Abstract:
A seed delivery device including a frame defining at least one seed chamber. The frame includes a sidewall and an air permeable floor. Seed can be received and deposited on the air permeable floor through an input port. An air input channel is utilized to introduce an air stream into the seed chamber and direct it through the air permeable floor such that seed is lifted from the air permeable floor to an outlet port. An air bypass channel is configured to separate the air stream into a first stream that is directed through the air permeable floor and a second stream that is directed through the bypass channel and recombined with the first stream, at a point prior to the output port, to prevent excess accumulation of seed in the seed chamber.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Large scale agricultural planters typically include a plurality of individual hoppers and seed metering units. During planting, the hopper holds the mass of seed that the planter distributes onto the ground. The metering units are responsible for delivering the seed to the ground. As the planter moves over the planting surface, it is important that the metering units distribute the seed uniformly and at precise intervals to achieve proper spacing of crops. To achieve such a distribution it is important that the supply of seed to the seed meters is steady and uninterrupted. Accordingly, an apparatus for transporting seed from the hopper to the metering units is the subject of the present application. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments, accompanied by the attached drawing wherein identical reference numerals will be used for like parts in the various views. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram, partly in schematic form, of an air seed delivery system incorporating an air entrainment device in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an upper perspective view of plural air entrainment devices employed in the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a lower rear perspective view of plural air entrainment devices employed in the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an upper left rear perspective view of an air entrainment device shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an upper right rear perspective view of an air entrainment device shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an upper front right perspective view of the inventive air entrainment device; 
         FIG. 7  is a lengthwise vertical sectional view of an air entrainment device in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevation view shown partially in section illustrating the attachment of the inventive air entrainment device to a seed hopper and the location of seeds transiting the air entrainment prior to delivery to a seed meter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  10  designates a central or main seed hopper for an agricultural row crop planter. In  FIG. 1 , the planter&#39;s forward direction of travel is toward the upper right. The hopper  10  stores seed and feeds it through a lower distribution tray  11  (which may be elongated laterally and mounted to the bottom of the hopper housing) under gravity. The seed is delivered directly from the distribution tray  11  to one or more air entrainment devices in an air entrainment assembly  12 . The function of the air entrainment assembly  12 , as described in more detail below, is to receive and distribute seed from the hopper  10  to individual seed meters  36 , as will be further described below. The seed meters  36  may be conventional air seed meters, for example, the meter disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,093,548 and 7,152,542, but other air seed meters may be used, as well, and mechanical seed meters may also be used with the present invention. 
     The seed meters  36  are integral with conventional planter row units schematically represented at  35 ,  35 A . . .  35 N. Thus, the seed meters  36  and row units need not be described in further detail for a complete understanding of the instant invention. 
     The system can be set up such that the air entrainment assembly  12  has an individual outlet conduit  45  for each individual air seed meter  36 . Thus, persons skilled in the art will fully understand the invention, and all its modifications by understanding one air entrainment device  12 A and its associated distribution and usage. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a fan  20 , or other source of pressurized air, forces air through conduit  21  (shown diagrammatically as a line, for simplicity). As explained, the conduit  21  could be a single conduit (as illustrated) or a number of separate conduits, all coupled to the same source of pressurized air, or if there are a number of seed delivery conduits, they also could be grouped so that one or more individual seed delivery conduits could be fed by a single source of pressurized air. Similarly, plural sources of pressurized air could be used with plural seed delivery conduits and seed meters. 
     One feature of the present invention is the flexibility with which desired systems could be arranged, without substantial increase in costs and with use of standardized, interchangeable sub-assemblies and components. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the blocks  35 ,  35 A,  35 N represent individual planter row units which may be conventional, each including a seed meter adapted to receive a seed delivery inlet assembly, such as the one designated  38 . The seed meter  36  may be of the type disclosed in the above-identified U.S. patents. A seed inlet assembly  38  is mounted to and provides each individual seed meter  36  with seed. Each inlet assembly  38  includes an input port  39  that is connected to conduit  45 . Seed is delivered to the seed reservoir of each meter  36  through an input port  39  within the seed inlet assembly. 
