Planting – Drilling – Having depositor feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-05-29
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Planting
Drilling
Having depositor feature
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237514
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seed planting and, in particular, to seed metering for agricultural planting for a variety of different types of seeds and conditions.
This invention allows a user to dispense agricultural seed and the like uniformly and singularly, with greater accuracy, at a reduced cost, with less maintenance, and less damage to the seed.
B. Problems in the Art
Devices and methods for planting seeds are well known. Conventional inventions provide a variety of approaches for planting that depend upon, but are not limited to, the type, size, and shape of seeds, ground characteristics, row width, and plant spacing.
Dispensing seed accurately in a uniform singular nondestructive manner is one beneficial effect provided by planting devices. To achieve this benefit, many conventional planters include metering devices which are also well known. Some planters, because of the sheer size of their metering device are inflexible and cumbersome to use. Other metering devices relying on compressed air sources and vacuums are complex and require substantial maintenance, plus are expensive to produce. Still other metering devices, some relying on a belt conveyor means which either jams or fails to protect seeds, do not sufficiently dispense seeds uniformly at an acceptable level of nondestructability.
These problems have a practical effect on farmers. Inaccurate seed disbursement leads to the use of more seeds and a loss of plant population. Damage to seeds also leads to reduced plant population. Complex structures lead to increased maintenance for the farmer and more materials and assembly time for the manufacturer. Either through increased equipment costs or inferior results after planting, the farmer is affected.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a device which improves upon the problems in the art which is accurate, inexpensive to produce, effective, reliable, compact, and does not have a tendency to damage seed during distribution. While metering devices presently exist for traditional planters, deficiencies still exist.
Therefore, a principal objective of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which improves upon or solves the problems and deficiencies existing in the art.
A further object of this invention is to provide a seed metering device wherein seed is dispersed in a singulated and metered manner at a uniform chosen rate with minimum damage to the seeds.
Another object of this invention is to provide a seed metering device which evenly spaces agricultural seed within a seed trench or furrow.
Another object of the invention is to provide a seed metering device which minimizes carryover or missing seeds in the seed dispersing process.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is applicable to a wide variety of seeds.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is relatively simple in structure while maintaining high accuracy.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which easily adjusts to different types of seeds and a different speed or rate of planting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is economical with respect to the type and cost of materials required by the power source which drives the meter.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device which is durable and easy to manufacture and maintain.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seed metering device of a minimal number of parts.
These and other features, objectives, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the accompanying specification and claims.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a seed metering device for use with planting implements. The invention allows accurate and reliable placement of agricultural seed with respect to one another, and provides a singulation system which handles seeds gently at several variable speeds. A variety of types of agricultural seed can be used with the seed metering device of the present invention and alternative embodiments exist to allow for different sizes and shapes of seeds.
The invention is a seed metering assembly including sprocket wheels aligned substantially in a vertical plane with a seed conveyor device which interlocks with and surrounds the outer edge of the sprocket wheels. A housing having side and end walls encompass the sprocket wheels and seed conveyor device. The end walls are curved and form a closed area along the ends of the outer edge of the seed conveyor device and the side walls form a closed area with the vertical plane of the sprocket wheels. Above the seed conveyor device in the housing is a seed containment area and below the seed conveyor device in the housing is a seed release area. The sprocket wheels are connected to a rotational power device so that the seed conveyor device similarly rotates around the sprocket wheels between the containment area and release area.
The outer edge of the seed conveyor device includes a plurality of containment pockets. The containment pockets are formed to receive seeds of various sizes, shapes and types.
Attached to one of the end walls of the housing, positioned above the seed conveyor device, is a knock off brush which prevents seeds not placed in the containment pockets from inadvertently being carried from the seed containment area to the seed release area. The knock off brush is made of a firm material which prevents access to the closed area, yet is flexible enough not to damage seeds. The seed conveyor device is made of a material that maintains enough flexibility to rotate about the sprocket wheels while also maintaining enough firmness to interlock with the sprocket wheels and not pinch the seeds contained in the pockets. The interlocking element between the seed conveyor device and the sprocket wheels prevents slippage and results in greater accuracy. The firmness of the seed conveyor device protects seeds and minimizes seed degradation as seeds are not pinched when placed in pockets.
In operation, seeds are placed in the seed containment area and fall by force of gravity into containment pockets on the seed conveyor device. When sprockets are rotated by means of a power source the seed conveyor device, which is interlocked with the sprocket wheels, rotates in the same direction as the sprocket wheels. As the seed conveyor device rotates, the knock off brush prevents seeds not contained in the containment pockets from inadvertently being carried from the containment area to the release area. Seeds that are in the containment pocket travel along the curved side of the housing until they reach the seed release area where by force of gravity the seeds drop into a distribution device for planting. Once the seed is released from the containment pocket the empty pocket rotates to the other side of the housing, around the curved area, returning to the seed containment area where an additional seed drops by force of gravity into the empty containment pocket. For different variations of seed disbursement this process is repeated at different speeds produced by the power source.
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Novosad Christopher J.
Zarley McKee Thomte Voorhees & Sease
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