Twin-Row Multiple Seed-Type Planter
First Claim
1. A method of planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during planting of an agricultural field with a twin-row planter, the method comprising:
- defining a first seed type and a second seed type stored with respect to a twin-row planter to be correspondingly planted in a first zone and a second zone of an agricultural field, wherein the first and second zones correspond to first and second characteristics of the agricultural field relating to at least one of soil type and management type, wherein the twin-row planter includes multiple planter row segments for planting multiple crop rows within the agricultural field and wherein each of the row segments includes a pair of seed meters arranged transversely adjacent each other;
priming a first seed meter of the pair of seed meters at each of the planter row segments with the first seed type by rotating a seed disk of the first seed meter through the first seed meter picking up and singulating seeds of the first seed type;
holding the seed disk of the first seed meter in a primed-ready-to-plant position wherein the seed disk is held in a non-rotating position with the singulated seeds carried by the seed disk at spaced-apart locations on the seed disk;
priming a second seed meter of the pair of seed meters at each of the planter row segments with the second seed type by rotating a seed disk of the second seed meter through the second seed meter picking up and singulating seeds of the second seed type,holding the seed disk of the second seed meter in a primed-ready-to-plant position wherein the seed disk is held in a non-rotating position with the singulated seeds carried by the seed disk at spaced-apart locations on the seed disk;
moving the twin-row planter through the agricultural field along a travel path having a starting point within the first zone of the agricultural field;
activating the first seed meter while moving the twin-row planter along the travel path through the first zone by rotating the seed disk of the first seed meter for releasing seeds of the first seed type from the first seed meter onto the first zone of the agricultural field; and
deactivating the second seed meter by maintaining the holding of the seed disk of the second seed meter in the primed-ready-to-plant position while releasing the seeds of the first seed type from the first seed meter onto the first zone of the agricultural field.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a twin-row planter configured to plant different seed types in different zones of an agricultural field. The planter may be a bulk-fill planter having multiple row segments with a pair of row units and a corresponding pair of seed meters at each row segment respectively receiving seeds of a first and a second type from centrally located compartments of a bulk fill tank(s) for planting in the different zones. A control system controls the planter to plant seeds of the first and/or second seed type based on which zone of the field the planter is planting at a given time. The control system primes the seed meters, making them ready for seed release, and maintains both seed meters at each row segment in a primed condition with the different seed types to allow for rapid switching between seed type deliveries when the planter reaches different zones of the field requiring different seed types.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during planting of an agricultural field with a twin-row planter, the method comprising:
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defining a first seed type and a second seed type stored with respect to a twin-row planter to be correspondingly planted in a first zone and a second zone of an agricultural field, wherein the first and second zones correspond to first and second characteristics of the agricultural field relating to at least one of soil type and management type, wherein the twin-row planter includes multiple planter row segments for planting multiple crop rows within the agricultural field and wherein each of the row segments includes a pair of seed meters arranged transversely adjacent each other; priming a first seed meter of the pair of seed meters at each of the planter row segments with the first seed type by rotating a seed disk of the first seed meter through the first seed meter picking up and singulating seeds of the first seed type; holding the seed disk of the first seed meter in a primed-ready-to-plant position wherein the seed disk is held in a non-rotating position with the singulated seeds carried by the seed disk at spaced-apart locations on the seed disk; priming a second seed meter of the pair of seed meters at each of the planter row segments with the second seed type by rotating a seed disk of the second seed meter through the second seed meter picking up and singulating seeds of the second seed type, holding the seed disk of the second seed meter in a primed-ready-to-plant position wherein the seed disk is held in a non-rotating position with the singulated seeds carried by the seed disk at spaced-apart locations on the seed disk; moving the twin-row planter through the agricultural field along a travel path having a starting point within the first zone of the agricultural field; activating the first seed meter while moving the twin-row planter along the travel path through the first zone by rotating the seed disk of the first seed meter for releasing seeds of the first seed type from the first seed meter onto the first zone of the agricultural field; and deactivating the second seed meter by maintaining the holding of the seed disk of the second seed meter in the primed-ready-to-plant position while releasing the seeds of the first seed type from the first seed meter onto the first zone of the agricultural field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during planting of an agricultural field with a twin-row planter, the method comprising:
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defining a first seed type and a second seed type stored with respect to a twin-row planter to be correspondingly planted in a first zone and a second zone of an agricultural field, wherein the first and second zones correspond to first and second characteristics of the agricultural field relating to at least one of soil type and management type, wherein the twin-row planter includes multiple planter row segments for planting multiple crop rows within the agricultural field and wherein each of the row segments includes a first seed meter for planting seeds of the first type and a second seed meter for planting seeds the second type; priming the first and second seed meters by rotating seed disks within the first and second seed meters while applying pneumatic pressures inside of the first and second seed meters to direct seeds of the first and second seed types into seed pockets of the respective seed disks of the first and second seed meters until the seed pockets of the seed disks of the first and second seed meters are full of seeds of the respective first and second seed types; moving the planter through one of the first and second zones to define a currently planted zone, activating and releasing seed from one of the first and second seed meters to define an activated seed meter corresponding to the one of the first and second zones defining the currently planted zone; deactivating the other one of the first and second seed meters that does not correspond to the one of the first and second zones defining the currently planted zone to define a deactivated seed meter, wherein the seed disk of the deactivated seed meter is held without rotation in the deactivated seed meter while application of the pneumatic pressure inside the deactivated seed meter is maintained, maintaining the deactivated seed meter in a primed condition; monitoring the deactivated seed meter for detecting an un-primed condition of the deactivated seed meter by detecting at least one empty seed pocket of the seed disk of the deactivated seed meter and, upon detection of the un-primed condition of the deactivated seed meter, re-priming the deactivated seed meter before a seed type switching event during which the activated seed meter becomes deactivated and the deactivated seed meter becomes activated while the planter crosses from the one of the first and second zones defining the currently planted zone to the other one of the first and second zones. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A twin-row planter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during planting of an agricultural field, the planter comprising:
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a frame; a seed storage system supported by the frame and including a first compartment storing seeds of a first type and a second compartment storing seeds to the second type to be correspondingly planted in a first zone and a second zone of an agricultural field, wherein the first and second zones correspond to first and second characteristics of the field relating to at least one of soil type and management type; multiple row segments supported by the frame, each of the multiple row segments including, a first seed meter receiving seeds of the first type from the first compartment and including a first seed disk for rotating within the first seed meter to pick up seeds of the first type for moving the seeds of the first type through the first seed meter and delivering the seeds of the first type out to the first seed meter onto the first zone of the field; a second seed meter receiving seeds of the second type from the second compartment and including a second seed disk for rotating within the second seed meter to pick up seeds of the second type for moving the seeds of the second type through the second seed meter and delivering the seeds of the second type out to the second seed meter onto the second zone of the field; and a control system operably connected to the first and second seed meters and configured to, prime the first and second seed meters by rotating seed disks within the first and second seed meters to pick up and hold individual seeds from the respective seed disks, defining a primed condition of the first and second seed meters; identify one of the first and second zones of the field to be planted first with the planter, defining an initial planting zone to be planted; activate one of the first and second seed meters defining an activated seed meter corresponding to the, one of the first and second zones that defines the initial planting zone, wherein the activating includes permitting rotation of the seed disk within the activated seed meter for releasing seeds out of the activated seed meter; and deactivate the other one of the first and second seed meters defining a deactivated seed meter corresponding to the one of the first and second zones that does not define the initial planting zone. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification