Potato planter

• US 5,009,175 A
• Filed: 01/24/1990
• Issued: 04/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David A. Pember, James R. Schrader
• Original Assignee: David A. Pember, James R. Schrader
• Inventors: Schrader, James R., Pember, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Application Number:
  US07/469,228
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 111/100, 111/104-105, 111/111, 111/170, 111/177, 111/173, 111/908, 111/925, 111/77
• US Class Current: 111/173
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 9/08 with other distributing devices, e.g. flaps, screws, horizontal turning plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/908 Potato

Abstract

A potato planter (10) having a horizontally disposed auger housing (23) divided longitudinally into two halves by separator plate (37), said housing being open at the top at the forward end for receiving seed potatoes from seed hopper (11) and open at the bottom at the rearmost end for dropping seed potatoes into a planting furrow. A pair of primary single blade augers (20) disposed for axial rotation within said housing along and adjacent to each side of separator place (37). A pair of secondary filler blade augers (21), each in interfitting parallel axial relationship with a primary auger so as to interfit the filler blade of a secondary auger between the reach of the blade of each primary auger so as to form a plurality of traveling compartments between the unfilled reaches of the blade of the primary augers and the sides of the separator plate for transporting seed potatoes from the forward end of the auger housing to the rearmost opening.

Claims

1. An improved potato planter having a perimeter frame supporting a seed hopper, a hopper drop chute, and shaker plate to prevent the bridging of seed potato pieces in the drop chute and axle and wheel means, wherein improvement comprises:

a generally horizontally oriented auger housing divided into a forward section and rear section by an attached transverse intermediate support plate, and with the forward section open at the top, and a downwardly opening discharge chute at the rearmost end, for receiving pieces of seed potato from the hopper drop chute through the open top of the front section;

a primary single blade auger disposed longitudinally within said auger housing for axial rotation within said auger housing;

a secondary filler blade auger disposed within the front section of said auger housing in interfitting parallel axial relationship with said primary auger so as to interfit the blade of the secondary auger between the reach of the blade of the primary auger on one side of the primary auger;

means for rotating both the primary and secondary augers in synchronized, but opposite directions so as to create traveling compartments for transporting pieces of seed potato between the reaches of blade of the primary auger and the adjacent side of the auger housing;

means for returning pieces of seed potato ejected from the said traveling compartments from the rear section of the auger housing to the front section of the auger housing;

plow means for forming a seed furrow attached to the planter forward to the discharge chute; and

disking means for covering seed in the furrow attached to the planter behind the discharge chute.

2. The improved potato planter of claim 1 wherein the means for rotating both primary and secondary augers in synchronized but opposite directions further comprise:

a pair of intermeshing spur gears, each attached to the front end of each auger; and

means for rotating said spur gears.

3. The improved potato planter of claim 1 wherein the means for rotating both the primary and secondary augers in synchronized but opposite directions further comprises means for varying the rotational speed of said primary and secondary augers.

4. An improved potato planter having a perimeter frame, including an axle and wheel means, supporting a seed hopper, a hopper drop chute, and shaker plate to prevent the bridging of seed potato pieces in the drop chute, axle and wheel means, wherein the improvement comprises:

a generally horizontally oriented auger housing having a horizontally oriented longitudinal axis and being divided along its longitudinal axis into two equal and parallel halves by a separator plate and further divided into forward sections and rear sections by an attached transverse intermediate support plate and with the forward sections open at the top, and downwardly opening discharge chutes at the rearmost ends of the rear sections for receiving pieces of seed potato from the hopper drop chute through the open top of the front sections;

a pair of primary single blade augers each disposed for axial rotation within said auger housing along one side of said separator plate with each auger blade rotating in close conformity to the side of the separator plate;

a pair of secondary filler blade augers each disposed within front section of the auger housing in interfitting parallel axial relationship with a primary augers so as to interfit the filler blade of a secondary auger between the reach of the blade of each primary auger on the side of each primary auger opposite the separator plate;

means for rotating said augers in synchronized but opposite directions so as to create travelling compartments between the reaches of blade of the primary augers and the adjacent surfaces of the separator plate;

means for returning pieces of seed potato ejected from the said traveling compartments from the rear sections of the auger housing to the adjoining front sections of the auger housing;

plow means for forming a seed furrow attached to the planter forward of the discharge chute; and

disking means for covering seed in the furrow, being attached to the planter behind the discharge chute.

5. The improved potato planter of claim 4 wherein the means for rotating both primary and secondary augers in synchronized but opposite directions further comprise:

a pair of intermeshing spur gears, each attached to the front end of each auger; and

means for rotating said spur gears.

6. The improved potato planter of claim 4 wherein the means for rotating both the primary and secondary augers in synchronized but opposite directions further comprises means for varying the rotational speed of said primary and secondary augers.