U.S. patent application number 11/558551 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for twin row planter with adjustable seed metering.
This patent application is currently assigned to MONOSEM, INC.. Invention is credited to Gary G. Brockmeier.
Application Number | 20080110382 11/558551 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39015895 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080110382 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brockmeier; Gary G. |
May 15, 2008 |
TWIN ROW PLANTER WITH ADJUSTABLE SEED METERING
Abstract
A twin row planter comprises a drive and a pair of planter units
powered by the drive. The planter units include seed metering
wheels that are synchronized to discharge seeds in a predetermined
staggered pattern along a harvesting row. One of the planter units
is adjustable relative to the drive so as to achieve the desired
pattern. In particular, the adjustable planter unit includes a
connector that is configurable into a plurality of discrete
indexing positions. The connector positions determine the relative
angular offset between the metering wheels and, thereby, control
the spacing of seed within the pattern.
Inventors: |
Brockmeier; Gary G.;
(Lenexa, KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOVEY WILLIAMS LLP
10801 Mastin Blvd., Suite 1000
Overland Park
KS
66210
US
|
Assignee: |
MONOSEM, INC.
Lenexa
KS
|
Family ID: |
39015895 |
Appl. No.: |
11/558551 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
111/184 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01C 7/046 20130101;
A01C 7/102 20130101; Y10S 111/90 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
111/184 |
International
Class: |
A01C 7/00 20060101
A01C007/00; A01C 9/00 20060101 A01C009/00 |
Claims
1. A twin row seed planter comprising: a pair of planting units
operable to seed a pair of closely-spaced adjacent furrows forming
a single harvesting row, with a first one of the planting units
corresponding with a first one of the furrows and a second one of
the planting units corresponding with a second one of the furrows,
said first planting unit including a first rotatable metering wheel
having a plurality of circumferentially spaced seed-receiving first
cells, said second planting unit including a second rotatable
metering wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced
seed-receiving second cells, with the second metering wheel being
positioned relative to the first metering wheel to present an
angular relationship between the first and second cells; and a
drive mechanism operable to supply power to the planting units so
as to cause rotation of the wheels, said second metering wheel
being drivingly disconnectable from the drive mechanism and
repositionable relative to the first metering wheel to adjust the
angular relationship between the first and second cells so as to
vary spacing of the seed in the second furrow relative to seed in
the first furrow.
2. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 1, said second
planting unit including a drive connector that releasably drivingly
interconnects the second metering wheel and the drive mechanism,
said drive connector providing a number of connection positions for
the second metering wheel, with shifting of the second metering
wheel amongst the connection positions causing adjustment of the
angular relationship between the cells.
3. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 2, said second
planting unit including a driven shaft, with the second metering
wheel and the drive connector being mounted thereon.
4. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 2, said drive
connector being partly disconnectable from the drive mechanism to
permit shifting of the second metering wheel amongst the connection
positions.
5. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 2, said drive
connector comprising a clutch with a pair of complemental timing
elements, said timing elements being selectively interconnectable
at a plurality of angularly offset indexing locations corresponding
to the connection positions of the second metering wheel, such that
as the timing elements are indexed between the locations the
position of the second metering wheel is varied relative to the
first metering wheel.
6. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 5, said timing
elements being relatively shiftable while one of the elements
remains drivingly connected to the drive mechanism.
7. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 5, said metering
wheels having an identical number of seed-receiving cells, said
seed-receiving cells being angularly uniformly distributed about
the corresponding metering wheel, said plurality of indexing
locations being angularly uniformly distributed about a
corresponding one of the timing elements.
8. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 7, said plurality
of indexing locations being greater in number than the plurality of
seed-receiving cells of each metering wheel.
9. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 8, said cells on
each metering wheel being spaced from one another at a cell angle,
said plurality of indexing locations being spaced from one another
at an indexing angle, said second planting unit defining an angular
offset increment for adjusting the second metering wheel, said
indexing angle being the difference between the cell angle and the
angular offset increment.
10. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 8, said identical
number of seed-receiving cells being 18.
11. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 10, said
plurality of indexing locations being 20.
12. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 5, said drive
mechanism including an endless element drivingly connected to one
of the timing elements, said second metering wheel being
repositionable relative to the first metering wheel while
maintaining the relative position of the endless element and the
one of the timing elements constant.
13. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 12, said one of
the timing elements including a sprocket, said endless element
comprising a chain entraining the sprocket.
14. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 13, said metering
wheels having an identical number of seed-receiving cells, said
sprocket including a plurality of teeth equal in number to the
number of seed-receiving cells on each of the metering wheels.
15. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 14, said sprocket
including 18 teeth.
16. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 12, said drive
mechanism including a second endless element, with each endless
element being drivingly interconnected with only a respective one
of the planting units.
17. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 16, said drive
mechanism including a drive shaft drivingly interconnecting the
endless elements.
18. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 5, one of said
timing elements including a timing scale that identifies the
indexing locations.
19. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 18, said scale
being removably mounted to the one timing element, so that the
scale can be initially positioned to represent a reference angular
relationship between the timing elements and then the timing
elements can be relatively adjusted using the scale to a relatively
offset angular relationship to consequently reposition the second
metering wheel.
20. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 18, another of
said timing elements including a projection, said one timing
element including a plurality of angularly spaced holes, each
corresponding with one of the indexing locations and being
configured to receive the projection therein.
21. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 20, said timing
scale including divisions that are angularly spaced an amount equal
to that of the holes.
22. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 18, said at least
one of the planting units including an angular scale operable to
indicate the angular relationship between the cells of the seed
metering wheels.
23. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 22, said angular
scale including equally angularly spaced divisions for measuring
the angular relationship between the cells of the seed metering
wheels.
24. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 23, said indexing
locations being angularly offset to a greater degree than the
divisions so as to present a scale ratio, said scale ratio being
between about 5:1 and 20:1.
25. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 24, said scale
ratio being 9:1.
26. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 1, said metering
wheels having an identical number of seed-receiving cells, said
identical number of seed-receiving cells being selected from the
group consisting of 18 and 36 locations.
27. The twin row seed planter as claimed in claim 1; and a vacuum
source fluidly communicating with the planting units, said planting
units each including a seed metering housing with a housing cavity,
said metering wheels being spaced within the seed metering housing
and dividing the housing cavity into a seed-containing portion and
a vacuum-containing portion, said cells being through-holes
extending through the metering wheel for permitting the portions to
be in fluid communication, said vacuum source and seed plate
configured to cooperatively secure seeds adjacent the holes and
selectively discharge seeds.
