Seeding machine with seed delivery system

• US 10,729,063 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Garner, Elijah B., Thiemke, Daniel B., Rylander, David J., Mariman, Nathan A., Friestad, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US15/693,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 111170-172, 111177-185, 111 14, 111 11, 111200, 111900
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 17/00 Fertilisers or seeders with centrifugal wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/008 Sod or grassland seeding A01C7/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/04 Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/046 with perforated seeding discs
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/125 with bottom delivery of the seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/127 Cell rollers, wheels, discs or belts
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/16 Seeders with other distributing devices, e.g. brushes, discs, screws or slides
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/166 Centrifugal distributors
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed

Abstract

A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter comprises a housing that defines an upper seed loading area and a lower seed discharge area. A drive pulley is mounted to rotate with respect to the housing. A belt is supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing. A loading wheel is mounted to rotate with respect to the housing to transfer seeds from the seed meter into the belt at the seed loading area. The belt conveys the seeds through the housing as the belt travels from the seed loading area to the seed discharge area.

Claims

1. A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter, the seed delivery system comprising:

a housing defining an upper seed loading area and a lower seed discharge area;

a drive pulley mounted to rotate with respect to the housing;

a belt having a base supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing; and

a loading wheel mounted to rotate with respect to the housing to transfer seeds from the seed meter into the belt at the upper seed loading area, wherein the seeds are removed from the seed meter during contact of the seeds by the loading wheel;

wherein the belt conveys the seeds through the housing as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the seeds are singulated before the loading wheel transfers the seeds into the belt;

and

wherein the belt maintains the seeds in spaced relation in a belt travel direction as the seeds are conveyed by the belt through the housing to the lower seed discharge area.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the drive pulley drives the belt to discharge the seeds at a speed based on a travel speed of the seeding machine.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at the lower seed discharge area the belt discharges the seeds to have a horizontal speed that is approximately the same as the travel speed of the seeding machine in a direction opposite a travel direction of the seeding machine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the belt has distal ends extending outward from the base;

and

wherein the distal ends are one of proximate and in contact with a side wall of the housing as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the housing side wall forms a lower opening and an exit ramp adjacent the lower opening;

and

wherein the housing includes an upper opening adjacent the upper seed loading area and the loading wheel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the seed meter is a disk having a plurality of apertures where the seeds are collected.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the seeds adhere to the disk by air pressure differential at opposite sides of the disk.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the belt includes bristles.

10. A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter disk, the seed delivery system comprising:

a housing defining an upper seed loading area and a lower seed discharge area;

a drive pulley mounted to rotate with respect to the housing;

a belt supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing; and

a loading wheel mounted to rotate with respect to the housing to transfer seeds from the seed meter disk into the belt at the upper seed loading area, the seeds being removed from the seed meter disk during contact of the seeds by the loading wheel;

wherein the belt conveys the seeds through the housing as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the seeds are singulated before the loading wheel transfers the seeds into the belt;

and

wherein the belt maintains the seeds in spaced relation in a belt travel direction as the seeds are conveyed by the belt through the housing to the lower seed discharge area.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the drive pulley drives the belt to discharge the seeds at a speed based on a travel speed of the seeding machine.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at the lower seed discharge area the belt discharges the seeds to have a horizontal speed that is approximately the same as the travel speed of the seeding machine in a direction opposite a travel direction of the seeding machine.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the belt conveys the seeds through the housing within an area between a base of the belt and a housing side wall as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the belt has distal ends extending outward from the base;

and

wherein the distal ends are one of proximate and in contact with the housing side wall as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the seed meter disk has a plurality of apertures where the seeds are collected by air pressure differential at opposite sides of the seed meter disk.

17. A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter disk, the seed delivery system comprising:

a housing defining an upper opening adjacent an upper seed loading area and a lower opening adjacent a lower seed discharge area;

a drive pulley mounted to rotate with respect to the housing;

a belt supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing; and

a loading wheel mounted adjacent the upper opening and the belt to rotate with respect to the housing, the loading wheel removing singulated seeds from the seed meter disk during contact of the seeds by the loading wheel and transferring the seeds from the seed meter disk into the belt;

wherein the belt maintains the seeds in spaced relation in a belt travel direction as the seeds are conveyed by the belt through the housing to the lower seed discharge area prior to the seeds being discharged through the lower opening.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the seed meter disk has a plurality of apertures where the seeds are collected by air pressure differential at opposite sides of the seed meter disk.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein at the lower seed discharge area the belt discharges the seeds with a horizontal speed that is approximately the same as a travel speed of the seeding machine in a direction opposite a travel direction of the seeding machine.