Patents Assigned to First Products, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11617299
    Abstract: A system and method for regulating dispensation of seeds, fertilizer or other items. The system comprises a hopper, at least first and second movable metering plates, and an agitator assembly. Movement of the first and second movable metering plates in first and second directions, respectively, that are opposite one another increases a size of a plurality of output holes defined by interleaved portions of the metering plates, whereas movement of the first and second movable metering plates in the second and first directions, respectively, decreases the size of the output holes. An adjustable control handle can be moved to simultaneously move the first and second movable metering plates to adjust the size of the output holes. Each agitator remains in alignment with a center of a respective output hole regardless of a decrease or increase in the size of the output holes, resulting in more efficient dispensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: First Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Tison, Donald C. Jones
  • Patent number: 7677324
    Abstract: A turf slicer includes a gang of six slicer wheels that “walk” through the turf in response to the forward motion of the turf slicer. In the meantime, the power takeoff from the tractor vertically oscillates the slicer wheels out of phase with one another, so that every sixth wheel is being thrust downwardly to bear most of the weight of the turf slicer as the other five wheels in the gang of six are either being withdrawn upwardly or moved downwardly and do not bear much weight, so that the weight of the turf slicer is concentrated on the downwardly moving slicer wheel that is approaching bottom dead center of its movement, thereby amplifying the effective weight of the turf slicer against the turf below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: First Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Jones, Carroll J. Whitfield, Robert Funk
  • Patent number: 7428874
    Abstract: A seeder (20) includes a seed hopper (22) that feeds seed by gravity to a seed dispenser (24). The seed feed wheels (38) of the seeder are mounted in a seed metering tube (30) so that rotation of the seed feed wheels meters the output of the seeds. The seed feed wheels can be formed in segments (50 and 60) so that by matching different segments, different sizes of seed receiving detents can be used for dispensing the seeds. An adjustment bracket (72) shifts the seed feed wheels so that different sizes of detents can register with the openings of the seed metering tube (30), thereby achieving the desired matching of sizes of detents with the sizes of the seeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: First Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Jones, Robert Funk
  • Patent number: D749648
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: First Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Jones, Sr., Alan McLeod