28. A method of adjusting the seed stagger between a pair of
closely-spaced adjacent furrows planted by respective planting
units of a twin row planter, wherein each of the planting units
includes a rotatable seed metering wheel, said seed stagger
adjustment method comprising the steps of: (a) determining an
initial angular relationship between the seed metering wheels of
the planting units; (b) comparing the initial angular relationship
with an adjusted angular relationship corresponding to a desired
seed stagger between the furrows; and (c) relatively shifting the
seed metering wheels from the initial angular relationship to the
adjusted angular relationship.
29. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 28, step
(a) including the steps of positioning one of the seed metering
wheels at a reference location and then measuring the relative
angular offset of the other seed metering wheel.
30. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 29, step
(a) including the step of using an angular scale to measure the
angular offset of the other seed metering wheel relative to the one
seed metering wheel.
31. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 29, step
(c) being performed while the one seed metering wheel is maintained
in the reference location, wherein relative shifting between the
wheels is effected by shifting the other seed metering wheel
relative to the one seed metering wheel.
32. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 31, step
(c) being performed while a planter drive mechanism operable to
power the seed metering wheels is maintained in a substantially
stationary condition.
33. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 28, step
(b) including the step of computing the adjusted angular
relationship from a comparison of the number of seed-receiving
cells in the metering wheels, a fore-and-aft offset distance
between the planting units, and the seed spacing in each
furrow.
34. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 33, step
(b) including the step of identifying the adjusted angular
relationship on a table, wherein the adjusted angular relationship
is associated with the desired seed stagger.
35. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 33, said
desired seed stagger corresponding to equal seed spacing between
the furrows, as measured in the direction of the furrows.
36. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 28, step
(c) including the steps of drivingly disconnecting one of the seed
metering wheels from a planter drive mechanism operable to power
the seed metering wheels, rotating the one seed metering wheel
relative to the other seed metering wheel to achieve the adjusted
angular relationship, and reconnecting the one seed metering wheel
to the drive mechanism.
37. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 36, said
reconnecting step including the step of positioning the one seed
metering wheel at one of a plurality of angularly offset connection
positions, wherein one of the connection positions corresponds with
the initial angular relationship and another one of the connection
positions corresponds with the adjusted angular relationship.
38. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 37, said
disconnecting and reconnecting steps being performed by disengaging
and engaging a clutch that defines the connection positions of the
one seed metering wheel.
39. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 38, said
rotating step including the step of rotatably indexing a first
timing element of the clutch relative to a second timing element of
the clutch.
40. The seed stagger adjustment method as claimed in claim 39, said
indexing step including selectively connecting the timing elements
at one of a plurality of angularly offset indexing locations
corresponding to the connection positions of the one seed metering
wheel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to agricultural
planting equipment. More specifically, an embodiment of the present
invention concerns a twin-row planter including relatively
adjustable seed metering assemblies of each planting unit pair for
permitting selective variance of the seed stagger in the adjacent
furrows.
[0003] 2. Discussion of Prior Art
[0004] Conventional row-crop planters include a plurality of
planter units for planting seeds along spaced-apart rows. Some of
these conventional planters include a single planter unit per row
that plants seeds along a single furrow. Other planters known in
the art include two planters per row and are referred to as twin
row seed planters. Twin row planters enable the placement of seed
along two closely-spaced furrows within the corresponding row. In
particular, twin row planters can discharge seeds into an
alternating pattern between adjacent furrows within the row, i.e.,
the two planters alternately position seed. In this manner, twin
row planters enable a greater number of seeds to be planted along
the row than single row planters while maintaining the necessary
spacing between individual seeds.
[0005] Twin row planters are problematic and suffer from various
undesirable limitations. It is highly desirable to have the seeds
in the closely-spaced furrows to be relatively positioned in a
desired pattern. Typically, this pattern constitutes equidistant
spacing (i.e., uniform staggering) of the seeds between the
furrows. However, the problem is that if the speed of the drive
mechanism relative to the ground speed is changed, the stagger
between adjacent furrows changes. In some instances, seeds from the
two furrows could be placed immediately adjacent one another. With
prior art twin row planters, users have attempted to reconfigure
the seed stagger between furrows by adjusting the transmission that
interconnected the planter units. In particular, users would shift
a drive chain from one position to another on a corresponding
sprocket by "jumping the chain off the sprocket." This technique is
problematic because the step of repositioning the chain fails to
indicate the resulting seed stagger pattern. As a consequence, the
user of this method typically must observe the pattern resulting
from the chain adjustment and then, if necessary, make additional
adjustments to the transmission to achieve the desired pattern.
This iterative method requires guesswork by the user and is
commonly very time consuming, imprecise, and difficult to repeat
for subsequent planter pairs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides a twin row seed planter that
does not suffer from the problems and limitations of the prior art
planters set forth above.
[0007] A first aspect of the present invention concerns a twin row
seed planter broadly including a pair of planting units and a drive
mechanism. The pair of planting units is operable to seed a pair of
closely-spaced adjacent furrows forming a single harvesting row. A
first one of the planting units corresponds with a first one of the
furrows and a second one of the planting units corresponds with a
second one of the furrows. The first planting unit includes a first
rotatable metering wheel having a plurality of circumferentially
spaced seed-receiving first cells. The second planting unit
includes a second rotatable metering wheel having a plurality of
circumferentially spaced seed-receiving second cells. The second
metering wheel is positioned relative to the first metering wheel
to present an angular relationship between the first and second
cells. The drive mechanism is operable to supply power to the
planting units so as to cause rotation of the wheels. The second
metering wheel is drivingly disconnectable from the drive mechanism
and repositionable relative to the first metering wheel to adjust
the angular relationship between the first and second cells so as
to vary spacing of the seed in the second furrow relative to seed
in the first furrow.
[0008] A second aspect of the present invention concerns a method
of adjusting the seed stagger between a pair of closely-spaced
adjacent furrows planted by respective planting units of a twin row
planter, wherein each of the planting units includes a rotatable
seed metering wheel. The seed stagger adjustment method broadly
includes the steps of determining an initial angular relationship
between the seed metering wheels of the planting units, comparing
the initial angular relationship with an adjusted angular
relationship corresponding to a desired seed stagger between the
furrows, and relatively shifting the seed metering wheels from the
initial angular relationship to the adjusted angular
relationship.
[0009] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will
be apparent from the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0010] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in
detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures,
wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a twin row
planter constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of
the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a top view of the twin row planter shown in FIG.
