Transitional blocking member of planting unit to control hand-off of seed from a seed meter to a seed delivery system
First Claim
1. A planting unit for a seeding machine comprising:
- a seed meter having a metering member that moves seed individually and sequentially along a first path to a release position at which the seed is moving in a first direction;
a delivery system receiving the seed from the metering member at the release position and moving the seed to a discharge location, the delivery system having a brush belt with flexible bristles that carry the seed in the bristles to the discharge location, the delivery system, at the release position, moving seed in a second direction along a second path; and
a blocking member having a blocking face adjacent the first path to prevent movement of the seed in the second direction until the seed has passed the blocking face, a first portion of the bristles contacting the blocking face and being deflected thereby, the blocking member having a transition surface along the second direction to allow the deflected bristles to return gradually to an un-deflected configuration as the deflected bristles travel in the second direction away from the blocking face.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A planting unit for a seed machine is described. The planting unit includes a seed meter with a metering member that moves seed along a first path to a release position, at which the seed is moving in a first direction. A delivery system receives seed from the metering member at the release position and moves the seed in a second direction by way of a brush belt with flexible bristles that sweep seed off the metering member. A blocking member has a blocking face adjacent the first path to prevent movement of the seed in the second direction until the seed has passed the blocking face, and to deflect a first portion of the flexible bristles. The blocking member includes a transition surface to allow the deflected bristles to return gradually to an un-deflected configuration as the bristles travel downstream of the blocking face.
37 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A planting unit for a seeding machine comprising:
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a seed meter having a metering member that moves seed individually and sequentially along a first path to a release position at which the seed is moving in a first direction; a delivery system receiving the seed from the metering member at the release position and moving the seed to a discharge location, the delivery system having a brush belt with flexible bristles that carry the seed in the bristles to the discharge location, the delivery system, at the release position, moving seed in a second direction along a second path; and a blocking member having a blocking face adjacent the first path to prevent movement of the seed in the second direction until the seed has passed the blocking face, a first portion of the bristles contacting the blocking face and being deflected thereby, the blocking member having a transition surface along the second direction to allow the deflected bristles to return gradually to an un-deflected configuration as the deflected bristles travel in the second direction away from the blocking face. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification