Alignment system for a blocking member of a planting unit

• US 9,313,941 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Garner, Elijah B., Zumdome, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US14/170,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20140144357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/042 using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/046 with perforated seeding discs
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/16 Seeders with other distributing devices, e.g. brushes, discs, screws or slides
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed

Abstract

A alignment system is described for a blocking member for the transfer of seed from a seed meter with a seed meter housing to a delivery system with a delivery system housing. The blocking member may have a blocking face adjacent a seed path of the seed meter, the blocking face opening to a seed passage, and the seed passage extending through the blocking member to an interface with the delivery system housing. A first recess may be included on the blocking member, and a second recess may be included on the delivery system housing. When the seed passage of the blocking member is correctly aligned with the delivery system, a protrusion on the delivery system housing may be configured to seat firmly in the first recess and a protrusion on the seed meter housing may be configured to seat firmly in the second recess.

Claims

1. An alignment system for fixing the relative position of a seed meter with respect to a delivery system at a hand-off location where seed traveling in a first direction of movement of the seed meter transitions to a second direction of movement of the delivery system, the alignment system comprising:

a delivery system housing at least in part surrounding a moving pickup member of the delivery system, the pickup member moving the seed in the second direction;

a transition member mounted to at least one of the seed meter and the delivery system housing, the transition member defining a transition recess receiving the pickup member of the delivery system as the pickup member moves in the second direction; and

an interlocking arrangement having at least one alignment projection extending from at least one of the transition member and the delivery system housing, and a complementary at least one alignment recess formed in the other of the at least one of the transition member and the delivery system housing, the at least one alignment projection and alignment recess in interlocking engagement with each other;

wherein the engagement of the at least one alignment projection with the at least one alignment recess positions the transition member in alignment with the first direction and positions the transition recess in alignment with the second direction.

2. The alignment system of claim 1, further comprising:

another interlocking arrangement having at least one other alignment recess formed in at least one of the delivery system housing and the seed meter, and a complementary at least one other alignment projection extending from the other of the at least one of the delivery system housing and the seed meter, the at least one other alignment projection and other alignment recess being configured for interlocking engagement with each other.

3. The alignment system of claim 2, wherein the at least one other alignment recess includes a frustoconical recess.

4. The alignment system of claim 3, wherein the at least one other alignment projection includes a frustoconical projection.

5. The alignment system of claim 1, further comprising:

a recessed geometry included in the at least one of the seed meter and the delivery system housing to which the transition member is mounted; and

a complimentary mounting geometry on the transition member, the mounting geometry configured to seat firmly in the recessed geometry one or more of when the transition member is in alignment with the first direction and when the transition recess is in alignment with the second direction.

6. The alignment system of claim 1, wherein the at least one alignment recess includes a trapezoidal recess.

7. The alignment system of claim 6, wherein the at least one alignment projection includes a trapezoidal projection.

8. An alignment system for fixing the relative position of a seed meter with respect to a delivery system at a hand-off location where seed traveling in a first direction of movement of the seed meter transitions to a second direction of movement of the delivery system, the alignment system comprising:

a delivery system housing at least in part surrounding a moving pickup member of the delivery system, the pickup member moving the seed in the second direction;

a transition member mounted to at least one of the seed meter and the delivery system housing, the transition member defining a transition recess receiving the pickup member of the delivery system as the pickup member moves in the second direction;

an interlocking arrangement having at least one alignment projection extending from at least one of the transition member and the delivery system housing, and a complementary at least one alignment recess formed in the other of the at least one of the transition member and the delivery system housing, the at least one alignment projection and alignment recess in interlocking engagement with each other, wherein the engagement of the at least one alignment projection with the at least one alignment recess positions the transition member in alignment with the first direction and positions the transition recess in alignment with the second direction;

another interlocking arrangement having at least one other alignment recess formed in at least one of the delivery system housing and the seed meter, and a complementary at least one other alignment projection extending from the other of the at least one of the delivery system housing and the seed meter, the at least one other alignment projection and other alignment recess being configured for interlocking engagement with each other; and

an outer recess extending into the other alignment projection from a side of the other alignment projection that is removed from an interface between the other alignment projection and the other alignment recess, the outer recess configured to receive a latch to secure the delivery system housing to the seed meter.

9. An alignment system for fixing the relative position of a seed meter with respect to a delivery system at a hand-off location where seed traveling in a first direction of movement of the seed meter transitions to a second direction of movement of the delivery system, the alignment system comprising:

a delivery system housing at least in part surrounding a moving pickup member of the delivery system, the pickup member moving the seed in the second direction;

a transition member mounted to at least one of the seed meter and the delivery system housing, the transition member defining a transition recess receiving the pickup member of the delivery system as the pickup member moves in the second direction; and

an interlocking arrangement having at least one alignment projection extending from at least one of the transition member and the delivery system housing, and a complementary at least one alignment recess formed in the other of the at least one of the transition member and the delivery system housing, the at least one alignment projection and alignment recess being in interlocking engagement with each other, wherein the engagement of the at least one alignment projection with the at least one alignment recess positions the transition member in alignment with the first direction and positions the transition recess in alignment with the second direction;

wherein the seed meter includes at least one tapered recess;

wherein the transition member includes at least one side extension, a first side of the at least one side extension providing a face along which the seed is moved in the first direction by the seed meter, and a second side of the at least one side extension providing a tapered geometry extending away from the first side of the at least one side extension;

wherein the at least one tapered recess and the tapered geometry are configured for interlocking engagement with each other; and

wherein the engagement of the at least one tapered recess with the tapered geometry positions the transition member in alignment with the first direction and positions the transition recess in alignment with the second direction.

10. The alignment system of claim 9, wherein the at least one side extension of the transition member includes at least one mounting hole to mount the transition member to at least one of the seed meter and the delivery system housing.