Seed population monitor

Claim 2

A seed population monitor for a planter that simultaneously plants a multiplicity of rows of seeds, said monitor comprising sensing means for simultaneously sensing the number of seeds of each row being planted, a first counter responsive to said sensing means for determining a seed count iN a row, a readout device for said first counter, a second counter, means for applying input pulses to said second counter as a function of distance traveled by said planter, circuit means associated with said second counter for automatically producing an output signal indicative of area when the planter travels an ascertained distance, and means responsive to said output signal for resetting the first counter and including means for causing said readout device to provide a number that is a measure of the seed population per unit of area being planted over said ascertained distance.

Claim 3

A seed population monitor according to claim 1 including means for resetting the second counter for another distance count following the issuance of said output signal.

Claim 4

A seed population monitor according to claim 2 including row-selection means for selectively connecting the output of the sensing means for each row to said first counter in sequence for row-by-row counting of the seeds being planted during successive ascertained distances.

Claim 5

A seed population monitor according to claim 3 in which said row-selection means is operable for repetitive seed-counting of any selected row during successive ascertained distances.

Claim 6

A seed population monitor according to claim 3 in which said row-selection means comprises a sequence counter that is responsive to said second counter output.

Claim 7

A seed population monitor according to claim 3 including signalling means associated with each row, and means for actuating the signalling means associated with the row preceding the row in which the seeds are being counted by said first counter.

Claim 8

A seed population monitor according to claim 1 including means for signalling a condition indicating that a row is planting seeds at less than a predetermined rate.

Claim 9

A seed population monitor according to claim 2 including means for counting the seeds of each row in a sequence, and means for accumulating in said first counter the count of one row while displaying at said read-out device a population read-out for the preceding row.

Claim 10

A seed population monitor according to claim 1 further including additional counting means for accumulating a count representing the area traversed by the planter.

Claim 11

A seed population monitor according to claim 1 including means for presetting the second counter in accordance with the spacing between the rows of the planter.

Claim 12

A seed population monitor according to claim 1, wherein said circuit means is adapted for manually presetting the second counter in accordance with the number of rows in said planter to enable said seed population monitor to be used with said planting apparatus which can plant different number of rows.

Claim 13

A seed population monitor for a planter that simultaneously plants a multiplicity of rows of seeds as the planter moves over an area, said monitor comprising means for sensing the seeds of each row being planted, a counter responsive to the sensing means for determining a seed count, a readout device for said counter, circuit means for automatically deriving a signal representative of area as a function of an ascertained distance traveled by said planter, and means responsive to said signal for automatically resetting the counter and including means for causing a direct readout of the seed population per unit of area being planted over said ascertained distance of travel of the planter, said resetting means resetting the counter to receive another seed count for a subsequent ascertained distance while the planter continues in motion such that successive readouts of seed population per unit of area are automatically made over successively ascertained distances which are substantially contiguous.

Claim 14

A seed population monitor for a planter that simultaneously plants a multiplicity of rows of seeds as the planter moves over an area, said monitor comprising means for sensing the seeds of each row being planted, a counter responsive to the sensing means for determining a seed count, a readout device for said counter, circuit means for automatically deriving a signal representative of area as a function of an ascertained distance traveled by said planter, and means responsive to said signal for automatically resetting the counter and including means for causing a direct readout of the seed population per unit of area being planted over said ascertained distance of travel of the planter, said resetting means resetting the counter to receive another seed count for a subsequent ascertained distance while the planter continues in motion such that successive readouts of seed population per unit of area are automatically made over successively ascertained distances which are substantially contiguous.

Claim 15

A seed population monitor according to claim 12 further including means for producing said readout for each row of the planter over successive ascertained distances.

Claim 16

A seed population monitor according to claim 13 including means for visually indicating tHe row in which said readout has been produced while at the same time accumulating data for said readout in another row.

Claim 17

A seed population monitor according to claim 12 including means for repeating the production of said readout for a selected row over repeating ascertained distances of travel of the planter.

Claim 18

A seed population monitor for a planter that simultaneously plants a multiplicity of rows of seeds, said monitor comprising sensing means for sensing the number of seeds of each row being planted, means responsive to said sensing means for sequentially producing a measure of the seed population per unit of area obtained from each row being planted over an ascertained distance of travel of the planter for each row of the planter over successive ascertained distances, optionally operable means for repeating said measure for a selected row, means for selectively presetting said responsive means in accordance with the spacing between rows of the planter, and means for selectively presetting said responsive means in accordance with the number of rows in the planter.

Claim 19

A seed population monitor for a planter that simultaneously plants a multiplicity of rows of seeds, said monitor comprising sensing means for sensing the number of seeds of each row being planted, means responsive to said sensing means for sequentially producing a measure of the seed population per unit of area obtained from each row being planted over an ascertained distance of travel of the planter for each row of the planter over successive ascertained distances, optionally operable means for repeating said measure for a selected row, means for selectively presetting said responsive means in accordance with the spacing between rows of the planter, and means for selectively presetting said responsive means in accordance with the number of rows in the planter.