SEEDING MACHINE WITH SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM
A seed delivery system for use in a seeding or planting machine that removes the seed from a seed meter by capturing the seed therefrom. The delivery system then moves the seed down to a lower discharge point and accelerates the seed horizontally rearward to a speed approximately equal to the forward travel speed of the seeding machine such that the seed, when discharged has a low or zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. Rolling of the seed in the trench is thus reduced. Furthermore, as the seed only has a short drop from the outlet to the bottom of the seed trench, the seed has little vertical speed to induce bounce. The delivery system uses a brush belt to capture, move and accelerate the seed. By capturing the seed and moving it from the meter to the discharge, the seed is held in place relative to other seeds and the planter row unit. As a result, the seeds are isolated from row unit dynamics thereby maintaining seed spacing.
The invention relates to a seeding machine having a seed metering system and a seed delivery system for delivering seed from the meter to the ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAn agricultural seeding machine such as a row crop planter or grain drill places seeds at a desired depth within a plurality of parallel seed trenches formed in soil. In the case of a row crop planter, a plurality of row crop units are typically ground driven using wheels, shafts, sprockets, transfer cases, chains and the like or powered by electric or hydraulic motors. Each row crop unit has a frame which is movably coupled with a tool bar. The frame may carry a main seed hopper, herbicide hopper and insecticide hopper. If a herbicide and insecticide are used, the metering mechanisms associated with dispensing the granular product into the seed trench are relatively simple. On the other hand, the mechanisms necessary to properly meter the seeds, and dispense the seeds at predetermined relative locations within the seed trench are relatively complicated.
The mechanisms associated with metering and placing the seeds generally can be divided into a seed metering system and a seed placement system which are in series communication with each other. The seed metering system receives the seeds in a bulk manner from the seed hopper carried by the planter frame or by the row unit. Different types of seed metering systems may be used, such as seed plates, finger plates, seed disks, etc. In the case of a seed disk metering system a seed disk is formed with a plurality of seed cells spaced about the periphery of the disk. Seeds are moved into the seed cells with one or more seeds in each seed cell depending upon the size and configuration of the seed cell. A vacuum or positive air pressure differential may be used in conjunction with the seed disk to assist in movement of the seeds into the seed cell. The seeds are singulated and discharged at a predetermined rate to the seed placement or delivery system.
The most common seed delivery system may be categorized as a gravity drop system. In the case of the gravity drop system, a seed tube has an inlet end which is positioned below the seed metering system. The singulated seeds from the seed metering system merely drop into the seed tube and fall via gravitational force from a discharge end thereof into the seed trench. The seed tube may have a rearward curvature to reduce bouncing of the seed as it strikes the bottom of the seed trench and to impart a horizontal velocity to the seed in order to reduce the relative velocity between the seed and the ground. Undesirable variation in resultant in-ground seed spacing can be attributed to differences in how individual seeds exit the metering system and drop through the seed tube. The spacing variation is exacerbated by higher travel speeds through the field which amplifies the dynamic field conditions. Further seed spacing variations are caused by the inherent relative velocity difference between the seeds and the soil as the seeding machine travels through a field. This relative velocity difference causes individual seeds to bounce and tumble in somewhat random patterns as each seed comes to rest in the trench.
Various attempts have been made to reduce the variation in seed spacing resulting from the gravity drop. U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,706 shows two approaches. One approach uses a belt with flights to transport the seeds from the meter to the ground while the other approach uses two belts to grip the seed and transport it from the meter to the ground. While these approaches control the seed path and reduce variability due to dynamic events, neither approach seeks to deliver the seed with as small as possible horizontal velocity difference relative to the ground. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,651,57, 7,185,596 and 7,343,868 show a seed delivery system using a brush wheel near the ground to regulate the horizontal velocity and direction of the seed as it exits the seeding machine. However, there is still a gravity drop between the seed meter and the brush wheel which produces variation in seed spacing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a seed delivery system that removes the seed from the seed meter by capturing the seed. The delivery system then moves the seed down to a lower discharge point and accelerates the seed rearward to a horizontal velocity approximately equal to the forward travel speed of the seeding machine such that the seed, when discharged, has a low or zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. Rolling of the seed in the trench is reduced as a result of the near zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. Furthermore, as the seed experiences a controlled descent from the point at which it is removed from the meter to a point very near the bottom of the trench, the system becomes a nearly impervious to the field dynamics experienced by the row unit. The combination of controlled descent and discharge at a substantially zero horizontal speed relative to the ground reduces seed spacing variability.
