Baffle for unit hopper

Details Baffle for unit hopper Baffle for unit hopper

2001-12-18

2003-06-24

Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)

Planting

Drilling

Having depositor feature

C111S063000, C111S024000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06581532

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a baffle used in a planting unit hopper for directing seed from the seed puddle of a seed meter into a unit hopper as the planting unit is rotated from its horizontal working position into its vertical transport position. When the planting unit is rotated back to its horizontal working position seed in the unit hopper flows back into the seed meter before seed in the seed inlet flows back into the seed meter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Row crop planters are seeding machines used to plant row crops. Typically row crop planters are provided with a number of planting units. Each planting unit comprises a seed hopper, a seed meter, a furrow opener with depth gauge wheels, closing wheels, and a seed tube. The seed hopper delivers seed to the seed meter. The seed meter in turn meters the seed and discharges the metered seed to a seed tube. The furrow opener with depth gauge wheels forms a planting furrow of the correct depth. The metered seed is discharged into the planting furrow by the seed tube. The planting furrow is closed by closing wheels that seal the seed in the planting furrow.
Seed meters may be of a mechanical type or pneumatic type. Pneumatic seed meters include vacuum seed meters wherein a vacuum is used to draw seed to a seed disc and positive pressure systems. A mechanical type seed meter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,233 and a vacuum type seed meter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,412.
Unit hoppers on planting units have also been supplied seed from a main hopper. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,722.
In addition, it is also known to seal a seed meter as it is moved from a working position to a transport position. An example of this is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,800.
It is also known to pivot planting units vertically on their noses from a horizontal working position to a vertical working position.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to provide a baffle assembly in a planting unit that retains seed in the planting unit when the planting unit is pivoted vertically on its nose from its horizontal working position to its vertical transport position.
The baffle assembly holds the seed puddle low enough so that when the row unit is pivoted from its horizontal working position into its vertical transport position the seed from inside the seed meter housing flows into the unit hopper over the baffle. When the row unit is lowered into its horizontal position the seed that flowed out of the seed meter into the unit hopper flows back into the meter housing prior to additional seed entering the meter housing from the inlet.
The planting unit is coupled to a frame having a main seed hopper. The main seed hopper is coupled to the planting unit by a flexible tube. The main hopper supplies seed by gravity to the planting unit through the flexible tube. The planting unit comprises a unit hopper and a seed meter. Seed is metered by the seed meter before being discharged to a seed tube and eventually a planting furrow. Seed from the flexible tube passes through the unit hopper to the seed meter. The unit hopper is provided with a baffle. Seed passing through the unit hopper to the seed meter passes beneath the concave surface of the baffle. The seed forms a seed puddle in the seed meter. As the planting unit is pivoted on its nose to its vertical transport position, seed from the seed puddle is directed into the unit hopper by the convex surface of the baffle, as seed from the seed meter flows back into the unit hopper over the top of the baffle. When the row unit is rotated back to its horizontal working position, the seed originally from the seed meter and held in the unit hopper on top of the baffle flows back into the seed meter before seed starts to flow into the seed meter from the inlet under the baffle.
The unit hopper is made from plastic and is riveted onto the seed meter. The unit hopper is provided with an open top having a detachable cover for removing seed from the unit hopper.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5325800 (1994-07-01), Wisor et al.
patent: 5379706 (1995-01-01), Gage et al.
patent: 5398771 (1995-03-01), Hornung et al.
patent: 5765720 (1998-06-01), Stufflebeam et al.
patent: 6164222 (2000-12-01), Mayerle et al.
patent: 6494154 (2002-12-01), Kinzenbaw et al.

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