Method and apparatus for automated opening and dispensing of seed from a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745094-B2
Application number	US-201514962501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically opening a seed packet and dispensing the contents of the same for planting is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic opener and dispenser, comprising:
a packet receiver comprising a first packet receptacle and a second packet receptacle, said packet receiver moveably supported by a support, said packet receiver sized, shaped and configured to receive and support two packets simultaneously in the first packet receptacle and the second packet receptacle;
a packet opener supported by said support and positioned relative to said packet receiver to allow said packet opener to selectively open a packet supported by one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle;
an automatic drive supported by said support and operably connected to said packet receiver, said automatic drive operable to actuate said packet receiver through a cyclical movement comprising a plurality of cycles, each cycle of the plurality of cycles including:
a first packet opening/second packet dispensing stage corresponding to a position of the packet receiver in which the first packet receptacle is positioned such that said packet opener is operable to open a packet supported in said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is simultaneously positioned such that an opened packet supported in said second packet receptacle is positioned such that a content of the opened packet is dispensed, and
a first packet dispensing/second packet opening stage corresponding to a position of the packet receiver in which the first packet receptacle is positioned such that an opened packet supported in said first packet receptacle is positioned such that a content of the opened packet is dispensed and said second packet receptacle is simultaneously positioned such that said packet opener is operable to open a packet supported in said second packet receptacle,

said packet receiver sized, shaped and configured to simultaneously support packets in both said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle in both said first packet opening/second packet dispensing stage and said first packet dispensing/second packet opening stage.

2. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said packet opener comprises a shear moveably supported relative to said support and positioned to be moveable to shear the packet supported by one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle.

3. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 2 , wherein said shear comprises a die cutter.

4. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said packet receiver comprises a turntable rotatably supported by said support in a generally vertical orientation and wherein each cycle of said plurality of cycles includes a complete 360 degree rotation of said turntable.

5. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 4 , wherein said first packet receptacle of said packet receiver comprises a first packet support and said second packet receptacle of said packet receiver comprises an opposing second packet support, said first packet support comprising an end wall and a pair of spaced first packet support sidewalls extending along a first direction from said end wall, said second packet support comprising the end wall and a pair of spaced second packet support sidewalls extending along a second direction from said end wall, said first direction opposite said second direction, whereby, when said first packet support is oriented as an upward opening U-shape, said second packet support is oriented as a downward opening U-shape.

6. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a negative pressure source selectively in fluid communication with one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle to hold a packet therein against the force of gravity.

7. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 6 , wherein said packet receiver defines a first aperture in fluid communication with said first packet receptacle and a second aperture in fluid communication with said second packet receptacle, and wherein said support defines a negative pressure channel in fluid communication with said negative pressure source, said negative pressure channel selectively in fluid communication separately with each of said first aperture and said second aperture during a portion of each cycle of said plurality of cycles.

8. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 7 , wherein said packet receiver comprises a turntable rotatably supported by said support in a generally vertical orientation and wherein each cycle of said plurality of cycles includes a complete 360 degree rotation of said turntable, and wherein said negative pressure channel in said support comprises an arcuate negative pressure channel, said arcuate negative pressure channel sized and arranged so that said negative pressure channel is in fluid communication separately with each of said first aperture and said second aperture through less than the complete 360 degree rotation of said turntable during each of said plurality of cycles.

9. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a positive pressure source selectively in fluid communication with one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle to discharge a packet therein from said packet receiver, said positive pressure source in fluid communication with one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle after said one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is positioned such that an opened packet supported in said one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is positioned such that a content of the opened packet supported in said one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is dispensed.

10. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 7 , further comprising a positive pressure source selectively in fluid communication with one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle to discharge a packet therein from said packet receiver, said positive pressure source in fluid communication with one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle after said one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is positioned such that an opened packet supported in said one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is positioned such that a content of the opened packet supported in said one of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle is dispensed, wherein said support defines a positive pressure aperture in fluid communication with said positive pressure source, said positive pressure aperture selectively in fluid communication separately with each of said first aperture and said second aperture to selectively and separately place said positive pressure source in fluid communication with each of said first packet receptacle and said second packet receptacle during each cycle of the plurality of cycles.

11. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said automatic drive comprises a controller operable to actuate said automatic drive to actuate said packet receiver through the cyclical movement.

12. The automatic packet opener and dispenser of claim 11 , wherein said controller is communicatively connected to said packet opener and operable to actuate said packet opener to open a packet in said first packet receptacle in the first packet opening/second packet dispensing stage of each cycle of the plurality of cycles and thereafter to actuate said automatic drive to actuate said packet receiver to said first packet dispensing/second packet opening stage and the

Assignees

• Dow Agrosciences Llc

Inventors

• Farris Jaxon
• Setlur Pradeep
• Ruegger Max O
• Peterson J Robert
• Frederickson Eric
• Fitzl Jr Dennis
• Vanopdorp Nathan
• Lewis David

Classifications

• A01C21/005

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• B65B69/0008 Primary

  Opening and emptying bags · CPC title

• B65B69/0033

  by cutting (B65B69/0008-B65B69/0025 take precedence) · CPC title

• A01C15/006

  Hoppers · CPC title