1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the twin row planter shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the twin row planter shown in
FIGS. 1-3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the twin row
planter shown in FIGS. 1-4, showing a drive mechanism and seed
metering assembly of the planter;
[0016] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the twin row
planter shown in FIGS. 1-5, showing an adjustable sprocket assembly
of the planter exploded from the corresponding seed metering
assembly;
[0017] FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded view of the twin row planter
shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the adjustable sprocket assembly partly
exploded from the seed metering assembly;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a partly exploded view of the seed metering
assembly shown in FIGS. 1-7, showing a metering wheel, seed
singulator, and deflector block exploded away from a remainder of
the seed metering assembly;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary exploded view of the seed metering
assembly shown in FIGS. 1-8, showing the metering wheel mounted on
a rotatable shaft of the metering assembly and the adjustable
sprocket assembly exploded away from the shaft;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of the metering wheel shown
in FIGS. 1-9, showing the configuration of seed plate holes and
rotational offset locations for each of a plurality of angular
offsets;
[0021] FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary left side view of the
twin row planter shown in FIGS. 1-7, showing an indexing wrench
installed onto the rotatable shaft and indicating a relative
angular offset between a pair of seed metering assemblies that
cooperatively plant seeds along a harvesting row;
[0022] FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary left side view of the
seed metering assembly shown in FIGS. 1-7 and 11, showing a timing
disk and timing scale of the adjustable sprocket assembly
positioned with the angular offset of the seed metering assemblies
being at a value of eighteen (18);
[0023] FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary left side view of the
seed metering assembly shown in FIGS. 1-7, 11, and 12, showing the
timing disk and timing scale shifted in a counterclockwise
direction for changing the angular offset of the seed metering
assemblies to a value of twelve (12); and
[0024] FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary left side view of the
seed metering assembly shown in FIGS. 1-7 and 11-13, showing the
metering wheel and rotatable shaft shifted in a counterclockwise
direction to the angular offset value of twelve (12).
[0025] The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to
the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The
drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being
placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the preferred
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Turning initially to FIG. 1, a twin row agricultural seed
planter 10, operable to be pulled by a tractor (not shown), is
depicted and is particularly suited for row-crop planting of
numerous plant varieties (e.g., soybeans, peanuts, cotton, corn,
cucumbers, melons, onions, pumpkins, sorghum, and sunflowers). As
will be discussed in greater detail, the illustrated twin row
planter 10 provides an optimal spacing between adjacent seeds by
planting seeds into a pair of adjacent furrows within a
corresponding harvesting row. The twin row planter 10 broadly
includes a chassis 12, a drive mechanism 14, and fixed and
adjustable planter units 16,18. As will be discussed, the planter
units 16,18 cooperatively plant adjacent furrows within the
harvesting row and thereby operate as a synchronized twin planter
assembly. While only one twin planter assembly is shown in the
illustrated seed planter 10, those of ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate that as many as eight or twelve of the twin planter
assemblies are commonly used in one seed planter 10. The chassis 12
and drive mechanism 14 are conventional components such as those
found on the MONOSEM planter available from MONOSEM, Inc. of
Lenexa, Kans.
[0027] Turning to FIGS. 1-4, the chassis 12 broadly includes, among
other things, a tool bar 20 and offset planter attachment
assemblies 22,24. The tool bar 20 includes a tubular beam 26 that
extends transversely relative to an axial direction of the twin row
planter 10 and supports the assemblies 22,24. The assemblies 22,24
each preferably include a pivotal linkage 28. The pivotal linkage
28 includes links 30, a tool bar bracket 32, and U-bolt fasteners
34 for securing the bracket 32. The links 30 are pivotally mounted
on the bracket 32 and, as will be discussed, the links 30 are
pivotally attached to the corresponding planter unit 16,18. Those
of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, while only one
pair of attachment assemblies 22,24 are depicted, the twin row
planter 10 preferably includes a plurality of attachment assembly
pairs spaced along the tool bar 20 for receiving a plurality of
twin planter assemblies.
[0028] Assembly 24 also includes an offset bracket assembly 36 for
spacing the planter units 16,18 axially from one another. The
offset bracket assembly 36 includes an elongated body 38 and U-bolt
fasteners 40 for attaching the body 38 to the tool bar 20 so that
the body 38 is cantilevered therefrom. The pivotal linkage 28 of
assembly 24 is attached to a rearwardly-spaced end of the offset
bracket assembly 36. The linkage 28 of assembly 22 is attached
directly to the tool bar 20 by bracket 32 and U-bolt fasteners 34.
Again, the links 30 are interconnected with respective brackets 32
at pinned joints and extend rearwardly therefrom. In this manner,
each of the links 30 preferably pivot relative to the tool bar 20
about a corresponding horizontal axis. While each linkage 28
preferably includes a pair of links 30 spaced vertically from one
another, it is within the ambit of the present invention where an
alternative linkage 28 is used to permit relative vertical movement
between the planter units 16,18 and tool bar 20.
[0029] The chassis 12 further includes a top tool bar (not shown)
that provides a manifold for supplying vacuum to the planter units
16,18. Vacuum is supplied to the planter units 16,18 by a vacuum
source (not shown), such as a pump, via corresponding vacuum hoses
(not shown).
[0030] Turning to FIGS. 1-5, the drive mechanism 14 powers each of
the planter units 16,18. The drive mechanism 14 preferably includes
a driving connection to ground wheels (not shown) of the planter 10
that serves as the power source for the twin row planter 10.
However, it is within the ambit of the present invention where the
planter 10 includes an alternative power source. For example, the
twin row planter 10 could include a hydraulic motor or a variable
speed electric motor for powering the planter 10. Such wheels would
be rotatably attached to the chassis 12 and would spin in response
to contact with the ground. Further details of a preferred planter
with drive wheels are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,100, issued
Feb. 18, 2003, entitled TWIN ROW PLANTER, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein.
[0031] The drive mechanism 14 also preferably includes a drive
shaft 42, drive sprockets 44, driven shaft 46, driven sprockets 48,
fixed idlers 50, adjustable idlers 52, and drive chains 54. The
shafts 42,46 are rotatably mounted on the chassis 12. The drive
shaft 42 is positioned adjacent the tool bar 20 and extends in
front of both planter units 16,18. The driven shaft 46 is spaced
axially behind the drive shaft 42 and extends primarily in front of
planter unit 18. The drive sprockets 44 are mounted on the drive
shaft 42, and driven sprockets 48 are mounted on driven shaft 46.
