GB2042314A - Seed drill - Google Patents

Abstract

A seed drill having a frame which in the operating condition is supported on the ground by means of running wheels 12, and being provided with an elongate storage container 3 extending at right angles to the normal direction of travel, the lower region of the storage container extending horizontally and being provided with outlet apertures and with driven metering devices 26 from which the seed contained in the storage container is deposited in the ground, characterised by the feature that the frame (2) and the storage container (3) has a width (B) at right angles to the direction of travel (4) which is at least substantially as great as the legally permitted overall width for agricultural working implements to travel on public roads and paths, and that the running wheels (12) are located within the region defined laterally by the storage container and located in front of the drill coulters (47). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Seed drill The present invention relates to a seed drill having a frame which in the operating position is supported on the ground by means of running wheels and is also provided with an elongate storage container extending at right angles to the direction of travel, the lower region of which container extends horizontally at right angles to the direction of travel and is provided with outlet apertures and with driven metering elements or devices by which the seed contained in the storage container is deposited into the ground via conducting tubes and drill coulters connected thereto.

Such a seed drill is already known through the Ge-OS 15 57 959. In this seed drill the running wheels are located on either side outside the outer ends of the frame and the storage container.

This arrangement has the disadvantage that the maximum overall width permissible for travel of agricultural working implements on public roads and paths cannot be fully utilised for the capacity of the storage container and for the working width of the seed drill; i.e.

this produces the loss of the width of the running wheels and their holders. In this case it should be taken into account that on light and loose soils, due to a larger depositing area and for seeding badly prepared fields with heavy soils to avoid travel vibrations it is necessary to use as wide as possible running wheels having low pressure tyres. Such running wheels in view of the maximum permissible overall width dimension, however, cannot be fitted in the known seed drill, so that considerable slip and in hard soils considerable vibrations occur with loose soils which leads to an irregular operation of the seed drill.In the event of the drive of the metering elements by the running wheels as such being an advantage, this disadvantage has the additional unfavourable effect on the mode of discharging the seeds from the storage container, so that the uniformity required therefor cannot be attained.

Furthermore, the Ge-PS 1 7 57 427 discloses a seed drill in which the jibs or outriggers are located on either side of the frame and project outwards and the running wheels are located within the region laterally defined by the storage container and roll off in the track of the tractor towing the seed drill. This provides the advantage that the working width of this seed drill is substantially greater than the maximum overall width of agricultural working implements permissible for transportation on public roads and paths without having to use special elongate transporting devices for this transportation. Furthermore, this seed drill is distinguished by a particular smooth running in deployment and hence also by a uniform discharge of the seeds by the metering elements.

These advantages, however, are obtained in this seed drill by a particularly involved and high building structure which, especially in view of the chargeability of the storage container and the possibility of cleaning and operation of the seed drill, is unfavourable in the strata line on a slope. To obtain an uninterrupted flow of seeds in the conducting tubes also to the two outer drill coulters on both sides, the metering devices are located on a distribution container located above the storage container and in which the seed has to be transported by means of a conveyor device. This provides the further disadvantage that the side walls of the storage container have to extend hopper-like to the lower inlet aperture of the conveyer device, so that considerable space for the capacity of the storage container is lost.

The object of the present invention is to improve the above-described seed drill in such a manner that by simple structural means under all conditions resulting in field deployment a smooth running with uniform discharge of the seeds and a large area output are attained.

According to the present invention there is provided a seed drill having a frame which in the operating condition is supported on the ground by means of running wheels, and being provided with an elongate storage container extending at right angles to the normal direction of travel, the lower region of the storage container extending horizontally and being provided with outlet apertures and with driven metering devices, from which the seed contained in the storage container is deposited in the ground, characterised by the feature that the frame and the storage container has a width (B) at right angles to the direction of travel which is at least substantially as great as the legally permitted overall width for agricultural working implements to travel on public roads and paths, and that the running wheels are located within the region defined laterally by the storage container and located in front of the drill coulters.

