Multiple Seed-Type Planting System With Seed Delivery Speed Control

• US 20160302353A1
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Weller, Monte Gene, Adams, Brian T., Wendte, Keith W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,936,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/046 with perforated seeding discs
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/105 Seed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed

Abstract

A system for planting multiple types of seed and automatically switching between the varieties during planting in a single planting pass of a planting session of row-crop planting of an agricultural field while controlling seed delivery speed to mitigate seed bounce and/or provide desired seed spacing distances. The system may include a bulk storage system, an on-row storage system, and a charging system that selectively delivers seeds of different varieties from the bulk storage system to the on-row storage system and a seed delivery speed control system that regulates seed delivery speed.

Claims

1. A planter for planting seed of multiple seed types in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field and controlling seed delivery speed, the planter comprising:

a frame supporting multiple row units;

a seed storage system for separately storing seeds of multiple seed types on the planter;

a seed-metering system at each of the multiple row units selectively receiving the seeds of the multiple seed types from the seed storage system; and

a seed delivery speed control system receiving the seeds from the seed-metering system and releasing the seeds for planting of an agricultural field, wherein the seed delivery speed control system adjusts a delivery speed of the seeds based on at least one of a travel speed of the planter and a target spacing distance corresponding to the one of the multiple seed types delivered from the seed-metering system to the seed delivery speed control system.

2. The planter of claim 1 wherein the seed delivery speed control system includes a seed delivery speed control device extending away from an outlet of the seed meter to direct the seeds toward a seed trench in the agricultural field.

3. The planter of claim 2 wherein the seed delivery speed control device comprises a speed tube with an upper end receiving the seeds from the seed meter and a lower end extending away from an outlet of the seed meter to direct the seeds toward a seed trench in the agricultural field.

4. The planter of claim 3 wherein the speed tube includes a belt configured to rotate at a variable speed for adjusting delivery speed of the seeds released from the speed tube.

5. The planter of claim 1 wherein the seed delivery speed control system is configured to adjust the delivery speed of the seeds to approximate a detected travel speed of the planter with the seeds delivered in a delivery direction that is opposite a travel direction of the planter to provide a seed drop path that is substantially vertical-only with respect to a seed trench of the agricultural field.

6. The planter of claim 1 wherein the seed delivery speed control system is configured to adjust the delivery speed of the seeds to approximate a target spacing between adjacent seeds in a common seed trench based on a predetermined target seed population for a corresponding one of the multiple seed types of seeds being released when the adjustment is made.

7. The planter of claim 1 wherein the seed delivery speed control system includes at least one sensor arranged for detecting delivery speed of the seeds.

8. The planter of claim 7 wherein the seed delivery speed control system includes a pair of spaced apart sensors arranged for detecting movement of a seed past each of the sensors for determining detecting speed of the seeds delivered from the seed delivery speed control system.

9. The planter of claim 8 wherein the pair of spaced apart sensors is arranged relative to a discharge tube of the seed delivery speed control system for detecting movement of each seed through the discharge tube.

10. The planter of claim 1 further comprising a charging system configured to selectively deliver seeds of the multiple seed types to the seed meter, wherein the charging system is arranged upstream of the seed meter and the seed delivery speed control system is arranged downstream of the seed meter.

11. The planter of claim 10 wherein the seed storage system includes a bulk storage system for separately storing seeds of multiple types on the planter.

12. The planter of claim 11 wherein the bulk storage system is configured for separately storing seeds of at least some of the multiple seed types on the planter at a remote location relative to the multiple row units.

13. The planter of claim 11 wherein the seed storage system includes an on-row storage system separately storing the seeds of the multiple seed types at the row units and wherein the charging system selectively transfers seeds of the multiple seed types from the bulk storage system to the on-row storage system.

14. The planter of claim 11 further comprising a diverter system arranged between the bulk storage system and the on-row storage system for selectively defining passages between the bulk storage system and the on-row storage system to direct seeds of the multiple seed types into corresponding ones of multiple compartments of the on-row storage system.

15. The planter of claim 14 wherein the diverter system includes a gate system with gates configured to actuate for defining the passages between the bulk storage system and the on-row storage system to direct seeds of the multiple seed types into corresponding ones of multiple compartments of the on-row storage system.

16. A planter for planting seed of multiple seed types in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field and controlling seed delivery speed, the planter comprising:

a frame supporting multiple row units;

a seed storage system for separately storing seeds of multiple seed types on the planter;

a seed-metering system at each of the multiple row units selectively receiving the seeds of the multiple seed types from the seed storage system; and

a speed tube receiving the seeds from the seed-metering system and releasing the seeds for planting of an agricultural field, the speed tube having a conveyance mechanism configured to move at an adjustable speed to vary the delivery speed of the seeds.

17. The planter of claim 16 wherein the conveyance mechanism is a belt rotated by a belt drive at a variable speed to adjust the delivery speed of the seeds based on at least one of a travel speed of the planter and a target spacing distance corresponding to the one of the multiple seed types delivered from the seed-metering system to the seed delivery speed control system.

18. The planter of claim 17 wherein the seed storage system includes a bulk storage system for separately storing seeds of multiple types on the planter and an on-row storage system separately storing the seeds of the multiple seed at the row units for selective delivery to the seed-metering system and a charging system selectively transfers seeds of the multiple seed types from the bulk storage system to the on-row storage system.

19. A method of planting seed of multiple seed types in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field and controlling seed delivery speed, the method comprising:

separately storing seeds of multiple seed types on a planter having multiple row units;

selectively delivering seeds of the multiple seed types to a seed-metering system at each of the multiple row units;

singulating the seeds in the seed-metering system;

delivering the singulated seeds from the seed-metering system to a seed delivery speed control system releasing the singulated seeds to a seed trench of the agricultural field; and

adjusting a delivery speed of the seeds released from the seed delivery speed control system based on at least one of a travel speed of the planter and a target spacing distance corresponding to the one of the multiple seed types being released from the seed delivery speed control system.