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:
Jul. 28, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 24, 1997
James Irwin Lodico, Hampton, IL (US);
Terry Lee Snipes, East Moline, IL (US);
Donald Raymond Wisor, Moline, IL (US);
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
A mechanical seed meter having a stationary housing and a rotatable bowl. The stationary housing is provided with a first axial wall, an outer radial wall and a flexible inner radial wall. The bowl is provided with seed receiving cells that form a second axial wall for trapping singled seeds in the seed trapping area. A flexible and resilient flap maintains the seed in the seed receiving cells. An axially extending brush removes excess seeds from the seed receiving cells as they pass through the seed puddle before entering the seed trapping area. The seed slides along the radial outer wall by centrifugal force until it enters the outlet area from which the outer radial wall becomes part of the outlet and the metered seed is deposited through the outlet to a seed tube. Jammed seed, that is seed trapped in the seed receiving cells, are provided with a downward force by a bump located in the outlet and an upward force by a rotatable wheel located downstream from the outlet.