Owing to these measures the space available for the maximum overall width legally prescribed for transportation above the metering devices may be utilised substantially over the full extent for the capacity of the storage container. Furthermore, the running wheels may be adapted from the start to prevailing ground conditions in agricultural establishments without having to accept, when using particularly wide running wheels, any limitation of the capacity of the storage container.

The advantage of such wide running wheels especially when fitted with low pressure tyres resides in that, with equal loading, they penetrate to a lesser depth in the ground and transmit the drive to the metering devices with substantially less slip. This advantage is of particular importance in cases of deployment in which the seed drill is used in combination with a tilling implement moving ahead thereof.

Furthermore, the invention provides for outriggers projecting laterally outwards in known manner and fitted with drill coulters, to be adapted to be pivotally mounted on the frame.

This measure provides the advantage that the working width and hence the surface output of the seed drill can be still further increased and thus without the necessity of having to use a special elongate transportation device for the transportation of the seed drill on public roads and paths. If in this case the metering devices are at such a height above the ground that the conducting tubes for the seeds with working width of the seed drill of 4.0 m have an angle of inclination of at least 40", thus even with such a considerable working width a satisfactory and uninterrupted sliding of the seeds from the storage container to the drill coulters and hence a uniform seeding is attained.

A substantial reduction of the number of pauses for refilling the storage container and hence a particularly high surface output of the seed drill is attained in accordance with the invention even with greater working widths when the upper edge of the storage container has a filling height of from 1 .60 to 1.80 m above the ground. Also for the satisfactory sliding of the seeds in the conducting tubes it has proved expedient for the metering devices to be located at a height of approximately 1.20 m above the ground. This also permits the conducting tubes leading to the outer drill coulters to have an angle of inclination of more than 40".

In order more especially in the case of the aforesaid high storage containers to facilitate the filling operation in an additionally favourable manner, it is known in a seed drill disclosed by the Ge-PS 20 08 1 77 to provide a loading gantry on the rear surface of the storage container. This Patent Specification also discloses the loading gantry as comprising a loading platform and at least one loading platform pivotally mounted thereon. As described below in the particular description, this provides a further facilitation of the filling operation in that the loading platform is substantially wider at right angles to the direction of travel than the approach ramp.

In practice frequent irregularities in the discharging of the seeds or the depositing in the ground over the drill coulters which are located in the tracks impressed by the running wheels of the tractor and the seed drill. To avoid these disadvantages the invention intends to provide track sacrifiers or looseners.

Furthermore it is necessary for satisfactory seeding operation of the seed drill on particularly loose soils, to replace the running wheels provided on the seed drill by larger and/or wider running wheels. For rapidly effecting this conversion the invention moreover provides for the running wheels to be located on the axles in a readily detachable manner, the inner ends of which axles facing one another have a greater mutual spacing and the wheels on the ends averted from one another are rotatably mounted on the frame.

To enable herewith to adjust the running wheels to the standard width of tractor track of from 1.50 to 1.80 m, the running wheels in accordance with the invention have an impression depth of at least approximately 75 mm.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of the rear end of a seed drill; Figure 2 is an elevation of the front end of the arrangement of a running wheel and a driving device for the metering elements of the seed drill of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the seed drill of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of an alternative arrangement of a coulter holding rail provided for holding the seed drill; and Figure 5 is a plan view of an alternative loading gantry according to Fig. 1.

A seed drill 1 has a frame 2 and a storage container 3 which has an elongate shape at right angles to the direction of travel indicated in Fig. 3 by arrow 4. The storage container 3 is closed at its outer sides by two side walls 5 extending vertically downwards, the outer ends of the side walls being U-shaped and bent outwards and which have tubular crossbeam 7 of the frame 2 welded thereto. Herein the storage container 3 including its two side walls has a width B measured at right angles to the normal direction of travel and which corresponds to the legally permitted overall width of agricultural working implements allowed to use public roads and paths.

Furthermore, the frame 2 is provided with four struts 9 and 9 projecting substantially downwards and of which the two inner struts 8 are secured by welding to the crossbeam 7 and provided with attachment pins 10 for lower guide arms of the three-point power lift of a tractor (not shown) provided for the progressive displacement of the seed drill 1.