     As further shown in  FIG. 1 , fan  20  is connected by a manifold  20 A by a means of a hose or conduit diagrammatically shown at  21 . Manifold section  20 A has plural outlet ports one of which is connected to an input of an associated section of the air entrainment assembly  12 . The air source  20  may feed additional manifold sections, as persons skilled in the art will appreciate. The manifold sections  20 A may comprise a single, integral conduit feeding pressurized air to all outlets in common. Each manifold section  20 A feeds an associated air entrainment assembly  12  as will be described presently, depending on the size of the planter. Each air entrainment assembly  12  has a plurality of outlets each connected to a respective conduit  45  for providing seed under pressure to plural seed meters  36 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , upper and lower perspective views of an exemplary air entrainment assembly frame  12  are respectively shown for illustrative purposes. Air entrainment assembly  12  includes a base assembly  121  and an air distribution assembly  127 . In the embodiment shown, base assembly  121  includes eight bases  121 A- 121 H which are each shaped and configured to receive a respective air entrainment device  12 A and an air distribution unit  127 . Base assembly  121  may include more or less than eight bases, each adapted for attachment to a respective air distribution assembly and air entrainment device. Only one base assembly  121  is shown in the figures for simplicity. It should be noted, however, that base assembly  121  could include more or less bases and each base could include a corresponding air entrainment device depending on need. Each base is in communication with one or more air distribution assemblies  127  attached to that base. 
     Referring further to  FIG. 4 , there is shown an upper perspective view of an individual air entrainment device  12 A in accordance with the present invention. Base  121  of air entrainment device  12 A includes plural spaced recesses  122  in an upper portion of the air entrainment device. Each recess  122  is shaped and configured to receive a hinge portion  128  of distribution assembly  127 . A screw or pin  140  is inserted through aligned apertures  123  disposed in an upper portion of base  121 . The screw or pin  140  spans each recess  122  and engages a corresponding hinge portion  128  to secure base  121  to the air entrainment device  12 A. Further, the hinged relationship allows base to be rotated downwardly about the connecting pin  140  to provide clean-out access for air entrainment device  12 A. 
     Referring also to  FIG. 4  as well as to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , which are also upper perspective views of air entrainment device  12 A, additional details of the invention will now be described. Air under pressure is introduced into an air manifold  500  of the air entrainment device  12 A. The air manifolds of adjacent air entrainment devices  12 A are aligned with one another and form a common air distribution assembly  127  (described above) for plural air entrainment devices attached to a common base  121 A. Each base  121 A includes an air permeable surface or floor, such as a perforated surface  124 . As will be described further herein, seed is distributed to air entrainment device  12  from hopper  10  through a seed conduit. The seed falls onto perforated surface  124 . When air entrainment device  12 A is operational, air flows through perforated surface  124  in the direction of arrow  132  shown in the sectional view of the air entrainment device of  FIG. 7 . The properties of the perforated surface  124  and the air flow cause agitation of the seeds. This agitation causes mixing and lifting of the seeds into the air flow passing through air entrainment device  12 A for discharge through outlet port  22 . The dimensions of perforated surface  124  can vary depending on the desired air flow and the seed transported through the air entrainment device  12 A. However, openings 0.125 inch in diameter in perforated surface  124  have been shown to be effective. Similarly, the shape of the perforations in the surface  124  can vary, but substantially circular perforations have been shown to be effective. 
