Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080250993 | SEED DISK FOR A SEED METER - A seed metering system having a housing and a disk rotatably positioned within the housing and having a plurality of holes extending from a first face to a second face thereof, the holes being substantially uniformly placed from one another around the circumference of the disk and each sized to receive a single seed. A pressure differential is maintained between the first and second face of the disk within the housing, the pressure on the first face being higher than the pressure on the second face to urge seeds against the first face of the disk. A plurality of seeds are distributed against the first face of the disk, whereby the pressure differential substantially urges a single seed into a single hole on the disk. A device is provided for releasing the single seeds from the holes on the disk at substantially the same location for sequential distribution of seeds. The plate has a protrusion to interrupt each of the holes, the protrusion having at least a portion thereof substantially in the plane of the intersection between the first face and the holes for preventing seeds to be retained within the holes to promote unimpeded release of the seeds, the area of the protrusion within the plane being selected to permit the maintenance of a pressure differential between the first and second faces of the plate. | 10-16-2008 |
20090025620 | SEED METER WITH FLEXIBLE SEED DISC - A seed meter for use in an agricultural seeding machine includes a housing having an inner chamber and one or more deflectors within the inner chamber, and a seed disc rotatably carried by the housing. The seed disc includes at least a portion thereof formed from a flexible material which is deflectable by the one or more deflectors during rotation within the housing. | 01-29-2009 |
20090255697 | OPENER DISK BLADE SCRAPER HINGE GEOMETRY TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH DEFLECTED DISK BLADE - An agricultural machine includes a disk blade assembly having a hub and a disk blade mounted to the hub. The hub has a perimeter. The disk blade is deflectable by ground forces in an area outside of the hub. A scraper assembly includes a mount, a scraper blade, and a hinge pivotally interconnecting the scraper blade with the mount. The hinge has an axis of rotation which passes through a point generally at or near a bottom of the hub perimeter, and generally coincident with the disk blade. | 10-15-2009 |
20100116185 | SEED METER WITH FLEXIBLE SEED DISC - A seed meter for use in an agricultural seeding machine includes a housing having an inner chamber and one or more deflectors within the inner chamber, and a seed disc rotatably carried by the housing. The seed disc includes at least a portion thereof formed from a flexible material which is deflectable by the one or more deflectors during rotation within the housing. | 05-13-2010 |
20100192818 | Differential Pressure Seed Meter With An Endless Belt Seed Transport Member - A seed meter is provided having an endless belt as a seed transport member together with a pressure differential to hold the seed onto the belt. The use of an endless belt as the seed transport member enables the spatial orientation of the seed transport member to vary from location to location along the path of the belt where different seed meter functions are performed. The belt allows greater freedom in determining the location of the seed pick-up region and the seed release or removal region beyond the constraints of a fixed diameter seed disk. The belt further allows for a narrow envelope seed meter which can cross-feed seed into a substantially vertically oriented delivery device. | 08-05-2010 |
20100192819 | Seeding Machine With Seed Delivery System - A seed delivery system for use in a seeding or planting machine that removes the seed from a seed meter by capturing the seed therefrom. The delivery system then moves the seed down to a lower discharge point and accelerates the seed horizontally rearward to a speed approximately equal to the forward travel speed of the seeding machine such that the seed, when discharged has a low or zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. Rolling of the seed in the trench is thus reduced. Furthermore, as the seed only has a short drop from the outlet to the bottom of the seed trench, the seed has little vertical speed to induce bounce. The delivery system uses a brush belt to capture, move and accelerate the seed. By capturing the seed and moving it from the meter to the discharge, the seed is held in place relative to other seeds and the planter row unit. As a result, the seeds are isolated from row unit dynamics thereby maintaining seed spacing. | 08-05-2010 |
20100192821 | SEED DELIVERY APPARATUS WITH SENSOR AND MOVING MEMBER TO CAPTURE AND MOVE SEED TO A LOWER OUTLET OPENING - A seed delivery apparatus has a moving member that captures and entraps the seed from the seed meter and physically moves the seed from the meter to the lower outlet opening. In so doing, the seed engages and travels along an interior surface of the seed delivery apparatus. A seed sensor is mounted on the housing wall such that the seed passes directly in front of the sensor. The sensor has both the light emitting devices and the photo-sensitive elements on the same wall of the delivery apparatus, or on two opposed walls. The moving member prevents ambient light, dust and dirt from entering the housing and impacting the sensor output signal. | 08-05-2010 |
