Seed planting apparatus, systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9861025-B2
Application number	US-201715593950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A seed meter includes a seed disc rotatable in a direction of rotation. The seed disc has a plurality of seed apertures defining a circular path as the seed disc rotates and on which seeds from a seed source are entrained. A singulator is disposed along to the circular path. The singulator has a plurality of outer lobes and a first orientation lobe located downstream of the outer lobes. As the entrained seeds rotate along the circular path, the first orientation lobe contacts the entrained seeds to change their orientation. In some embodiments, the first orientation lobe may be disposed to remove excess seeds from the apertures and a second orientation lobe may change the orientation of the entrained seed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seed meter, comprising:
a seed disc rotatable in a direction of rotation, said seed disc having a plurality of seed apertures, said plurality of seed apertures defining a circular path as said seed disc rotates in said direction of travel, each of said plurality of seed apertures having a central axis, each of said plurality of seed apertures entraining seeds from a seed source as said seed disc rotates in said direction of rotation; and
a singulator disposed along said circular path, said singulator having a plurality of outer lobes and a first orientation lobe, said first orientation lobe located downstream of said outer lobes along said circular path and disposed to change an orientation of said entrained seeds as said entrained seeds rotate past said first orientation lobe along said circular path.

2. The seed meter of claim 1 , wherein said first orientation lobe contacts said entrained seeds changing said orientation of said entrained seeds along a first direction about said central axis.

3. The seed meter of claim 1 , wherein said change of orientation of said entrained seeds is about said central axis.

4. The seed meter of claim 1 , wherein said first orientation lobe includes an orienting surface.

5. The seed meter of claim 4 , wherein said orienting surface is disposed tangentially adjacent to said circular path.

6. The seed meter of claim 4 , wherein said orienting surface is disposed adjacent to said circular path.

7. The seed meter of claim 4 , wherein said orienting surface is normal to said seed disc.

8. The seed meter of claim 4 , further comprising:
a beveled surface adjacent to said circular path, wherein said beveled surface is disposed upstream of said circular path from said first orientation lobe.

9. The seed meter of claim 4 , further comprising:
a beveled surface adjacent to said circular path, wherein said beveled surface is disposed upstream of said circular path from said orienting surface.

10. The seed meter of claim 9 , wherein said beveled surface has a seed disc angle relative to said seed disc, and wherein said seed disk angle increases continuously along said circular path.

11. The seed meter of claim 9 , wherein said beveled surface reorients said entrained seeds about a tangential axis, said tangential axis being tangential to said circular path.

12. The seed meter of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second orientation lobe disposed along said circular path, said second orientation lobe disposed to change said orientation of said entrained seeds as said entrained seeds rotate past said second orientation lobe along said circular path.

13. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein said second orientation lobe contacts said entrained seeds changing said orientation of said entrained seeds along a second direction about said central axis.

14. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein said second orientation lobe is located downstream of said first orientation lobe along said circular path.

15. The seed meter of claim 9 , further comprising:
a seed conveyor, said seed conveyor receiving said entrained seeds from said seed disc, said seed conveyor conveying seeds at a controlled rate to a planting trench below said seed meter.

16. The seed meter of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seed conveyor, said seed conveyor receiving said entrained seeds from said seed disc, said seed conveyor conveying seeds at a controlled rate to a planting trench below said seed meter.

17. A seed meter, comprising:
a seed disc rotatable in a direction of rotation, said seed disc having a plurality of seed apertures, said plurality of seed apertures defining a circular path as said seed disc rotates in said direction of travel, said seed disc capturing seeds from a seed source on each of said plurality of seed apertures;
a singulator disposed adjacent said circular path, said singulator comprising:
a plurality of outer lobes;
a first orientation lobe located downstream of said plurality of outer lobes along said circular path, said plurality of outer lobes disposed to remove seeds in excess of one captured on any one of said plurality of seed apertures such that each of said plurality of seed apertures retains one captured seed; and
a second orientation lobe disposed to contact said one captured seed on each of said plurality of seed apertures rotating past said second orientation lobe along said circular path.

18. The seed meter of claim 17 , wherein said second lobe is configured to move said one captured seed from a first orientation to a second orientation.

19. The seed meter of claim 18 , wherein in said second orientation a width of said one captured seed is narrower than in said first orientation.

20. The seed meter of claim 17 , further comprising:
a seed conveyor, said seed conveyor receiving said remaining seed from said seed disc, said seed conveyor comprising:
a conveyor belt disposed to convey seeds from said seed disc; and
a first loading wheel and a second loading wheel configured to grasp said one captured seed from each of said plurality of seed apertures and direct said grasped seed toward said conveyor belt, said first loading wheel rotating about a first axis, said second loading wheel rotating about a second axis with a gap between said first and second loading wheels, said gap having a width along a gap axis, said gap axis being normal to said first axis and said second axis, said gap axis intersecting said first axis and said second axis.

Assignees

• Prec Planting Llc

Inventors

• Schaefer Tim
• Radtke Ian

Classifications

• A01C7/20

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title

• A01B79/005 Primary

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01C5/064

  with rotating tools · CPC title

• A01C7/046

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C7/0443

  Seed singulators · CPC title