Front-mounted tank system and method

1 . An agricultural machine for distributing commodity to soil, comprising:

a tractor having a front end, a rear end, and a front frame movably coupled to the front end;

a main tank configured to store commodity;

an implement coupled to the rear end of the tractor, the implement including row units configured to distribute commodity received from the main tank to the soil;

a front tank configured to be supported above the ground by the front frame; and

a supply line configured to transfer additional commodity from the front tank to the main tank as commodity from the main tank is distributed to the soil via the row units,

wherein the front frame includes an upper portion and a lower portion;

wherein one of the upper portion and the front tank includes a hook, and the other of the upper portion and the front tank includes a bracket configured to receive the hook; and

wherein, when the hook is engaged with the bracket, the hook is configured to rotate relative to the bracket to engage the supply line with the front tank.

2 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the supply line includes an outlet coupled to the main tank and an inlet that is fixed to the front frame for movement therewith relative to the front end of the tractor.

3 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first actuation assembly including a first actuator configured to extend and retract to move the front frame relative to the front end of the tractor; and

a second actuation assembly separate from the first actuation assembly and including a second actuator configured to extend and retract to move the front frame relative to the front end of the tractor.

4 . The agricultural machine of claim 3 , wherein the first actuator of the first actuation assembly is configured to extend to move the front frame downward relative to the front end of the tractor and configured to retract to move the front frame upward relative to the front end of the tractor.

5 . The agricultural machine of claim 4 , wherein the second actuator of the second actuation assembly is configured to extend to move an upper portion of the front frame away from the front end of the tractor and configured to retract to move the upper portion of the front frame toward the front end of the tractor.

6 . The agricultural machine of claim 3 , wherein the first actuation assembly is pivotably coupled to the front end of the tractor and pivotably coupled to the lower portion of front frame.

7 . The agricultural machine of claim 6 , wherein the second actuation assembly is pivotably coupled to the front end of the tractor and pivotably coupled to the upper portion of the front frame.

8 . The agricultural machine of claim 6 , wherein the first actuation assembly includes a base that is pivotably coupled to the front end of the tractor; and

wherein the first actuator of the first actuation assembly is pivotably coupled to the base and to the front end of the tractor.

9 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gate movable relative to an outlet of the front tank between a closed position in which the gate blocks the outlet of the front tank and an open position in which the gate does not block the outlet of the front tank.

10 . The agricultural machine of claim 9 , further comprising:

a gate actuator fixed to the front frame for movement therewith relative to the front end of the tractor;

wherein the gate actuator is configured to move the gate from the closed position to the open position when engaged with the gate.

11 . The agricultural machine of claim 9 , further comprising a spring including a first end coupled to the gate for movement therewith and a second end fixed relative to the outlet of the front tank; and

wherein the spring is biased to maintain the gate in the closed position.

12 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , further comprising:

an airflow device coupled to the supply line and configured to provide airflow to urge commodity from the front tank to the main tank.

13 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , further comprising:

a sensor configured to measure at least one of: a volume of commodity in the main tank, a mass of commodity in the main tank, and a flow rate of commodity from the main tank; and

a controller operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to control the transfer of commodity from the front tank to the main tank based on at least one measurement from the sensor.

14 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is v-shaped.

15 . An agricultural machine for distributing commodity to soil, comprising:

a tractor having a front end, a rear end, and a front frame movably coupled to the front end, the front frame comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a first pair of brackets and the lower portion having a second pair of brackets, each bracket of the first and second pair of brackets having outer edges that converge to a middle portion of the bracket;

a main tank configured to store commodity;

a front tank configured to be supported above the ground by the front frame, the front tank having a first pair of cantilevers and a second pair of cantilevers;

an implement coupled to the rear end of the tractor, the implement including row units configured to distribute commodity received from the main tank to the soil; and

a supply line configured to transfer additional commodity from the front tank to the main tank as commodity from the main tank is distributed to the soil via the row units;

wherein the supply line includes an outlet coupled to the main tank and an inlet that is fixed to the front frame for movement therewith relative to the front end of the tractor, and

wherein the first and second pairs of cantilevers are configured to, in response to a movement of the front frame, self-center to the middle portion of, and rotate relative to, a corresponding bracket of the first and second pairs of brackets to engage the inlet of the supply line with an outlet of the front tank.

16 . The agricultural machine of claim 15 , further comprising:

a first actuation assembly including a first actuator configured to extend and retract to move the front frame relative to the front end of the tractor; and

a second actuation assembly separate from the first actuation assembly and including a second actuator configured to extend and retract to move the front frame relative to the front end of the tractor.

17 . The agricultural machine of claim 16 , wherein the first actuation assembly is pivotably coupled to the front end of the tractor and pivotably coupled to the lower portion of front frame; and

wherein the second actuation assembly is pivotably coupled to the front end of the tractor and pivotably coupled to the upper portion of the front frame.

18 . The agricultural machine of claim 15 , wherein the first pair of brackets each comprises a vertically oriented channel that receives a post from a corresponding cantilever of the first pair of cantilevers, and the second pair of brackets each comprises a horizontally oriented channel that receives a post from a corresponding cantilever of the second pair of cantilevers.

19 . A method for distributing commodity comprising:

engaging a front frame of a tractor with a front tank that has commodity therein;

pivoting the front frame relative to a front end of the tractor to engage a supply line, which is fixed to the front frame, with the front tank;

advancing a first bracket pair on an upper portion of the front frame and a second bracket pair on a lower portion of the front frame toward corresponding first and second cantilever pairs on the front tank such that (1) the first and second cantilever pairs self-center to middle portions of the first and second bracket pairs, respectively, and (2) hooks of the first cantilever pair rotate relative to brackets of the first bracket pair and posts of the second cantilever pair seat at middle portions of the second bracket pair as an inlet of the supply line engages with an outlet of the front tank; and

transferring commodity from the front tank to a main tank via the supply line after the supply line is engaged with the front tank.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein pivoting the front frame relative to the front end of the tractor includes:

adjusting a first actuator included in a first actuation assembly that is coupled to a lower portion of the front frame; and

adjusting a second actuator included in a second actuation assembly that is coupled to an upper portion of the front frame.