Vacuum seed meter

Claim 2

A seed meter comprising a housing (50) divided into a seed chamber (76) and a vacuum chamber (96) by a rotatable disk (48) with a circumferential row of through apertures (138) for picking up seeds under the influence of reduced pressure in the vacuum chamber (96), a sector of the disk being partitioned off both from the vacuum chamber and from the seed chamber so as to allow seeds to drop off the disk to a discharge chute (44), characterised in that, on the side of the disk (48) facing the seed chamber, each through aperture (138) opens into a recess (142) forming a seed cell and promoting the retention of single seeds at each aperture under the influence of the reduced pressure in the vacuum chamber.

Claim 3

A seed meter according to claim 1, characterised in that each recess (142) has a leading wall (178) which slopes into the aperture (138) and a trailing wall (180) which slopes back out again more steeply than the leading wall.

Claim 4

A seed meter according to claim 2, characterised in that the aperture (138) is closer to the edge of the recess (142) defined by the trailing wall (180) than to the edge of the recess defined by the leading wall (178).

Claim 5

A seed meter according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that each recess (142) has a teardrop shape in outline with a length dimension extending circumferentially and a width dimension extending radially of the disk (48).

Claim 6

A seed meter according to claim 4, characterised in that the width dimension is not substantially greater than the width of the seeds to be metered.

Claim 7

A seed meter according to claim 1 to 5, characterised in that each recess (142) has a depth less than the thickness of the seeds to be metered but not substantially exceeding half the said thickness.

Claim 8

A seed according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised by a circumferential row of agitating fins (146) on the seed chamber side of the disk (48).

Claim 9

A seed according to claim 7, characterised in that the fins (146) are in one-to-one correspondence with the recesses (142) and have the same circumferential positions relative to their respective recesses.

Claim 10

A seed according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that there are three concentric rows of the apertures (138) and their recesses (142).

Claim 11

A seed according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the apertures (138) flare out from the recesses (142) to the vacuum chamber side of the disk (48).

Claim 12

A seed according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the pressure differential across the disk (48) is not more than about 2 kPa.

Claim 13

A seed according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the seed chamber (76) is partitioned from the sector whereat the seeds drop off the disk (48) by a brush (92) which wipes against the face of the disk.

Claim 14

A seed meter comprising a housing having a hollow interior; a seed disk rotatably mounted within the housing and dividing the hollow interior of the housing into first and second chambers on opposite sides of the seed disk, the seed disk having at least one row of apertures therein extending circumferentially about the disk; a seed inlet coupled to the first chamber; a vacuum source coupled to the second chamber provide a pressure differential of not more than about 2.0 kPa in the second chamber; and means defining a seed discharge chamber within the first chamber, the seed discharge chamber being generally sealed from the vacuum source.

Claim 15

A seed meter comprising a housing having a hollow interior; a seed disk rotatably mounted within the housing and dividing the hollow interior of the housing into first and second chambers on opposite sides of the seed disk, the seed disk having at least one row of apertures therein extending circumferentially about the disk; a seed inlet coupled to the first chamber; a vacuum source coupled to the second chamber provide a pressure differential of not more than about 2.0 kPa in the second chamber; and means defining a seed discharge chamber within the first chamber, the seed discharge chamber being generally sealed from the vacuum source.

Claim 16

A seed meter comprising a first half-shell of generally circular configuration and having a generally disk-shaped back wall and an adjoining side wall of generally cylindrical configuration; a second half-shell of generally circular configuration adapted to close over the first half-shell and form a housing therewith, the second half-shell having a generally disk-shaped back wall and an adjoining side wall of generally cylindrical configuration; a hub assembly mounted within the first half-shell substantially at the centre of the back wall thereof, the hub assembly being adapted to rotatbaly mount a seed disk thereon; a seed inlet chute formed on the outside of the back wall of the first half-shell and terminating at an opening in the back wall adjacent the side wal of the first half-shell; a separating wall mounted on the back wall of the first half-shell adjacent the hub assembly, the separating wall extending between two different portions of the side wall of the first half-shell and defining a seed discharge chamber with a part of the side wall between the two different portions; a seed discharge chute of elongated, hollow configuration joined to the side wall of the first half-shell at an aperture in the side wall and communicating with the seed discharge chamber; a vacuum port formed on the outside of the back wall of the second half-shell and terminating in a opening in the back wall of the second half-shell; and a seal mounted within the second half-shell and adapted to seal against a seed disk, a portion of the seal extending across the back wall of the second half-shell so as to separate a portion of the second half-sheel; disposed opposite the seed discharge chamber from the remainder of the second half-shell including the opening in the back wall at which the vacuum port terminates when the second half-shell is closed over the first half-shell.

