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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1996
John F Stufflebeam, Romeoville, IL (US);
Thomas A Olson, Bolingbrook, IL (US);
Lisle J Dunham, Downers Grove, IL (US);
Donald T Johnson, Lockport, IL (US);
Case Corporation, Racine, WI (US);
Abstract
Vacuum seed metering apparatus is operably arranged in combination with a seed storage hopper. The seed metering apparatus includes a rotatable disc having a circular row of apertures for movement along a predetermined path during rotation of the disc. A housing is arranged in seed receiving relation relative to the seed hopper, and includes an interior divided by the disc into a seed chamber to hold seeds and a vacuum chamber extending at least partially around the path of movement of the apertures. The vacuum chamber has a leading end, a trailing end, and a vacuum exhaust port in communication with a vacuum source therebetween. The trailing end of said chamber is arranged adjacent to a seed discharge area where seeds are released from the disc, and an opening is provided proximate to the seed discharge area to enhance the release of seeds from the disc. Particularly, this opening may include a plurality of vertically spaced openings in the seed discharge area and an elongate slot adjacent to the trailing end of the vacuum chamber. The housing also includes an axially extending circumferential wall having a circumferential opening therein. The circumferential opening is sized to allow air to flow into the seed chamber along at least a portion of the path of movement of the apertures.