Air seed meter with adjustable singulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9277688-B2
Application number	US-201313829787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 23, 2012
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A seed metering system, for use on a row crop planter, selects individual seeds from a seed reservoir and dispenses the seeds singularly at a controlled rate. A direct drive seed metering system includes a seed disc having a plurality of suction apertures with a recessed pocket adjacent to an aperture. The recessed pockets act to agitate seeds in the seed reservoir and to direct seed flow towards the apertures. A seed path relief system provides for allowing the placement of the seeds such that they are released from an outer edge of the seed disc. An adjustable seed singulator is mounted adjacent to the face of the seed disc where inner and outer blades are adjusted radially to compensate for the singulation of various seed sizes and shapes. The seed disc is driven via engagement of an internal gear with the external gear of an independent drive motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air seed meter, comprising:
a housing including an inner chamber;
a disc mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis and having a plurality of seed cells spaced radially about the axis for retaining seeds; and
an adjustable singulator for eliminating seed multiples from said seed cells, said singulator including two blades adjacent to and at least partially surrounding the seed cells;
wherein the blades of the singulator are simultaneously adjustable such that a first blade is translated radially away from the axis while a second blade is adjusted radially toward the axis, and that the first blade is adjustable radially toward the axis while the second blade is adjusted radially away from the axis; and
said singulator comprising a curved rim portion extending perpendicular to the disc and at least partially biased towards the axis of the disc.

2. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the first blade is located radially inward from the seed cells and the second blade located radially outward of the seed cells.

3. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein said curved rim portion is positioned near the first blade and configured to substantially match the curvature of the disc.

4. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the first blade comprises at least one ramp extending from the blade and toward the axis.

5. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the second blade comprises at least one ramp extending from the blade and away from the axis.

6. The air seed meter of claim 1 further comprising a rotary adjustment operatively connected to the first and second blades, wherein rotation of the rotary adjustment adjusts the spacing between the first and second blades.

7. The air seed meter of claim 6 further comprising a first carriage attached to the first blade, and a second carriage attached to the second blade.

8. The air seed meter of claim 7 wherein the rotary adjustment includes at least one cam groove operatively connected to a protrusion of the first or second carriage, wherein the rotation of the rotary adjustment causes the cam groove to interact with the carriage to adjust the spacing between the first and second blades.

9. The air seed meter of claim 8 wherein at least one of the first or second carriages moves during rotation of the rotary adjustment.

10. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the first blade is biased toward the axis of the disc.

11. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the singulator further comprises attachment means for removably attaching the singulator to the housing.

12. A singulating mechanism for use with an air seed meter of an agricultural implement, the singulating mechanism positioned adjacent a seed disc having a radial array of seed cells, the mechanism comprising:
a first blade positioned adjacent an outer edge of the seed cells of the seed disc, and comprising at least one ramp extending toward the seed cells;
a second blade located adjacent an inner edge of the seed cells of the seed disc and comprising at least one ramp extending toward the seed cells;
wherein the first and second blades are both adjustable both toward and away from the seed cells to adjust the spacing between the ramps of the first and second blades; and
a curved rim portion extending perpendicular to the disc and at least partially biased towards the axis of the disc.

13. The singulating mechanism of claim 12 wherein the blades are simultaneously adjustable such that the first and second blade move together toward the array of seed cells or move together away from the array of seed cells.

14. The singulating mechanism of claim 13 further comprising a rotary adjustment operatively connected to the first and second blades and configured to adjust the distance between the first and second blades.

15. The singulating mechanism of claim 14 wherein the rotary adjustment comprises at least one cam groove in communication with either the first or the second blade, wherein rotation of the rotary adjustment adjusts the location of the first or second blade based upon the shape of the cam groove.

16. The singulating mechanism of claim 15 further comprising first and second carriages positioned between the first and second blades and the rotary adjustment, wherein the blades are connected to the carriages and the carriages are in communication with the cam groove.

17. The singulating mechanism of claim 12 wherein the curved rim portion is adjacent the first blade and configured to substantially match the curvature of the seed disc.

18. A combination seed disc and singulator, comprising:
the seed disc comprising a cylindrical member having a vacuum side and a seed reservoir side, the seed disc comprising a radial array of seed cells spaced from an axis;
the singulator comprising a first blade including at least one ramp positioned adjacent an outer edge of the seed cells and extending generally toward the axis, and a second blade including at least one ramp positioned adjacent an inner edge of the seed cells and extending generally away from the axis; and
a rotary adjustment operatively attached to the singulator such that rotation of the rotary adjustment adjusts the distance between the ramps of the first and second blades by moving at least one of the first or second blades; and
a curved rim portion extending perpendicular to the disc and at least partially biased towards the axis of the disc.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein rotation of the rotary adjustment causes simultaneous movement of the first and second blades either generally towards one another or generally away from one another.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein the curved rim portion is adjacent the first blade and configured to substantially match the curvature of the seed disc, and the singulator biased toward the axis of the seed disc.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Wilhelmi Matthew J
• Brockmann Kale J

Classifications

• A01C7/044

  Pneumatic seed wheels · CPC title

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title

• A01C7/125

  with bottom delivery of the seeds · CPC title

• A01C7/04 Primary

  Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices · CPC title