support surface and hence the rate of mass flow at any given instant, said signal being produced in a manner which is substantially independent of impact forces of said material on said sensing means, and means operable by said signal to change the rate at which the means for delivering the material delivers material to maintain a predetermined selected flow of material along said flow path.

Claim 27

The method according to claim 20 wherein sensing of the dead weight comprises the steps of pivotally supporting the downwardly inclined plate at a predetermined angle, receiving the material at substantially the pivot axis and sensing the displacement force of the inclined plate about said axis.

Claim 32

A method according to claim 23 comprising using a closed loop feedback control system and of using the sensing signals to close the loop.

Claim 33

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle to thus maintain a constant mass per unit area comprising a distributor, a conveyor for delivering the material to the distributor, means situated between the conveyor and distributor for measuring the rate of mass flow of material delivered by the conveyor to the distributor and producing a signal proportional thereto, said means comprising an inclined deflector plate supported adjacent the conveyor with is upper end at the delivery end of the conveyor, an inclined sensing plate supported in an inclined position adjacent the lower end of the deflector plate in a position such that the lower end of the deflector plate gravitationally delivers material onto the sensing plate, a sensor comprising servo means operable to produce a signal proportional to the mass of material sliding downwardly on said sensing plate to the distributor, means for producing a signal proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle, means for comparing the two signals and means responsive to the output of said last means for changing the speed of the conveyor so as to compensate for changes in the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 34

Apparatus for controlling the delivery of material from a vehicle at a rate proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle to thus maintain a constant mass per unit area comprising a distributor, a conveyor for delivering the material to the distributor, means situated between the conveyor and distributor for measuring the rate of mass flow of material delivered by the conveyor to the distributor and producing a signal proportional thereto, said means comprising an inclined deflector plate supported adjacent the conveyor with is upper end at the delivery end of the conveyor, an inclined sensing plate supported in an inclined position adjacent the lower end of the deflector plate in a position such that the lower end of the deflector plate gravitationally delivers material onto the sensing plate, a sensor comprising servo means operable to produce a signal proportional to the mass of material sliding downwardly on said sensing plate to the distributor, means for producing a signal proportional to the ground speed of the vehicle, means for comparing the two signals and means responsive to the output of said last means for changing the speed of the conveyor so as to compensate for changes in the ground speed of the vehicle.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said sensor comprises resistance means.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said sensor comprises a Bourdon gauge.

Claim 37

Apparatus for monitoring the flow of particulate flowable material as it is delivered to a receiving station comprising a supporting structure embodying a container of bulk particulate flowable material, means for delivering said particulate material from the container to flow by gravity through a flow path to said receiving station, sensing means interposed in said flow path, said sensing means having an inclined support surface situated in said flow path of said particulate material over which said particulate material slides by gravity flow for sensing a quantity substantially representative of the mass of said material sliding on said support surface and hence the rate of mass flow along said path at any given instant, said sensing means being responsive to measure variable flow rates and substantially insensitive to impact forces due to said flow, and utilization means for the sensed quantity representing the rate of mass flow.

Claim 38

Apparatus for monitoring the flow of particulate flowable material as it is delivered to a receiving station comprising a supporting structure embodying a container of bulk particulate flowable material, means for delivering said particulate material from the container to flow by gravity through a flow path to said receiving station, sensing means interposed in said flow path, said sensing means having an inclined support surface situated in said flow path of said particulate material over which said particulate material slides by gravity flow for sensing a quantity substantially representative of the mass of said material sliding on said support surface and hence the rate of mass flow along said path at any given instant, said sensing means being responsive to measure variable flow rates and substantially insensitive to impact forces due to said flow, and utilization means for the sensed quantity representing the rate of mass flow.

Claim 39

Apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said sensing means comprises an inclined deflector plate supported adjacent the delivery means, an inclined sensing plate supported on a pivot axis in an inclined position adjacent the lower end of said deflector plate in a position such that the lower end of the deflector plate gravitationally delivers material onto the sensing plate adjacent the said pivot axis thereof, and sensing means operable to produce a signal proportional to the mass of material sliding downwardly on said sensing plate.

Claim 40

Apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said sensing plate is inclined in a direction opposite to the direction of inclination of said deflector plate.

Claim 41

Apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said deflector plate and sensing plate are inclined at opposite angles of approximately 45° to the horizontal.