Distributing device for a sowing machine

Claim 1

A distributing device for a monoseed sowing machine, the device comprising means defining a case, means defining a distributing wheel mounted to rotate in the case about a substantially horizontal axis, the wheel having a first annular surface and a second annular surface axially opposed to the first surface, means for rotating the wheel, means defining in the wheel circumferentially spaced first throughway orifices arranged on a first circle and circumferentially spaced second throughway orifices arranged on a second circle concentric with the first circle, the first orifices travelling in a first circular path and the second orifices travelling in a second circular path as the wheel rotates, means defining a container for seeds communicating with said first annular surface of the wheel, passage means for producing suction, the passage means extending circumferentially of the wheel in adjoining relation to said second surface of the wheel and communicating with some of the orifices for holding seeds against said first annular surface of the wheel in regions of said some orifices, a deflecting arm mounted on the case and having an edge extending completely across said second path toward said first path while being set back from said first circle, the deflecting arm being cooperative with said first annular surface of the wheel to shift seeds completely away from and substantially mask each successive one of said second orifices as the second orifice passes beyond the deflecting arm edge while the deflecting arm leaves each successive one of the first orifices substantially unmasked and allows one seed to be retained by each successive one of the first orifices, said passage means having a first end and a second end respectively constituting a beginning and end of the passage means respectively located upstream and downstream of the edge of the deflecting arm with respect to the direction of movement of the orifices and comprising a first passage portion extending from said first end circumferentially of the wheel alongside said second circle of second orifices and sufficiently beyond the edge of the deflecting arm to expose to suction a plurality of successive second orifices including a second orifice which is located beyond the edge of the deflecting arm and is masked by the deflecting arm, and a second passage portion extending circumferentially from said last end alongside said first circle of first orifices and terminating sufficiently beyond a radial plane containing the intersection of the edge of the deflecting arm with said first circle in the upstream direction relative to the direction of movement of the orifices to expose to suction a plurality of first orifices and enable a seed released from each second orifice masked by the deflecting arm to become attracted to and retained by each first orifice, means for masking from suction first orifices upstream of said termination of the second passage portion with respect to the dirEction of movement of the orifices, seed receiving and discharging means combined with said first annular surface of the wheel for receiving each seed as it is released from its corresponding first orifice and discharging the seed from the wheel.