20100294612 | ADJUSTABLE SEED METER DRIVE COUPLING - A seed meter for a planting machine is provided with an adjustable drive coupling between the seed meter and the planting machine main drive. The drive coupling includes a drive member connected to the planter drive and a driven member coupled to the seed meter shaft. The drive member and driven member are drivingly engagable with one another and held into the engaged position by a biasing member. The drive member and driven member are selectively movable relative to one another to a disengaged position, enabling adjustment of the seed meter relative to the drive by rotation of the meter shaft. Once released, the coupling self-engages. | 11-25-2010 |
20110185956 | Endless belt seed transport member for a differential pressure seed meter - A seed meter is provided having an endless belt as a seed transport member together with a pressure differential to hold the seed onto the belt. The use of an endless belt as the seed transport member enables the spatial orientation of the seed transport member to vary from location to location along the path of the belt where different seed meter functions are performed. The belt allows greater freedom in determining the location of the seed pick-up region and the seed release or removal region beyond the constraints of a fixed diameter seed disk. The belt further allows for a narrow envelope seed meter which can cross-feed seed into a substantially vertically oriented delivery device. | 08-04-2011 |
20110232554 | SEEDING MACHINE WITH SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A seed delivery system for use in a seeding or planting machine that removes the seed from a seed meter by capturing the seed therefrom. The delivery system then moves the seed down to a lower discharge point and accelerates the seed horizontally rearward to a speed approximately equal to the forward travel speed of the seeding machine such that the seed, when discharged has a low or zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. Rolling of the seed in the trench is thus reduced. Furthermore, as the seed only has a short drop from the outlet to the bottom of the seed trench, the seed has little vertical speed to induce bounce. The delivery system uses a brush belt to capture, move and accelerate the seed. By capturing the seed and moving it from the meter to the discharge, the seed is held in place relative to other seeds and the planter row unit. As a result, the seeds are isolated from row unit dynamics thereby maintaining seed spacing. | 09-29-2011 |
20120067260 | PLANTING UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE HAVING BLOCKING MEMBER TO CONTROL HAND-OFF OF SEED FROM A SEED METER TO A SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A planting unit for a seeding machine having a seed meter with a metering member that moves seed sequentially along a first path to a release position at which the seed is moving in a first direction and a delivery system adapted to take seed from the metering member at the release position and control movement of the seed from the seed meter to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine. The delivery system, at the release position, moves seed in a second direction along a second path. A blocking member located adjacent the first path immediately preceding the release position prevents movement of the seed in the second direction until the seed has passed the blocking member | 03-22-2012 |
20120067261 | PLANTING UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE HAVING A SEED METER WITH A DOWNWARDLY FACING METERING MEMBER AND A SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A planting unit for a seeding machine having a seed meter with a metering member. The metering member has a sidewall with inner and outer surfaces and apertures extending through the sidewall. The metering member is adapted to adhere seed to the apertures to sequentially move seed to a release position at which the inner surface of the sidewall is facing downward such the seed is hanging beneath the sidewall. A mechanical seed delivery system takes seed from the metering member at the release portion and controls movement, of seed from the seed meter to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine. | 03-22-2012 |
20120111247 | ROW UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE - A seeding machine row unit having a seed meter with an endless belt as a seed transport member. A pressure differential holds the seed onto the belt. The belt allows greater freedom in determining the location of the seed pick-up region and the seed release or removal region beyond the constraints of a fixed diameter seed disk. The row unit further includes a delivery system using a brush belt to move metered seed from the meter to the ground. | 05-10-2012 |
20120240837 | METERING MEMBER FOR A SEED METER - A metering member for a seed meter having a with a sidewall formed with an radially outward and axially flared rim portion is provided. A plurality of apertures extend though the rim portion to which seed is adhered. The metering member is oriented at an angle to the vertical such that an upper portion of the metering member extends beyond a lower portion of the metering member. This orientation allows a seed delivery system to extend into the interior of the metering member and cooperate with the overhanging metering member to remove seed therefrom. | 09-27-2012 |
