Planting – Drilling – Frame and planting-element arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-11
2002-12-17
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Planting
Drilling
Frame and planting-element arrangement
C172S311000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494154
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to agricultural planters. Although the illustrated embodiment is in the form of an agricultural row crop planter having multiple frame sections which are hinged together to permit the planter to follow ground contour more closely, the invention has application to single frame planters and to grain drills as well. A row crop planter deposits individual seeds in rows. Typically, a row crop planter has a plurality of “row units” which are independently mounted to a pull frame. Each row unit forms a furrow, deposits separated or “singulated” seeds at a fixed spacing along the furrow and closes the furrow, covering the seed and lightly packing the soil above the seed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A planter row unit, in addition to having a furrow opening device, a seed meter or “singulating” mechanism for separating and depositing individual seeds in the furrow, and a furrow closing device, also typically has a separate hopper (or small tank) to store a supply of seed. A hopper for a planter row unit typically holds about 120 pounds of seed which is generally delivered to the farmer in 50 lb. bags. Seed is stored in the hopper which supplies the seed meter. The seed, upon being singulated by the meter, flows under gravity through a rigid delivery tube into a formed furrow immediately behind a disc furrow opener. The number of acres a farmer may plant with such a system without stopping to refill the hoppers, for a given number of row units and equal seeding rates, is determined by the seed storage capacity of the individual hoppers on the row units.
All of the hoppers on a planter are not necessarily filled with equal amounts of seed. Thus, some row units will run out of seed before others. When a row unit hopper runs out of seed, the farmer is alerted by a monitor normally mounted within the operator's vision on the tractor which displays in real time the “population” or number of seeds being planted per linear unit of measure or per acre. Individual row units have their own sensors and if one row unit runs out of seed, the farmer is alerted immediately. Even though other planter row units may still have seed, the farmer must stop planting and refill all the tanks to reduce the number of stops.
A modern row crop planter may have twelve, sixteen, eighteen or twenty-four row units. It is a very strenuous task to load eighteen empty or nearly empty hoppers using 50 lb. seed bags in the field. The seed bags must be lifted by hand, normally from a pick-up truck, carried to a particular row in the planter; and the farmer must then negotiate between adjacent row units, carrying the seed bag at approximately shoulder level, maneuver the seed bag over the hoppers and dump the seed into the hopper. It frequently happens that the farmer fills one hopper and still may have twenty to forty pounds of seed remaining in that sack, which must be loaded into a seed tank of another row unit or returned to the truck. This exercise can be repeated as many as thirty times to fill a sixteen-row, 30-inch planter with splitter rows.
The example being discussed is not an isolated incident. In fact, farms have become larger with time; and many farmers plant not only the land they own but rented land as well. The same planter often is used to plant a number of separate fields so that the total acres planted per machine has also increased substantially. Yet, the time for planting obviously remains the same. As a result, seed suppliers have begun delivering seed to the farmer in bulk containers typically holding 1500 to 2000 lbs. of seed. Such large containers require handling equipment, such as forklifts. The trend toward shipping in bulk containers, while reducing cost and saving time, has rendered the filling of individual seed tanks impractical due to difficulties in positioning the handling equipment and controlling the starting and stopping of the seed flow out of the bulk containers when desired, and without spillage.
Another disadvantage with individual seed hoppers is that in order to inspect or repair the seed meter, the hopper and meter must be removed together from the row unit to gain access to the mechanism in the meter. The combination can be heavy to lift, particularly if the hopper is full or nearly full, and the operation can result in spillage of seed or require that the hopper first be emptied.
There are some existing planters which do have centralized storage and distribution of seed. Most such systems use a separate trailing vehicle, namely a drawn cart for storing the seed. The seed is then moved forward to the planter from the rear cart by means of forced air. The seed is then distributed to the individual row, or in the case of seed drill, to the openers. Another commercial planter uses a centralized seed storage tank mounted directly on the planter frame, but the planter frame is rigid. This limits the width of the overall planter to approximately twenty feet (eight rows of thirty inch spacing between adjacent rows). A planter with a rigid frame of twenty feet obviously does not adjust to variations in ground contour as does one with a width of ten feet or less.
A row crop planter of twelve or more rows having a capability of planting at a thirty or thirty-six inch spacing will preferably have three planter frame sections, a center section, a left wing section and a right wing section. The wing sections are articulated respectively to the outboard ends of the center frame section—that is, the wing sections are hinged to rotate independently of one another about horizontal axes parallel to the direction of travel, so that the overall planter frame may follow variations in ground contour more closely. There are currently no commercial row crop planters having a multiple section frame and a centralized bulk seed storage carried directly on the planter frame.
Modem grain drills are typically constructed using a continuous seed tank placed above the furrow openers. A seed metering device is usually attached to the bottom of the tank for each opener, and a flexible hose attached to each seed meter directs the seed flow to the furrow. This generally accepted configuration has some drawbacks. 1). The seed tank must be positioned high enough that there is sufficient room below the seed meter to allow the seed flow hose to flex through the range of motion of the openers. This usually means that some sort of operator platform is necessary for filling the tank with seed. 2). The tanks are generally flat bottomed with holes for mounting seed meters spaced to match the spacing of the openers. When planting row widths of 10-15 in., a considerable amount of seed is left in the tanks between the seed meter openings. Also, the tank must be filled evenly across its length so that all the meters are supplied with seed. As the tank becomes empty, the farmer must stop and rake the seed level across the bottom of the tank to use up all the seed. 3). Farmers frequently change seed varieties as they move from field to field. With current grain drill designs, it is necessary to drain the tank at each individual seed meter and then sweep out the remaining seed, if left, when changing seed varieties or types.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention includes a row crop planter having a drawn frame supported by wheels. The main frame includes a double toolbar construction (i.e., fore and aft mounting bars) and includes a center section and left and right wings. The center section is supported by wheels; and the outboard ends of each wing is also supported by one or more wheels which may be adjustable in height. As used herein, the term “toolbar” is broadly construed to mean an elongated frame member, extending transversely of the direction of travel, to which individual row units are mounted. Thus, the present invention includes a frame having a forward toolbar and a rear toolbar. Individual push-type row units are mounted by conventional four bar linkages in front of the forward toolbar, and conventional pull-type row units are mounted by fo
Barry Alan F.
Deckler Harry C.
Kinzenbaw Jon E.
Emrich & -Dithmar
Hill, Esq. James J.
Kinze Manufacturing Inc.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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