US 12,150,403 B2Granted

Seed meter

AssigneeGreat Plains Manufacturing, Inc.

InventorsKeith W. Finlayson, Bruce D. Peterson, Jeff Welsh

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A seed meter for dispensing seed. The seed meter comprises a housing at least partially enclosing an interior space. The housing includes a top surface defining a seed inlet, and further includes a seed outlet. The seed meter additionally includes a metering wheel positioned within the interior space of the housing. The metering wheel is configured to carry seed through the housing when rotating in a first direction or in a second direction. The seed meter further includes a pair of retractable seed guards positioned within the interior space of the housing. The seed guards are each configured to be selectively configured in an operating configuration and in a retracted configuration. In the operating configuration the seed guards are configured to prevent excess seed from passing through the seed meter, and in the retracted configuration the seed guards are configured to permit large obstacles to pass through the seed meter.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for planting seed with a seed planting machine, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing at least one seed meter in association with a seed bin, wherein the seed meter includes a housing that presents a seed inlet and a seed outlet, and a metering wheel positioned within the housing;
(b) travelling in a first travel direction with the seed planting machine while seed is metered from the seed bin via the metering wheel rotating in a first metering wheel direction;
and
(c) travelling in a second travel direction opposite the first travel direction with the seed planting machine while seed is metered from the seed bin via the metering wheel rotating in a second metering wheel direction opposite the first metering wheel direction,
wherein seed is planted by said seed planting machine during said traveling of both steps (b) and (c),
wherein the seed meter further comprises a pair of retractable seed guards each configured to be selectively positioned in an operating configuration and in a retracted configuration, wherein during said travelling of step (b) the seed guards are positioned in the operating configurations to prevent excess seed from passing through the seed meter.

3 more elements

A seed planting machine for dispensing seed onto and/or into the ground, said seed planting machine comprising:

a seed bin configured to hold seed;
and
at least one seed meter associated with said seed bin and configured to meter seed from said seed bin, wherein said seed meter comprises—
a housing at least partially enclosing an interior space, wherein said housing presents a seed inlet and a seed outlet,
a metering wheel positioned within the interior space of said housing, wherein rotation of said metering wheel provides for seed to travel through said seed meter from the seed inlet to the seed outlet,
wherein said seed meter further comprise a pair of retractable seed guards positioned within the interior space of said housing and each configured to be selectively positioned in an operating configuration and in a retracted configuration, wherein in the operating configurations said seed guards are configured to prevent excess seed from passing through said seed meter, and wherein in the retracted configurations said seed guards are configured to permit obstacles to pass through said seed meter,
wherein if said seed planting machine is travelling forward, said seed meter is configured to meter seed from said seed bin via said metering wheel rotating in a first direction, and wherein if said seed planting machine is travelling rearward, said seed meter is configured to meter seed from said seed bin via said metering wheel rotating in a second direction.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/179,587Filed 19 Feb 2021 · continuation
Priority: 25 Jun 2018
Published: US 2021/0168993 A110 Jun 2021
Granted: 26 Nov 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

A01C 7/12
Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows: seeders with feeding wheels
A01C 7/123
Seeders with feeding wheels: housings for feed rollers or wheels
A01C 15/007
Hoppers: with agitators in the hopper
A01C
Planting

Family

Application16/017,534Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jun 2018
US 2021/0168993 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Jun 2021
US 10,973,164 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0387665 A1Published application
US 12,150,403 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.