Nozzle attitude controller for spot and variable rate application of agricultural chemicals and fertilizers

• Main Authors: REED STEWART D, SOLIE JOHN B, STONE MARVIN L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.01.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUSPLANTS; CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; FERTILISING; FISHING; FORESTRY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; PLANTING; SOWING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRAPPING

A nozzle attitude controller for use in connection with a farming apparatus for precision farming, the apparatus comprising an applicator vehicle, a boom supported by and extending across the rear of the vehicle, a manifold rotatably supported by the boom, a plurality of nozzles disposed from the manifold and oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the vehicle, but disposed at an angle with respect to the horizontal, the attitude controller including a linear actuator operated by a stepper motor and a radar sensor which connects to the stepper motor and which measures the speed of the vehicle such that pulses from the radar sensor to the stepper motor moves the linear actuator to change the angle of the nozzle so that the horizontal component of its velocity is equal and opposite to the speed of the vehicle.