Deere + Company

Miles Raymond Keaton

David James Rylander

Nathan Albert Mariman

Michael E Friestad

Jose M Valdez

Daniel Bruce Thiemke

Paul Reed Riewerts

Lyle Eugene Stephens

Garn Farley Penfold

Todd E Vandersnick

Robert J Roman

William H Thompson

Robert John Roman

Jose Miguel Valdez

A seed meter for use in an agricultural seeding machine includes a housing having an inner chamber and one or more deflectors within the inner chamber, and a seed disc rotatably carried by the housing. The seed disc includes at least a portion thereof formed from a flexible material which is deflectable by the one or more deflectors during rotation within the housing.

Seed meter with flexible seed disc

A seed metering system having a housing and a disk rotatably positioned within the housing and having a plurality of holes extending from a first face to a second face thereof, the holes being substantially uniformly placed from one another around the circumference of the disk and each sized to receive a single seed. A pressure differential is maintained between the first and second face of the disk within the housing, the pressure on the first face being higher than the pressure on the second face to urge seeds against the first face of the disk. A plurality of seeds are distributed against the first face of the disk, whereby the pressure differential substantially urges a single seed into a single hole on the disk. A device is provided for releasing the single seeds from the holes on the disk at substantially the same location for sequential distribution of seeds. The plate has a protrusion to interrupt each of the holes, the protrusion having at least a portion thereof substantially in the plane of the intersection between the first face and the holes for preventing seeds to be retained within the holes to promote unimpeded release of the seeds, the area of the protrusion within the plane being selected to permit the maintenance of a pressure differential between the first and second faces of the plate.

Seed disk for a seed meter

A seeding machine includes at least one seed metering system and at least one seed placement system. Each seed placement system is in communication with a corresponding seed metering system. Each seed placement system includes a housing having a seed slide, and a wheel at least partly disposed within the housing. The wheel has a circumferential periphery with a plurality of contiguous disc joint surfaces. The periphery is positioned adjacent to at least part of the seed slide. The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a method of placing seeds with a seeding machine in a trench formed in soil. Seeds are received at a predetermined rate at a seed placement system. The seed placement system includes a seed slide, and a wheel having a conferential periphery position closely adjacent to at least part of the seed slide. The seeds are engaged at the predetermined rate against the wheel periphery. The seeds are carried past a closely adjacent area of the seed slide using the wheel periphery. The seeds are released from the wheel periphery.

Seed placement system for use in a seeding machine

An assembly for opening and closing a furrow in soil includes a furrow opener with a pair of discs positioned at an angle relative to each other. The discs each have an inner side facing toward each other and an outer side facing away from each other. Each disc also has a leading edge and a trailing edge relative to a travel direction. A furrow closer includes a pair of wheels, each having an inner side facing toward each other and positioned adjacent to a corresponding disc outer side. Each wheel also has a leading edge positioned between a corresponding disc leading edge and disc trailing edge, and a trailing edge positioned rearward of a corresponding disc trailing edge relative to the travel direction.

Furrow opener/closer in an agricultural machine

A seeding machine includes at least one seed metering system and at least one seed placement system. Each seed metering system includes a seed disc having a plurality of spaced apart seed cells and a circumferential edge. An edge drive engages the circumferential edge for rotatably driving the seed disc. Each seed placement system is in communication with a corresponding seed metering system.

Seed metering system for use in a seeding machine

A pressure control system is configured to precisely tune positive air pressure or vacuum to pneumatic seed meters that are located along a pneumatic metering manifold. The system includes pressure control valves pneumatically located at plural seed meters that adjust the air pressure or vacuum at the seed meters. The system can utilize feedback pressure signals from pressure sensors at each meter to equalize positive air pressure or vacuum at the seed meters to ensure consistent row-to-row seed populations.

Electronically controlled tuning orifice for seed meter tuning

A seed meter and accelerator comprises a stationary housing, a stationary axially extending dispensing rim, a radially extending flange and a rotating disc. The stationary housing is provided with an axially extending metering rim. The meter rim is provided with a metering gap. The stationary axially extending dispensing rim is located radially outward from the metering rim and is provided with a dispensing gap. The radially extending flange extends between the axially extending metering rim and the axially extending dispensing rim. The rotating disc is provided with an inner portion having circumferentially arranged seed pockets and an outer portion having seed dispensing openings. Each seed pocket corresponds to a seed dispensing opening. Passages extend between the seed pockets and the seed dispensing openings. The seed pockets of the inner portion are located adjacent to and radially inward from the metering rim. The seed dispensing openings are located adjacent to and radially inward from the dispensing rim. A source of air pressure pressurizes the stationary housing driving seeds into the seed pockets. When a seed pocket is registered with the metering gap the air pressure and centrifugal force drive the seed outwardly through the passage to the seed dispensing opening. At the opening the seed is held in place by the air pressure and the centrifugal force of the rotating disc until it reaches the seed dispensing gap. As the seed is released from the seed dispensing gap it proceeds into the seed furrow.

Growing community of inventors

Port Byron, IL, United States of America

Miles Raymond Keaton