One chain 54 drivingly interconnects planter unit 16 and the
respective adjacent drive sprocket 44. Two additional chains 54
drivingly interconnect the planter unit 18, the driven sprockets
48, and the respective adjacent drive sprocket 44. While the
illustrated sprockets 44,48 and chains 54 are preferred for
transmitting power through the drive mechanism 14, the principles
of the present invention are applicable where other power
transmitting elements are used, such as gear drives or
belt-and-pulley drives. As will be discussed, the illustrated drive
mechanism 14 preferably drives the planter units 16,18
synchronously (i.e., at the same time).
[0032] The planter units 16,18 broadly include a planter frame 56,
a depth gauge wheel assembly 58, a furrow opener 60, a furrow
closer 62, a seed hopper 64, a seed tube (not shown), and seed
metering assemblies 66,68. Except for the seed metering assemblies
66,68, all of the components of planter units 16,18 are
conventional such as those found on the MONOSEM planter available
from MONOSEM, Inc. The planter unit 18 is preferably axially spaced
behind the planter unit 16. More preferably, the illustrated
planter unit 18 is axially spaced behind planter unit 16 by 17.75
inches. However, it is within the ambit of the present invention
where the planter units 16,18 are positioned with an alternative
axial spacing, such as 9 or 25 inches. It is also consistent with
the scope of the present invention where the planter unit 18 is
spaced ahead of planter unit 16.
[0033] The planter frame 56 includes a frame body 72 and a linkage
bracket 74 fixed to the body 72. The planter frame 56 further
presents an opening for receiving a corresponding one of the seed
metering assemblies 66,68. The frame body 72 is preferably a rigid
structure with several structural components welded or fastened
together.
[0034] The planter units 16,18 are pivotally attached to linkage
28. In particular, the linkage bracket 74 is attached to the links
30 at pinned joints so that the planter units 16,18 are shiftable
relative to the chassis 12 in a substantially upright direction. In
other words, the linkage 28 operates as a four-bar linkage to
restrict rotational shifting of the planter units 16,18 while
permitting upright shifting thereof.
[0035] The gauge wheel assembly 58 includes gauge wheels 76
rotatably mounted on the frame body 72. The gauge wheel assembly 58
is operable to roll on top of a ground surface and thereby maintain
the height of the planter unit 16,18 relative to the ground
surface. The furrow opener 60 includes a disc 78 rotatably mounted
to the frame body 72 for opening the corresponding furrow. The
furrow closer 62 is spaced axially behind the furrow opener 60 and
includes press wheels 80 pivotally attached to the frame body 72 by
arms 82. The seed hopper 64 comprises a container for holding seed
(not shown) and is preferably mounted to the frame 56 above the
respective metering assembly 66,68 so that seed is fed by gravity
into the metering assembly 66,68. While each planter unit 16,18
preferably includes one of the hoppers 64, it is also within the
ambit of the present invention where a plurality of planter units
16,18 use a common hopper.
[0036] Turning to FIGS. 5-9, the seed metering assemblies 66,68
include a housing 84, a rotatable shaft 86 rotatably mounted in the
housing 84, and a metering wheel 88. The seed metering assembly 66
also includes a fixed sprocket assembly 90 (see FIG. 3) for
connecting with the drive mechanism 14. As will be discussed in
greater detail, the seed metering assembly 68 preferably includes
an adjustable sprocket assembly 92 for connecting with the drive
mechanism and an angular adjustment indicator 94 (see FIG. 7). The
principles of the present invention are also applicable where seed
metering assembly 66, or both seed metering assemblies 66,68
include the adjustable sprocket assembly 92.
[0037] The housing 84 is operable to substantially enclose the
metering wheel 88 and includes a vacuum section 96, a cover section
98, and an insert assembly 100. The vacuum section 96 presents an
air vent 102 along an outer side thereof and an inner cavity 104.
The vacuum section 96 also includes fixed and rotatable dowel pins
106a,b and threaded studs 108 (see FIG. 8). The rotatable dowel pin
106b includes an eccentric end, the use of which will be
described.
[0038] The insert assembly 100 includes a plastic annular insert
110 and a circular cap 112. The annular insert 110 presents a
circular opening through which the shaft 86 is received and an
annular slot 116 that extends around the opening. The cap 112 is
partly received within the circular opening and is secured to the
vacuum section 96 by fasteners. The insert assembly 100 is received
within the inner cavity 104 and is held therein by the cap 112. The
vacuum section 96 and insert assembly 100 cooperatively define a
vacuum chamber 118, with the slot 116 and air vent 102 preferably
forming two openings that fluidly communicate with the chamber 118.
However, it is within the ambit of the present invention where the
chamber 118 is alternatively configured. The annular insert 110
also serves as a gasket or wear surface for receiving the metering
wheel 88.
[0039] Turning to FIG. 8, the housing 84 further includes a seed
singulator 120 and a seed deflector block 122. The seed singulator
120 is substantially unitary and includes a serrated edge 124. The
seed singulator 120 is mounted onto dowels pins 106a,b adjacent to
the metering wheel 88. As the dowel pin 106b is rotated, the
eccentric end thereof shifts the singulator 120 relative to the
vacuum section 96 to accommodate different sizes of seed, as will
be discussed.
[0040] The deflector block 122 is unitary and is shiftably mounted
adjacent the metering wheel 88. The deflector block 122 presents a
sloped edge 126 for deflecting seeds into the seed boot. The
deflector block 122 is mounted on an inside surface of the cover
section 98.
[0041] Turning back to FIGS. 5-9, the housing 84 also includes a
vacuum control 128 for adjusting the vacuum level present in the
seed metering assembly 66,68. The vacuum control 128 includes a
control lever 130 for controlling the vacuum level by selectively
opening a vent (not shown). The vacuum control 128 also includes a
vacuum adjustment scale 132 presented on an outer surface of the
vacuum section 96 for indicating a setting of the control lever
130. The control lever 130 also is interconnected with and is
thereby configured to rotate the dowel pin 106b. Correspondingly,
the control lever 130 is configured to shift the singulator 120 and
adjust the vent at the same time.
[0042] The rotatable shaft 86 includes a shaft body 134 presenting
inner and outer shaft ends 136,138. The shaft body 134 also
comprises an inner shaft portion 135a and an outer sleeve portion
135b that are attached to one another with a roll pin (not shown).
The outer sleeve portion 135b of the shaft body 134 presents an
annular groove 140 and a hex section 142 spaced between the ends
136,138. The rotatable shaft 86 also includes a spring pin 144
received within a corresponding through-hole and a cotter pin 146
received in the groove 140. The rotatable shaft 86 is rotatably
mounted in the vacuum section 96 with the ends 136,138 extending
oppositely therefrom.