     Air entrainment device  12  further includes an air bypass channel  130  running therethrough as shown in the sectional review of  FIG. 7 . Air is introduced into the air bypass channel  130  via opening  134  at the lower end of the bypass channel as shown by arrow  136  in  FIG. 7 . The air bypass channel  130  exits into outlet port  22  via bypass outlets  125 . An inner partition  138  within air entrainment device  12 A air separates the air flowing through the air entrainment device into two streams. A first stream passes upward through perforated surface  124  and urges seed upward within a seed and air mixing chamber  505  and through outlet port  22 . A second stream bypasses perforated surface  124  (and the seed disposed thereon), passes upward through opening  134  and into air bypass channel  130 , and recombines with the first air stream at outlet port  22 . With the second air stream not encumbered by seed and the cross sectional area of the bypass channel  130  appropriately dimensioned relative to the seed and air mixing chamber  505 , the force and/or velocity of the second air stream through bypass channel will be generally greater than that of the first air stream. Accordingly, when recombination of the streams occurs, the second stream will assist the first stream in discharging seed through outlet port  22 . This air flow feature is especially helpful in diluting seed flow to prevent blockages and to reduce seed flow in the event of a blockage. This increased air flow more effectively maintains the seed and air flow at outlet  22  as well as in downstream portions of the seed delivery system to prevent blockages. This arrangement also facilitates the flow of seed through the seed and air mixing chamber  505  and reduces the possibility of blockages within the seed entrainment device  12 A. Thus, as the number of seeds within the seed throat  503  and the seed and air mixing chamber  505  increases and the air flow through this portion of the air entrainment device decreases, air flow through the air bypass channel  130  increases to clear the seed and air outlet port  22 . With the seed and air outlet port  22  cleared, additional seed can be discharged from the seed and air mixing chamber  505  into the seed and air outlet port  22  allowing additional air to flow through the seed and air mixing chamber to facilitate increased seed flow. 
     As was described in connection with  FIG. 1 , air is provided from air source  20  into the air distribution unit  127 A of each air entrainment device  12 A. Air entrainment device  12 A includes an air flow channel  500  within its air distribution unit  127 A through which air from source  20  is directed. The air flow channel  500  directs air into a chamber  502  located beneath perforated surface  124  as shown in the sectional view of  FIG. 7 . Meanwhile, seed is provided from hopper  10  through an input port to seed throat  503  and into the seed and air mixing chamber  505 . The seed is deposited on inclined wall or surface  504 , which is dimensioned such that the seed is deflected onto perforated surface  124 . An exemplary angle for inclined surface  504  is on the order of 52° relative to perforated surface  124 . As seed is deflected onto perforated surface  124 , air exits chamber  502 , agitates and mixes the seed, and causes the seed to rise within the air and seed mixing chamber  505 . Simultaneously, air is allowed to pass through opening  134  and into bypass channel  130 . Air-entrained seed from mixing chamber  505  is then recombined with the air stream from bypass channel  130  at outlet port  22 . Seed and air then flows out of outlet port  22  to an associated seed meter  36  through one of the conduits  45  as shown in  FIG. 1 . A partition  506  separates the seed throat  503  from the seed and air mixing chamber  505 . The length of partition  506  is selected so as to limit the rate of seed flow from the seed throat  503  to the seed and air mixing chamber  505  and prevent bridging (blockage) of the seed within the seed and air mixing chamber, particularly when the planter is transiting a steep slope in a field being planted. 
     Also shown in  FIG. 7  are details of the attachment of base  121 A to air entrainment device  12 A at hinge  128 . Air entrainment device  12 A includes plural bolts  507  to secure base  121 A to the air entrainment device when in use. Bolts  507  can be removed or released allowing base  121 A to be rotated in the direction of arrow A such that seed can be removed from seed throat  503 , mixing chamber  505 , perforated surface  124 , and/or outlet port  22  for cleaning out the air entrainment device  12 A. Air entrainment device  12 A further includes a mounting flange  508  that can be used to secure multiple air entrainment devices together, or in the case of an end unit, to attach an end cover. Mounting flange  508  includes apertures  509  adapted to receive bolts, pins, screws, etc., for securing plural air entrainment devices together. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , there is shown a partially cutaway side elevation view of air entrainment device  12 A in operation. An air source (not shown) provides air through flow channel  500  air distribution unit  127 A to air entrainment device  12 A. Air flows from air distribution unit  127 A through channel  501 , into chamber  502 , and upward through perforated surface  124 . Air engages seed  601  that is deposited in seed throat  503 , contacts angled surface  504 , and is deflected onto perforated surface  124 . This seed  601  is lifted upward through air and mixing chamber  505 . A second stream of air flows upward through air bypass channel  130  and is recombined with the air-entrained seed at outlet port  22 . The seed is then provided to a seed meter  36  through conduit  45 . A trap insert  603  is removably inserted in the air entrainment device  12 A distribution so as to subtend its seed throat  503  to stop the flow of seed from hopper  10  should the operator find it necessary, such as during transit over non-planting area, or when its base  121 A is lowered to clear blockage or remove a foreign object or unwanted material. 
     While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of Applicants&#39; contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.