The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 16, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1996
John F Stufflebeam, Romeoville, IL (US);
Thomas A Olson, Bolingbrook, IL (US);
Lisle J Dunham, Downers Grove, IL (US);
Gerald J Tiedt, Willow Springs, IL (US);
Case Corporation, Racine, WI (US);
Abstract
A baffle assembly for a seed metering mechanism that is mounted in combination with a seed hopper holding a supply of seeds that are to be dispensed into a furrow with regularity by the seed metering mechanism. The seed metering mechanism includes a two-piece housing divided into a seed chamber and a vacuum chamber by a rotatable disc having a series of throughopenings or holes arranged circumferentially adjacent the perimeter of the disc. The disc picks up seeds from the seed chamber and carries them around to a discharge area of the seed metering mechanism whereat they are released for gravitational deposit into the furrow in the ground below. A seed delivery chute gravitationally directs the seeds from the seed hopper to an opening defined by the housing from which the seeds are deposited into the seed chamber. The present invention relates to the provision of a baffle assembly operable from outside of the housing to control the amount of seeds passing through the opening and passing into the seed chamber while maintaining the housing in assembled relation.