[0043] The cover section 98 includes a unitary wall 148 that
presents a seed trap opening (not shown), a view opening 152, and a
seed supply opening 154. The cover section 98 also includes a trap
door 156 pivotally attached to the wall 148 to selectively cover
the seed trap opening. The cover section 98 further includes a
control window 158 pivotally attached to the wall 148. The control
window 158 is biased by a spring into a position covering the view
opening 152. The control window 158 includes a plurality of
openings that permit air to pass into the metering assembly 66,68
while the window 158 covers the view opening 152. The control
window 158 is selectively openable to view inside the metering
assembly 66,68.
[0044] The cover section 98 is attachable to the vacuum section 96
by positioning the cover section 98 adjacent thereto so that the
threaded studs 108 pass through corresponding holes in the cover
section 98. Wing nuts 160 are threaded onto the studs 108 to secure
the sections 96,98 to one another and define a seed chamber 162
between the cover section 98 and insert assembly 100. The sections
96,98 cooperatively present a lowermost seed opening 164 that
permits seed to be discharged from the seed chamber 162 into the
seed boot.
[0045] The metering wheel 88 includes a stainless steel seed plate
166 and a circular agitator 167 attached to one another and mounted
on the rotatable shaft 86 adjacent the inner end 136 thereof. The
seed plate 166 is preferably circular and includes eighteen (18)
holes 168 spaced uniformly along the outermost circumference of the
seed plate 166 (see FIG. 10) and serve as seed-receiving cells.
Each pair of adjacent holes 168 are spaced from one another at a
cell angle of twenty degrees. However, the principles of the
present invention are applicable where the seed plate 166 includes
an alternative number of cells, such as 12, 24, or 36. With the
seed plate 166 installed in the metering assembly 66,68, a portion
of the holes 168 are spaced adjacent the annular slot 116 at a
particular time. The chambers 118,162 fluidly communicate through
those holes 168 and the annular slot 116. While the illustrated
metering assemblies 66,68 preferably include the illustrated
metering wheel 88, the it is also within the scope of the present
invention where the metering assemblies 66,68 utilize an
alternative metering mechanism, such as a metering wheel with a
cup-type seed-securing cell.
[0046] The circular agitator 167 is preferably constructed of brass
and includes blades 169 that displace seed within the seed chamber
162 and lugs 170 positioned on an opposite side from the blades 169
on the agitator 167. The agitator 167 is fixed to the seed plate
166 by a plurality of fasteners so that the metering wheel 88
operates as a unitary structure.
[0047] The metering wheels 88 all preferably include an identical
configuration of cells so that seeds are uniformly spaced among
furrows. However, the principles of the present invention are also
applicable where the metering wheels 88 have different
configurations such that planter units 16,18 discharge seed at
different seed spacings along a pair of adjacent furrows.
[0048] Turning to FIGS. 8 and 9, the metering wheel 88 is mounted
onto shaft 86 adjacent the end 136 thereof, with the spring pin 144
being spaced adjacent the metering wheel 88 and the lugs 170. As
the shaft 86 is rotated in the forward direction shown by the
arrow, the spring pin 144 engages the lugs 170 and causes the
metering wheel 88 to also rotate in the forward direction with the
shaft 86. As previously discussed, the metering wheel 88 is
received by the annular insert 110 in a sliding relationship, with
the insert 110 serving as a gasket and providing a wear
surface.
[0049] The metering wheel 88 operates by rotating along a forward
direction shown by the arrow. The singulator 120 is positioned
laterally adjacent and slidably engages the metering wheel 88, with
a fine spacing therebetween, so that the serrated edge 124 is
positioned adjacent the holes 168. While the singulator 120
preferably contacts the metering wheel 88, it is also within the
ambit of the present invention where the singulator 120 is entirely
spaced from the metering wheel 88. The singulator 120 is configured
to displace seed from the holes 168 so that each hole 168 secures a
single seed. As previously discussed, the singulator 120 is
configured to be shifted by the control lever 130. More
particularly, the singulator 120 is configured to be shifted
relative to the cells of the seed plate 166 to accommodate
different sizes and shapes of seed while ensuring that only one
seed becomes secured within the corresponding cell.
[0050] The deflector block 122 is also spaced adjacent the metering
wheel 88. The sloped edge 126 extends radially from within the
radial position of the holes 168 on the metering wheel 88 to a
position outside of the radial position of the holes 168. In this
manner, the sloped edge 126 serves to deflect seed from the
corresponding hole 168 and direct the seed into the seed boot (not
shown).
[0051] Turning to FIG. 7, the angular adjustment indicator 94
presents an angular scale 172 along one side thereof for indicating
angular offset between the seed metering assemblies 66,68, as will
be discussed in greater detail. The illustrated angular scale 172
preferably includes a range of indicator marks from zero (0)
degrees angular offset up to thirty (30) degrees angular offset.
The angular scale 172 also preferably includes angular indicator
marks at two degree increments. However, it is also consistent with
the principles of the present invention where the range of
indicator marks or their relative spacing are either lesser or
greater than the illustrated embodiment. As will be discussed, the
illustrated embodiment preferably utilizes indicator marks ranging
from "0" to "18".
[0052] Turning to FIGS. 1-9, the seed metering assemblies 66,68 are
mounted within the corresponding frame 56. With respect to both
metering assemblies 66,68, vacuum hoses (not shown) fluidly
interconnect the vacuum source and also the air vent 102 on the
housing 84 so that the vacuum chamber 118 is operable to be
evacuated. The seed chamber 162 is configured to receive seed from
the hopper 64. The holes 168 function as a seed-selecting location
or cell as vacuum in the vacuum chamber 118 draws air through the
holes 168 from the seed chamber 162. In particular, this
vacuum-driven selection of seed occurs only along the
circumferential length of the annular slot 116. Only along this
circumferential length do the chambers 118,162 fluidly communicate.
Therefore, as the metering wheel 88 rotates, seed is configured to
be secured to the particular cell at a point along the
circumferential length of the slot 116 and released adjacent a slot
end 173. Thus, seed is discharged from the metering assembly 66,68
at a position adjacent the slot end 173, with the sloped edge 126
deflecting the seed from the corresponding hole 168 into the seed
boot (not shown).