With reference to
The row unit 16 further includes a chemical hopper 40, a row cleaner attachment 42 and a down force generator 44. The row unit 16 is shown as an example of the environment in which the delivery system of the present invention is used. The present invention can be used in any of a variety of planting machine types such as, but not limited to, row crop planters, grain drills, air seeders, etc.
With reference to
The seed delivery system housing 48 has spaced apart front and rear walls 49 and 51 and a side wall 53 therebetween. An upper opening 58 in the housing side wall 53 admits the seed from the metering disk 50 into the housing. A pair of pulleys 60, 62 are mounted inside the housing 48. The pulleys support a belt 64 for rotation within the housing. One of the pulleys is a drive pulley while the other is an idler pulley. The belt has a base member 66 to engage the pulleys and elongated bristles 70 extending therefrom, The bristles are joined to the base member at proximal, or radially inner, ends of the bristles. Distal, or radially outer, ends 74 of the bristles touch, or are close to touching, the inner surface 76 of the housing side wall 53. A lower housing opening 78 is formed in the side wall 53 and is positioned as close to the bottom 80 of the seed trench as possible. As shown, the lower opening 78 is near or below the soil surface 82 adjacent the trench. The housing side wall forms an exit ramp 84 at the lower opening 78.
Returning attention to the upper portion of
In operation, the belt 64 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. As the belt curves around the pulleys, the bristles will naturally open, that is, separate from one another as the distal ends of the bristles travel a larger circumferential distance around the pulleys than the inner ends of the bristle at the belt base member. This produces two beneficial effects as described below. The seeds are transferred from the seed meter to the delivery system as the seeds are brought by the disk into the nip 88. There the seeds are pinched off the seed disk between the loading wheel and the bristles 70 to remove the seed from the seed disk and seed meter. The seeds are captured or entrapped in the bristles by insertion of the seed into the bristles in a radial direction, that is from the ends of the bristles in a direction parallel to the bristle length. This occurs just as the belt path around the pulley 60 ends, when the bristle ends are closing back together upon themselves, allowing the bristles to close upon, and capture the seeds therein. As the belt continues to move, the bristles move or convey the seeds downward to the housing lower opening. The side wall 53 of the housing cooperates with the bristles 70 to hold the seed in the brush bristles as the seed is moved to the lower opening.
The lower opening 78 and the ramp 84 are positioned along the curved belt path around the pulley 62. The bristle distal ends thus cause the linear speed of the seeds to accelerate relative to the speed of the belt base member 66 and the housing as shown by the two arrows 94 and 96. The seeds are then propelled by the bristles over the ramp 84 and discharged through the lower opening 78 into the seed trench. The angle of the ramp 84 can be selected to produce the desired relationship between the seed vertical and horizontal speeds at discharge. The forward travel direction of the row unit is to the left in
The belt shown in
With the delivery system 28, the seed is captured by the delivery system to remove the seed from the seed meter. The seed is then moved by the delivery system to the seed discharge point where the seed is accelerated in a rearward horizontal direction relative to the housing. From the seed meter to the discharge, the seed travel is controlled by the delivery system, thus maintaining the seed spacing relative to one another.
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
With reference to
In
The seed disk 202 is shown enlarged in
Surrounding each aperture 224 is a tapered recess, or shallow seed cell, 232 that extends axially into the disk from the reference plane. Seed cell 232 begins at a leading edge 234 in the direction of rotation of the disk and is progressively deeper into the seed side 218 to a trailing edge formed by an axially projecting wall 236. The tapered recess or seed cell 232 reduces the vacuum needed to pick-up and retain seed in the apertures 224. The seed cell also enables the seed to sit lower relative to the seed side 218 of the disk, allowing the seed to be retained while the seed singulator removes doubles or multiples of seed from the apertures 224. In addition, the recess wall 236 agitates seed in the seed pool, further aiding in seed pick-up. The wall 236 extends lengthwise in a predominately radial direction as shown by the dashed line 238. The walls 236, while predominately radial, are inclined to the radial direction such that the inner end of the wall 236 is leading the outer end of the wall in the direction of rotation. Immediately following each wall 236, as the disk rotates, is a projection, or upstanding peg, 240 extending axially from the disk seed side. The pegs engage seed in the seed pool for agitation to aide in seed pick-up. The pegs 240 are located slightly radially inward of the circular path of apertures 224 to avoid interference with the seed singulator.
