Converging row unit for potato planter
OwnerRainer Borgmann, Evan Steel +2inventors
InventorsRainer Borgmann, Evan Steel, Jason Steinkamp, Henrik Wulferding
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Abstract
A converging row unit for planting seed potatoes includes a plurality of linear arrays of seed cups, each array disposed upon a flexible endless belt and having an upwardly moveable portion and a downwardly moveable portion. The upwardly moveable portion passes through a seed pick region wherein each seed cup can draw a seed, while the downwardly moveable portion progresses to a point of discharge of the seed. The linear arrays are laterally spaced apart from each other in the upwardly moveable portion, and converge together in the downwardly moveable portion, toward to the point of discharge.
Claims17
A converging row unit for planting seed potatoes, comprising:
- a pair of linear arrays of seed cups, each array disposed upon one of first and second flexible endless belts, respectively, each belt having an upwardly moveable portion that passes through a seed pick region wherein each seed cup can draw a seed, and a downwardly moveable portion that progresses toward a combined point of discharge of the seed;
- the linear arrays being laterally spaced apart from each other in the upwardly moveable portion and converging together in the downwardly moveable portion;
- and
- first and second guide rails, slidingly engaging an outward edge of the downwardly moveable portion of each of the first and second endless belts, the first and second guide rails laterally directing the first and second endless belts toward each other to alternately interleave the seed cups of the pair of linear arrays into a single converged linear array within the downwardly moveable portion toward the combined point of discharge.
A converging row unit for planting seed potatoes, comprising:
- a first endless belt, having a first linear array of seed cups attached thereto at a common linear spacing;
- a second endless belt, having a second linear array of seed cups attached thereto at the common linear spacing, the first and second endless belts each having upwardly moveable portions that passes through first and second seed pick regions, wherein each seed cup can draw a seed, and downwardly moveable portions that progress to a point of discharge of the seed;
- a first guide rail, slidingly engaging an outward edge of the downwardly moveable portion of the first endless belt;
- a second guide rail, slidingly engaging an outward edge of the downwardly moveable portion of the second endless belt, the first and second guide rails laterally directing the first and second endless belts toward each other to alternately interleave the seed cups of the pair of linear arrays into a single converged linear array within the downwardly moveable portion;
- the first and second endless belts having a common travel direction and spatially converging in the downwardly moveable portion, whereby the seed cups of the first and second linear arrays become alternately interleaved together in the downwardly moveable portion to effectively provide a single converged linear array of seed cups at half the common linear spacing, extending to the point of discharge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.