Planting – Drilling – Having depositor feature
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-09
2003-01-14
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Planting
Drilling
Having depositor feature
Reexamination Certificate
active
06505569
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air seeder equipment and more specifically it relates to a seeder airflow control system for accurately placing seeds in a furrow at approximately zero velocity with respect to the ground surface.
Research has consistently shown that accurate placement of plants within a field produces the highest possible yields, quality and uniformity within various types of crops. However, most planter devices do not provide accurate seed placement within the furrow created by an opener. The seeds are placed at unequal distances thereby causing some seeds to be closer to others. Contributing to this problem is seed movement after release from the planter because of the forward motion of the planter depositing the seed on stationary ground. Because some of the plants are growing closer to one another, their overall growth is stunted because of lack of nutrients, water and sunlight. Hence, there is a need for a planter device that accurately places seeds within a furrow for increasing crop yields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Planter devices have been in use for years. Typically, a planter device includes a storage bin for storage of the seed. Conventional planter devices utilize a singulation system connected to the storage bin with a length of tube generally transporting the singulated seed to the furrow. Air seeders utilize a constant flow of air through the tubing to transport the seed front the storage bin through the singulation system to exit through the length of tube.
Unfortunately, conventional planter devices do not provide an accurate placement of seeds within the furrow. The seed kernels often times exits the delivery tube to engage the ground surface at approximately the velocity of the planter device causing a bounce and roll effect. This movement of the seed is undesirable since it contributes to misplacement and uneven placement of the seeds within the open furrow.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for accurately placing seeds in a furrow at approximately zero velocity with respect to the ground surface. Conventional seeder devices are designed to accurate place seed kernels within a furrow.
In these respects, the seeder airflow control system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of accurately placing seeds in a furrow at approximately zero velocity with respect to the ground surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of planter devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new seeder airflow control system construction wherein the same can be utilized for accurately placing seeds in a furrow at approximately zero velocity with respect to the ground surface.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new seeder airflow control system that has many of the advantages of the seeder devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new seeder airflow control system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art seeder devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a first tube connected to a seed singulator, a second tube having a plurality of openings movably positioned about the first tube, and an actuator connected between the first tube and the second tube for adjusting the relative position of the tubes with respect to one another. The second tube is fluidly connected to a seed delivery tube that has a lower segment that is positionable adjacent and parallel to the bottom of a furrow to deliver the seed at a velocity of approximately zero with respect to the ground surface. When the tubes are extended away from one another, an increased number of the openings within the second tube are exposed thereby decreasing the air pressure and velocity through the delivery tube. When the tubes are contracted toward one another, a decreased number of the openings within the second tube are exposed thereby increasing the air pressure and velocity through the delivery tube.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a seeder airflow control system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a seeder airflow control system for accurately placing seeds in a furrow at approximately zero velocity with respect to the ground surface.
Another object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that provides uniform and accurate placement of seed kernels within a furrow.
An additional object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that increases crop growth, yield, quality and uniformity.
Another object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that reduces seed movement after being placed within the open furrow.
A further object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that reduces the vertical distance a seed has to travel uncontrollably prior to being placed within a furrow.
Another object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that delivers the seed into the furrow at approximately zero velocity instead of the velocity of the planter.
An additional object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that virtually eliminates the planter speed as a factor in determining seed placement.
A further object is to provide a seeder airflow control system that provides increased crop uniformity for providing easier harvesting and drying.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5379706 (1995-01-01), Gage et al.
patent: 6145455 (2000-11-01), Gust et al.
patent: 6296425 (2001-10-01), Memory et al.
patent: 6367396 (2002-04-01), Meyer
Neustel Michael S.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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