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US 10,206,325 B2Granted
Multiple seed type seed meter with seed switching mechanism
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorsChristopher Schoeny, Chad M. Johnson, Marvin A. Prickel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multiple seed type seed meter is provided for multi-variety row crop planting. The seed meter maintains multiple seed pools inside a seed meter sump while controlling which of the seed pools is exposed to a seed disk inside the seed meter for selective delivery onto a field. The sump may define a split sump arrangement and a seed switching mechanism may be arranged between the split sump arrangement and the seed disk for selectively exposing ones of multiple seed pools with different seed types to the seed disk.
Claims16
A seed meter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, the seed meter comprising:
- a housing arranged at a row unit of a planter and defining an enclosure that surrounds a housing cavity;
- a seed disk arranged at least partially within the housing cavity and configured to singluate seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a split sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity, the split sump arrangement providing a split sump for holding seed in multiple chambers that are configured to receive and separately hold seed of multiple types inside the housing cavity;
- and
- a seed switching mechanism arranged between the split sump arrangement and the seed disk for selectively exposing one of the multiple chambers to the seed disk, the seed switching mechanism including multiple doors that correspond in number to the multiple chambers;
- wherein each of the multiple doors:
- includes an inner end toward a central segment of the meter housing and an outer end toward an outer segment of the meter housing;
- and
- is pivotable about a respective inner end between an open and a closed position.
6 more elements
A seed meter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, the seed meter comprising:
- a housing arranged at a row unit of a planter and defining an enclosure that surrounds a housing cavity;
- a seed disk arranged at least partially within the housing cavity and configured to singluate seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a split sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity, the split sump arrangement providing a split sump for holding seed in multiple chambers that are configured to receive and separately hold seed of multiple types inside the housing cavity;
- and
- a seed switching mechanism arranged between the split sump arrangement and the seed disk for selectively exposing one of the multiple chambers to the seed disk;
- wherein:
- the seed switching mechanism comprises a door assembly configured to move to multiple positions to selectively expose one of the multiple chambers to the seed disk;
- the door assembly comprises multiple doors that correspond in number to the multiple chambers so that each of the multiple chambers has a corresponding door;
- each of the multiple doors includes an inner end toward a central segment of the meter housing and an outer end toward an outer segment of the meter housing;
- and
- each of the multiple doors moves between the open and closed positions by pivoting about the respective inner end.
8 more elements
A seed meter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, the seed meter comprising:
- a housing arranged at a row unit of a planter and defining an enclosure that surrounds a housing cavity;
- a seed disk arranged at least partially within the housing cavity and configured to singluate seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a split sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity, the split sump arrangement providing a split sump for holding seed in multiple chambers that are configured to receive and separately hold seed of multiple types inside the housing cavity;
- and
- a seed switching mechanism arranged between the split sump arrangement and the seed disk for selectively exposing one of the multiple chambers to the seed disk:
- wherein:
- the seed switching mechanism comprises a door assembly configured to move to multiple positions to selectively expose one of the multiple chambers the seed disk;
- the door assembly comprises multiple doors that correspond in number to the multiple chambers so that each of the multiple chambers has a corresponding door;
- each of the multiple doors includes an inner end toward a central segment of the meter housing and an outer end toward an outer segment of the meter housing;
- and
- each of the multiple doors includes a door tab at the outer end for engaging an actuator to move the respective door.
8 more elements
A seed meter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, the seed meter comprising:
- a housing arranged at a row unit of a planter and defining an enclosure that surrounds a housing cavity;
- a seed disk arranged at least partially within the housing cavity and configured to singluate seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a split sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity, the split sump arrangement providing a split sump for holding seed in multiple chambers that are configured to receive and separately hold seed of multiple types inside the housing cavity;
- and
- a seed switching mechanism arranged between the split sump arrangement and the seed disk for selectively exposing one of the multiple chambers to the seed disk;
- wherein:
- the split sump arrangement includes a sump insert comprising:
- a faceplate arranged parallel to the seed disk;
- first and second doorways arranged in the faceplate that define respective plate openings that extend through the faceplate;
- and
- a divider wall extending perpendicularly from the faceplate between the first and second doorways;
- and
- the divider wall provides a barrier between the first and second chambers of the split sump arrangement and the door assembly is arranged between the first and second doorways of the faceplate and the seed disk.
10 more elements
A seed meter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, the seed meter comprising:
- a housing arranged at a row unit of a planter and defining an enclosure that surrounds a housing cavity and a seed inlet for receiving seeds from storage;
- a seed disk arranged at least partially within the housing cavity and configured to singluate seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a split sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity with the split sump arrangement comprising:
- a faceplate arranged parallel to the seed disk;
- first and second doorways arranged in the faceplate that define respective plate openings that extend through the faceplate;
- and
- a divider wall extending perpendicularly from the faceplate between the first and second doorways through the housing cavity and the seed inlet to define a split inlet passage with first and second inlet passage segments and a split sump with first and second chambers respectively receiving seed from the first and second inlet passage segments and separately holding seeds of a first type and a second type to define first and second seed pools in the housing cavity;
- and
- a door assembly arranged between the split sump arrangement and the seed disk for moving to multiple positions to selectively expose the first and second seed pools to the seed disk.
6 more elements
A planter for planting seed of multiple seed types in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, the planter comprising:
- a frame supporting multiple row units;
- a seed storage system for separately storing seeds of a first type and a second type on the planter;
- a seed meter arranged at each of the multiple row units with the seed meter receiving the seeds of the first and second types and delivering seeds of a selective one of the first and second types for planting an agricultural field, the seed meter comprising:
- a meter housing defining an enclosure that at least partially surrounds a seed disk configured to singluate seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a first chamber arranged in the meter housing that receives the seeds of the first type to define a first seed pool in the first chamber selectively exposed to the seed disk;
- a second chamber arranged in the meter housing that receives the seeds of the second type to define a second seed pool in the second chamber selectively exposed to the seed disk;
- a first door arranged between the first chamber and the seed disk with the first door movable between an open position that exposes the first seed pool to the seed disk and a closed position that provides a barrier between the first seed pool and the seed disk;
- and
- a second door arranged between the second chamber and the seed disk with the second door movable between an open position that exposes the second seed pool to the seed disk and a closed position that provides a barrier between the second seed pool and the seed disk;
- wherein:
- each of the first and second doors includes an inner end toward a central segment of the meter housing and an outer end toward an outer segment of the meter housing;
- and
- each of the first and second doors moves between the open and closed positions by pivoting about the respective inner end.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.