Abstract:
A seed metering system comprising a housing, a seed pick-up disc with a singulating member and one or more resilient members. The housing defines a space therewith which is partitioned by a rotating seed pick-up disc. The seed pick-up disc is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart seed holding grooves. The housing accommodates seeds within a portion of the space which are picked up by the seed holding grooves during rotation of the seed pick-up disc. The singulating member cooperates with the seed pick-up disc to eliminate excess seed within each of the seed holding grooves to ensure sowing of single seed at regular intervals.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to the field of precision metering for sowing seeds. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Cultivation of crops or plants requires sowing or depositing seeds with regular spacing on the location wherein the crops are required to be grown. Precisely sowing the seeds is essential considering several parameters essential for effective growth of crops which affects profitability of the farmers. Maintaining appropriate spacing between seeds ensures supply of required quantity of nutrients necessary for proper growth of the seeds into healthy crops. Further, maintaining appropriate spacing between seeds during sowing substantially reduces or entirely eliminates excessive amount of labor involved in thinning rows of crops after germination. In order to cater to proper sowing of seeds, several types of planters evolved. Planters can essentially be segregated into two distinct categories namely, pneumatic planters and mechanical planters. While mechanical planters involve mechanical arrangements for collecting seeds and depositing the seeds appropriately, the pneumatic planters utilize air for the same. 
         [0003]    However, the presently available mechanical planters involve complex mechanisms and pose a critical problem of damaging seeds which results in the farmers incurring loss. The pneumatic planters involve complex pneumatic circuits which are difficult to maintain. In the event of malfunctioning of the pneumatic circuits, the planters fail to maintain precision during sowing. Further, the presently available planters involve high cost. 
         [0004]    In order to provide solutions to the drawbacks of the presently available planters, there was felt a need for a device which would facilitate accurately depositing seeds. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Various features, aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals represent like components. 
         [0006]    In accordance with the present disclosure there is provided a seed metering system comprising a housing, a seed pick-up disc with a singulating member and one or more resilient members. 
         [0007]    The housing comprises a front cover and a rear cover. The housing defines an enclosed space therein forming a seed puddle area to contain seeds and a seed dispensing opening to dispense seeds from the housing. 
         [0008]    The seed pick-up disc is disposed within the housing so as to partition the enclosed space into a seed inlet and a seed outlet. The seed pick-up disc has a plurality of seed holding grooves, circumferentially spaced apart by a predefined distance. Each of the seed holding grooves defines a seed pick-up portion, proximate the front side, and at least one seed dispensing portion, proximate the rear side. A predetermined surface is defined by the seed pick-up portion and the seed dispensing portion. 
         [0009]    Optionally, each of the seed dispensing portions are shaped to define a first seed dispensing section and a second seed dispensing section. The first seed dispensing section is defined between the seed pick-up portion and the second seed dispensing section. The first seed dispensing section and the second seed dispensing section receive a seed therein from the seed pick-up portion. A portion of the rear side of the housing is profiled to enable conveying a seed from the second seed dispensing section to the seed puddle area. Optionally, one displacing guide is provided to displace a seed disposed between seed dispensing sections. The displacing guide facilitates ensuring dispensing a single seed from each of the second seed dispensing section to the seed dispensing opening. 
         [0010]    At least one dispensing guide is provided displace a seed disposed within the second seed dispensing section to the first seed dispensing section. The dispensing guide facilitates ensuring dispensing a single seed from each of the first seed dispensing section to the seed dispensing opening. 
         [0011]    A seed singulating member is associated with the seed pick-up disc for facilitating removal of excess seeds from the seed pick-up portion to leave only one seed in the seed pick-up portion. The singulating member also partitions the seed pick-up portion and the seed dispensing portion from one another along at least a portion of the seed pick-up disc. The singulating member includes a plurality of seed eliminating strips extending from at least a portion of the singulating member. The seed eliminating strips project into at least the seed pick-up portion of the seed holding grooves to facilitate eliminating excess seeds within each of the seed pick-up portions so that only one seed is present in the seed pick-up portion. 
