Seed cart

• US 8,851,822 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C & S Manufacturing Inc.
• Original Assignee: C & S Manufacturing Inc.
• Inventors: Travis, Wyman
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYERS, GLENN F
• Application Number:
  US12/372,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20100209224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 414/539, 414/332, 414/334, 414/403, 414/404, 414/408, 414/415, 414/507, 414/526, 414/523, 414/21, 198/550.01, 198/550.2, 198/532, 198/530, 111/173
• US Class Current: 414/526
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/003 Bulk fertiliser or grain handling in the field or on the farm
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/208 Chassis; Coupling means to a tractor or the like; Lifting means; Side markers

Abstract

A vehicle for transporting bulk seed containers and for transferring seed from the bulk seed containers to a seed planting machine includes a frame; a number of bulk seed container supports attached to the frame, each bulk seed container support supporting a bulk seed container; a feed tube connected to each of the bulk seed container supports, each feed tube engaging a bulk seed container; a delivery tube connected to each feed tube; a funnel commonly connected to the delivery tubes; an auger tube connected to the funnel, and an auger to transfer seed to a seed planting machine.

Claims

1. A vehicle for transporting bulk seed containers and for transferring seed from the bulk seed containers to a seed planting machine, the vehicle comprising:

a frame including upper and lower frame portions;

a plurality of bulk seed container supports attached to the upper frame portion of the frame, each of the plurality of bulk seed container supports being adapted to support a said bulk seed container;

a weighing apparatus positioned between the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion to measure a weight of any contents of one or more bulk seed containers supported on the bulk seed container supports;

a feed tube connected to each of the plurality of bulk seed container supports for engaging a said bulk seed container when positioned on the bulk seed container;

a delivery tube connected to each feed tube;

a funnel commonly connected to the plurality of delivery tubes;

an auger tube further comprising a first end connected to the funnel and a second end, the auger tube further comprising an auger adapted to transfer seed to a said seed planting machine; and

wherein the upper and lower frame portions are separate structures connected together by the weighing apparatus.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the auger tube is connected to the funnel and a second portion of the auger tube is hingedly connected to the first portion.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second bulk seed container supports attached to the frame;

a second feed tube connected to each of the plurality of second bulk container supports;

a second delivery tube connected to each second feed tube;

a second funnel commonly connected to the plurality of second delivery tubes; and

a second auger tube having a first end connected to the second funnel and a second end connected to the auger tube.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a talc kit having a hopper containing talc and an auger outlet adapted to transfer the talc to the auger tube.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising wheels attached to the frame and a trailer hitch attached to the frame.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, additionally comprising a fifth wheel hitch mounted on the front of the frame and configured to engage a fifth wheel.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the fifth wheel hitch comprises a yoke extending forwardly from the frame, and a pin mounted on a forward end of the yoke.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the bulk seed container supports comprises an upper perimeter frame member and a plurality of container support shields proximate to the perimeter frame member, at least one of the container support shields comprising a substantially vertically-oriented lower first portion extending upwardly from the upper perimeter frame member and an upper second portion extending upwardly and outwardly from the lower portion.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one container support shield further includes a third portion extending upwardly from the second portion, the third portion being substantially vertically-oriented in a substantially parallel relationship to the first portion of the at least one container support shield.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of container support shields are separate from each other and are located toward positions of corners of a bulk seed container when the container is positioned on the upper perimeter frame member.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the weighing apparatus includes a readout configured to indicate a weight measured by the weighing apparatus.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the weighing apparatus includes multiple weigh bars forming a primary connection between the upper and lower frame portions.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bulk seed container supports, the funnel, the feed tube, the delivery tube and the auger tube are mounted on the upper frame portion such that the weighing apparatus is configured to weigh seed contained in parts mounted on the upper frame portion and any supported bulk seed containers.

14. A vehicle for transporting bulk seed containers and for transferring seed from the bulk seed containers to a seed planting machine, the vehicle comprising:

a frame including upper and lower frame portions;

a primary support apparatus for supporting a first cluster of said bulk seed containers, the primary support apparatus including;

a plurality of first bulk seed container supports attached to the upper frame portion of the frame, each of the plurality of first bulk seed container supports being adapted to support a said bulk seed container;

a weighing apparatus positioned between the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion to measure a weight of any contents of one or more bulk seed containers supported on the bulk seed container supports;

a first feed tube connected to each of the plurality of bulk seed container supports and positioned to engage a said bulk seed container supported on the respective first bulk seed container supports;

a downwardly-sloping first delivery tube connected to each first feed tube;

a first funnel commonly connected to the plurality of delivery tubes;

a primary auger tube having a first end connected to the first funnel, the primary auger tube including a first portion connected to the first funnel and fixedly mounted on the frame, the primary auger also including a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion to permit movement of the second portion between a storage position and a use position; and

wherein the upper and lower frame portions are separate structures connected together by the weighing apparatus.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, additionally comprising a secondary support apparatus for supporting a second cluster of said bulk seed containers, the secondary support apparatus including:

a plurality of second bulk seed container supports attached to the frame;

a second feed tube connected to each of the plurality of second bulk container supports and positioned to engage a said bulk seed container supported on the respective second bulk seed container supports;

a second delivery tube connected to each second feed tube;

a second funnel commonly connected to the plurality of second delivery tubes; and

a secondary auger tube having a first end connected to the second funnel and a second end connected to the primary auger tube toward the first end of the primary auger tube to receive seed from the second cluster of said bulk seed containers supported by the secondary support apparatus.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, additionally comprising a fifth wheel hitch mounted on the front of the frame and configured to engage a fifth wheel.

17. A vehicle for transporting bulk seed containers and for transferring seed from the bulk seed containers to a seed planting machine, the vehicle comprising:

a frame having an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion;

a weighing apparatus positioned between the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion to measure a weight of any contents of one or more bulk seed containers supported on bulk seed container supports, the upper and lower frame portions being separate structures connected together by the weighing apparatus;

a primary support apparatus on the upper frame portion for supporting a first cluster of said bulk seed containers, the primary support apparatus including;

a plurality of said bulk seed container supports attached to the frame, each of the plurality of bulk seed container supports being adapted to support a said bulk seed container;

a first feed tube connected to each of the plurality of bulk seed container supports and positioned to engage a said bulk seed container supported on the respective bulk seed container supports;

a downwardly-sloping first delivery tube connected to each first feed tube;

a first funnel commonly connected to the plurality of delivery tubes;

a secondary support apparatus on the upper frame portion for supporting a second cluster of said bulk seed containers, the secondary support apparatus including;

a plurality of said bulk seed container supports attached to the frame;

a second feed tube connected to each of the plurality of said bulk container supports and positioned to engage a said bulk seed container supported on the respective bulk seed container supports;

a second delivery tube connected to each second feed tube;

a second funnel commonly connected to the plurality of second delivery tubes; and

a secondary auger tube having a first end connected to the second funnel and a second end;

a primary auger tube having a first end connected to the first funnel, the second end of the secondary auger tube being connected to the primary auger tube toward the first end of the primary auger tube to receive seed from the second cluster of bulk seed containers supported by the secondary support apparatus; and

a talc kit configured to dispense talc into seed moving in one of the auger tubes, the talc kit including a hopper containing a supply of talc and an auger in communication with the hopper and said one of the auger tubes to permit the auger to transfer the talc from the hopper to the primary auger tube.