Metering device for agricultural product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11224158-B2
Application number	US-201916548451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2019
Priority date	Aug 22, 2019
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A metering device for dispensing agricultural product from a bin. The metering device comprises an upper housing and a lower housing removably engaged with the upper housings. The metering device further includes at least one metering wheel positioned within an interior space presented by the upper housing or the lower housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metering system for dispensing agricultural product from a bin, wherein said metering system comprises:
a plurality of metering devices configured to be secured to a bottom of the bin and configured to dispense agricultural product from the bin into or onto the ground, wherein each of said metering devices includes
an upper housing configured to be secured to the bin,
a lower housing removably engaged with said upper housing,
at least one metering wheel positioned within an interior space presented by said upper housing or said lower housing,

a calibration system configured to be positioned under two or more of said metering devices when lower housings of the two or more said metering devices are removed from respective upper housings, wherein upon the lower housings of the two or more said metering devices being removed from respective upper housings, said calibration system is configured to measure the dispensing of agricultural product from the two or more metering devices.

2. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein for each metering device said upper housing and said lower housing are removably engaged via a securement assembly.

3. The metering system of claim 2 , wherein for each metering device said securement assembly includes one or more protrusions extending from said upper housing and one or more receiving hooks extending from said lower housing.

4. The metering system claim 3 , wherein for each metering device when said lower housing is engaged with said upper housing, said one or more protrusions are received with said one or more receiving hooks.

5. The metering system of claim 2 , wherein for each metering device said securement assembly includes a spring lock for locking said lower housing in engagement with said upper housing.

6. The metering system claim 5 , wherein for each metering device said spring lock includes a cantilevered beam extending from said lower housing and a catch element extending from said upper housing.

7. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein for each metering device said lower housing is removable from said upper housing by hand, without the need for tools.

8. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein said upper housings of the two or more said metering devices are configured to be engaged with said calibration system.

9. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the bin comprises a seed bin associated with a seed drill.

10. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural product comprises seed.

11. An implement for dispensing agricultural product, said implement comprising:
a bin for holding the agricultural product;
a plurality of metering devices secured to a bottom of said bin and configured to dispense agricultural product from the bin into or onto the ground, wherein each of said metering devices includes
an upper housing secured to the bin,
a lower housing removably engaged with said upper housing,
at least one metering wheel positioned within an interior space presented by said upper housing or said lower housing; and

a calibration system configured to be positioned under two or more of said metering devices when lower housings of the two or more said metering devices are removed from respective upper housings, wherein upon the lower housings of the two or more said metering devices being removed from respective upper housings, said calibration system is configured to measure the dispensing of agricultural product from the two or more metering devices.

12. The implement of claim 11 , wherein said lower housing of each metering device is configured to be engaged with said respective upper housing via protrusions of said upper housing being received within receiving hooks of said lower housing.

13. The implement of claim 11 , wherein said lower housing of each metering device is configured to be locked in engagement with its respective upper housing via a spring lock, wherein said spring lock includes a cantilevered beam extending from said lower housing and a catch element extending from said upper housing.

14. The implement of claim 11 , wherein said lower housing is removable from said upper housing by hand, without the need for tools.

15. The implement of claim 11 , wherein said upper housings of the two or more said metering devices are configured to be engaged with said calibration system.

16. The implement of claim 11 , wherein said calibration system includes a tray configured to extend below the two or more said metering devices so as to collect agricultural product dispensed from the two or more said metering devices.

17. A method of dispensing agricultural product from an implement, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) conveying, via two or more metering device, agricultural product from a bin of the implement, wherein the two or more metering devices each comprise an upper housing secured to the bin, a lower housing removably engaged with the upper housing, and at least one metering wheel positioned within the upper housing or the lower housing;
(b) dispensing agricultural product from the two or more metering devices into or onto the ground;
(c) removing from each of the two or more metering devices, the lower housing from the upper housing, wherein said removing of step (c) is performed by hand and without tools; and
(d) upon said removing of step (c), positioning a calibration system under the two or more metering devices such that the calibration system can measure a rate at which the two or more metering devices dispense agricultural product from the bin.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said positioning of step (d) comprises attaching the calibration system to the upper housings of the two or more metering devices.

Assignees

• Great Plains Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Hubalek Verne A
• Potuzak Alex
• Obenland Dan J
• Spaeny Larry C
• Dunning Steven Gerald
• Stewart Matthew S

Classifications

• A01C7/127

  Cell rollers, wheels, discs or belts · CPC title

• A01C23/007

  Metering or regulating systems · CPC title

• A01C7/102 Primary

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title

• A01C7/12

  Seeders with feeding wheels · CPC title

• A01C7/107

  Calibration of the seed rate · CPC title