On the other hand, the two outer struts 9 are mounted by means of yoke screws 11 so as to be laterally displaceable on the crossbeam 7 and provided with running wheels 1 2 by means of which the seed drill 1 is supported on the ground 1 3 during deployment and the wheels have a track width S which corresponds to the width of track of the tractor provided for the seed drill 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, the running wheels 1 2 are each non-rotatably mounted on an axle 14 which in turn is rotatably mounted in bearing 1 5 located on the outer strut 9 and in a bearing 1 6 located on a side wall. The inner ends of the axles 14 have a greater mutual spacing A. Furthermore, each running wheel 1 2 is fitted with a rim 1 7 which has an impression depth T of 75 mm and is secured by a known hinged split pin 1 8 against axial displacement on the axle. The axle 14 is provided with further holes 1 9 to receive the hinged split pin 18.

To convert the standard width of track S of 1.5 mm shown in the drawings to the other standard width of track of 1.80 m, it is only necessary upon removal of the hinged split pin 1 8 to pull the running wheels 1 2 off the axles 14 and replace such upon pivotal movement through 180 . If, however, the tractor provided for the seed drill 1 has a different width of track, then the adaptation of the track S of the running wheels is carried out simply in that the yoke screws 11 are slackened and the outer struts 9, upon removal of the hinged split pin 18, is displaced laterally on the crossbeam 7 to such an extent until the running wheels 1 2 again roll along in the track 20 of the tractor wheels.

Furthermore, holding elements 21 for the upper control lever of the three-point power lift of a tractor provided for the seed drill 1 are welded to the crossbeam 7 in the centre between the two inner struts 8. To allow for adaptation of the seed drill to any unevennesses of the ground during deployment, slots 22 are formed in the inner struts for the attachment pins 10. Moreover, two further struts 23 are welded to the crossbeam 7 to attain a stable structure and these struts project diagonally upwards and support the central region of the storage container 3.

In the lower region of the storage container 3, defining edge 24 thereof extends horizontally at right angles to the direction of travel 4 and a large number of outlet apertures 25 are provided in front of which the metering elements 26 in the form of cam wheels are located which are non-rotatably mounted on rotary seed shaft 27. As shown in Fig. 2, this seed shaft 27 is driven by the right-hand running wheel via the axle 14, chain drive 28, continuously adjustable control gear 29 and further chain drive 30. The control gear 29 is mounted on the inside surface of the right-hand side wall 5.

Moreover, the right-hand running wheel 1 2 drives, via the chain drives 28 and 31, agitating device 32 located in the storage container 3. The seed shaft 27, via the chain drive 33, drives the dressing agent spreader 34 also provided in the storage container. Thus, the chain drives 28, 30, 31 and 33 of the driving device 35 are located between the angled ends 6 of the right-hand side wall 5, and by these ends 6 are connected by means of the cover plate 36 on the outside of the driving device 35 as protection against contamination.

A crossbeam 37 is located behind the running wheels 1 2 and has jibs or outriggers 38 mounted on the outer ends thereof and pivotal about axes 39 in a vertical plane. These pivotal axes 39 are inclined to the rear in such a manner that the outer ends of the outriggers 38, as shown on the right-hand machine side in Fig. 1, are located behind the storage container 3 in the upwardly pivoted transportation position 38'.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, adjusting plates 40 are welded to the crossbeam 37 and the two outriggers 38, and in which plates coulter holding rails 41 and 42 are pivotably mounted in the plates to be pivotal about axis 43 extending at right angles to the direction of travel 4. To lock the coulter holding rails 41 and 42 in the different pivotal positions the adjusting plates 40 have a plurality of bores 44 formed therein and in which a lever 45 welded to the coulter holding rails 41, 42 can engage with its extension 46.

Drill coulters 47 (only some of which are shown) are located alternately via short coulter holders 48 on the coulter holding rails 41, 42 and long coulter holders 49 pivotal in a vertical plane. Resilient elements 50 are arranged adjustable in their tension between the coulter holders 48, 49 and the coulter holder rails 41, 42 and each exert a force on the drill coulters 47 to urge such in a direction towards the ground 1 3.

