Multiple variety seed meter with segmented sump arrangement and seed switching arrangement
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorsChristopher Schoeny, Chad M. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multiple variety seed meter for multi-variety row crop planting includes a segmented sump that may have an active sump segment and an inactive sump segment. A seed switching arrangement is used to select which seed variety is available in the active sump segment for exposure to a seed disk for singulation by a seed disk for delivery onto the agricultural field while planting.
Claims19
A multiple variety seed meter for planting multiple varieties 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 for singulation of seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a segmented sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity, the segmented sump arrangement including,
- an active sump segment configured to hold seed of a first seed variety as an active seed variety to define an active seed pool that is exposed to the seed disk for singulation;
- an inactive sump segment configured to hold seed of a second seed variety as an inactive seed variety to define an inactive seed pool that is not exposed to the seed disk for singulation;
- a seed input port arranged within the active sump segment for selectively supplying one of the seed of the first seed variety and the seed of the second seed variety to the active sump segment through the seed input port;
- and
- a seed switching arrangement that,
- moves the seed of the first seed variety from the active sump segment to the inactive sump segment, whereby the first seed variety is converted from the active seed variety in the active seed pool to the inactive seed variety to define the inactive seed pool;
- and
- moves the seed of the second seed variety from the inactive sump segment to the active sump segment, whereby the second seed variety is converted from the inactive seed variety in the inactive seed pool to the active seed variety to define the active seed pool.
A multiple variety seed meter for planting multiple varieties 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 for singulation of seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a seed pickup region defined in the housing cavity as a location at which the seed disk picks up seed from a seed pool for singulation of seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a seed input port arranged in communication with the seed pool in the cavity for selectively supplying one of seed of a first seed variety and seed of a second seed variety to the seed pool;
- a sump sweeper arranged within the housing cavity and configured to selectively sweep at least some of the seed out of the seed pool into a temporary storage area of the seed meter, the sump sweeper being configured to selectively isolate the temporary storage area from the seed pick up region.
A multiple variety seed meter for planting multiple varieties 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 for singulation of seeds for individual delivery onto the agricultural field while planting;
- a segmented sump arrangement defined within the housing cavity, the segmented sump including,
- an active sump segment configured to hold seed in an active seed pool within the housing cavity for exposure to the seed disk for singulation;
- an inactive sump segment configured to hold seed in an inactive seed pool within the housing cavity to block exposure to the seed disk for singulation;
- and
- a seed input port arranged in communication with the active sump segment for selectively supplying seed from one of a plurality of seed varieties to the active sump segment through the seed input port;
- a rotor housing arranged within the housing cavity with a switching opening defined in the rotor housing;
- a rotor arranged for selective rotation within the rotor housing with the rotor defining,
- a non-switching state when the rotor is not rotating and the inactive sump segment is defined between the rotor and the rotor housing;
- and
- a switching state when the rotor is rotating and moves seeds between the active and inactive sump segments through the switching opening of the rotor housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.