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US 11,785,881 B2Granted
Adjustable seed meter and related systems and methods
AssigneeAg Leader Technology
InventorsBrett Buehler, Alex Hartogh, Scott Eichhorn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Adjustable seed meters having a first seed disk having first openings defined therein and a second seed disk having second openings defined therein adjacent to the first openings such that the first and second openings are alignable to form adjustable seed cells. Various embodiments have a plate adjustment drive system to rotate the first and second seed disks in relation to each other. Other embodiments relate to methods of automatically adjusting a seed meter during operation of the overall planting system.
Claims15
An automatically adjustable seed metering system, the system comprising:
- (a) a metering housing;
- (b) a first seed plate rotatably disposed within the metering housing, the first seed plate comprising first openings defined in the first seed plate;
- (c) a second seed plate rotatably disposed within the metering housing adjacent to and rotatable in relation to the first seed plate, the second seed plate comprising second openings defined in the second seed plate adjacent to the first openings, wherein the second openings are rotatably and adjustably alignable with the first openings, wherein a rotational axis of the second seed plate is concentric with a rotational axis of the first seed plate;
- (d) a seed chamber defined between a first wall of the metering housing and the first seed plate;
- and
- (e) a plate adjustment drive system operably coupled to the first and second seed plates comprising:
- (i) a first cylinder operably coupled to the first seed plate;
- (ii) a second cylinder rotatably disposed within the first cylinder and operably coupled to the second seed plate;
- and
- (iii) a translational elongate structure slidable along an axis parallel with the rotational axes of the first and second seed plates, wherein the translational elongate structure is operably coupled to the first and second cylinders, in respective offset slots, such that translational movement of the translational elongate structure causes relative rotation of the first and second cylinders.
7 more elements
An automatically adjustable seed metering system, the system comprising:
- (a) a metering housing;
- (b) a first seed plate rotatably disposed within the metering housing, the first seed plate comprising at least one curved row of first plate openings defined in the first seed plate;
- (c) a second seed plate rotatably disposed within the metering housing adjacent to and rotatable in relation to the first seed plate, the second seed plate comprising at least one curved row of second plate openings defined in the second seed plate adjacent to one of the at least one first plate curved rows, wherein the second plate openings are rotatably and adjustably alignable with the first plate openings, wherein a rotational axis of the second seed plate is concentric with a rotational axis of the first seed plate;
- (d) a seed chamber defined between a first wall of the metering housing and the first seed plate;
- (e) a plate adjustment drive system operably coupled to the first and second seed plates, the plate adjustment drive system comprises:
- (i) a first cylinder operably coupled to the first seed plate;
- (ii) a second cylinder rotatably disposed within the first cylinder and operably coupled to the second seed plate;
- and
- (iii) a translational elongate structure slidable along an axis parallel with the rotational axes of the first and second seed plates, wherein the translational elongate structure is operably coupled to the first and second cylinders, in respective offset slots, such that translational movement of the translational elongate structure causes relative rotation of the first and second cylinders;
- and
- (f) a meter drive system operably coupled to at least one of the first and second seed plates.
8 more elements
A method of automatically adjusting a seed meter during operation of a planting system, the method comprising:
- rotating a first seed plate and a second seed plate at the same speed to plant seeds with the planting system in a field;
- automatically rotating the first seed plate in relation to the second seed plate in the field without manual adjustment, wherein:
- (a) the first seed plate comprises at least one curved row of a plurality of first plate openings defined in the first seed plate;
- (b) the second seed plate comprises at least one curved row of a plurality of second plate openings defined in the second seed plate adjacent to one of the at least one curved row of first plate openings,
- wherein the plurality of second plate openings are rotatably and adjustably alignable with the plurality of first plate openings to form a plurality of seed cells,
- whereby a size, position, number, or shape of the plurality of seed cells is adjusted as a result of the rotating of the first seed plate in relation to the second seed plate, and
- wherein a plate adjustment drive system is operably coupled to the first and second seed plates, comprising:
- (i) a first cylinder operably coupled to the first seed plate;
- (ii) a second cylinder rotatably disposed within the first cylinder and operably coupled to the second seed plate;
- and
- (iii) a translational elongate structure slidable along an axis parallel with the rotational axes of the first and second seed plates, wherein the translational elongate structure is operably coupled to the first and second cylinders, in respective offset slots, such that translational movement of the translational elongate structure causes relative rotation of the first and second cylinders.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.