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US 10,765,057 B2Granted
Seed delivery apparatus, systems, and methods
AssigneePrecision Planting LLC
InventorsIan Radtke, Todd Swanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seed delivery apparatus and methods in which a seed conveyor delivers seed from a metering device to a trench in a controlled manner to maintain seed placement accuracy within the trench.
Claims12
A seed delivery apparatus, comprising:
- a seed meter configured to entrain seeds on a seed disc and to release said entrained seeds at a seed release location;
- and
- a seed conveyor assembly having an upper end disposed to receive the released seed, said seed conveyor assembly including:
- a housing;
- a seed conveyor having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface having a plurality of inwardly projecting spaced teeth defining sequential belt gaps, said outer surface having a plurality of outwardly projecting spaced flights defining sequential flight gaps which receive the released seed;
- an upper pulley having a first set of radially arranged pulley teeth and a second set of radially arranged pulley teeth angularly offset from said first set of radially arranged pulley teeth, each of said first and second set of radially arranged pulley teeth alternatingly engaging said sequential belt gaps;
- and
- a cleaning strip fixedly attached to said housing and disposed adjacent to said upper pulley to clean debris from said upper pulley;
- wherein said cleaning strip extends arcuately forwardly along a direction of rotation of said upper pulley.
6 more elements
A seed delivery apparatus comprising:
- a seed meter configured to entrain seeds on a seed disc and to release said entrained seeds at a seed release location;
- and
- a seed conveyor assembly having an upper end disposed to receive the released seed, said seed conveyor assembly including:
- a seed conveyor having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface having a plurality of inwardly projecting spaced teeth defining sequential belt gaps, said outer surface having a plurality of outwardly projecting spaced flights defining sequential flight gaps which receive the released seed;
- an upper pulley having a first set of radially arranged pulley teeth and a second set of radially arranged pulley teeth angularly offset from said first set of radially arranged pulley teeth, each of said first and second set of radially arranged pulley teeth alternatingly engaging said sequential belt gaps;
- and
- a cleaning strip disposed adjacent to said upper pulley to clean debris from said upper pulley,
- wherein said first set of pulley teeth and said second set of pulley teeth are laterally offset by a rim.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.