US 12,239,041 B2
Seeds distribution device for precision sowing machines and precision sowing machine comprising such a device
Gianfranco Donadon, Concordia Sagittaria (IT); Luigi Giovanni Bot, Portogruaro (IT); and Bruno Miolo, Concordia Sagittaria (IT)
Assigned to Maschio Gaspardo S.p.A., Campodarsego (IT)
Appl. No. 16/762,604
Filed by Maschio Gaspardo S.p.A., Campodarsego (IT)
PCT Filed Nov. 9, 2018, PCT No. PCT/IB2018/058814
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 8, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/092645, PCT Pub. Date May 16, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102017000128649 (IT), filed on Nov. 10, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0359558 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. A01C 7/04 (2006.01); A01C 7/12 (2006.01)
CPC A01C 7/046 (2013.01) [A01C 7/0443 (2023.05); A01C 7/123 (2013.01); A01C 7/128 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seed distribution device for precision sowing machines comprising:
a housing for a seed selector disc which is mounted for rotation about a central rotation axis and which has at least one ring of holes provided to transport seeds over a circular trajectory having opposite sides;
a first singulator mounted at a first location on the housing and a second singulator mounted at a separate, independent location on the housing so as to be radially facing each other at the opposite sides of the circular trajectory and so as to be distal and proximal with respect to the central rotation axis, respectively, the first singulator and the second singulator being configured so as to both act on at least a portion of the circular trajectory, defining a disruptive selection path for the seeds, wherein the first singulator is adjustable relative to the second singulator in a selective and independent manner to modify at least locally the disruptive selection path so as to eliminate duplicates of seeds from the disc without creating failures; and
an eccentric element rotatably secured to the housing and to which is fixedly secured a first pin, the first pin being eccentric with respect to the rotation axis of the eccentric element, wherein the housing has a second pin and the first singulator comprises a through-hole and a through-slot, the through-hole being engaged rotatably on the second pin and the through-slot being engaged on the first pin and configured to allow the first pin to translate along the through-slot and the first singulator to move along a circumferential arc which is centered on the through-hole during rotation of the eccentric element, wherein the eccentric element is located before the second pin with respect to the circular trajectory travelled by the seed as a function of the direction of rotation of the seed selector disc,
wherein the first singulator comprises a first plurality of teeth and the second singulator comprises a second plurality of teeth, wherein the second singulator is mounted on the housing through posts that prevent radial and circumferential movement of the second singulator relative to the housing and the first singulator, the first singulator being movable along the circumferential are so as to modify both the radial and the circumferential distance between the first plurality of teeth and the second plurality of teeth.