Holders 51 rigidly connected on the coulter holding rails 41, 42 are provided for the location of the resilient elements 50. Because of this arrangement the pressures exerted on the drill coulters 47 by the resilient elements 50 may be adjusted both individually and by rotation of the coulter holding rails 41, 42 mutually in groups.

The drill coulters 47, moreover, are provided with the pipe sockets 52 projecting diagonally upwards and into which conducting tubes 53 known per se and comprised of hoses and connected to the metering elements 26, may project loosely with their lower ends. All the conducting tubes 53 have an angle of inclination a which is greater than 40".

In order with greater working widths to also attain angle of inclination a of corresponding size, as shown in Fig. 1, the metering elements 26 are located at a level H of 1.20 m above the ground 1 3. For the outer conducting tubes 53 on both sides it is herewith of advantage for the outriggers 38, seen in the direction of travel 4, to be located in a plane lying in front of the crossbeam 37.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative arrangement of the coulter holding rail 41 on the crossbeam 37, which may also be provided in the coulter holding rails 42 connected to the outriggers 38. In this embodiment the coulter holding rail 41 is non-rotatably connected to the crossbeam 37 via the adjusting plate 40. A rail 54 is pivotally mounted below the coulter holding rail 41 pivotal also about the pivotal axis extending at right angles to the direction of travel 4. Holders 56 for the resilient elements 50 are welded to the rail 54 whilst the rail 54 itself is non-rotatably connected to the lever 45.

The advantage of this embodiment compared with the rotatable arrangement of the coulter holding rail 41 resides in that, when adjusting the tension of the resilient elements by pivoting the lever 45, the coulter holders 48 and 49 and hence the drill coulter 47 retain their position relative to the ground 1 3.

Moreover, the seed drill 1 may also be subsequently provided with this adjusting device arranged in mutual groups for the tension of the resilient elements 50.

As shown in Fig. 1, behind the running wheels 1 2 and in front of the drill coulters 47, vertically adjustable track looseners 57 are thus mounted on the crossbeam 37.

Herewith both the travel tracks 20 of the tractor wheels and of the running wheels 1 2 are scarified to such an extent that the needs may also be delivered at these points into a loose and crumbly soil.

In order on uneven ground surfaces to also obtain a uniform setting angle of the drill coulters 47 relative to the ground, supporting wheels 58 are readily detachably mounted by means of securing bolts 59 on the outer ends of the outriggers 38. Such an arrangement is shown in the drawings in the left-hand outrigger 38 in Fig. 1. The optional and readily detachable mountability is especially of advantage for such cases of deployment is especially of advantage for such cases of deployment in which the supporting wheels 58 are expedient for tilling the fields, but have to be removed at least from one outrigger 38 when tilling the edge strips of the field.

To avoid any greater slipping of the running wheels 1 2 in well loosened soil, it has been found particularly expedient for the driving device 35 to be optionally connectable or locked positively with one or both running wheels. For this purpose, as shown in Fig. 2, a connecting shaft 60 may be connected to the given facing ends of the axles 14, the securing of which to the axles 1 4 is effected by means of a hinged split pin 1 8 inserted through each outer bore 1 9.

To obtain an as large a possible area output, the upper edge 61 of the storage container 3, as shown in Fig. 1, has a filling height E of 1.80 m above the ground 1 3. In order with such a great filling height to permit comfortable filling of the storage container 3 with seeds, a loading gantry 62 is provided on the rear side thereof, which gantry has the loading platform 64 supported on the crossbeam 37. Moreover, this loading platform 64 is provided with a cross tube 65 on which an approach ramp 66 is pivotally and laterally displaceably located. This approach ramp 66 is shown in Fig. 1 locked in an upwardly pivoted transportation position by means of the hook 67 on the loading gantry 62, whilst in Fig. 3 it is shown in the downwardly pivoted, operating position.

As further shown in Fig. 3, the loading platform 64 has a flap 69 arranged so as to be pivotal forwards and backwards so that collecting trough 70 provided for the turn-off operation of the seed drill 1 may also be actuated from the loading gantry 62 or the metering elements 26 being accessible from here.

