Disclosed is a manual granule spreader including: a main body including a wheel and a handle bar; a hopper having a plurality of discharge chutes; a spreading module having a spreading roller so as to spread the granules via first spreading means; a power transmission means.

According to the granule spreader, manpower applied to the wheel is used to spread granules in the hopper in a predetermined amount in a single direction or opposite directions for drill seeding or for broadcast seeding, whereby workforce is saved, granules are prevented from being wasted, and the direction, angle, and length of the spreading means are adjusted, and a flexible driving wire is used to transmit power for spreading granules, which allows a vertical spreading position of the granules to be easily controlled by a vertical position adjustment of the hopper.

An endless seed delivery belt includes an inner surface, and an undulating outer surface. The undulating outer surface defines a plurality of alternating, and regularly-spaced peaks and troughs where each peak corresponds to a flight and each space between adjacent peaks defines a cavity that is generally sized and shaped to accommodate one seed. In some implementations, the endless seed delivery belt has a seed ejector between each pair of adjacent flights.

A metering device for granular material, such as seed or fertilizer, is arranged to deliver the granular material in adjustable quantities, where the metering device includes a metering housing, a drivable metering wheel arranged in the metering housing, and a movable shut-off valve, where the metering housing includes a metering cover that can be moved to different positions and a lock that is associated with the metering cover. The position of the shut-off valve can prevent the lock from being actuated so that the metering cover cannot be opened.

A seed delivery system for use in a seeding or planting machine that removes the seed from a seed meter by capturing the seed therefrom. The delivery system then moves the seed down to a lower discharge point and accelerates the seed horizontally rearward to a speed approximately equal to the forward travel speed of the seeding machine such that the seed, when discharged has a low or zero horizontal velocity relative to the ground. Rolling of the seed in the trench is thus reduced. Furthermore, as the seed only has a short drop from the outlet to the bottom of the seed trench, the seed has little vertical speed to induce bounce. The delivery system uses a brush belt to capture, move and accelerate the seed. By capturing the seed and moving it from the meter to the discharge, the seed is held in place relative to other seeds and the planter row unit. As a result, the seeds are isolated from row unit dynamics thereby maintaining seed spacing.

A pre-metering system for feeding different types of seed into a seed meter of a planter includes separate feeder wheels that are selectively rotated to deliver different types of seed from on-row storage into the seed meter at a given time. The feeder wheels may be supported by a feeder wheel carrier that may also support various wall and ramped structures, such as upright divider walls and sloped walls that maintain separation between the different types of seeds in the on-row storage and direct the different types of seed toward the individual feeder wheels.

A pre-metering system for feeding different types of seed into a seed meter of a planter includes separate feeder wheels that are selectively rotated to deliver different types of seed from on-row storage into the seed meter at a given time. The feeder wheels may be supported by a feeder wheel carrier that may also support various wall and ramped structures, such as upright divider walls and sloped walls that maintain separation between the different types of seeds in the on-row storage and direct the different types of seed toward the individual feeder wheels.

One embodiment describes a seed gate assembly disposed between a seed storage tank and a seed meter. The seed gate assembly includes a gate barrier that controls seed flow from the seed storage tank into the seed meter by moving to an open position that enables seed flow from the storage tank into the seed meter and by moving to a closed position that blocks seed flow from the storage tank into the seed meter; and a first seed agitator extending substantially perpendicularly from a surface of the gate barrier, in which the first seed agitator extends into the seed storage tank as the gate barrier moves toward the closed position to dislodge clumped seeds in the seed storage tank.

A pre-metering system for feeding different types of seed into a seed meter of a planter includes separate feeder wheels that are selectively rotated to deliver different types of seed from on-row storage into the seed meter at a given time. The feeder wheels may be supported by a feeder wheel carrier that may also support various wall and ramped structures, such as upright divider walls and sloped walls that maintain separation between the different types of seeds in the on-row storage and direct the different types of seed toward the individual feeder wheels.

An improved roller assembly for a metering device, with reduced contact between the surface of the roller and the inner surface of the metering housing so as to reduce the areas within the roller assembly where a blockage may occur, and an improved mounting of the metering device so as to improve access to the roller assembly for maintenance. Also provided is an improved process control for driving the stepper motor of a metering device, so as to better detect the onset of a stall condition of a stepper motor and temporarily increase the torque supplied to the motor to avoid a stall condition. Additionally, an improved air manifold incorporates venturi assemblies to reduce or eliminate blockages that may occur when a local reservoir for holding a small reserve of agricultural product adjacent the metering device has reached capacity due to continual supply of product from a product hopper.