Deere & Company

David Walter Gregor

David Allen Ernst

Terry Lee Snipes

Donald Raymond Wisor

Nathan Albert Mariman

Donald Keith Landphair

Ronald Lee Pratt

Ronald Alan Hall

Michael Zhivov

Steve Blaine Detrick

The product meter of an air seeder is vertically positioned between a product tank and a primary air distribution manifold. The product meter is provided with an inlet passage and an outlet passage. Product from the product tank is received in the inlet passage where it is directed to the metering chamber. A meter roller is located in the metering chamber for metering the product received from the product tank. After the product has been metered it is transported though the outlet passage to the primary distribution manifold. Optical product sensors may be located in either the inlet passage or the outlet passage to detect the operation of the product meter.

Product sensors for air seeder

A seed cart for an air seeder is provided with pneumatic distribution system having a primary air distribution manifold. The primary air distribution manifold is provided with a top rank of venturis and a bottom rank of venturis for receiving an air stream from a blower which is divided into a top rank air stream and a bottom rank air stream. A selector valve is located above the top rank of venturis immediately below a product meter. The selector valve selectively directs metered product to either the top rank of venturis or the bottom rank of venturis. In a first position the selector valve directs metered product to the top rank of venturis in its second position the selector valve directs metered product to the bottom rank of venturis. Each selector valve is also provided with first and second air valves. In the selector valve's first position, the first air valve is open and directs air tapped from the top rank air stream to the product tank feeding product to the top rank of venturis. The second air valve is closed as it taps air from the bottom rank air stream. Similarly if the selector valve is in its second position, the first air valve is closed and the second air valve opened so that bottom rank air is directed to the product tank feeding product to the bottom rank of venturis.

Distribution manifold for air seeder

A primary air distribution manifold for an air seeder's pneumatic distribution system, wherein the primary air distribution manifold is provided with a top rank of venturis and a bottom rank of venturis for receiving an air stream from a blower which is divided into a top rank air stream and a bottom rank air stream. A selector valve is located above the top rank of venturis immediately below a product meter. The selector valve selectively directs metered product to either the top rank of venturis or the bottom rank of venturis. In a first position the selector valve directs metered product to the top rank of venturis in its second position the selector valve directs metered product to the bottom rank of venturis. Each selector valve is also provided with first and second air valves. In the selector valve's first position, the first air valve is open and directs air tapped from the top rank air stream to the product tank feeding product to the top rank of venturis. The second air valve is closed as it taps air from the bottom rank air stream. Similarly if the selector valve is in its second position, the first air valve is closed and the second air valve opened so that bottom rank air is directed to the product tank feeding product to the bottom rank of venturis.

A meter roller is provided with a blank section for enabling an air seeder to achieve a substantially uniform seed rate throughout the width of the tillage. The fluted meter roller has a series of ridges spaced around its periphery, between which are located product receiving valleys. The blank section conforms to the fluted cross-section of the meter roller by projecting into the product receiving valleys of the meter roller. When a series of meter rollers is driven by a common shaft, the output of an individual meter roller may be modified by adjusting the number or size of blank sections attached to the meter roller.

Axial retainer shaft for meter roller

A distribution manifold is provided for dispensing product into an airstream. The distribution manifold has a venturi port which has a front surface and a rear surface, as well as an air passage extending between the front surface and the rear surface. Additionally, the venturi port has a product inlet coupled to the air passage. The distribution manifold also has a bypass port which has a top surface, a bottom surface, a front bypass surface, and a rear bypass surface. The bypass port has a product throughway connecting the front bypass surface and the rear bypass surface. A wall of the bypass port defines a passage from the top surface to the bottom surface for insulating the passage from fluid communication with the product throughway.

An air seeder is provided with a pneumatic distribution system for delivering product through a plurality of primary tubes arranged in first and second rows. The pneumatic distribution system has a plenum housing having a plurality of outlet ports also arranged in first and second rows, each of said plurality of outlet ports associated with one of the primary tubes. A fan is in fluid communication with the upstream end of the plenum housing. A damper is mounted in the plenum housing upstream from the outlet ports for directing the air flow toward at least one of the first and second rows of primary tubes, and a perforated baffle plate is mounted in the housing between the damper and the outlet ports. The baffle plate has a plurality of openings adapted for governing the airflow into the outlet ports.

Plenum damper and baffle plate arrangement for pneumatic distribution

A tank pressurization system is provided for delivering pressurized air from a pneumatic distribution system to a product tank in an air seeder. The tank pressurization system has a meter housing which has an air inlet in fluid communication with the pneumatic distribution system and an air outlet in fluid communication with the product tank. The meter housing has an air passage connecting the air inlet to the air outlet, providing fluid communication between the pneumatic distribution system and the product tank. A meter is rotatably mounted in the meter housing. Also, a tank pressurization system has a venturi port in a primary distribution manifold of the pneumatic distribution system, the venturi port having a standard airstream and a venturi for encouraging product from the product tank to enter the pneumatic distribution system at the venturi. A venturi pressure plate has a first orifice in fluid communication with the standard airstream of the venturi port, a second orifice in fluid communication with the product tank, and a pathway between the first orifice and the second orifice for providing fluid communication between the venturi port and the product tank.

Tank pressurization system for air seeder

Reconfigurable meter roller and blank section

A product disconnect is provided for cutting off product flow between a product tank and an associated metering system. The product is instead directed to a product cleanout where an operator can empty the product tank without sending product through the metering system. The product disconnect may consist of one or more rotary cutoff valves which are selectively movable between an open position allowing product to flow into metering system and a closed position where product is instead directed to a product cleanout.

Product disconnect for metering device

A wear insert is provided for an air seeder metering system directing rising air away from product as it is metered from a product tank by the associated metering system. The wear insert has a lip which extends into the outlet of the metering system in order to divert air away from the path of metered product to prevent the product from bunching and to promote a continuous flow of product from the metering system.

Wear insert for metering system

A metering system is driven by a transmission for metering product from a product tank. The metering system has a meter housing, within which is mounted a meter cartridge having an inlet releasably coupled to the product tank. A meter roller which has an axial bore is rotatably mounted in the meter cartridge. A drive shaft extends through the axial bore of the meter roller for rotating the roller with the drive shaft. A meter drive is fixed to an end of the drive shaft against rotation relative to the drive shaft. The meter cartridge has an engaged position wherein the meter cartridge is mounted in the meter housing and the meter drive is engaged by the transmission for rotating the meter roller, as well as a disengaged position where the meter drive is not engaged by the transmission for allowing the meter cartridge to be removed from the meter housing and for allowing the inlet of the casing section to be at least partially uncoupled from the product tank.

Removable meter cartridge for metering system

A meter brush is provided for cutting off product flow of unmetered product between a product tank and an associated metering system for an air seeder. The meter brush has a plurality of bristles extending between an inner wall of a meter casing and a meter to prevent product from passing while allowing air to flow through.

Growing community of inventors

Davenport, IA, United States of America

David Walter Gregor