Patent ID: 9629301
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A01C

Claim:
1. A seed metering device for a row crop sowing machine, comprising a seed metering disc rotatable about a central shaft, having a plurality of seed capturing and retaining holes for capturing and retaining the seeds, a motor, which drives the seed metering disc, releasing means for releasing the seeds from the seed capturing and retaining holes, conducting means for conducting the released seeds onto the ground, a housing for containing and protecting the metering disc, a flexible sealing member contained within the housing, and vacuum generating means, wherein the motor is an annular hollow-shaft motor coaxially coupled to the metering disc; wherein the flexible sealing member is sealingly attached to an inner wall of the housing and sealingly pressed against a face of the metering disc, thereby forming a vacuum chamber, and wherein the vacuum generating means lowers the air pressure on said face of the metering disc so as to capture and retain the seeds within the seed capturing and retaining holes arranged on another face of the metering disc opposite the vacuum chamber; wherein the annular hollow-shaft motor is coupled to the seed metering disc by a hollow hub comprising a hollow shaft or tube, and wherein the hollow hub is perforated, fluidly connecting the vacuum chamber to the hollow shaft of the motor coupled to said hollow hub.