Seed-selecting mechanism

{
  "publication_number": "US3618820A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Seed-selecting mechanism",
  "abstract": "A planter provided with a seed-selecting mechanism including a housing rotatable about a horizontal axis and having one end abutting against and cooperating with a fixed plate to form an annular groove having a rotatable bottom. The rotatable grooved bottom has notches circumferentially spaced along its inner side for receiving and elevating a plurality of seeds from a seed supply in the bottom of the housing. Fingers extend radially from the outside to the inside of the housing and are pivotally connected thereto for movement in the notches toward and away from the fixed plate and the fingers are biased to a position wherein they extend closely adjacent the fixed plate. A cam moves the fingers away from the fixed plate as the notches pass through the seed supply and as the notches move upwardly from the seed supply, the fingers are successively disengaged from the cam and pivot to pin a seed against the fixed plate. A discharge opening in the fixed plate is in the path of the rotating fingers and the fingers eject the pinned seeds therethrough.",
  "claims": [
    "1. In a plateless planter, a seed-selecting mechanism comprising: a walled enclosure including an interior annular groove disposed about a generally horizontal axis and having at least one fixed side; said enclosure including a portion adjacent said fixed side mounted for rotation about said axis; a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings extending substantially radially through the wall of said rotatable enclosure portion into said groove; a plurality of seed-selecting fingers mounted one each in each of said openings for movement between a released position closely adjacent said fixed side and a retracted position completely within the wall of said rotatable enclosure; means biasing said fingers toward said released position; cam means mounted in the lower portion of the path of rotation of said fingers for engaging and moving the fingers to said retracted position and for subsequently releasing the fingers as they travel upwardly in the path of rotation whereby a single seed of a supply of seeds in the bottom of the enclosure will be pinned against the fixed side by each released finger; and a seed discharge opening in the fixed side in the path of rotation of the fingers adapted to receive the pinned seeds.",
    "2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of circumferentially spaced seed pickup notches are in the bottom of the groove and the fingers respectively move into the notches.",
    "3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the notches incluDe a side which is inclined radially outwardly from a leading edge to the bottom of a radially extending trailing side and said inclined side also being inclined from a circumferentially extending inner edge radially outwardly to the fixed side of the groove and wherein the fingers are mounted for movement closely adjacent said trailing side.",
    "4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the fingers are generally rectangular and flat having a flat side adjacent the trailing side of the notch and having an edge disposed such that it extends adjacent to and parallel to the fixed side of the groove when the fingers are in their released condition and said edge also being disposed such that it lies generally in the plane of the inclined side of the notch when the fingers are in their retracted condition.",
    "5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the fingers extend exteriorly of the enclosure wall and wherein the cam means is mounted exteriorly of the enclosure for engaging the radially outer ends of the fingers."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "A01C 7/04"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A01C 7/04"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Eugene Gilson Keeton"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1970-01-13",
  "publication_date": "1971-11-09",
  "grant_date": "1971-11-09",
  "priority_date": "1970-01-13",
  "application_number": "US-3618820D-A",
  "family_id": "21701385",
  "cited_by_count": 10
}