Abstract:
An agricultural harvester including a chassis, a header coupled to the chassis and a seeding system. The seeding system is coupled to the chassis or the header, and the seeding system is configured to broadcast seed onto the ground as the harvester traverses the ground.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/108,583, entitled “AGRICULTURAL SEEDER COUPLED TO AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER”, filed Jan. 28, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters, and, more particularly, to agricultural combines. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Farmers utilize a wide variety of harvesting machines for various crops. A versatile harvester is exemplified in the form of a combine, which can be reconfigured with different headers and/or adjustments to accommodate different crops. A grain harvesting combine includes a header, which cuts the crop and feeds it into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, performing a threshing operation of the grain from the crop directed thereinto. Once the grain is threshed it falls through perforations in the housing onto a grain pan. From the grain pan the grain falls through a set of upper and lower sieves that are known as the cleaning shoe. The sieves are vibrating or oscillating causing clean grain to fall through for the purposes of collection of the grain and the removal of the chaff or other debris. The cleaning fan blows air through the sieves to discharge chaff toward the rear of the combine. Crop residue such as straw from the threshing section proceeds through a straw chopper and out the rear of the combine. 
         [0006]    The material other than grain (MOG) is distributed on the field, either in a generally uniform fashion to cover the ground and to decompose or in a windrow fashion so that the MOG can be separately gathered. Once the crop is harvested, often a cover crop is planted. The cover crop is a crop planted primarily to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, and for promoting biodiversity and wildlife health in the ecosystem and/or to produce food, feed, or fiber. 
         [0007]    Cover crops are used as part of sustainable agriculture as many of them improve the sustainability of the agricultural system attributes and may also indirectly improve qualities of neighboring natural ecosystems. Farmers choose to grow and manage specific cover crop types based on their own needs and goals, influenced by the biological, environmental, social, cultural, and economic factors. 
         [0008]    One of the primary uses of cover crops is to increase soil fertility and are often referred to as “green manure.” The cover crop is used to manage the soil macronutrients and micronutrients. Of the various nutrients impacted, the influence that cover crops have on nitrogen management has received the most attention, because nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient in crop production. Generally, the green manure crops are grown, and then plowed under before reaching full maturity in order to improve soil fertility and quality. 
         [0009]    Often the selection of the green manure crops are leguminous, meaning they are part of the pea family. Leguminous cover crops are typically high in nitrogen and can often provide the required quantity of nitrogen for crop production. In conventional farming, chemical nitrogen is typically applied in a fertilizer form, but the use of cover crops functions as a fertilizer replacement. Other seed types, such as beets and grasses or combinations can be used as cover crops. 
         [0010]    The cover crop seeding is a separate operation carried out after the harvesting process, and is often done using a seed broadcasting method. 
         [0011]    What is needed in the art is a way of seeding the field in a more efficient manner. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention provides a seeding function associated with a harvester. 
         [0013]    The invention in one form is directed to an agricultural harvester including a chassis, a header coupled to the chassis and a seeding system. The seeding system is coupled to the chassis or the header, and the seeding system is configured to broadcast seed onto the ground as the harvester traverses the ground. 
         [0014]    The invention in another form is directed to a seeding system for use in conjunction with an agricultural harvester. The seeding system is coupled to a header. The seeding system is configured to broadcast seed onto the ground as the harvester traverses the ground. 
         [0015]    The invention in yet another form is directed to a method of seeding a cover crop, including the steps of cutting a crop using an agricultural harvester; and distributing seed from a seed tank coupled to the agricultural harvester onto the ground. 
         [0016]    An advantage of the present invention is that the seeding of a cover crop takes place at the time of harvesting. 
         [0017]    Another advantage of the present invention is that the cover crop is broadcast on the ground with the MOG from the harvesting operation put on top of the seed layer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural harvester having a seeding system of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of part of the seeding system of  FIG. 1  shown looking at the back of a detached small grain header of the harvester of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a closer perspective view of the seeder of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is an even closer perspective view of a portion of the seeder of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of part of a seed metering device of the seeder of  FIGS. 1-3  showing a sprocket in schematic form used to drive an auger in the seed box; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another part of the seed metering device of the seeder of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a ground speed detector used by the metering device of  FIGS. 5 and 6  as part of the metering of the seeds applied to the ground; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a functional diagram depicting elements of the seeding system of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0027]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate some embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a harvesting header/seeder system  10  that includes a harvesting header  12  and a seeder system  14 . Seeder system  14  includes seed boxes  16 , a distribution system  18 , and a seed metering system  20 . As a harvesting operation takes place with header  12  in association with a combine  100  ground cover seed is metered from seed boxes  16  by way of metering system  20 , so that the seed is then seeded onto the ground by distribution system  18 . 
         [0029]    Now, additionally referring to  FIG. 4-7  there are illustrated, in closer detail, some elements of system  10 . Distribution system  18  includes tubing  22  and a fan  24 . As seed is metered form boxes  16  it is directed by way of tubes  22  to fan  24 , which is driven to throw the seed in a relatively uniform distribution on the ground. Several seed boxes  16  and distribution systems  18  may be utilized with each header  12 . It is generally thought that at lease one seed box  16 , which can also be considered a grain tank  16 , will be positioned on each side of header  12 , with just one side of header  12  being shown in the figures for the sake of clarity. 
         [0030]    Now additionally referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown a ground speed detector  26  that is moved (or pivoted counter clockwise from the position shown) to contact the ground when header  12  is in a lowered harvesting position. Information in the form of a signal from speed detector  26  is used by metering system  20  to control the rate of seed distribution from boxes  16 . It is also contemplated to use harvesting speed information from the combine data/control system, such as that which may be available on a CAN bus or from a control unit on the combine. 