[0053] Turning to FIGS. 6-9, the adjustable sprocket assembly 92
serves as a connector for adjustably connecting the drive mechanism
14 to the rotatable shaft 86 so that the seed plates 166 of the
twin planter assembly are shiftable relative to one another. The
adjustable sprocket assembly 92 includes a sprocket plate assembly
174, a spacer 175, and a timing plate assembly 176, with the plate
assemblies 174,176 being selectively and adjustably attached to one
another.
[0054] The sprocket plate assembly 174 includes a sprocket 178 and
a plate 180 that are mounted onto and integrally formed with a
cylindrical shaft 182. As will be discussed, the illustrated
sprocket 178 preferably includes eighteen (18) teeth 183. However,
it is also within the ambit of the present invention where the
sprocket 178 includes a greater or fewer number of teeth 183. The
adjustable sprocket assembly 92 further includes a projection 184
that extends from the plate 180 adjacent the outer circumference of
the plate 180 and extends parallel to the shaft axis.
[0055] The timing plate assembly 176 includes a timing disk 186, a
cylindrical mount 188, and a timing scale 190. The cylindrical
mount 188 includes a through-hole 192 that extends transversely to
the shaft axis. The timing disk 186 presents twenty (20) indexing
holes 194 that are uniformly spaced along the outermost plate
circumference, with an eighteen-degree indexing angle between each
pair of adjacent holes 194. However, the principles of the present
invention are equally applicable where the plate 186 includes an
alternative number of indexing holes 194. As will be discussed, the
number of indexing holes 194 is preferably greater than the number
of holes 168. However, the timing disk 186 could alternatively
include a number of indexing holes 194 less than the number of
holes 168, although such an arrangement is not shown.
[0056] The timing scale 190 is annular and is preferably
constructed of a thin magnetic material with a printable overlay
adhered thereto. The timing scale 190 includes a plurality of
numbered divisions 195 spaced along an outer circumference thereof
(see FIGS. 12-14). The divisions 195 are preferably angularly
spaced uniformly and at an angle from one another identical to the
indexing angle of holes 194 discussed above. Thus, the divisions
195 are configured to identify the indexing holes 194 and to
thereby permit a predetermined adjustment of the timing plate
assembly 176 relative to the sprocket plate assembly 174. While the
divisions 195 are preferably numbered from "0" to "38" in a
counterclockwise direction, it is also within the scope of the
present invention to number the divisions 195 in an alternative
manner. Furthermore, it is also consistent with the principles of
the present invention where the timing scale 190 identifies only
some of the indexing holes 194, e.g., with divisions 195 numbered
from "0" to "18." As will be discussed, the illustrated embodiment
only utilizes divisions 195 from "0" to "18."
[0057] The timing scale 190 is preferably magnetic so as to be
selectively magnetically secured onto the timing disk 186. However,
the principles of the present invention are applicable where the
timing scale 190 is alternatively removably secured on the timing
disk 186. For example, the timing scale 190 could be secured to the
timing disk 186 with conventional removable fasteners or the timing
scale 190 could take a different form, such as a dial
indicator.
[0058] The timing plate assembly 176 is received onto the plate 180
by aligning the projection 184 with a selected one of the holes 194
while positioning the shaft 86 within the cylindrical mount 188 and
the shaft 182. Thus, the timing plate assembly 176 and the sprocket
plate assembly 174 cooperatively provide a clutch that
interconnects the shaft 86 and the drive mechanism 14. As will be
discussed, the timing plate assembly 176 and sprocket plate
assembly 174 can be aligned so that any one of the holes 194
receives the projection 184.
[0059] The adjustable sprocket assembly 92 is received onto the
shaft 86 by initially mounting the sprocket plate assembly 174 onto
the shaft 86 with the plate 180 being outboard of the sprocket 178.
The sprocket plate assembly 174 is rotatably mounted onto the shaft
86 and is configured so that the drive chain 54 can be entrained
onto the sprocket 178. Thus, the sprocket assemblies 90,92 are
drivingly interconnected with the respective drive chains 54. As
the drive shaft 42 is rotated, the drive chains 54 rotate the
sprocket assemblies 90,92.
[0060] The timing plate assembly 176 is also configured to mount on
the shaft 86, with one of the holes 194 receiving the projection
184 as discussed above. In this manner, the timing plate assembly
176 and sprocket plate assembly 176 rotate together on the shaft
86. As the through-hole 192 is aligned with a through-hole 196 in
the shaft 86, a linch pin 198 can be inserted into both
through-holes 192,196 to rotatably lock the shaft 86 to the
adjustable sprocket assembly 92. Consequently, the adjustable
sprocket assembly 92 becomes fixed to the metering wheel 88 of the
seed metering assembly 68. Similarly, the linch pin 198 can be
removed to permit relative rotational movement between the shaft 86
and adjustable sprocket assembly 92 as well as removal of the
adjustable sprocket assembly 92 entirely from the shaft 86. Again,
the drive chains 54 are configured to rotate the sprocket
assemblies 90,92 and, in turn, the metering wheels 88 within the
seed metering assemblies 66,68.
[0061] Turning to FIG. 10, the number and spacing of indexing holes
194 is determined based on the hole configuration for the seed
plate 166 and the desired angular offset increment. As discussed,
the 18 holes 168 in seed plates 166 are spaced at twenty-degree
intervals from one another. The illustrated angular offset
increment is two degrees as illustrated by the timing scale 190 and
angular scale 172. In the preferred embodiment, the uniform spacing
of holes 168 permits the plates 166 to be offset by rotating one of
the seed plates 166 through a larger angle .theta..sub.n than the
corresponding angular offset. In the illustrated embodiment, the
seed plate 166 can be rotated through an angle of twenty minus two
degrees (i.e., .theta..sub.1=18 degrees) in order to achieve a two
degree offset between seed plates 166. Correspondingly, the seed
plate 166 can be rotated through an angle of forty minus four
degrees (i.e., .theta..sub.2=36 degrees) in order to achieve a four
degree offset. Thus, for every "n" increment of angular offset
(i.e., resulting in an angular offset of "2.times.n" degrees), the
seed plate 166 is rotated through an angle
.theta..sub.n=[(20.times.n)-(2.times.n)]="18.times.n" degrees. In
other words, the seed plate 166 is rotated through an angle nine
times greater than the desired angular offset. While the seed
plates 166 are preferably adjustable at two degree increments
relative to one another, it is within the ambit of the present
invention where the seed plates 166 are adjustable at other angular
offset increments.
