Seed delivery apparatus, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8985037-B2
Application number	US-201214347902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2012
Priority date	Sep 27, 2011
Publication date	Mar 24, 2015
Grant date	Mar 24, 2015

Abstract

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevation view of a single row unit ( 10 ) of a conventional row crop planter such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. As is well known in the art, the row units ( 10 ) are mounted in spaced relation along the length of a transverse toolbar ( 12 ) by a parallel linkage ( 14 ), comprised of upper and lower parallel arms ( 16, 18 ) pivotally mounted at their forward ends to the transverse toolbar ( 12 ) and at their rearward end to the row unit frame ( 20 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seed delivery apparatus to deliver seed to a planting surface, comprising:
a seed meter configured to entrain and release the seed from a seed disc at a seed release location;
a seed conveyor disposed to receive the seed after the seed is released from said seed disc at an upper end of said seed conveyor, said seed conveyor including a belt configured to convey the seed from said upper end to a lower end of said seed conveyor and release the seed with a rearward velocity relative to said seed conveyor; and
a first loading wheel disposed adjacent to said seed release location, said loading wheel being driven for rotation, wherein said loading wheel is disposed to urge the seed toward the belt, wherein said belt includes a first flight and a second flight, wherein said belt includes a flight gap between said first flight and said second flight, and wherein said first loading wheel is disposed such that the seed is released from contact with said loading wheel prior to entering said flight gap.

2. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , further including:
a guide surface disposed to guide the seed toward said first loading wheel, wherein said seed disc defines a seed surface, and wherein said guide surface is disposed to limit travel of the seed in a direction parallel to said seed surface after the seed is released at the seed release location.

3. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the seed travels in a circular seed path while entrained on said seed disc, and wherein said surface intersects said circular seed path.

4. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , further including:
a second loading wheel disposed adjacent to said first loading wheel such that a gap between said first loading wheel and said second loading wheel is disposed adjacent to said seed release location.

5. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 4 , further including:
a surface disposed to guide the seed toward said gap.

6. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said first loading wheel is compressed radially as the seed enters said gap.

7. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said first loading wheel and said second loading wheel are disposed to eject the seed along a seed path.

8. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said seed path intersects a descending portion of said belt.

9. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seed freefalls along said seed path.

10. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , further including:
a motor configured to drive an output gear;
a first loading wheel drive gear configured to drive said first loading wheel; and
a conveyor drive gear configured to drive said belt, wherein said motor operably drives said first loading wheel drive gear, and wherein said motor operably drives said conveyor drive gear.

11. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 10 , further including:
a second loading wheel disposed adjacent to said first loading wheel such that a gap between said first loading wheel and said second loading wheel is disposed adjacent to said seed release location; and
a second loading wheel drive gear configured to drive said second loading wheel,
wherein said motor operably drives said second loading wheel drive gear and wherein said motor operably drives said conveyor drive gear.

12. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said first loading wheel has a first tangential speed at an outer perimeter of the first loading wheel, wherein said second loading wheel has a second tangential speed at an outer perimeter of the second loading wheel, and where said first tangential speed is approximately equal to said second tangential speed for each speed of said motor.

13. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said first loading wheel is compressed radially as the seed enters said gap.

14. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 11 , further including:
a surface disposed to guide the seed toward said gap.

15. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , further including a seed sensor disposed to detect passing seeds on the belt.

16. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 15 , further including:
a first sidewall disposed laterally adjacent to said belt on a first side, said first sidewall having a first sensor opening; and
a second sidewall disposed laterally adjacent to said belt on a second side, said second sidewall having a second sensor opening substantially aligned with said first sensor opening,
wherein said seed sensor comprises an optical transmitter mounted to the first sidewall and an optical receiver mounted to the second sidewall, said optical transmitter being disposed to send an optical signal through said first sensor opening and said second sensor opening, said optical receiver being disposed to receive said optical signal.

17. A method of delivering a seed from a seed meter to a planting surface, comprising:
capturing a seed with the seed meter;
driving a seed conveyor;
releasing the seed;
capturing the seed between a first loading wheel and a second loading wheel;
ejecting the seed from between the first loading wheel and the second loading wheel;
receiving the seed in a seed conveyor;
conveying the seed to a lower end of said seed conveyor; and
releasing the seed onto the planting surface.

18. The method of claim 17 , further including:
decreasing a horizontal velocity of the seed by allowing the seed to travel along a surface disposed at a lower end of said seed conveyor.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said seed conveyor includes a belt having flights.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the seed is released at a seed release location, wherein the seeds are captured between the first loading wheel and the second loading wheel at a seed capture location, and wherein the seed release location is located above and adjacent to the seed capture location.

Assignees

• Prec Planting Llc

Inventors

• Radtke Ian R
• Hodel Jeremy J

Classifications

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title

• A01C7/105

  Seed sensors · CPC title

• A01C7/20

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01C7/127

  Cell rollers, wheels, discs or belts · CPC title