         [0012]    One or more resilient member is mounted on the housing. The resilient members guides the seeds into and within the seed holding grooves. The resilient members includes a first resilient strip to facilitate the seeds to be guided into the seed holding grooves from the seed puddle area. The first resilient strip has an operating plane at a first predetermined angle to the plane of the seed pick-up disc. The resilient members further include a second resilient strip to hold the seed picked up by the seed holding grooves therein. The second resilient strip is positioned at a second predetermined angle to the plane of the seed pick-up disc. The second resilient strip has a shape selected from at least one of an arcuate shape and a linear shape. The resilient members further include a third resilient strip to guide the seed from the seed pick-up portion to the seed dispensing portion of the seed holding groove. The third resilient strip has an operating plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the seed pick-up disc. There may be one or more of the third resilient strips and each are configured to move into the seed pick-up portions of the seed holding grooves to guide seed therein into the seed dispensing portion of the seed holding grooves. The resilient members may further include a dispensing guide to facilitate ensuring dispensing a single seed from each of the at least one seed dispensing portion of the seed holding grooves to the seed dispensing opening. 
         [0013]    In accordance with an embodiment, the resilient members may also include a dispensing guide displacing a seed disposed within said second seed dispensing sections to said first seed dispensing section, said dispensing guide further ensuring dispensing a single seed from each of said second seed dispensing sections to said seed dispensing opening. 
         [0014]    The housing and the seed pick-up disc are made of material selected from the group consisting at least one of a metal and a polymeric material. The first resilient strip, the second resilient strip, the third resilient strip and the dispensing guide are made of at least one of a plurality of bristles and a flexible material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a planter with the seed metering device in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2 a    illustrates a perspective view of the seed metering device in accordance with the present disclosure, indicating the front cover and a rear cover; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2 b    illustrates an exploded view of the seed metering device in accordance with the present disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates the front cover indicated in  FIG. 2 b    with a part of resilient assembly in accordance with the seed metering device of the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates the rear cover indicated in  FIG. 2 b    with a part of resilient assembly in accordance with the seed metering device of the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates a rear perspective view of an embodiment of a seed pick-up disc with a singulating member, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates enlarged view of the portion A of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the seed pick-up disc, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  illustrates enlarged view of the portion B of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  illustrates the singulating member, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  illustrates a front perspective view of a seed pick-up disc, illustrated in  FIG. 5 , along with the singulating member; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 11  illustrates enlarged view of the portion C of  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    Presently available planters include a conventional seed metering device wherein, precise singulation of seeds to be disposed for cultivation is difficult to achieve in case of mechanical planters and requires pneumatic devices for precise operation thereof. This increases the cost of the planters. 
         [0028]    The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  illustrates a planter row unit  1  with a seed metering device in accordance with the present disclosure. The seed metering device, in accordance with the present disclosure, is generally referenced by the numeral  10 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a single planter row crop unit of a multi-row planter row unit, with each row crop unit being substantially identical and connected to a common tool bar  3 . Only a single row crop unit is shown for the sake of simplicity. 
         [0030]    The row crop unit includes a multi-part frame  4  which is attached to the tool bar  3  by parallel linkage  2 . The tool bar  3  is coupled to a traction unit (not shown), such as an agricultural tractor. For example, toot bar  3  may be coupled to an agricultural tractor using a 3-point hitch assembly or by appropriate arrangement at the front of an agricultural tractor. Tool bar  3  may be coupled with transport wheel assemblies, marker arms, etc. which may be of conventional design and not shown for simplicity sake. The transport wheels, in known manner, may provide ground drive to row crop unit through the use of shafts, chains, sprockets, transfer cases, etc. 
