US 10,477,758 B2 · Multiple seed-type seed meter

Abstract

A seed meter for planting multiple types of seed and rapidly switching between the types being planted in a single planting pass of a planting session of row-crop planting has a segmented seed meter reservoir with multiple seed meter chambers arranged between two pairs of seed disks that may be parallel to each other or angled with respect to each other to define an X-shaped arrangement of the seed disks in the seed meter. Activation and deactivation of the seed disks within the seed meter are synchronized to selectively deliver a single one of the multiple types of seed from the respective seed meter chamber for delivery out of a single seed tube of the seed meter, which may provide absolute and instantaneous on-the-go seed switching within a single row from each seed meter.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A planter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, comprising:

a frame;
a bulk storage system supported by the frame and configured for storing multiple types of seeds;
multiple row units supported by the frame, each of the multiple row units including,
an on-row storage system with multiple compartments configured to receive respective ones of the multiple types of seed from the bulk storage system;
and
a seed meter for planting the multiple types of seed and including a housing having multiple portions defining multiple seed chambers respectively receiving seeds of multiple types from the multiple compartments of the on-row storage system and multiple seed disk assemblies for selectively delivering individual seeds of the multiple seed types from the multiple seed chambers of the seed meter out of the housing for release onto an agricultural field during row-crop planting of the agricultural field.

3 more elements

A planter for planting multiple types of seed in a single planting pass during row-crop planting of an agricultural field, comprising:

a frame;
a bulk storage system supported by the frame and configured for storing multiple types of seeds;
multiple row units supported by the frame, each of the multiple row units including,
a seed meter wherein the seed meter includes a housing having multiple portions defining multiple seed chambers receiving seeds of multiple types from the bulk storage system, multiple seed disks arranged with respect to the multiple seed chambers for delivering individual seeds out of the housing of the seed meter and a seed disk drive system configured for selectively activating or deactivating the multiple seed disks to selectively deliver a corresponding one of the multiple seed types from the housing of the seed meter for release onto an agricultural field during row-crop planting of the agricultural field.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multiple seed-type seed meter

Life of this patent

Multiple seed-type seed meter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12