Seed meter assembly and metering member for small grains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297761-B2
Application number	US-201916409418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2019
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A seed meter assembly includes a motor, a seed reservoir, and a metering member having a seed side facing the seed reservoir and a non-seed side. The motor is configured to drive the metering member in a rotational direction moving from upstream towards downstream. The metering member includes a plurality of apertures for picking up seeds from the seed reservoir under the influence of a pressure differential. A cell diverges from an aperture of the plurality of apertures towards the seed side to define a surface recessed therefrom. The cell is configured to receive one of the seeds and is elongated between a first end defining a furthest extent of the cell in an upstream direction and a second end defining a furthest extent of the cell in a downstream direction. The aperture of the plurality of apertures is disposed closer to the second end than to the first end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seed metering member rotatable about an axis in a rotational direction, the seed metering member comprising:
a seed side configured to face a seed reservoir and a non-seed side opposite the seed side;
a plurality of apertures for picking up seeds under the influence of a pressure differential; and
a cell diverging from one aperture of the plurality of apertures towards the seed side to define a surface recessed from the seed side, the cell configured to receive one seed, the cell further being elongated between a first end defining a furthest extent of the cell in a trailing direction and a second end defining a furthest extent of the cell in a leading direction, wherein the one aperture is disposed closer to the second end than to the first end.

2. A seed meter assembly comprising:
a motor;
a seed reservoir configured to support seeds; and
the seed metering member of claim 1 configured to be driven by the motor in the rotational direction moving from upstream towards downstream.

3. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the cell has a semi-circular outline combined with a semi-oval or semi-elliptical outline.

4. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the surface curvedly extends from the first end to the aperture and curvedly extends from the aperture to the second end.

5. The seed metering member of claim 4 , wherein the surface includes a steeper recessing slope adjacent the first and second ends than adjacent the aperture.

6. The seed metering member of claim 1 , further comprising at least one brush disposed adjacent the seed side of the metering member and configured to sweep across the cell from the second end to the first end as the metering member rotates.

7. The seed metering member of claim 6 , wherein the at least one brush includes a brush disposed proximate an upper boundary of the seed reservoir.

8. The seed metering member of claim 6 , wherein the at least one brush includes a brush disposed above the seed reservoir configured to return excess seeds to the seed reservoir by agitation and gravity.

9. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the metering member is operable to transport at least 70 seeds per second from the seed reservoir to a delivery conduit extending from the metering member towards the ground.

10. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the metering member is operable to transport 200 or more seeds per second from the seed reservoir to a delivery conduit extending from the metering member towards the ground.

11. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the metering member is operable to transport 590 to 670 seeds per second from the seed reservoir to a delivery conduit extending from the metering member towards the ground.

12. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the metering member is operable to transport 610 to 650 seeds per second from the seed reservoir to a delivery conduit extending from the metering member towards the ground.

13. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures includes a plurality of rows of apertures.

14. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the cell is shaped to receive wheat.

15. The seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein each cell has a semi-circular outline combined with a semi-oval or semi-elliptical outline, wherein the semi-circular outline is disposed generally around a first half of the aperture and the semi-oval or semi-elliptical outline is disposed generally around a second half of the aperture.

16. A seed meter assembly comprising:
a motor;
a seed reservoir configured to support seeds;
the seed metering member of claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to drive the seed metering member in a rotational direction, the seed metering member including a plurality of rows of the plurality of apertures; and
a kickout wheel assembly disposed on the non-seed side of the seed metering member for clearing the plurality of rows of the plurality of apertures, the kickout wheel assembly including a plurality of kickout wheels independently journaled for rotation, each kickout wheel of the plurality of kickout wheels having projections configured to mesh with a respective one row of the plurality of rows of the plurality of apertures and to rotate at different speeds as the metering member rotates.

17. The seed meter assembly of claim 16 , wherein each kickout wheel of the plurality of kickout wheels has a different diameter and a different number of projections.

18. The seed meter assembly of claim 16 , wherein the number of apertures in each row of the plurality of rows is different, and wherein the number of projections on each kickout wheel of the plurality of kickout wheels is different.

19. The seed meter assembly of claim 16 , wherein the number of apertures in each row of the plurality of rows increases as the plurality of rows extends radially outwards on the metering member, and wherein the number of projections on each kickout wheel of the plurality of kickout wheels increases as the kickout wheels extend radially outwards with respect to the metering member.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Garner Elijah B
• Wolfs Beth A
• Samuelson Jerry

Classifications

• A01C7/0445

  Seed ejectors · CPC title

• A01C7/0443

  Seed singulators · CPC title

• A01C7/046 Primary

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C7/14 Primary

  Seeders with spoon or bucket wheels · CPC title

• A01C7/082

  Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders · CPC title