         [0031]    The frame  4  carries a double disc furrow opener  5  for forming a seed trench in soil. A pair of gauge wheels  6  is respectively associated with the pair of discs of double disc furrow opener  5 . More particularly, each gauge wheel  6  is positioned generally adjacent to the outside of each respective disc of double disc furrow opener  5 . The gauge wheels  6  are pivotally coupled with frame  4  by respective arms. Each gauge wheel  6  may be vertically adjusted to adjust the depth of the trench which is cut into the soil using double disc furrow opener  5 . A pair of closing wheels  7  is also carried by frame  4 . Closing wheels  7  are positioned generally in line with double disc furrow opener  5 . Each row crop unit planter  1  carries a seed metering device  10 , schematically indicated in  FIG. 1 . Although the seed metering device  10  has been described as being associated with the aforementioned planter  1 , however, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the seed metering device  10  can be used by any other associated arrangements. 
         [0032]    The seed metering device  10 , particularly illustrated in  FIG. 2 a    and  FIG. 2 b   , includes an inlet chute  12  which receives seed from a main seed supply, such as a seed hopper. Alternatively, seeds may be stored in a distant main seed hopper and supplied to inlet chute  12  by appropriate arrangement. The seed metering device  10  includes a housing having a front cover  14 , illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and a rear cover  16 , illustrated in  FIG. 4 , defining a space there between.  FIG. 3  illustrates the inner side of the front cover  14 , illustrated in  FIG. 2 a    while  FIG. 4  illustrates inner side of the rear cover  16 , illustrated in  FIG. 2 a   . The inlet chute  12  is defined on the front cover  14  provides for a path for the seeds to be received within the space between the front cover  14  and the rear cover  16  and contained at the operative bottom of the seed metering device  10  to form a seed puddle area. 
         [0033]    The front cover  14  and the rear cover  16  define a space between the inner surfaces thereof. The space defined between the front cover  14  and the rear cover  16  is partitioned by a seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Further, the seed metering device  10  includes one or more resilient members mounted on the front cover  14  and the rear cover  16  of the housing. The resilient members facilitate retention of the seeds within the seed pick-up portion  26 , illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The resilient members are mounted on the inner surface of the front cover  14  and the rear cover  16  while being functionally associated with the first side  22  and the second side  24 , respectively, of the seed pick-up disc  18 . The resilient members include a first resilient strip  32 , a second resilient strip  34 , a third resilient strip  36 , displacing guide  37  and a dispensing guide  38 , illustrated in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
         [0034]    The seed pick-up disc  18  has a first side  22  and a second side  24 . The first side  22  of the seed pick-up disc  18  faces the inner surface of the front cover  14  while the second side  24  faces the inner surface of the rear cover  16 . The seed pick-up disc  18 , along the perimeter, is provided with a plurality of seed holding grooves  25  which are circumferentially spaced apart by a predefined distance. 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  illustrates an enlarged portion A of the seed pick-up disc  18 , indicating the seed holding grooves. Each of seed holding grooves  25  includes a seed pick-up portion  26 , proximate the first side  22  and a seed dispensing portion  28 , proximate the second side  24 . The seed holding grooves  25 , illustrated in  FIG. 6 , are in accordance with one embodiment of the seed holding grooves wherein there is provided a single seed pick-up portion  26  and a single seed dispensing portion  28  corresponding to each seed holding groove  25 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8  which illustrate an alternate embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18  wherein the seed holding grooves is defined by a single seed pick-up portion  26  and a pair of seed dispensing portions, namely, a first seed dispensing section  29   a  and a second seed dispensing section  29   b . The operating plane, i.e. the base of each of the seed dispensing portions  29   a  and  29   b  are at an angle to each other. The seed pick-up portions  26  have an arcuate shape to pick up seeds contained within the housing of the seed metering device  10 . The seed pick-up disc  18  performs the function of picking the seeds from the seed puddle area and either depositing single seed at regular interval on the ground or returning extra seed into the seed puddle area. The function of picking the seeds from the seed puddle area is carried out by the seed pick-up portion  26  while the function of depositing single seed at regular interval on the ground is carried out by the seed dispensing portion  28  and the seed dispensing portion  29   a . The function of returning extra seed into the seed puddle area is achieved by the second seed dispensing section  29   b  in the seed metering device  10  using the alternate embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         [0037]    The seed pick-up disc  18  rotates about the central axis X-X in the direction indicated by the arrow Y, illustrated in  FIGS. 2, 6 and 11  within the space between the inner side of the front cover  14  and the rear cover  16 . The seed pick-up disc  18  is rotated by the shaft  40  powered by a motor or a chain and sprocket arrangement (not shown in Figure). On rotation of the seed pick-up disc  18 , the seed pick-up portions  26  picks up seeds while passing through the seed puddle area in the housing. The seed pick-up portions  26  may pick up one or more seeds to displace the seeds from the seed puddle area while the seed pick-up disc  18  rotates about the central axis X-X. The first resilient strip  32 , indicated in  FIG. 3 , is mounted on the inner surface of the front cover  14  and guides the seeds from the seed puddle area into the seed pick-up portion  26  during rotation of the seed pick-up disc  18  about the axis X-X. The first resilient strip  32  functionally contacts the first side  22  of the seed pick-up disc  18  along an operating plane having a predetermined first angle to the first side  22 . The first resilient strip  32  ensures one or more seed is accommodated within each of the seed pick-up portions  26 . Further, due to the resilient nature of the first resilient strip  32 , the seeds are not damaged by being positioned between the first side  22  and the first resilient strip  32 . 
