Seed spreading device for use with combine harvesting equipment

Aaron L. Black, Providence Forge, VA (US)

USPTO: us-12660743 · published 2026-06-23 · patents · A01C 7/085· A01B 79/02· A01C 7/102· A01C 7/206· A01C 19/02

Seed spreading device for use with combine harvesting equipment

Aaron L. Black, Providence Forge, VA (US) This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-06-24 14:00 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification patents A01C 7/085A01B 79/02A01C 7/102A01C 7/206A01C 19/02

keywords seed spreading devicecombine harvesterresidue distribution systemmetering devicecontrol gateguide tubecollectorhopper

0 comments

The pith

A seed spreading device attaches to a combine harvester residue system with a flexible collector and selectable control gate.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The patent presents a device that spreads seeds using the residue distribution system already present on a combine harvester. It consists of a hopper, a metering device that feeds material into a guide tube, a collector positioned to receive falling seeds that is either flexible or left unconnected so it tolerates vibration and relative motion, and a control gate that can be set closed, fully open, or partially open. The arrangement routes seeds into the existing distribution flow while preserving the harvester's normal residue handling. The design targets attachment to standard equipment without requiring extensive alterations.

Core claim

The seed spreading device comprises a hopper enclosure with a first aperture, a metering device with a delivery feeder between first and second openings, a guide tube whose second end communicates with the residue distribution system, a collector affixed to the guide tube's first end that is either flexible and press-fit or unconnected to permit friction, vibration, and movement, and a control gate below the metering device's second opening that can be positioned closed to block flow, fully open to allow flow, or partially open to regulate flow rate.

What carries the argument

The collector, which is flexible and press-fit or left unconnected to the metering device while positioned to funnel material into the guide tube, allowing relative motion without interrupting seed passage.

If this is right

The device enables seed material to enter the residue distribution system at controlled rates during harvesting.
The control gate permits the operator to turn seed spreading on or off or adjust its intensity without stopping the harvester.
The flexible or unconnected collector accommodates the motion between the metering device and guide tube caused by harvester operation.
Attachment occurs through the existing residue distribution system rather than through new structural mounts on the harvester body.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

Farmers could complete an additional seeding operation in the same field pass as harvest, lowering the number of equipment trips across the soil.
The integration point in the residue distribution system might produce more even lateral spread of seeds than a separate broadcast unit.
The same architecture could be adapted for distributing other granular materials such as fertilizer or cover-crop mixes.

Load-bearing premise

The device can be mounted and operated on existing combine harvesters without interfering with residue distribution performance or requiring major modifications to the harvester itself.

What would settle it

Mount the assembled device on a working combine harvester and observe whether seeds continue to flow through the collector and control gate while the residue distribution system operates normally under typical vibration and movement conditions.

read the original abstract

1 . A seed spreading device for use with a combine harvester comprising a residue distribution system, comprising: a hopper enclosure comprising a first aperture; a metering device comprising a delivery feeder disposed between a first opening and second opening, wherein the first opening is affixed in communication with the first aperture to accept material from the hopper; a guide tube comprising a first end disposed proximate to the second opening of the metering device and a second end disposed in communication with the residue distribution system of the combine harvester, wherein a passage for material from the hopper is defined through the metering device and the guide tube; a collector affixed to the first end of the guide tube, wherein a portion of the collector is disposed below the second opening of the metering device to funnel material from the metering device into the guide tube and wherein the collector is one of (i) flexible and press-fit to an end of the metering device or (ii) unconnected to the metering device but positioned to receive material falling from the second opening, such that the collector can allow friction, vibration, and movement between the guide tube and the metering device; a control gate disposed below the second opening of the metering device between the second opening and the first end of the guide tube, wherein the control gate is configured to be selectively positionable in one of a closed position in which the control gate blocks flow from the metering device to the guide tube, a fully open position in which the control gate allows material to flow from the metering device to the guide tube, and one or more partially open positions in which the control gate allows material to flow from the metering device to the guide tube at a re

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Desk Editor's Note private letter to a colleague

This is a US patent for a combine seed spreader attachment with a flexible collector, not a research paper, and it offers no performance data.

read the letter

This document is a US patent describing a seed spreading device to mount on combine harvesters. The one clear new element is the collector that is either flexible and press-fit or left unconnected to the metering device, so vibration and movement between the guide tube and metering parts do not cause binding or leaks.

The rest of the assembly is standard: hopper with aperture, metering feeder, guide tube feeding into the residue distribution system, and a control gate that can sit closed, fully open, or at partial positions. The description stays internally consistent and explains how the parts connect without claiming major harvester redesigns.

