Seeding machine with seed delivery system

1. A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter, the seed delivery system comprising:

a housing defining an upper seed loading area and a lower seed discharge area;

a drive pulley mounted to rotate with respect to the housing;

a belt having a base supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing; and

a loading wheel mounted to rotate with respect to the housing to transfer seeds from the seed meter into the belt at the upper seed loading area, wherein the seeds are removed from the seed meter during contact of the seeds by the loading wheel;

wherein the belt conveys the seeds through the housing as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are singulated before the loading wheel transfers the seeds into the belt; and

wherein the belt maintains the seeds in spaced relation in a belt travel direction as the seeds are conveyed by the belt through the housing to the lower seed discharge area.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the drive pulley drives the belt to discharge the seeds at a speed based on a travel speed of the seeding machine.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein at the lower seed discharge area the belt discharges the seeds to have a horizontal speed that is approximately the same as the travel speed of the seeding machine in a direction opposite a travel direction of the seeding machine.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the belt has distal ends extending outward from the base; and

wherein the distal ends are one of proximate and in contact with a side wall of the housing as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the housing side wall forms a lower opening and an exit ramp adjacent the lower opening; and

wherein the housing includes an upper opening adjacent the upper seed loading area and the loading wheel.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seed meter is a disk having a plurality of apertures where the seeds are collected.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the seeds adhere to the disk by air pressure differential at opposite sides of the disk.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the belt includes bristles.

10. A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter disk, the seed delivery system comprising:

a housing defining an upper seed loading area and a lower seed discharge area;

a drive pulley mounted to rotate with respect to the housing;

a belt supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing; and

a loading wheel mounted to rotate with respect to the housing to transfer seeds from the seed meter disk into the belt at the upper seed loading area, the seeds being removed from the seed meter disk during contact of the seeds by the loading wheel;

wherein the belt conveys the seeds through the housing as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the seeds are singulated before the loading wheel transfers the seeds into the belt; and

wherein the belt maintains the seeds in spaced relation in a belt travel direction as the seeds are conveyed by the belt through the housing to the lower seed discharge area.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the drive pulley drives the belt to discharge the seeds at a speed based on a travel speed of the seeding machine.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein at the lower seed discharge area the belt discharges the seeds to have a horizontal speed that is approximately the same as the travel speed of the seeding machine in a direction opposite a travel direction of the seeding machine.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the belt conveys the seeds through the housing within an area between a base of the belt and a housing side wall as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the belt has distal ends extending outward from the base; and

wherein the distal ends are one of proximate and in contact with the housing side wall as the belt travels from the upper seed loading area to the lower seed discharge area.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the seed meter disk has a plurality of apertures where the seeds are collected by air pressure differential at opposite sides of the seed meter disk.

17. A seed delivery system for a seeding machine having a seed meter disk, the seed delivery system comprising:

a housing defining an upper opening adjacent an upper seed loading area and a lower opening adjacent a lower seed discharge area;

a drive pulley mounted to rotate with respect to the housing;

a belt supported for rotation by the drive pulley within the housing; and

a loading wheel mounted adjacent the upper opening and the belt to rotate with respect to the housing, the loading wheel removing singulated seeds from the seed meter disk during contact of the seeds by the loading wheel and transferring the seeds from the seed meter disk into the belt;

wherein the belt maintains the seeds in spaced relation in a belt travel direction as the seeds are conveyed by the belt through the housing to the lower seed discharge area prior to the seeds being discharged through the lower opening.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the seed meter disk has a plurality of apertures where the seeds are collected by air pressure differential at opposite sides of the seed meter disk.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein at the lower seed discharge area the belt discharges the seeds with a horizontal speed that is approximately the same as a travel speed of the seeding machine in a direction opposite a travel direction of the seeding machine.