Corn lister seed orienter

Claim 1

A groove forming runner unit for attachment to a lister and adapted to form a groove for receiving seed and to orient the seed lengthwise and on edge at the same depth in said groove, said runner unit comprising an elongated body including front and rear ends and defined by longitudinally extending upstanding opposite sidewalls having forwardly convergent upper forward marginal edge portions whose ends join at the forward or bow end of said body, said sidewalls being downwardly convergent and including front and rear end lower marginal edge portions, said front lower marginal edge portions being secured together to close the lower portion of the forward end portion of said body and form a relatively sharp lower V-shaped apex, said front lower marginal edge portions also including generally horizontal rear end segments terminating forwardly in smoothly forwardly and upwardly curving segments inclined upwardly toward the juncture between the forward ends of the upper marginal edge portions of said sidewalls, said rear end lower marginal edge portions being generally horizontal, parallel, stepped upwardly from said rear end segments and swaged slightly transversely outwardly from forwardly adjacent portions of said sidewalls of said body at their forward ends forming inclined slightly outwardly displaced forwardly and downwardly facing cam surfaces for downwardly displacing the opposing sidewall portions of the groove formed by said unit and thereby breaking downwardly and inwardly the lower portions of the sidewalls of said groove so as to right on edge and anchor a seed disposed lengthwise in said groove, the zone defined between said forward ends of said rear marginal edge portions defining an upstanding passage extending vertically through said body for dropping seeds therethrough.