         [0038]    In order to ensure that only one seed is disposed on the ground at regular interval, a seed singulating member  20 , particularly illustrated in  FIG. 9 , is associated with the seed pick-up disc  18 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the seed pick-up disc  18  is illustrated along with the seed singulating member  20 . The seed singulating member  20  acts as to partition between the seed pick-up portion  26  and the seed dispensing portion  28 , except along a gap  21 , indicated in  FIG. 10 , provided in the seed singulating member  20 . The seed singulating member  20  is mounted on the housing in a stationary configuration with respect to the seed pick-up disc  18 . Further, the seed singulating member  20  has one or more seed eliminating strips  30 , particularly indicted in  FIG. 9 , extending from at least a portion of the singulating member  20 . The seed singulating member  20  is shown with a plurality of seed eliminating strips  30  extending therefrom. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , each of the seed eliminating strips  30  are shaped so as to be sequentially associated with each of the seed pick-up portions  26  as the seed pick-up portions move past the seed eliminating strips  30  during rotation of the seed pick-up disc  18  about the axis X-X. In the operative configuration, the seed eliminating strips  30  projects into the seed pick-up portion  26  in a way to occupy a predefined space of the seed pick-up portion  26 . This results in retaining a single seed within the seed pick-up portion  26  while eliminating multiple or excess seeds from the seed pick-up portions  26 . The second resilient strip  34 , indicated in  FIG. 3 , is mounted on the inner surface of the front cover  14  and is located after the position of the seed eliminating strips  30  to hold the seed picked up by the seed pick-up portion  26 . The second resilient strip  34  has a profile which is an arcuate shape or a linear shape. The second resilient strip  34  functionally contacts the first side  22  of the seed pick-up disc  18  along an operating plane having a second predetermined angle to the first side  22 . The first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are either equal or variable. 
         [0040]    Each of the seed pick-up portions  26 , containing the singulated seeds move to the gap portion  21  of the seed singulating member  20 , with the rotation of the seed pick-up disc  18  about the axis X-X in the direction Y, indicated in  FIG. 2 . The third resilient strip  36 , indicated in  FIG. 3 , is mounted on the inner surface of the front cover  14  and is located after the positioning of the second resilient strip  34  to displace the singulated seed from the seed pick-up portion  26 , through the gap  21  in the singulating member  20 , to the seed dispensing portion  28 , in the embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 5 , and either the first seed dispensing section  29   a  or the second seed dispensing section  29   b , in the embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The third resilient strip  36  functionally contacts the first side  22  of the seed pick-up disc  18  along an operating plane, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first side  22  of the seed pick-up disc  18 , so as to project into each of the seed pick-up portions  26  crossing the second resilient strip  34 . The third resilient strip  36  includes a single strip or a plurality of resilient strips. Three such strips are shown in  FIG. 3 . When the third resilient strip  36  projects into each of the seed pick-up disc  18 , it pushes the singulated seeds in each of the seed pick-up portion  26  into the seed dispensing portion  28 , in the embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 5 , or the first seed dispensing section  29   a  and the second seed dispensing section  29   b , in the embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0041]    Referring to the embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , each of the singulated seed, received into the seed dispensing portion  28  from the seed pick-up portion  26 , is displaced along with the rotation of the seed pick-up disc  18 . The seed dispensing portion  28  functionally communicates with the seed dispensing opening (not particularly shown in the Figures). The rear cover  16 , when used with the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 5 , does not include the displacing guide  37 . The singulated seeds from each of the seed dispensing portions  28  are guided by the dispensing guide  38  between the seed dispensing portions  28  of the seed pick-up disc  18  and the rear cover  16  to be dropped to the ground to be sowed. 
