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US 4,508,243 AGranted
Seed meter assembly
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsTimothy A. Deutsch, Howard C. Hadley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A meter assembly for a grain drill or seeder or similar implement. The meter assembly is hinged at one end to the implement and held in place by over center latches. To inspect and service the meter assembly and to empty the material containers, the latches are released allowing the meter assembly to swing down. The meter is driven by a pair of gears which automatically disengage when the meter assembly swings away from the latched working position and engage when the assembly is swung back to the working position. Removal and replacement of chains and bolts are eliminated to increase serviceability of the meter assembly.
Claims21
In an agricultural implement having a frame and a material hopper opening into a discharge area, a meter assembly comprising:
- a housing having first and second ends and defining material input and output sections;
- metering structure journalled for rotation in the housing between the input and output sections;
- means hingedly connecting the first end of the housing to the frame for permitting the housing to swing between an operating position wherein the input section of the housing is closely adjacent the hopper discharge area, and a service position wherein the input section is removed from the discharge area, said means hingedly connecting including horizontal pivot means offset from the hopper discharge area for supporting the housing in a horizontal attitude in the operating position and a vertical attitude in the service position, wherein in the service position the housing is suppported from the frame at a location offset with respect to the hopper discharge area and opens generally outwardly for substantially unencumbered access to the metering structure;
- means for releasably securing the housing in the operating position;
- and
- drive means operable when the housing is in the operating position to rotate the metering structure for metering material from the discharge area to the output section, said drive means comprising a driven gear journalled for rotation in, and swingable with, the housing, and a drive gear journalled for rotation on the frame between the horizontal pivot means and the hopper discharge area, said gears so located that when the housing is in the operating position, the drive and driven gears are in driving relationship with each other, and as the housing is swung away from the operating position the driven gear moves to a non-driving relationship with respect to the drive gear.
3 more elements
In a framed agricultural implement having a material hopper opening into a discharge area, a meter assembly comprising:
- a housing having first and second ends and defining material input and output sections;
- metering structure journalled for rotation in the housing between the input and output sections;
- means hingedly connecting the first end of the housing to the frame for permitting the housing to swing between an operating position wherein the input section of the housing is closely adjacent the hopper discharge area, and a service position wherein the input section is removed from the discharge area;
- means for releasably securing the housing in the operating position;
- and
- drive means operable when the housing is in the operating position to rotate the metering structure for metering material from the discharge area to the output section, said drive means including a drive shaft supported for rotation on the implement frame, a drive gear fixed on and rotatable with the drive shaft, a driven gear mounted for rotation with the metering structure, and means for moving the drive shaft generally transversely to its axis between a first position wherein the drive and driven gears mesh and a second position wherein said gears are non-meshing.
3 more elements
In an implement having a downwardly opening hopper for containing granular material, a meter assembly comprising:
- support structure connected to the hopper adjacent the opening, a meter housing having an inlet and an outlet located below said inlet, a feed roll journalled for rotation in the housing between the inlet and the outlet for metering material therebetween, hinge structure pivotally connecting the meter housing to the suppport structure for rocking between an operating position and a service position, wherein in the operating position the inlet opens upwardly into the hopper opening and in the service position the inlet is located below and offset to one side of the hopper opening for substantially unencumbered access to the feed roll and hopper opening, a driven gear supported for rotation by the meter housing and drivingly connected to the feed roll, said driven gear rockable with said meter housing between a first position corresponding to the operating position of the housing and a second position corresponding to the service position of the housing, a drive gear supported for rotation on the support structure adjacent the housing, said drive gear so positioned with respect to the housing to automatically engage the driven gear when the latter is moved toward the first position and to automatically disengage the driven gear as the latter moves toward the second position, and means for releasably securing the meter housing in the operating position.
In an agricultural implement having a frame and a material hopper opening into a discharge area, a meter assembly comprising:
- a housing having first and second ends and defining material input and output sections;
- metering structure journalled for rotation in the housing between the input and output sections;
- means hingedly connecting the first end of the housing to the frame for permitting the housing to swing between an operating position wherein the input section of the housing is closely adjacent the hopper discharge area, and a service position wherein the input section is removed from the discharge area;
- means for releasably securing the housing in the operating position;
- drive means operable when the housing is in the operating position to rotate the metering structure for metering material from the discharge area to the output section;
- wherein the drive means comprises a driven gear journalled for rotation in, and swingable with, the housing, and a drive gear journalled for rotation on the frame between the horizontal pivot means and the hopper discharge area, said gears so located that when the housing is in the operating position, the drive and driven gears are in driving relationship with each other, and as the housing is swung away from the operating position the driven gear moves to a non-driving relationship with respect to the drive gear;
- and
- wherein the drive gear is journalled for rotation in a bearing member, said drive means further including adjustable support means movably connected to the implement frame for selectively supporting the bearing member in a first or a second position with respect to said frame, wherein when the housing is in the operating position and the bearing member is in the first position the gears are engaged, and when the bearing member is in the second position the gears are disengaged.
5 more elements
In an agricultural implement having a frame and a material hopper opening into a discharge area, a meter assembly comprising:
- a housing having first and second ends and defining material input and output sections;
- metering structure journalled for rotation in the housing between the input and output sections;
- means hingedly connecting the first end of the housing to the frame for permitting the housing to swing between an operating position wherein the input section of the housing is closely adjacent the hopper discharge area, and a service position wherein the input section is removed from the discharge area, said means hingedly connecting including horizontal pivot means offset from the hopper discharge area for supporting the housing in a horizontal attitude in the operating position and a vertical attitude in the service position, wherein in the service position the housing is supported from the frame at a location offset with respect to the hopper discharge area and opens generally outwardly for substantially unencumbered access to the metering structure, a U-shaped bracket connected to the frame and opening upwardly, and wherein said horizontal pivot means is received within the bracket and permits the released housing to be lifted from the frame;
- means for releasably securing the housing in the operating position;
- and
- drive means operable when the housing is in the operating position to rotate the metering structure for metering material from the discharge area to the output section said drive means comprising a driven gear journalled for rotation in, and swingable with, the housing, and a drive gear journalled for rotation on the frame, said gears so located that when the housing is in the operating position, the drive and driven gears are in driving relationship with each other, and as the housing is swung away from the operating position the driven gear moves to a non-driving relationship with respect to the drive gear.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.