Seed singulator

Abstract

A seed singulator for use with a vacuum disk having a seed face and a shoulder. The seed singulator has a first member and a second member supported by biasing members. The first member has upper lobes disposed at a radius of curvature slightly less than the outside radius of a row of apertures on a seed plane of the vacuum disk. The seed member has lower lobes disposed at a radius of curvature slightly greater than the inside radius than the row of apradius. The biasing members permit the lobes to move with the seed plane and the shoulder as the vacuum disk rotates thereby maintaining their position with respect to the apertures.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. In combination, a seed singulator and a vacuum disk, the vacuum disk having a seed plane and a row of apertures at a radius R 1  from the center of the vacuum disk, a radius R 2  to the outside of the apertures, a radius R 3  to the inside of the apertures, and a radius R 4  to an annular shoulder of the vacuum disk, said singulator comprising:
 a first member having upper lobes disposed at a radius of curvature slightly less than the radius R 2  and greater than the radius R1, said first member further having a surface biased radially toward the annular shoulder of the vacuum disk; 
 a second member having lower lobes disposed at a radius of curvature slightly greater than the radius R 3  and less than the radius R1; 
 said upper and lower lobes having substantially co-planar surfaces biased axially against the seed plane of the vacuum disk. 
 
     
     
       2. The combination of  claim 1  wherein said singulator includes three upper lobes and two lower lobes. 
     
     
       3. The combination of  claim 1  wherein said surface of said first member of said singulator has a radius of curvature substantially the same as the radius R 4 . 
     
     
       4. The combination of  claim 3  wherein said first member and said second member of said singulator comprise a single unitary element. 
     
     
       5. The combination of claim  4  1 wherein said singulator further includes an axial spring and a radial spring whereby said axial spring biases said single unitary element singulator in a axial direction and said radial spring biases said single unitary element singulator in a radial direction. 
     
     
       6. The combination of claim  4  1 wherein said upper lobes and said lower lobes move with the seed plane and with the shoulder while maintaining the position of the upper lobes with respect to the radius R 2  and the lower lobes with respect to the radius R 3 . 
     
     
       7. The combination of  claim 1  wherein said upper lobes and said lower lobes move with the seed plane and at least said upper lobes move with the shoulder while maintaining the position of the upper lobes with respect to the radius R 2 . 
     
     
       8. In combination, a seed singulator and a vacuum disk, the vacuum disk having a seed plane and a row of apertures at a radius R1 from a center of the vacuum disk, a radius R2 to the outside of the apertures, a radius R3 to the inside of the apertures, and a radius R4 to an annular shoulder of the vacuum disk, said singulator comprising:
 a first member having upper lobes disposed at a radius less than the radius R2 and greater than the radius R1, said first member further having a surface biased radially toward the annular shoulder of the vacuum disk,   said upper lobes having substantially co-planar surfaces biased axially against the seed plane of the vacuum disk.    
     
     
       9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said singulator includes three upper lobes.  
     
     
       10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said surface of said first member of said singulator has a radius of curvature substantially the same as the radius R4.  
     
     
       11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said singulator further includes an axial spring and a radial spring whereby said axial spring biases said singulator in an axial direction and said radial spring biases said singulator in a radial direction.  
     
     
       12. The combination of claim 8 wherein said singulator further includes an axial spring and a radial spring whereby said axial spring biases said singulator in an axial direction and said radial spring biases said singulator in a radial direction.  
     
     
       13. The combination of claim 8 wherein said upper lobes move with the seed plane and with the shoulder while maintaining a position of the upper lobes with respect to the radius R2.  
     
     
       14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said upper lobes move with the seed plane and said upper lobes move with the shoulder while maintaining a position of the upper lobes with respect to the radius R2.  
     
     
       15. In combination, a seed singulator and a vacuum disk, the vacuum disk having a row of apertures at a radius R1 from a center of the vacuum disk, a radius R2 to the outside of the apertures, and a radius R3 to the inside of the apertures, said singulator comprising:
 a first member supporting a lobe, said first member being radially spring biased to float and remain in contact with the vacuum disk while compensating for radial translation of the vacuum disk.    
     
     
       16. The combination of claim 15, wherein said lobe is disposed at a radius either less than the radius R2 and greater than the radius R1 or greater than the radius R3 and less than the radius R1.  
     
     
       17. The combination of claim 15, wherein said lobe is disposed at a radius less than the radius R2 and greater than the radius R1 and further including a second member having a lower lobe disposed at a radius greater than the radius R3 and less than the radius R1.  
     
     
       18. The combination of claim 17, said lower lobe having a lower lobe surface biased axially toward the vacuum disk.  
     
     
       19. The combination of claim 15, said lobe being biased axially against the vacuum disk.  
     
     
       20. The combination of claim 15, wherein a spring member axially biases said singulator against the vacuum disk.  
     
     
       21. The combination of claim 15, wherein said first member includes a face, wherein the vacuum disk includes a radially symmetrical surface, and wherein said face is in contact with said radially symmetrical surface.  
     
     
       22. In combination, a seed singulator and a vacuum disk, the vacuum disk having a radially symmetrical surface and a row of apertures for entraining seeds, said singulator comprising:
 a member supporting a first lobe, said first lobe disposed adjacent to the row of apertures for removal of seeds from the apertures; and   a spring radially biasing said member against the radially symmetrical surface of the vacuum disk,   wherein said spring allows said member to float radially with the radially symmetrical surface of the vacuum disk upon movement of said vacuum disk toward said spring.    
     
     
       23. The combination of claim 22, wherein said spring constrains said member to remain in contact with the radially symmetrical surface of the vacuum disk upon movement of said vacuum disk away from said spring.  
     
     
       24. The combination of claim 23, wherein said singulator further includes a second lobe, said second lobe disposed adjacent to the row of apertures, wherein said second lobe is constrained to move with said first lobe, wherein said first lobe is located at a radius outside the row of apertures, and wherein said second lobe is located at a radius inside the row of apertures.  
     
     
       25. The combination of claim 22, wherein said singulator further includes a second lobe, said second lobe disposed adjacent to the row of apertures, and wherein said second lobe is constrained to move with said first lobe.  
     
     
       26. The combination of claim 22, wherein the radially symmetrical surface of the vacuum disk comprises a shoulder of the vacuum disk.