Air seed meter housing with seed path relief

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9313942-B2
Application number	US-201313829716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 23, 2012
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 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 a seed meter side and a vacuum side, said seed meter side including a seed pool wherein seed is deposited in the housing;
a disc mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis and having a plurality of seed cells spaced radially about the axis for seating and retaining seeds;
wherein the seed meter side of the housing further comprises an outer sidewall radially positioned from the axis of the housing and extending in the axial direction with at least a portion of the sidewall adjacent the seed pool offset radially outward from the remainder of the outer sidewall so as to provide seed additional room to move about and be drawn onto or against the seed cell of the disc; and
a relief member at least partially covering the offset portion of the housing.

2. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the portion of the outer sidewall that is offset spans the circumference prior to a point of singulation to the intersection with the discharge chute.

3. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the offset portion of the housing comprises at least one portion of the seed meter side of the housing.

4. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the disc comprises a chamfer adjacent the seed cells and a surface extending outwardly from the chamfer.

5. The air seed meter of claim 4 wherein the relief member extends generally inward from the sidewall of the housing.

6. The air seed meter of claim 5 wherein the relief member extends to a position adjacent the disc to create a false wall extending from the chamfer to increase distance from the seed cells to the sidewall of the housing.

7. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the offset portion of the housing is eccentric with the outer periphery of the housing.

8. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the relief member comprises a strip of material formed integrally with the housing.

9. The air seed meter of claim 1 wherein the relief member comprises a flexible member attached to a portion of the housing at or near the offset portion of the housing.

10. An air seed meter for an agricultural planter, comprising:
a housing comprising a seed meter housing member attached to a vacuum housing member, said seed meter side including a seed pool wherein seed is deposited in the housing;
the vacuum housing member comprising a sealed vacuum Chamber operatively connected to an air source;
the seed meter housing member comprising an outer wall radially positioned from the axis of the housing and extending in the axial direction and having an offset portion adjacent to the seed pool and at least a portion of the sealed vacuum chamber of the vacuum housing member;
a disc mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis and having a plurality of seed cells spaced radially about the axis for seating and retaining seeds, said seed cells configured to pass through the vacuum chamber; and
a relief member at least partially covering the offset portion of the seed meter housing and configured to aid in securing seed to the seed cells.

11. The air seed meter of claim 10 wherein the air source is a vacuum.

12. The air seed meter of claim 10 wherein the seed meter housing further comprises a seed chute near an end of the vacuum chamber and configured to direct release seed from the disc and towards an end use location.

13. The air seed meter of claim 10 wherein the disc comprises a chamfer adjacent the seed cells and a surface extending outwardly from the chamfer.

14. The air seed meter of claim 13 wherein the relief member extends generally inward from the sidewall of the seed meter housing and stopping near the chamfer of the disc.

15. The air seed meter of claim 13 wherein the seed cells are spaced evenly adjacent the chamfer, wherein the chamfer creates a false edge for retaining and releasing the seeds as the disc rotates.

16. The air seed meter of claim 10 wherein the relief member comprises a flexible member attached to a portion of the housing at or near the offset portion of the housing.

17. A housing of a seed metering system for use with an agricultural implement, comprising:
a seed meter housing member comprising an outer sidewall radially positioned from the axis of the housing and extending in the axial direction, a seed reservoir through the outer sidewall, and a seed chute extending from the outer sidewall, wherein the outer sidewall includes an eccentric offset portion adjacent the reservoir;
a vacuum housing operatively connected to the seed meter housing and comprising a sealed vacuum chamber operatively connected to an air source;
wherein the offset portion of the seed meter housing is adjacent at least a portion of the sealed vacuum chamber of the vacuum housing member; and
a relief member at least partially covering the offset portion of the seed meter housing and configured to aid in securing seed to the seed cells.

18. The housing of claim 17 further comprising bosses extending from a portion of the periphery of the seed meter housing and configured to selectively connect to connection members of the vacuum housing.

19. The housing of claim 17 wherein the relief member comprises a flexible member attached to a portion of the housing at or near the offset portion of the housing.

20. The housing of claim 17 wherein the vacuum housing farther comprises an ejector adjacent an end of the vacuum chamber.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Wilhelmi Matthew J
• Brockmann Kale J

Classifications

• A01C7/121 Primary

  for sowing seeds of different sizes · CPC title

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01C7/04 Primary

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

• A01C7/128

  Cell discs · CPC title

• A01C7/124

  with top delivery of the seeds · CPC title