With reference to
Another arrangement of the delivery system together with a vacuum meter belt is shown in
The delivery system of the present invention can also be used with seed meters other than air pressure differential meters. For example, with reference to
The endless member of the delivery system has been described as being a brush belt with bristles. In a broad sense, the bristles form an outer periphery of contiguous disjoint surfaces that engage and grip the seed. While brush bristles are the preferred embodiment, and may be natural or synthetic, other material types can be used to grip the seed such as a foam pad, expanded foam pad, mesh pad or fiber pad.
Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
Claims
1.-10. (canceled)
11. A seed metering and delivery apparatus configured for use on a row unit of a seeding machine for providing controlled delivery of seed to a furrow in soil at a predetermined seed spacing during a seeding operation, the seed metering and delivery apparatus comprising:
- a seed meter having a seed metering disk with a plurality of apertures arranged in an array along a circular path, wherein the plurality of apertures is configured to adhere the seed to the seed metering disk by an air pressure differential, and move the seed along the circular path as the seed metering disk rotates, the seed metering disk further comprising a wall trailing each aperture of the plurality of apertures, wherein the wall extends axially with respect to the seed metering disk and lies on the circular path;
- a seed delivery system for accepting the seed from the seed meter, moving the seed toward the furrow, and discharging the seed into the furrow, the seed delivery system including: a housing having an upper opening through which the seed is received from the seed meter and a lower opening through which the seed is discharged from the housing, wherein the housing is configured to move during the seeding operation at a seeding velocity; and an endless member within the housing and disposed around a first pulley and a second pulley, wherein the endless member is configured to receive the seed from the seed meter and move the seed along a substantially linear path toward the lower opening of the housing; and
- a wheel adjacent the upper opening of the housing and configured to engage the seed adhered to the seed metering disk and direct the seed into the upper opening of the housing and into the endless member;
- wherein the endless member is configured to move the seed along the substantially linear path at a linear path velocity and to discharge the seed from the housing at a discharge velocity having a horizontal velocity component approximately equal and opposite the seeding velocity such that, during the seeding operation, the horizontal velocity component of the discharged seed relative to the soil is substantially equal to zero.
12. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 11, wherein the endless member comprises a base member and a plurality of projection members extending from the base member.
13. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 12, wherein the seed is accelerated from the linear path velocity to the discharge velocity by rotating the plurality of projection members around the second pulley such that a linear speed of each projection member of the plurality of projection members is greater than a linear speed of the base member.
14. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 12, wherein an inner surface of the housing cooperates with the plurality of projection members to move the seed along the substantially linear path.
15. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 14, wherein the inner surface of the housing and at least two projection members of the plurality of projection members define a volume configured to contain the seed as the endless member moves the seed along the substantially linear path.
16. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least two projection members of the plurality of projection members are configured to grip the seed such that the volume is substantially equal to the volume of the seed.
17. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 11, wherein the endless member comprises a brush belt.
18. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 11, wherein the endless member is configured to contact a top of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear path.
19. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 18, wherein the endless member is configured to maintain contact with the top of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear path.
20. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 11, wherein the endless member is configured to contact a bottom of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear path.
21. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 20, wherein the endless member is configured to maintain contact with the bottom of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear path.
22. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 11, wherein the endless member is configured to cooperate with the wheel to remove the seed from the seed meter.
23. A seed metering and delivery apparatus for providing controlled delivery of seed to a furrow in the ground, the seed metering and delivery apparatus comprising:
- a seed meter having a metering member with a circular array of apertures and configured to move the seed along a first path, the metering member further comprising an axially projecting wall between adjacent apertures of the circular array of apertures and intersecting the first path;
- a wheel configured to redirect the seed from the first path at a removal position;
- a delivery system configured to receive the seed from the seed meter and move the seed along a second path comprising a substantially linear portion toward a discharge position, the delivery system comprising: a housing configured to move at a seeding velocity, the housing having an upper opening proximate the removal position and a lower opening proximate the discharge position; and an endless member disposed within the housing and having a plurality of entrapment spaces configured to entrap the seed received from the seed meter and move the seed to the discharge position;
- wherein the endless member is configured to discharge the seed from the housing at the discharge position at a discharge velocity having a horizontal component substantially equal and in a direction opposite to the seeding velocity such that the horizontal component of the discharge velocity relative to the ground is substantially equal to zero.
24. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member is configured to move the seed along the substantially linear portion of the second path at a linear transport velocity having a linear speed that is lower than a linear speed of the discharge velocity.
25. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 24, wherein the endless member is configured to accelerate the seed from the linear transport velocity to the discharge velocity.
26. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member is disposed around an upper pulley and a lower pulley.
27. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 26, wherein the endless member comprises a base member and a plurality of projection members extending from the base member.
28. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 27, wherein the endless member is configured to accelerate the seed to the discharge velocity by rotating the plurality of projection members about the lower pulley such that a linear velocity of the plurality of projection members is greater than a linear velocity of the base member.
29. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member comprises a base member and a plurality of projection members, and wherein at least two projection members of the plurality of projection members at least partially define each entrapment space of the plurality of entrapment spaces.
30. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 29, wherein the at least two projection members of the plurality of projection members, the base member, and a wall of the housing at least partially define each entrapment space of the plurality of entrapment spaces.
31. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 29, wherein each entrapment space of the plurality of entrapment spaces has a volume substantially equal to the volume of the seed.
32. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member comprises a brush belt.
33. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member is configured to contact a top of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the second path.
34. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 33, wherein the endless member is configured to maintain contact with the top of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the second path.
35. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member is configured to contact a bottom of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the second path.
36. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 35, wherein the endless member is configured to maintain contact with the bottom of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the second path.
37. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member is configured to push the seed toward the discharge position.
38. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23, wherein the endless member cooperates with the wheel to remove the seed from the seed meter.
39. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 23 wherein the endless member and the housing are configured to entrap the seed.
40. A seed metering and delivery apparatus for providing controlled delivery of seed to a furrow in the ground, the seed metering and delivery apparatus comprising:
- a seed meter having a metering disk with a circular array of apertures, the seed meter configured to move the seed along a circular path, the metering disk further comprising an axially projecting wall between adjacent apertures of the circular array of apertures;
- a wheel configured to redirect the seed from the circular path at a removal position;
- a delivery system configured to receive the seed from the seed meter and move the seed along a delivery path comprising a substantially linear portion toward a discharge position, the delivery system comprising: a housing configured to move at a seeding velocity having a seeding direction and a seeding speed, the housing having an upper opening proximate the removal position and a lower opening proximate the discharge position; and a belt disposed within the housing and having a plurality of entrapment spaces configured to entrap the seed received from the seed meter and move the seed to the discharge position;
- wherein the belt is configured to discharge the seed from the housing at the discharge position at a discharge velocity having a horizontal component substantially equal and opposite to the seeding velocity of the housing such that the horizontal component of the discharge velocity relative to the ground is substantially equal to zero.
41. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt is configured to move the seed along the substantially linear portion of the delivery path at a linear transport velocity having a linear speed that is lower than a linear speed of the discharge velocity.
42. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 41, wherein the belt is configured to accelerate the seed from the linear transport velocity to the discharge velocity.
43. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt is disposed around an upper pulley and a lower pulley.
44. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 43, wherein the belt comprises a base member and a plurality of projection members extending from the base member.
45. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 44, wherein the belt is configured to accelerate the seed to the discharge velocity by rotating the plurality of projection members about the lower pulley such that a linear velocity of the plurality of projection members is greater than a linear velocity of the base member.
46. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt comprises a base member and a plurality of projection members, and wherein at least two projection members of the plurality of projection members at least partially define each entrapment space of the plurality of entrapment spaces.
47. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 46, wherein the at least two projection members of the plurality of projection members, the base member, and a wall of the housing at least partially define each entrapment space of the plurality of entrapment spaces.
48. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 46, wherein each entrapment space of the plurality of entrapment spaces has a volume substantially equal to the volume of the seed.
49. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt comprises a bristle brush.
50. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt is configured to contact a top of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the delivery path.
51. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 50, wherein the belt is configured to maintain contact with the top of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the delivery path.
52. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt is configured to contact a bottom of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the delivery path.
53. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 52, wherein the belt is configured to maintain contact with the bottom of the seed as the seed moves along the substantially linear portion of the delivery path.
54. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt is configured to push the seed toward the discharge position.
55. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt cooperates with the wheel to remove the seed from the seed meter.
56. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the belt and the housing are configured to entrap the seed.
57. The seed metering and delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the seeding velocity comprises a first seeding speed and a second seeding speed, and wherein the first seeding speed and the second seeding speed are different.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 11, 2020
Publication Date: Mar 4, 2021
Inventors: Elijah B. Garner (Bettendorf, IA), Daniel B. Thiemke (Holly Springs, NC), David J. Rylander (Victoria, IL), Nathan A. Mariman (Davenport, IA), Michael E. Friestad (Roseville, IL)
Application Number: 17/095,431