[0062] The adjustable sprocket assembly 92 and the seed plates 166
cooperatively enable the mechanism discussed above for offsetting
the seed metering assemblies 66,68. The indexing holes 194 are
spaced at eighteen (18) degree increments, resulting in twenty (20)
indexing holes 194. While the preferred configuration of the timing
plate assembly 176 and the seed plates results in more indexing
holes 194 than holes 168, the principles of the present invention
are applicable where there are fewer indexing holes 194 than holes
168. The timing disk 186 includes twenty holes 194 corresponding to
various offset angles .theta..sub.n of the seed plates 166. For a
given offset angle of the seed plate 166, the timing disk 186 is
rotated through an angle nine times greater than the offset angle
of the seed plate 166. Thus, a scale ratio can be defined between
the angle of rotation for the timing disk 186 and for the seed
plate 166. In the illustrated embodiment, the scale ratio is 9:1,
but it is also within the ambit of the present invention where the
scale ratio ranges between about 5:1 and 20:1. The scale ratio
enables a suitable spacing of indexing holes 194 on the timing disk
186 for indexing the seed plate 166 at fine angular offsets. For
example, if the timing disk 186 included holes spaced at two-degree
increments for positioning the seed plate 166 at corresponding
two-degree increments, such a timing disk would need to be
substantially larger than in the illustrated embodiment for the
indexing holes to fit on the plate, or a more complicated indexing
mechanism would be required. While the seed planter 10 preferably
includes the illustrated adjustable sprocket assembly 92 for
indexing the seed plate 166, it is also within the ambit of the
present invention where other mechanisms are used to introduce a
desired offset between metering wheels 88 of the planter 10 without
adjusting the drive mechanism 14.
[0063] The synchronized twin planter assembly is adjustable to
plant seeds within a range of seed spacing along a given furrow,
preferably between about 6 inches and 20 inches. However, the
principles of the present invention are applicable where the seed
spacing along a furrow is less than 6 inches or greater than 20
inches.
[0064] As previously mentioned, the illustrated sprocket 178
preferably includes 18 teeth 183. More preferably, the sprocket 178
includes the same number of teeth 183 as holes 168 in both seed
plates 166. Thus, in the event where the drive chain 54 slips
relative to the sprocket 178, the seed plate 166 will shift through
an angle equivalent to the cell angle or a multiple thereof,
depending on the number of teeth 183 that were skipped. In other
words, the uniformly-spaced holes 168 of one seed plate 166 will
remain in the same offset angle relative to the other seed plate
166 should the chain 54 skip over one or more teeth 183. While the
illustrated sprocket 178 preferably includes eighteen (18) teeth
183, it is also consistent with the principles of the present
invention where the sprocket 178 includes an alternative number of
teeth 183. For example, if the seed plates 166 each present twelve
(12) holes 168, the sprocket 178 could correspondingly include
twelve (12) teeth 183 so that inadvertent jumping of the chain 54
would not impact the offset angle of the seed plates 166.
Importantly, when the number of teeth 183 and the number of holes
168 are preferably matched, the illustrated adjustable sprocket
assembly 92 is required for adjusting the relative offset angle of
the seed plates 166. In other words, the chain 54 can no longer be
"jumped" relative to the sprocket 178 to adjust the offset
angle.
[0065] Synchronization of the twin planter assembly is initiated by
adjusting the fixed planter unit 16. In particular, the metering
wheel 88 is rotated until one of the holes 168 is aligned with an
outermost tip 202 of the seed singulator 120 (i.e, the metering
wheel 88 is positioned into a zero degree reference position, as
shown in FIG. 8). Rotation of the metering wheel 88 is performed by
applying a drive adjustment wrench (not shown) to the drive
mechanism 14 at a hex end 204 of the drive shaft 42 and rotating
the drive shaft 42 in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in
FIG. 4. An indexing wrench 206 is positioned on the hex section 142
so that an indicator mark 208 on the wrench 206 points to the
angular offset between the metering wheels 88, as indicated on the
angular scale 172. If the indicator mark 208 does not point to the
angular scale 172, the drive adjustment wrench is rotated until the
tip 202 is aligned with the next hole 168 where the mark 208 points
to a location on the angular scale 172. With the metering wheel 88
of the fixed planter unit 16 being positioned into the zero degree
reference position, the other metering wheel 88 can be adjusted to
the desired angular offset.
[0066] Turning to FIGS. 11-14, the angular offset of the seed
plates 166 is adjusted by initially determining the pre-existing
offset. An indexing wrench 206 is mounted to the hex section 142 as
shown in FIG. 11 so that an indicator mark 208 on the wrench 206
points to the angular offset between the metering wheels 88, as
indicated on the angular scale 172 (i.e., eighteen (18) degrees in
the illustrated embodiment). The timing scale 190 is then indexed
to that setting by positioning the scale 190 on the timing disk 186
so that the number indicated on the angular scale 172 ("18" in the
illustrated embodiment) is aligned adjacent the projection 184 (see
FIG. 12). The desired angular offset is determined from a reference
chart shown in Table 1 below. The illustrated reference chart
calculates the desired angular offset based on the number of
seed-receiving cells N in each seed plate 166, the seed spacing D
in each furrow (identified as "Average Seed Distance"), and the
axial offset F between seed metering assemblies 66,68 of the seed
planter 10 (identified as "Left Twin Row Offset"). Notably, for the
illustrated seed plates 166 with eighteen (18) holes 168, the
desired angular offset ranges in value in Table 1 from zero (0) to
eighteen (18). Thus, as discussed previously, preferably only the
corresponding indicator marks on the timing scale 190 and angular
scale 172 are utilized. Moreover, the scales could be alternatively
configured to identify only the necessary indicator marks (i.e.,
with the illustrated embodiment, the scales would only have marks
ranging from zero (0) to eighteen (18)).
