AIR SEEDER FOR SINGULATED AND BULK SEEDING

摘要

An air seeder apparatus has a frame and a plurality of furrow opener assemblies spaced across a width of the frame at a narrow row spacing, and a plurality of bulk product containers and a bulk meter mounted on each, one of which dispenses seeds through a distribution network to a seed tube on each furrow opener assembly. A plurality of singulating meter is provided, each dispensing singulated seeds to the furrow opener on one of the furrow opener assemblies. During singulating operation seeds are delivered to the singulating furrow opener assemblies only by the singulating seed meter, and during conventional operation seeds are delivered to the singulating furrow opener assemblies only by the bulk meter. A lift system, when in a singulating mode, maintains idle conventional furrow opener assemblies in the transport position while moving singulating furrow opener assemblies between the operating position and the transport position.

主权项

1. An air seeder apparatus comprising:
a frame mounted on wheels for travel along a ground surface in an operating travel direction; a plurality of furrow opener assemblies mounted to the frame, each furrow opener assembly comprising a furrow opener on a bottom end thereof; wherein the furrow opener assemblies are spaced evenly across a width of the frame at a narrow row spacing between a front end of the frame and a rear end of the frame; a plurality of bulk product containers and a bulk meter mounted on each bulk product container, wherein at least one bulk meter is operative to dispense seeds from the corresponding bulk product container into a seed air distribution network and through the seed air distribution network to a furrow opener on each furrow opener assembly; a plurality of singulating meters, each singulating meter operative to dispense singulated seeds to the furrow opener of one of the furrow opener assemblies, such that the furrow opener assemblies include singulating furrow opener assemblies, where seeds are delivered to the furrow openers thereof from the at least one bulk meter or the corresponding singulating meter, and conventional furrow opener assemblies, where seeds are delivered to the furrow openers thereof only from the at least one bulk meter; a nurse system operative to transfer seed from at least one of the bulk product containers to each singulating meter; wherein during singulating operation seeds are delivered to the furrow openers of the singulating furrow opener assemblies only by the corresponding singulating seed meter, and during conventional operation seeds are delivered to the furrow openers of the singulating furrow opener assemblies only by the at least one bulk meter; wherein the singulating furrow opener assemblies are arranged across the width of the frame at a selected singulating spacing; wherein a furrow opener lift system is operative to move the furrow opener assemblies from a lowered operating position, where each furrow opener engages the ground surface to create a furrow, to a raised transport position where each furrow opener is above the ground surface; and wherein the furrow opener lift system is further operative when in a singulating mode to maintain selected idle conventional furrow opener assemblies in the transport position while moving the singulating furrow opener assemblies between the operating position and the transport position.