         [0042]    Referring to the embodiment of the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , each of the singulated seed from the seed pick-up portion  26  is received into either the first seed dispensing section  29   a  or the second seed dispensing section  29   b . The first seed dispensing section  29   a  is profiled to receive the singulated seeds from the seed pick-up portion  26  as well as the second seed dispensing section  29   b . However, the shape of the first seed dispensing section  29   a  prevents the singulated seed received from the seed pick-up portion  26  to be displaced to the second seed dispensing section  29   b . The singulated seed received in either of the first seed dispensing section  29   a  or the second seed dispensing section  29   b  is displaced along with the rotation of the seed pick-up disc  18 . The first seed dispensing section  29   a  functionally communicates with the seed dispensing opening while the second seed dispensing section  29   b  functionally communicates with the seed puddle area. When the seed pick-up disc  18 , illustrated in  FIG. 7 , is utilized, the rear cover  16  as illustrated in  FIG. 4  is used, wherein the rear cover  16  is provided with a displacing guide (not shown in Figure) which is positioned at an angle to the seed pick-up disc  18 . The displacing guide is mounted on the rear cover  16  and functionally contacts the second side  24  of the seed pick-up disc  18  along an operating plane at a predetermined angle to the plane of the second side  24  of the seed pick-up disc  18 , so as to glidingly moved over the second seed dispensing section  29   b  so as to project into each of the second seed dispensing sections  29   b . When the displacing guide projects into each of the seed pick-up disc  18 , it pushes the singulated seeds in each of the second seed dispensing section  29   b  towards the first seed dispensing section  29   a.    
         [0043]    In normal operation of the third resilient strip  36 , the singulated seed is pushed into the first seed dispensing section  29   a . The singulated seeds from each of the first seed dispensing section  29   a  are guided by the dispensing guide  38  to be dropped to the ground to be sowed. 
         [0044]    In the case wherein the singulated seed is pushed into the second seed dispensing section  29   b , the displacing guide  37  tends to push the seed into the first seed dispensing section  29   a . When a seed is not present in the first seed dispensing section  29   a , the singulated seed from the second seed dispensing section  29   b  is pushed into the first seed dispensing section  29   a . The singulated seeds from each of the first seed dispensing section  29   a  are dropped to the ground to be sown. However, in cases of an unlikely event, wherein a singulated seed is already present in the first seed dispensing section  29   a  and another seed is also present in the second seed dispensing section  29   b , the displacing guide  37  tends to push the seed into the first seed dispensing section  29   a . However, due to the presence of the singulated seed in the first seed dispensing section  29   a  and the force of gravity, the seed in the second seed dispensing section  29   b  is forced to move into an adjacent second seed dispensing section  29   b , which already crosses the dispensing guide  38 . The singulated seed from the first seed dispensing section  29   a  is dropped to the ground for sowing, while the singulated seed from the second seed dispensing section  29   b  is dropped back to the seed puddle area. 
         [0045]    The housing and the seed pick-up disc  18  are made of a polymeric material, a metal or a combination thereof. Also, the first resilient strip  32 , the second resilient strip  34 , the third resilient strip  36 , the displacing guide  37  and the dispensing guide  38  are made of a plurality of bristles or a flexible material. 
         [0046]    Thus, the seed metering device  10  enables accurately sowing seeds at regular interval. 
         [0047]    While the foregoing specification has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure which comes within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.