         [0031]    The cover crop seeder systems  14  attach to a corn and/or bean head  12  to seed cover crops while combining. One reason for the present invention is to eliminate an extra trip across the field with another piece of equipment to seed the cover crop. Another reason for the use of the present invention is to avoid having to hire an airplane to seed the ground with the expense of the airplane being as much as the seed cost itself. Yet another reason is that the seed is advantageously put on the ground prior to the MOG being distributed, thereby putting organic material over the top of the seed to assist germination and moisture retention. 
         [0032]    In using a corn head, it may, for example, use two corn planter dry fertilizer boxes  16  as seed boxes  16  one on each end of the corn header attached to the back top rail of the corn head. These boxes  16  hold enough seed to do 14 acres to 20 acres between fill ups depending on the cover crop that is seeded. The seed boxes  16  have augers in the bottom to auger out seed at a desired rate per acre by way of metering system  20 . Then seed is dropped through PVC pipe  22  to fans  24 , which may be powered by 12-volt motors, causing the seed to be spread behind the corn head and in front and around the front tires  104  of the combine  100  and under the feeder house. There is a fan  24  and motor on each side of the head to spread the seed. The seeder  14  may be driven off of the combine reel speed hydraulics, with supply and return hoses to hook and unhook when taking off the head that feeds a hydraulic motor to drive the seeder augers. 
         [0033]    Most modern combines have auto reel speed so that when the combine ground speed gets faster the reel speed on the grain head will match the increased ground speed automatically. As one embodiment it is contemplated to incorporate this feature with seeder system  14  to adjust the seed rate automatically as the combine is operated at various speeds across the field to keep the seeding rate consistent. In the pictured example of  FIG. 6  the hydraulic motor has a 14 tooth sprocket which uses a chain to drive a Trimble Tru count corn planter clutch which turns augers on and off depending on whether the corn head is in an up or down position. There is a whisker switch mounted on the combine feeder housing to communicate with the planter clutch to let augers run while the head is down to thereby not double spread the seed. The clutch is wired to a whisker switch using 12-volt power from the combine and a switch is in the combine cab to shut the augers off if the need arises. There is a hex shaft that runs through the clutch that connects to round DOM (drawn over mandrel) tubing that connects to both augers. 
         [0034]    The grain head  12  cover crop seeder  14  is very similar to the corn head cover crop seeder except it may use a ground driven system  26 , instead of being hydraulically driven. 
         [0035]    The ground drive feature consists of a spiked Martin row cleaner wheel engaged by the turning due to engagement with the soil and then a gage wheel right next to it to limit the spike depth. The spiked Martin wheel is attached to a floating piece of rectangular steel tubing that is rotating to float across uneven ground so it doesn&#39;t skip which might result in no seed being spread. It is important to note, that the steel rectangular tubing is designed so when the grain head is being transported on a cart it is pinned up for safety and convenience. 
         [0036]    In the example illustrated there are sprockets and number forty chains that go up to the top of the backside of the grain head  12 . There is a hex shaft with approximately forty inter changeable Kinze planter sprocket combinations to set the exact rate needed for various cover crop species. It is also contemplated for the system  10  to be under the control of a controller  50  to adjust the movement of the elements of metering system  20  and distribution system  18  to consistently distribute the seed to the ground. 
         [0037]    The grain head  12  has two dry fertilizer planter boxes  16  mounted on the left and right side to serve as seed boxes  16 . The driven sprocket, located on the left side of the grain head, goes through the left seed box to drive the auger inside the box which functions to move a controlled rate of seed. 
         [0038]    There is a DOM pipe connecting left seed box to the right seed box auger so one drive unit is only needed. The seed is augured out, both left and right sides of the grain head, through horizontal PVC piping, dropping it on two spread fans  24  powered by two 12-volt motors. The seed is spread behind the grain head  12  and in front of the combine tires  104 . 
         [0039]    The present invention advantageously spreads the seed immediately after the harvesting and prior to the distribution of the material other than grain (MOG) that leaves the back end of the combine  100  to provide a mulch or moisture retaining cover for the seed to enhance the germination and growth of the seeds. 
         [0040]    Combine  100  has a chassis  102  carried by wheels  104  and  106 . Combine  100  moves in an operational direction  108  while harvesting with header  12  (coupled to chassis  102 ) cutting the crop material and seeding system  14  distributing or broadcasting seed S on ground G generally behind and/or under header  12 . As can be seen in the figures seeding system  14  is generally coupled to the back and top of header  12  with most of the mechanisms being to the outside portions of header  12 . Seeding system  14  is configured to distribute seed S across the width of header  12 . As mentioned above seeding system  14  includes a seed box  16  and distribution system  18  on each side of header  12  so that seed S is substantially uniformly delivered on ground G across the width of header  12 . 
         [0041]    The seeding system  14  can have a controller  50  (see  FIG. 8 ), which may be a controller that is integral with combine  100 , to control seeding system  14  and to coordinate its action with the action of combine  100 . Controller  50  controls the movement of the augers in seed boxes  16  based on input from metering system  20  to ensure uniform seeding. Controller  50  activates and controls the speed of fan  24  of distribution system  18  to correspond with harvesting taking place, which can be determined by other sensors, not specifically shown, on combine  100 . Controller  50  instructs metering system  20  to cause seeds to enter distribution system  18  dependent upon seed type, and the ground speed combine  100 . The ground speed can be determined by the speed detector  26  discussed above or by another speed sensor  52 , which may be a GPS system or other sensor on combine  100 . It is also contemplated that controller  50  will modify the distribution of seeds by its interaction with the elements of seeding system  14  when combine  100  is traversing already harvested and seeded ground to avoid multiple coverage. 
         [0042]    While this invention 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 as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.