Planting unit for a seeding machine having blocking member to control hand-off of seed from a seed meter to a seed delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9510502-B2
Application number	US-201414215182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2014
Priority date	Feb 2, 2009
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A planting unit for a seeding machine having a seed meter with a metering member that moves seed sequentially along a first path to a release position at which the seed is moving in a first direction and a delivery system adapted to take seed from the metering member at the release position and control movement of the seed from the seed meter to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine. The delivery system, at the release position, moves seed in a second direction along a second path. A blocking member located adjacent the first path immediately preceding the release position prevents movement of the seed in the second direction until the seed has passed the blocking member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seed delivery apparatus for transferring seed to a furrow, the seed delivery apparatus secured to a seeding machine, the seed delivery apparatus comprising:
a housing having a first opening through which seed is received and a second opening through which seed exits;
an endless member positioned within the housing; and
a drive member operably configured to control the movement of the endless member in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine,
wherein the seeding machine is operable in a seeding direction at a first seeding speed and at a second seeding speed, and wherein the drive member is configured to discharge seed with a directional component equal and opposite to the seeding direction and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the first seeding speed in a first mode and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the second seeding speed in a second mode.

2. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seeding machine is operable in a seeding direction and at seeding speed, and wherein the drive member is configured to discharge seed with a directional component equal and opposite to the seeding direction and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the seeding speed.

3. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive member is operable at a first speed and at a second speed different than the first speed.

4. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive member is a variable speed drive member.

5. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive member is a first drive member operable at a first speed, and further including a second drive member operable at a second speed and configured to control movement of the endless member in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine.

6. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive member speed is proportional to movement of the seeding machine.

7. A seed delivery apparatus for transferring seed to a furrow, the seed delivery apparatus secured to a seeding machine, the seed delivery apparatus comprising:
a housing having a first opening through which seed is received and a second opening through which seed exits;
an endless member positioned within the housing; and
a drive member operably configured to control a discharge of seed from the second opening in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine,
wherein the seeding machine is operable in a seeding direction at a first seeding speed and at a second seeding speed, and wherein the drive member is configured to discharge seed with a directional component equal and opposite to the seeding direction and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the first seeding speed in a first mode and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the second seeding speed in a second mode.

8. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seeding machine is operable in a seeding direction and at seeding speed, and wherein the drive member is configured to discharge seed with a directional component equal and opposite to the seeding direction and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the seeding speed.

9. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the seeding machine is operable in a first mode at a first seeding speed and in a second mode at a second seeding speed, and wherein the drive member is configured to discharge the seed with a first seed spacing in the furrow during the first mode and is further configured to discharge the seed with a second seed spacing in the furrow during the second mode, wherein the second seed spacing approximately equals the first seed spacing.

10. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the drive member is operable at a first speed and at a second speed different than the first speed.

11. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the drive member is a variable speed drive member.

12. The seed delivery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the drive member is a first drive member operable at a first speed, and further including a second drive member operable at a second speed and configured to control the movement of the endless member in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine.

13. A method of transferring seed to a furrow with a seed delivery apparatus secured to a seeding machine, the method comprising:
receiving a seed into a housing through a first opening;
controlling movement of the seed within the housing in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine;
conveying the seed from the first opening to a second opening; and
discharging the seed through the second opening directly to the furrow,
wherein the seeding machine is operable in a seeding direction and at a seeding speed, and wherein discharging the seed through the second opening means discharging the seed with a directional component equal and opposite to the seeding direction and at a speed in the directional component approximately equal to the seeding speed.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling movement of the seed within the housing means controlling movement of an endless member positioned within the housing.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling movement of the seed within the housing means controlling a drive member configured to drive the endless member.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the drive member means controlling the drive member at a first speed and controlling the drive member at a second speed different than the first speed.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling movement of the seed within the housing means controlling a variable speed drive member configured to drive the endless member.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling movement of the seed within the housing in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine means selectively controlling a first drive member configured to drive the endless member and selectively controlling a second drive member configured to drive the endless member.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling movement of the seed within the housing in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine means controlling movement of the seed within the housing in response to an operating speed of the seeding machine.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling movement of the seed within the housing in cooperation with movement of the seeding machine means controlling movement of the seed within the housing in response to an operating direction of travel of the seeding machine.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein discharging the seed through the second opening means selectively discharging the seed at a speed responsive to an operating speed of the seeding machine.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the seeding machine is operable in a first mode at a first seeding speed and in a second mode at a second seeding speed, and wherein discharging the seed through the second opening means discharging the seed such that a seed spacing in the furrow during the first mode is equal to a seed spacing in the furrow during the second mode.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Garner Elijah B
• Friestad Michael E
• Mariman Nathan A

Classifications

• A01C7/0445

  Seed ejectors · CPC title

• A01C7/046 Primary

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C7/16 Primary

  Seeders with other distributing devices, e.g. brushes, discs, screws or slides · CPC title

• A01C7/042

  using pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/127

  Cell rollers, wheels, discs or belts · CPC title