20120240838 | PLANTING UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE HAVING A SEED METER AND SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A planting unit for a seeding machine is disclosed having a frame member and a seed meter mounted thereto. The seed meter has a housing and a metering member rotatably mounted therein. The metering member has a sidewall with an inner surface and an outer surface and a rim portion adjacent an outer edge of the sidewall. The inner surface of the side wall and the housing form a trough at a bottom portion of the metering member to hold a seed pool. A mechanical seed delivery system takes seed from the metering member and moves seed to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine. | 09-27-2012 |
20120298023 | ROW UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE - A seeding machine row unit having a seed meter with an endless belt as a seed transport member. A pressure differential holds the seed onto the belt. The belt allows greater freedom in determining the location of the seed pick-up region and the seed release or removal region beyond the constraints of a fixed diameter seed disk. The row unit further includes a delivery system using a brush belt to move metered seed from the meter to the ground. | 11-29-2012 |
20130036956 | SEEDING MACHINE WITH SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A seed delivery system for use in a seeding machine that removes seed from a seed meter by capturing seed therefrom. The delivery system moves seed down to a lower discharge point and accelerates seed horizontally rearward to a speed approximately equal to the forward travel speed of the machine such that the seed, when discharged has a low or zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. The delivery system uses a brush belt to capture, move and accelerate the seed. By capturing the seed and moving it from the meter to the discharge, each seed is held in place relative to other seeds and the planter row unit. As a result, the seeds are isolated from row unit dynamics thereby maintaining seed spacing. | 02-14-2013 |
20130298810 | SEEDING MACHINE WITH SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A seeding machine with a seed meter and a seed delivery system for moving seed from a seed meter to a furrow formed in the soil. The delivery system has an endless member moving in a housing about pulleys to move seed from an upper opening in the housing to a lower discharge opening. In one embodiment, a loading wheel at the upper opening to the housing engages seed on a metering disk to move seed into the housing. The metering disk and housing can be arranged in planes parallel to one another. | 11-14-2013 |
20140182494 | WEAR LINER FOR SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A wear liner is described for a seed delivery system housing containing a transport mechanism for moving seed along a seed path through the delivery system housing. The liner may include a wear liner insert extending along a portion of the seed path within the delivery, the wear liner insert including a wear surface interposed between the transport mechanism and the seed delivery system housing to protect at least one of the seed and the seed delivery system housing from wear. In certain embodiments, various features of the liner may extend outside the seed delivery system housing, to further protect the housing. | 07-03-2014 |
20140196642 | PLANTING UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE HAVING BLOCKING MEMBER TO CONTROL HAND-OFF OF SEED FROM A SEED METER TO A SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A planting unit for a seeding machine having a seed meter with a metering member that moves seed sequentially along a first path to a release position at which the seed is moving in a first direction and a delivery system adapted to take seed from the metering member at the release position and control movement of the seed from the seed meter to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine. The delivery system, at the release position, moves seed in a second direction along a second path. A blocking member located adjacent the first path immediately preceding the release position prevents movement of the seed in the second direction until the seed has passed the blocking member | 07-17-2014 |
20140290546 | SEEDING MACHINE WITH SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A seeding machine with a seed meter and a seed delivery system for moving seed from a seed meter to a furrow formed in the soil. The delivery system has an endless member moving in a housing about pulleys to move seed from an upper opening in the housing to a lower discharge opening. In one embodiment, a blocking loading surface guides seed from the metering member of the seed meter and into the delivery system. | 10-02-2014 |
20150013581 | PLANTING UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE HAVING A SEED METER AND SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM - A planting unit for a seeding machine is disclosed having a frame member and a seed meter mounted thereto. The seed meter has a housing and a metering member rotatably mounted therein. The metering member has a sidewall with an inner surface and an outer surface and a rim portion adjacent an outer edge of the sidewall. The inner surface of the side wall and the housing form a trough at a bottom portion of the metering member to hold a seed pool. A mechanical seed delivery system takes seed from the metering member and moves seed to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine. | 01-15-2015 |