Claim 17

A seed meter comprising a first half-shell of generally circular configuration and having a generally disk-shaped back wall and an adjoining side wall of generally cylindrical configuration; a second half-shell of generally circular configuration adapted to close over the first half-shell and form a housing therewith, the second half-shell having a generally disk-shaped back wall and an adjoining side wall of generally cylindrical configuration; a hub assembly mounted within the first half-shell substantially at the centre of the back wall thereof, the hub assembly being adapted to rotatbaly mount a seed disk thereon; a seed inlet chute formed on the outside of the back wall of the first half-shell and terminating at an opening in the back wall adjacent the side wal of the first half-shell; a separating wall mounted on the back wall of the first half-shell adjacent the hub assembly, the separating wall extending between two different portions of the side wall of the first half-shell and defining a seed discharge chamber with a part of the side wall between the two different portions; a seed discharge chute of elongated, hollow configuration joined to the side wall of the first half-shell at an aperture in the side wall and communicating with the seed discharge chamber; a vacuum port formed on the outside of the back wall of the second half-shell and terminating in a opening in the back wall of the second half-shell; and a seal mounted within the second half-shell and adapted to seal against a seed disk, a portion of the seal extending across the back wall of the second half-shell so as to separate a portion of the second half-sheel; disposed opposite the seed discharge chamber from the remainder of the second half-shell including the opening in the back wall at which the vacuum port terminates when the second half-shell is closed over the first half-shell.

Claim 18

A seed meter according to claim 14, further including a hinge having opposite portions coupled to the side walls of the first and second half-shells and a clasp mounted on the side wall of one of the first and second half-shells opposite the hinge.

Claim 19

A seed meter according to claim 14, further including a brush extending along a substantial portion of the length of the separating wall opposite the back wall of the first half-shell.

Claim 20

A seed meter according to claim 14, further including an air inlet opening in the back wall and an adjoining portion of the side wall of the first half-shell opposite the opening in the back wall at which the seed input chute terminates.

Claim 21

A seed meter in which a seed disk is rotatably mounted within a housing having a chamber therein at one side of the seed disk adapted to contain a quantity of seeds. characterised by a seed retainer brush of elongated configuration extending across the chamber and having a side extending along the length thereof in contact with the one side of the seed disk, the seed retainer brush acting to prevent seeds in the chamber from spilling into a second chamber defined in part by the seed retainer brush.

Claim 22

A seed meter in which a seed disk is rotatably mounted within a housing having a chamber therein at one side of the seed disk adapted to contain a quantity of seeds. characterised by a seed retainer brush of elongated configuration extending across the chamber and having a side extending along the length thereof in contact with the one side of the seed disk, the seed retainer brush acting to prevent seeds in the chamber from spilling into a second chamber defined in part by the seed retainer brush.

Claim 23

A seed meter according to claim 18, further including a divider wall of elongated configuration extending across the chamber and mounting the seed retainer brush along a top edge thereof opposite the housing.

Claim 24

A seed meter according to claim 19, wherein the divider wall has an open channel at the top edge thereof for releasably receiving the seed retainer brush.

Claim 25

A seed meter according to claim 19, further including a seed baffle retainer mounted within the chamber to control the flow of seeds into the chamber, and wherein the divider wall has a portion thereof along and coupled to the seed baffle retainer.

Claim 26

A seed meter in which a seed disk is rotatably mounted within a housing having a chamber therein at one side of the seed disk adapted to receive seeds therein at a rear portion thereof opposite the seed disk, characterised by a seed baffle retainer mounted within the housing, the seed baffle retainer being disposed between the seed disk and the rear portion of the housing and forming an opening with the rear portion of the housing which controls the flow of seeds received at the rear portion of the housing into a region of the housing adjacent the seed disk.

Claim 27

A seed meter in which a seed disk is rotatably mounted within a housing having a chamber therein at one side of the seed disk adapted to receive seeds therein at a rear portion thereof opposite the seed disk, characterised by a seed baffle retainer mounted within the housing, the seed baffle retainer being disposed between the seed disk and the rear portion of the housing and forming an opening with the rear portion of the housing which controls the flow of seeds received at the rear portion of the housing into a region of the housing adjacent the seed disk.

Claim 28

A planting arrangement comprising the combination of a seed hopper having a converging bottom portion thereof which terminates in a pair of seed discharge apertures disposed in spaced-apart relation, and a seed meter having a housing, a seed disk rotatably mounted within the housing and coupled to a driven coupling on the outside of the housing, the housing having a pair of seed receiving apertures therein disposed on opposite sides of the driven coupling, and means for mounting the seed meter on the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper so that each of the seed receiving apertures in the housing is disposed adjacent a different one of the pair of seed discharge apertures in the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper.

Claim 29

A planting arrangement comprising the combination of a seed hopper having a converging bottom portion thereof which terminates in a pair of seed discharge apertures disposed in spaced-apart relation, and a seed meter having a housing, a seed disk rotatably mounted within the housing and coupled to a driven coupling on the outside of the housing, the housing having a pair of seed receiving apertures therein disposed on opposite sides of the driven coupling, and means for mounting the seed meter on the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper so that each of the seed receiving apertures in the housing is disposed adjacent a different one of the pair of seed discharge apertures in the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper.

Claim 30

An arrangement according to claim 23, wherein the housing of the seed meter has an air inlet at a top portion thereof above the driven coupling and the pair of seed receiving apertures, and the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper has a cavity therein in which the seed meter is received, the cavity having an upper portion extending over the top portion of the housing of the seed meter and partially covering the air inlet.

Claim 31

An arrangement according to claim 24, further including a clip mounted on the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper within the cavity, the clip being adapted to engage the air inlet in the housing of the seed meter to aid in mounting the seed meter on the converging bottom portion of the seed hopper.