ROLLER, HOPPER, SCATTER SHIELD AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY FOR PRECISION SEEDING

• US 3,815,527 A
• Filed: 09/05/1972
• Issued: 06/11/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John B. Dobbins
• Original Assignee: John B. Dobbins
• Inventors: Dobbins, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US05/286,295
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 111/10,11 222/561,235 122/180,193,194,198
• US Class Current: 111/11
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 19/00 Arrangements for driving working parts of fertilisers or seeders A01C17/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/085 Broadcast seeders

Abstract

A hopper for dispensing seed is connected to a roller for rolling and smoothly packing finely cultivated soil. A deflector plate having a step thereon is attached to the hopper for intercepting and scattering the seed dispensed from the hopper onto the back surface of the roller where the seed is further scattered uniformly over the roller and smoothly packed soil. A rake having flexible tines is adjustably connected to the hopper and roller assembly to gently scratch the top surface of the rolled and smoothly packed seeded soil thereby securing the seed therein.

Claims

1. Precision planting apparatus comprising:

a roller for rolling and smoothly packing soil which has been finely cultivated for seeding, the surface of said roller opposite the direction of motion being designated as the back surface;

a hopper connected to said roller for containing and dispensing seed for planting, said hopper having walls which form a container, said container having a large opening into which the seed is inserted and a small opening from which seed is dispensed, said small opening having an agitator therein for activating the dispensing of seed and an opening control for adjusting the size of said small opening to control the amount of seed dispensed therefrom;

a deflector attached to said hopper for scattering the dispensed seed onto the back surface of said roller, said back surface further scattering the seed uniformly over the rolled and smoothly packed soil; and

a rake having an elongated member, a pair of support arms, and a pair of sliding arms, said elongated member having flexible tines attached thereto, one arm of said pair of support arms being rotatably attached to each end of said elongated member and pivotally attached to the assembly of said roller and said hopper, each arm of said pair of sliding arms having one end slidably connected to said assembly of said roller and said hopper and the other end respectively connected to an end of said elongated member, whereby said pair of sliding arms limits the motion of said rake and said elongated member rotates to point said tines opposite from the direction of motion such that such tines gently scratch the top surface of the rolled and smoothly packed soil, thereby securing the seed therein.

2. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 1 wherein said rake includes bias means for holding said rakes tines in light contact with the contour of the rolled, smoothly packEd and seeded soil surface.

3. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 1 wherein said sliding arms are replaced by flexible chains.

4. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 1 wherein said deflector comprises a thin body member having at least two flat surfaces thereon joined by a third flat segment forming a step therebetween, said thin body member being connected to said hopper adjacent said small rectangular opening whereby seed dispensed therefrom slides along the one flat surface to strike said step thereby scattering the seeds outwardly toward said back surface of said roller.

5. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 2 wherein said bias means comprises:

a pair of brackets attached to said assembly of said container and cylindrical base member;

a pair of hooks, one end of each hook being adjustably attached to only one of said pair of brackets, respectively;

a pair of springs, one end of each spring being attached to the other end of only one of said pair of hooks, respectively; and

a pair of spring arms, one end of each being fixedly attached to only one end of said elongated member, respectively, the other end of each spring arm being connected to the other end of only one of said pair of springs, respectively, whereby said pair of hooks may be adjusted to provide tension on said pair of springs which in turn is transmitted through said pair of spring arms to said elongated member to bias said rake to lightly touch the surface of the soil.

6. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 5 further including a three-point hitch mounting assembly attached to said assembly of said container and said cylindrical base member whereby said assembly may be attached by said three-point hitch to a tractor.

7. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 4 wherein said thin body member is separated into a multiplicity of substantially similar panels having the dividing edges thereof substantially perpendicular to the edges formed by the juncture of said step surface and said at least two flat surfaces.

8. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 6 further including a chain drive mechanism comprising:

a first gear connected to one end of said cylindrical base member;

a second gear attached to said agitator means; and

a chain drive means connected between said first and second gears.

9. The precision planting apparatus described in claim 6 wherein said agitator means for activating the dispensing of seed from said small rectangular opening in said container comprises:

a shaft rotatably mounted interior to said small rectangular opening; and

paddle means attached to said shaft, said paddle means rotating as said shaft rotates to activate the dispensing of seed from said small rectangular opening in said container.