Abstract

The method for planting potatoes at high speed includes the steps of providing a press wheel behind the seed release mechanism; opening a furrow in a soil; dropping potato seed pieces at spaced intervals in the furrow such that each seed piece or a portion thereof intersects a forward shadow of the press wheel, and catching and decelerating each seed piece against the soil in the furrow thereby reducing set roll in each seed piece. In an alternate embodiment a pair of spaced-apart press wheels are used. These alternate press wheels are mounted astride the furrow in a positive-camber alignment for moving the soil of the furrow against the seed piece.

IPC Classes  ?

• A01C 9/00 - Potato planters
• A01C 9/02 - Potato planters with conveyor belts
• A01C 9/08 - Potato planters with other distributing devices, e.g. flaps, screws, horizontal turning plates
• A01C 5/06 - Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting

Abstract

The press wheel has instrumentation associated therewith detecting a rolling of the wheel over a planted set. The press wheel also has a computing device connected to the instrumentation and to the speed monitoring device of the planter. The computing device determines spacings between planted sets. The data obtained is real-time data and is readily available to the operator of the planter so that the speed of the planter can be adjusted on the fly to maintain an ideal set spacing.

IPC Classes  ?

• A01C 7/08 - Broadcast seedersSeeders depositing seeds in rows
• A01C 5/06 - Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• A01C 7/10 - Devices for adjusting the seed-box

Abstract

The method for planting potatoes at high speed includes the steps of providing a press wheel behind the seed drop chute; opening a furrow in a soil; dropping potato seed pieces at spaced intervals in the furrow such that each seed piece or a portion thereof intersects a forward shadow of the press wheel, and catching and decelerating each seed piece against the soil in the furrow thereby reducing set roll in each seed piece. In an alternate embodiment a pair of spaced-apart press wheels are used. These alternate press wheels are mounted astride the furrow in a positive-camber alignment for moving the soil of the furrow against the seed piece.

IPC Classes  ?

• A01C 13/00 - Machines or apparatus for consolidating soil around plants
• A01C 5/00 - Making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting, or manuring
• A01C 9/08 - Potato planters with other distributing devices, e.g. flaps, screws, horizontal turning plates
• A01C 5/06 - Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• A01C 9/00 - Potato planters