PLANTING UNIT FOR A SEEDING MACHINE HAVING A SEED METER AND SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM

• US 20120240838A1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Garner, Elijah B., Friestad, Michael E., Mariman, Nathan A., Zumdome, Lee E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 111/185
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/0445 Seed ejectors
• 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 planting unit for a seeding machine is disclosed having a frame member and a seed meter mounted thereto. The seed meter has a housing and a metering member rotatably mounted therein. The metering member has a sidewall with an inner surface and an outer surface and a rim portion adjacent an outer edge of the sidewall. The inner surface of the side wall and the housing form a trough at a bottom portion of the metering member to hold a seed pool. A mechanical seed delivery system takes seed from the metering member and moves seed to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine.

Claims

1. A planting unit for a seeding machine comprising:

a planting unit frame member; and

a seed meter mounted to the planting unit frame member, the seed meter having

a housing and

a metering member rotatably mounted inside the housing, the metering member having a sidewall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the sidewall having a rim portion adjacent an outer edge of the sidewall, the inner surface of the sidewall and the housing forming a trough at a bottom portion of the metering member to hold a seed pool, the inner surface of the sidewall of the metering member at the trough being oriented at an angle between 5° and

75°

relative to a vertical vector pointing upward at the outer edge of the sidewall.

2. The planting unit of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the sidewall of the metering member at the trough is oriented at an angle between 10°

and 50°

relative to a vertical vector pointed upward from the outer edge of the sidewall.

3. The planting unit of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the sidewall of the metering member at the trough is oriented at an angle between 20°

and 40°

relative to a vertical vector pointed upward from the outer edge of the sidewall.

4. The planting unit of claim 1 wherein the metering member is rotatably mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis that is inclined relative to a horizontal plane as well as inclined to a vertical plane extending fore-aft and a vertical plane extending transversely of the seeding machine.

5. The planting unit of claim 1 further comprising a cover member to cover at least a portion of the outer surface of the metering member, the cover member adapted to form a vacuum chamber on the outer surface of the sidewall of the metering member, the vacuum chamber extending from the trough to at least a seed release position in a direction of rotation of the metering member wherein when vacuum is applied to the vacuum chamber and the metering member is rotated, seed from the seed pool is adhered to apertures of the metering member and carried sequentially to the release position.

6. A planting unit for a seeding machine comprising:

a seed meter having a metering member mounted for rotation, the metering member having a sidewall extending to an outer edge, the sidewall having inner and outer surfaces, a rim portion of the sidewall adjacent the outer edge having apertures extending through the sidewall, the metering member adapted to adhere seed to the apertures to sequentially move seed to a release position; and

a mechanical seed delivery system adapted to take seed from the metering member at the release position and sweep seed in a direction substantially cross-wise to a direction of travel of the seed oh the metering member as the metering member rotates and move seed to a discharge location adjacent a seed furrow formed in soil beneath the seeding machine.

7. The planting unit of claim 6 wherein the seed delivery system sweeps seed in a direction that is at least 35°

to the direction of travel of the seed on the metering member.

8. The planting unit of claim 6 wherein the seed delivery system sweeps seed across the inner surface of the sidewall in a direction that is between 50°

and 80°

to the direction of travel of the seed on the metering member.

9. The planting unit of claim 6 wherein the delivery system comprises a brush belt having bristles that sweep over the metering member sidewall at the release position to take seed from the metering member and move the seed to the discharge location.

10. The planting unit of claim 9 wherein the metering member includes a projection behind apertures in a direction of rotation of the metering member, the projections adapted to push seed into the bristles of the brush belt.

11. The planting unit of claim 9 wherein seed enters the bristles of the brush belt at distal ends of the bristles.

12. The planting unit of claim 6 further comprising an ejector having at least one projection adapted to extend into the apertures at the release position from the outer surface to push seed from the apertures.

13. The planting unit of claim 6 wherein the mechanical seed delivery system has a housing in which a brush belt is moved to carry seed from the seed meter to the discharge location, the delivery system housing having an opening in which the sidewall of the metering member is received and further comprising a seed meter housing in which the metering member is contained, the seed meter housing having an opening therein through which the brush belt extends.