[0067] The tabular values illustrated in Table 1 are calculated
initially by determining the desired seed spacing D (inches) within
each furrow, based on the distance W (inches) from center to center
of adjacent harvesting rows and the number S of seeds planted per
acre:
D = 6272.64 * 1000 * 2 W * S . ##EQU00001##
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 9'' Left Twin Row Offset 17.75'' Left Twin
Row Offset 25'' Left Twin Row Offset Average Average Average Seed
NO. OF Seed NO. OF Seed NO. OF Distance CELLS Distance CELLS
Distance CELLS (inch) 12 18 24 36 (inch) 12 18 24 36 (inch) 12 18
24 36 6 0 0 0 6 10 8 6 6 6 4 4 61/6 0 0 0 61/8 12 8 6 61/8 8 6 4
61/4 2 0 0 61/4 14 8 6 61/4 10 6 6 63/8 2 2 0 63/8 14 10 8 63/8 12
8 6 61/2 2 2 2 61/2 16 10 8 61/2 14 8 6 65/8 2 2 2 65/8 16 10 8
65/8 14 10 8 63/4 4 2 2 63/4 18 12 8 63/4 16 10 8 67/8 4 2 2 67/8
18 12 10 67/8 18 12 8 7 4 2 7 20 12 7 18 12 71/8 4 4 71/8 0 0 71/8
20 12 71/4 6 4 71/4 2 0 71/4 2 0 73/8 6 4 73/8 2 2 73/8 2 2 7 3/2 6
4 71/2 2 2 71/2 4 2 75/8 6 4 75/8 4 2 75/8 4 2 73/4 6 4 73/4 4 2
73/4 8 4 77/8 8 4 77/8 4 4 77/8 8 4 8 8 4 8 6 4 8 8 4 81/8 8 6 81/8
6 4 81/8 8 6 81/4 8 6 81/4 6 4 81/4 10 6 83/8 8 6 83/8 8 4 83/8 10
6 81/2 8 6 81/2 8 6 81/2 12 6 85/8 10 6 85/8 8 6 85/8 12 8 83/4 10
6 83/4 10 6 83/4 12 8 87/8 10 6 87/8 10 8 87/8 14 8 9 12 10 8 9 14
10 8 9 12 14 10 91/8 14 10 8 91/8 14 12 8 91/8 14 16 10 91/4 14 10
8 91/4 16 12 8 91/4 14 16 10 93/8 14 10 8 93/8 16 12 8 93/8 14 18
10 91/2 14 12 8 91/2 16 12 8 91/2 14 18 12 95/8 14 12 8 95/8 18 14
8 95/8 14 18 12 93/4 14 12 8 93/4 18 14 8 93/4 14 18 12 97/8 16 12
8 97/8 18 14 10 97/8 16 20 12 10 16 12 8 10 18 14 10 10 16 0 0
101/4 16 12 8 101/4 20 16 10 101/4 16 2 0 101/2 16 12 8 101/2 22 16
10 101/2 16 2 2 103/4 18 14 8 103/4 22 16 12 103/4 16 4 2 11 18 14
8 11 24 18 12 11 18 4 2 111/4 18 14 10 111/4 24 18 12 111/4 18 6 6
111/2 18 14 10 111/2 24 20 12 111/2 18 6 6 113/4 20 14 113/4 26 20
113/4 20 8 12 20 16 12 0 0 12 20 8 121/4 20 16 121/4 2 2 121/4 20
10 121/2 20 16 121/2 2 2 121/2 20 10 123/4 20 16 123/4 2 2 123/4 20
10 13 20 16 13 4 2 13 20 12 131/4 22 16 131/4 4 4 131/4 22 12 131/2
22 16 131/2 4 4 131/2 22 12 133/4 22 16 133/4 8 4 133/4 22 14 14 22
18 14 8 4 14 22 14 141/4 22 18 141/4 8 6 141/4 22 14 141/2 22 18
141/2 8 6 141/2 22 16 143/4 24 18 143/4 8 6 143/4 24 18 15 24 18 15
8 6 15 24 18 151/4 24 151/4 8 151/4 24 151/2 24 151/2 10 151/2 24
153/4 24 153/4 10 153/4 24 16 24 16 10 16 24 161/4 24 161/4 10
161/4 24 161/2 24 161/2 12 161/2 24 163/4 0 163/4 12 163/4 0 17 0
17 12 17 0 171/4 0 171/4 12 171/4 0 171/2 0 171/2 12 171/2 0 173/4
0 173/4 12 173/4 0 18 0 18 14 18 0 181/2 0 181/2 14 181/2 0 19 0 19
14 19 0 191/2 0 191/2 16 191/2 0 20 2 20 16 20 2
[0068] Based on values known for D as well as the number of plate
cells N and the axial offset F (inches) between adjacent planter
units, a required relative angular position G (degrees) between
seed plates 166, as illustrated by the values tabulated in Table 1,
can be determined as:
G = C * 360 D * N , ##EQU00002##
[0069] where C=0 if K=D/2, or C=D/2-K if K<D/2, or C=3/2*D-K if
K>D/2. K is an intermediate value determined as follows: K=F if
F<D, or K=F-D if F/2<D=<F, or K=F-2*D if F/3<D=<F/2,
or K=F-3*D if F/4<D=<F/3, or K=F-4*D if F/5<D=<F/4.
Thus, the required relative angular position G is an ideal relative
angular position of the seed plates 166 that is calculated based
upon the above referenced parameters.
[0070] Turning to FIGS. 13 and 14, when the desired angular offset
is determined (twelve degrees in the illustrated embodiment), the
timing disk 186 and timing scale 190 are indexed to that setting by
being rotated together (in the direction of the arrow indicated in
FIG. 14) until the projection 184 is aligned with the corresponding
setting on the timing scale 190 (i.e., "12"). As a consequence, the
through-holes 192,196 become misaligned and require the seed plate
166 and shaft 86 to be rotated until the through-holes 192,196 are
aligned once again. The linch pin 198 can subsequently be secured
in the through-holes 192,196 to permit operation of the planter
10.
[0071] In operation, the planter 10 discharges seed into
adjacently-spaced furrows. Along the axial direction of the
harvesting row, the planter units 16,18 preferably plant seed in an
alternating pattern between the furrows so as to plant a large
quantity of seed along the harvesting row while maintaining a
desired spacing between adjacent seeds. In other words, the axial
spacing of seeds (considering both furrows) along the harvesting
row preferably is uniform. Prior to planting, this synchronized
operation of the planter units 16,18 is established by adjusting
the relative timing of seed discharge between the units 16,18. In
particular, the metering assembly 68 is adjustable so that the
metering assemblies 66,68 discharge seeds into the alternating
pattern.
[0072] During the planting operation, seed is fed by gravity from
the hopper 64 into the seed chamber 162. Vacuum in the vacuum
chamber 118 evacuates the seed chamber 162 and encourages the seed
into engagement with the holes 168 so that each of the holes 168
function as a seed-selecting location or cell. As mentioned
previously, the seed remains engaged with the respective holes 168
until it reaches the slot end 200 and the sloped edge 126 deflects
the seed from the corresponding hole 168 into the seed boot.
[0073] The preferred forms of the invention described above are to
be used as illustration only, and should not be utilized in a
limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention.
Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove
set forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art
without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0074] The inventor hereby states his intent to rely on the
Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair
scope of the present invention as pertains to any apparatus not
materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the
invention as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *