The invention provides an unloading system which can be arranged to move a bin or box a distance away from metering equipment of an agricultural machine, such as a dry pneumatic applicator, to allow access to bottom oriented-gates of the bin and retractable chutes for directing particulate material out of the bin and away from the machine. In one aspect, the bin can be lifted or vertically raised by one or more cylinders to allow access to the bottom gates and allow gravity to empty the material from the box, through the bottom gates, down one or more chutes directed to a particular area. One or more hoppers of the bin, typically 1 to 4, can each have a bottom positioned slide gate or door that can be operated to expose a chute for emptying the material out of the box.

A metering bank for an air cart. The metering bank includes metering bank frame and a plurality of meter modules disposed laterally adjacent to one another in the metering bank frame. Each of the plurality of meter modules is independently removable from the metering bank in a direction generally parallel with the forward direction of travel of the air cart. Each of the plurality of meter module includes a metering mechanism.

A meter module for metering a product in communication with the meter module. The meter module includes a meter housing portion and a lower chamber portion, the meter housing portion having a top opening through which the product enters the meter housing portion. A metering mechanism is disposed in the meter housing portion and is rotatably driven by an electric motor about a longitudinal axis. As the metering mechanism rotates about the longitudinal axis, the metering mechanism meters the product into the lower chamber portion, the metered product exits the lower chamber portion through a bottom opening in the lower chamber portion. The lower chamber portion may include a flow sensor and/or internal structure to capture and weigh the metered product before exiting through the bottom.

A sectional control funnel box (36) includes a box body having an upper receiving portion (42) for receiving particulate matter and a plurality of chutes (66) extending from the upper receiving potion. At least one blocker door (46) is disposed between the upper receiving portion and at least one of the chutes, and the blocker door is movable between an open state and a closed state. An actuator (58) is connected to the blocker door and configured to drive the blocker door between the open state and the closed state. An auger (48) is disposed in the upper receiving portion to evenly distribute particulate material within the upper receiving portion.

This abstract is based on an alternate, improvement control method, to assist the drivers who have had, or recently discovered they have hand or finger disabilities and can no longer use our easy grab ball control disc, because it is too difficult for them to pull against some of the low-end spreader models that use very heavy springs to keep the tow-behind spreader center-column-handle-lever in place, each time the slide gate porthole chute is repositioned.

This alternate control method consists of two (2) improved, modified control discs, that incorporates (fulcrum pivot mechanics) to be used in the event the operator's hand has arthritis, carpel tunnel, difficulty in closing fingers, fist, or other hand deficiencies, which makes them unable to pull and use our original twine line grab ball control disc, against the heavy force of those springs installed by the manufacturer.

These two (2) improved fulcrum-pivot-design controls will make it very easy for the driver to still open and close the slide gate porthole chute from the driver's seat, because they use (fulcrum physics) less force to move a heavier load.

The invention provides an unloading system which can be arranged to move a bin or box a distance away from metering equipment of an agricultural machine, such as a dry pneumatic applicator, to allow access to bottom oriented-gates of the bin and retractable chutes for directing particulate material out of the bin and away from the machine. In one aspect, the bin can be lifted or vertically raised by one or more cylinders to allow access to the bottom gates and allow gravity to empty the material from the box, through the bottom gates, down one or more chutes directed to a particular area. One or more hoppers of the bin, typically 1 to 4, can each have a bottom positioned slide gate or door that can be operated to expose a chute for emptying the material out of the box.

A method of calibrating a metering system having a plurality of meter modules. Each of the meter modules includes an auger in communication with a product, the auger is driven by an electric motor. The method includes loading the auger with the product, discharging a metered quantity of the product from the auger by actuating the electric motor to drive the auger at a predetermined rotational speed for a predetermined number of auger revolutions. The discharged metered quantity of the product is captured with the capture structure. A load cell generates a signal magnitude correlating a known mass to obtain a derived mass value. A controller calculates a mass per auger revolution (MPR) value. The MPR values of each of the plurality of meter modules is summed and stored in memory. A derived application rate is calculated and compared to the derived application rate.

A particulate material agitation control system includes a metering system and an agitation control system. The metering system includes a first meter at a first position of the metering system and a second meter at a second position of the metering system. The agitation control system an agitating system and a controller having a memory and a processor. The agitating system includes a drive system. The controller is configured to determine a first output amount of particulate material at the first position, determine a second output amount of the particulate material at the second position, determine whether a difference between the first output amount and the second output amount is greater than an output difference threshold value, and output an activation signal to the agitating system indicative of instructions to activate the drive system in response to determining that the difference between the first output amount and the second output amount is greater than the output difference threshold value.

A particulate material agitation control system includes a metering system and an agitation control system. The metering system includes a first meter at a first position of the metering system and a second meter at a second position of the metering system. The agitation control system an agitating system and a controller having a memory and a processor. The agitating system includes a drive system. The controller is configured to determine a first output amount of particulate material at the first position, determine a second output amount of the particulate material at the second position, determine whether a difference between the first output amount and the second output amount is greater than an output difference threshold value, and output an activation signal to the agitating system indicative of instructions to activate the drive system in response to determining that the difference between the first output amount and the second output amount is greater than the output difference threshold value.

A sectional control funnel box includes a box body having an upper receiving portion for receiving particulate matter and a plurality of chutes extending from the upper receiving portion. At least one blocker door is disposed between the upper receiving portion and at least one of the chutes, and the blocker door is movable between an open state and a closed state. An actuator is connected to the blocker door and configured to drive the blocker door between the open state and the closed state. An auger is disposed in the upper receiving portion to evenly distribute particulate material within the upper receiving portion.