# US 11,304,363 B2 · Seed firmer for passive seed orientation within agricultural fields

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- Number: US 11,304,363 B2
- Document ID: US11304363B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/316,599
- Filed: 2017-07-13
- Published: 2019-09-26
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-14
- Assignees: Precision Planting LLC
- Applicants: Precision Planting LLC
- Inventors: Dale Koch; Jeremy Hodel; Todd Swanson; Ian Radtke
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304363B2

## CPC

- A01C 21/005: {Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern}
- A01C 5/068: {Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels}
- A01C 7/10: Devices for adjusting the seed-box {; Regulation of machines for depositing quantities at intervals}
- A01C 7/105: {Seed sensors}
- A01C 7/20: Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed
- A01B 79/005: {Precision agriculture}
- A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00)
- A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21)

## Abstract

Systems, implements, and methods for seed orientation during planting operations of agricultural plants of agricultural fields include a seed firmer having a base support to be positioned in operation in proximity to a trench for planting seed in the trench and a lower member integrated with the base support or coupled to the base support. The lower member includes a non-planar ground contacting lower surface to adjust an orientation of the seed to a desired seed orientation within the trench and to position the seed within the trench at a desired depth.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A seed firmer comprising:
a base support configured to engage a bottom of a trench for planting seed in the trench; and
a lower member integrated with the base support or coupled to the base support, the lower member having a non-planar ground contacting lower surface disposed on a side of the lower member configured to be adjacent to a first wall of the trench, wherein the lower surface is configured to adjust an orientation and a depth of the seed within the trench, the lower surface comprising:
a first frontal region that has a first non-planar feature configured to position the seed near the first wall of the trench;
a second intermediate region that has a second different non-planar feature configured to position the seed near the first wall of the trench; and
a third rear region that has a planar feature between the first wall and a second opposing wall of the trench.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The seed firmer of claim 1, wherein the non-planar ground contacting lower surface is configured such that if the seed comprises seeds having tips, the non-planar ground contacting lower surface in configured to position the tips of the seeds in a downward direction into soil of the trench and embryos of the seeds in a first direction that is transverse with respect to a second direction of a row orientation for a row of plants.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The seed firmer of claim 1, wherein the non-planar ground contacting lower surface comprises at least one ridge, groove, or geometrical shape configured to adjust the orientation of the seed during planting.

### Claim 4

A seed firmer comprising:
a base support configured to engage a bottom of a trench for planting seed in the trench;
a lower member integrated with the base support or coupled to the base support, the lower member having a non-planar ground contacting lower surface disposed on a side of the lower member configured to be adjacent to a first wall of the trench, wherein the lower surface is configured to adjust an orientation and a depth of the seed within the trench;
a first seed vision system configured to detect an orientation of the seed within the trench before the seed firmer passes the seed; and
a second vision system configured to detect the orientation of the seed within the trench after the seed firmer passes the seed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The seed firmer of claim 1, further comprising at least one mechanical actuator configured to adjust the orientation of the seed during planting.

### Claim 6

A seed firmer comprising:
a base support configured to engage a bottom of a trench for planting seed in the trench; and
a lower member integrated with the base support or coupled to the base support, the lower member having a non-planar ground contacting lower surface disposed on a side of the lower member configured to be adjacent to a first wall of the trench, wherein the lower surface is configured to adjust an orientation and a depth of the seed within the trench;
wherein the lower member has a first width at a first frontal region, a second width at a second intermediate region, and a third width at a third rear region, wherein the second width is greater than the first width and the third width is greater than the second width.