Patent ID: 7451713
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
1. A seed metering system comprising: a housing; a plate positioned within said housing and having a plurality of holes extending from a first face to a second face thereof, said holes being substantially uniformly spaced from one another and each sized to receive a single seed; a device for maintaining a pressure differential between the said first and second face of said plate within said housing, the pressure on said first face being higher than the pressure on said second face to urge seeds against said first face of said plate; a device for distributing a plurality of seeds against the first face of said plate, whereby the pressure differential substantially urges a single seed into a single hole on said plate; and a device for releasing the single seeds from the holes on said plate at substantially the same location for sequential distribution of said seeds, said plate having a protrusion to interrupt each of said holes at least at said release location, said protrusion having at least a portion thereof approximately in the plane of the intersection between said first face and said holes for preventing seeds to be retained within the holes to promote unimpeded release of the seeds, the flow blocking area of said protrusion within said plane being selected to permit the maintenance of a pressure differential between the first and second faces of said plate.