No test results, flow rates, field data, or diagrams appear anywhere. That is normal for a patent filing but leaves the actual function unverified. The weakest point is the assumption that the device can be added without hurting residue spread or requiring big modifications; nothing in the text shows this was checked.

The work is aimed at equipment designers or patent attorneys who need a specific mechanical claim set. It has no derivations, no data, and no engagement with prior literature beyond the usual patent format, so it does not fit the kind of material that would benefit from journal peer review. Skip sending it to referees.

Referee Report

2 major / 2 minor

Summary. The manuscript is a US patent describing a seed spreading device for combine harvesters. It comprises a hopper enclosure with a first aperture, a metering device with a delivery feeder, a guide tube connected to the harvester's residue distribution system, a collector that is either flexible and press-fit or unconnected to accommodate movement and vibration, and a control gate selectively positionable in closed, fully open, or partially open states to regulate material flow from the metering device to the guide tube.

Significance. If functional as described, the device could enable simultaneous seed distribution during harvesting, potentially improving operational efficiency in agriculture by minimizing additional field passes. The collector design specifically addresses vibration and relative movement between components, which is a practical engineering consideration for mobile machinery. The description is internally coherent with no contradictions, but the absence of any performance data, mounting details, or validation limits assessment of real-world impact.

major comments (2)

Abstract (claim 1): The integration of the guide tube with the residue distribution system and the collector's ability to allow friction, vibration, and movement are asserted without any description of mounting interfaces, potential interference with residue flow, or required harvester modifications; this is load-bearing for the central claim of usability on existing equipment without major changes.
Abstract (claim 1): No mechanism, actuator, or control system is specified for achieving and maintaining the control gate's closed, open, or partial positions during operation, which is essential to the device's claimed selective flow regulation functionality.

minor comments (2)

The abstract text is truncated mid-sentence at 'at a re', indicating an incomplete description of the control gate's partial open positions and flow rates.
No accompanying figures, diagrams, or exploded views are referenced, which would be standard for clarifying the spatial relationships between the hopper, metering device, collector, and guide tube.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their review of our patent application. We address each major comment below.

read point-by-point responses

Referee: Abstract (claim 1): The integration of the guide tube with the residue distribution system and the collector's ability to allow friction, vibration, and movement are asserted without any description of mounting interfaces, potential interference with residue flow, or required harvester modifications; this is load-bearing for the central claim of usability on existing equipment without major changes.

Authors: The claim describes the functional integration via the guide tube in communication with the residue distribution system and the collector design (flexible press-fit or unconnected) that accommodates friction, vibration, and movement. Specific mounting interfaces, interference details, and harvester modifications are implementation choices outside the core invention, which is the combination enabling seed spreading during harvesting. The collector's accommodation of relative movement supports the assertion of integration without major changes to existing equipment. The level of detail is consistent with patent claim practice. revision: no
Referee: Abstract (claim 1): No mechanism, actuator, or control system is specified for achieving and maintaining the control gate's closed, open, or partial positions during operation, which is essential to the device's claimed selective flow regulation functionality.

Authors: The claim states that the control gate is configured to be selectively positionable in closed, fully open, or partially open states to regulate flow. No specific actuator or control system is recited because the invention is the selective flow regulation capability within the overall device; multiple actuation approaches (manual, mechanical, or otherwise) can achieve the stated positions. This functional description is sufficient and intentional for the claim scope. revision: no

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity identified

full rationale

The document is a US patent (US-12660743) that consists entirely of descriptive mechanical claims for a seed spreading device attachment. It contains no equations, derivations, fitted parameters, predictions, or self-citations. There is no derivation chain or load-bearing scientific claim that could reduce to its inputs by construction. The Pith circularity analysis applies to papers with claimed first-principles results or quantitative predictions; this patent falls outside that scope and is self-contained as a descriptive claim.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

No scientific free parameters, axioms, or invented entities are present because the document is a patent application for an agricultural machine attachment.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.1-grok · 5863 in / 874 out tokens · 36968 ms · 2026-06-24T14:00:56.969226+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Lean theorems connected to this paper

Citations machine-checked in the Pith Canon. Every link opens the source theorem in the public Lean library.

IndisputableMonolith.Foundation.RealityFromDistinction reality_from_one_distinction unclear

?

unclear
Relation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.

A seed spreading device for use with a combine harvester comprising a residue distribution system, comprising: a hopper enclosure comprising a first aperture; a metering device comprising a delivery feeder...
IndisputableMonolith.Cost.FunctionalEquation washburn_uniqueness_aczel unclear

?

unclear
Relation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.

a collector affixed to the first end of the guide tube, wherein a portion of the collector is disposed below the second opening of the metering device to funnel material...

What do these tags mean?

matches: The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
supports: The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
extends: The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
uses: The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
contradicts: The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
unclear: Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.