Fig. 5 illustrates schematically the filling operation of the storage container 3 of the seed drill 1 from a transportation vehicle 71, whereby, on the cross tube 65 of the loading platform 64, the two approach ramps 72 are arranged pivotal into an upright plane and displaceable at right angles to the direction of travel 4. This embodiment has the advantage that the cross tube 65 may be laterally and centrally supported via the holders 73 on the loading platform 64, so that a particularly stable structure of the whole loading gantry 62 is obtained.

Moreover, in this embodiment the seed drill 1 is provided with a seed brusher 74 to permit the seed furrows formed by the drill coulters 47 to be closed up and to cover the seeds delivered into the ground to be sufficiently covered with soil for rapid sprouting.

For charging the storage container 3 of the seed drill 1, each of the sacks 76 filled with seed and located on the loading platform 75 of the transportation vehicle 71 is located on the sack trolley 77. The sack trolley 77 with sack 76 is then drawn backwards in the direction of the arrow 78 and subsequently pushed in the direction of the arrow 79 over one of the approach ramps 72 until it is close in front of the storage container 3. After tipping the sack 76 over the upper edge 61 of the storage container 3 and tearing open the end of the sack 76 on the machine side, and seed runs in the direction of the arrow 80 into the storage container 3.

Owing to the displaceability of the approach ramps 66 or 72 the seeds may be spread evenly over the whole region of the storage container 3 without necessitating any additional manual spreading work.

It will be appreciated that whilst the legal limits for the dimensions of agricultural vehicles to use public highways may have been described in relation to those pertaining to the Federal Republic of Germany, ready adaptation to the United Kingdom law may be affected.

Claims (30)

1. A seed drill having a frame which in the operating condition is supported on the ground by means of running wheels, and being provided with an elongate storage container extending at right angles to the formal direction of travel, the lower region of the storage container extending horizontally and being provided with outlet apertures and with driven metering devices from which the seed contained in the storage container is deposited in the ground, characterised by the feature that the frame and the storage container has a width (b) at right angles to the direction of travel which is at least substantially as great as the legally permitted overall width for agricultural working implements to travel on public roads and paths, and that the running wheels are located within the region defined laterally by the storage container and located in front of the drill coulters.

2. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which outriggers projecting laterally outwards and fitted with drill coulters are adapted to be mounted on the frame in known manner.

3. A seed drill as claimed in claims 1 and 2, in which the metering devices are located at such a height (H) above the ground that the conducting tubes for the seeds with a working width of the seed drill of 4.0 m has an angle of inclination (a) of at least 40".

4. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the running wheels are arranged to be in rolling engagement along the track produced in use of a tractor provided for the seed drill.

5. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper edge of the storage container has a charging height (E) of 1.60 to 1.80 m above the ground.

6. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the metering elements are located at a height (H) of approximately 1.20 m above the ground.

7. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which at the rear side of the storage container a loading gantry is provided in known manner.

8. A seed drill as claimed in claim 7, in which the loading gantry in known manner comprises a loading platform and at least one approach ramp and that the loading platform seen at right angles to the direction of travel is substantially wider than the approach ramp.

9. A seed drill as claimed in claims 7 and 8, in which the loading platform extends at right angles to the direction of travel at least substantially over the width (B) of the storage container and is fitted on its rear side with several pivotally located approach ramps.

1 0. A seed drill as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the approach ramp or ramps are mounted so as to be displaceable at right angles to the direction of travel.

11. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which seen in the direction of travel, track scarifiers are provided between the running wheels and the drill coulters located behind them.

12. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the running wheels are readily detachably located on axles, the inner ends of the axles facing each other having a greater spacing (A) relative to each other and the running wheels on the side remote from each other being rotatably mounted on the frame.

1 3. A seed drill as claimed in claim 12, in which the running wheels have an indentation depth (T) of at least approximately 75 mm.

14. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the side walls of the storage container project beyond it, downwardly and forwardly and to the rear are bent outwardly at a Ushaped angle, and in which the frame has a tubular cross beam extending at right angles to the direction of travel and which is secured to the side walls of the storage container and provided with four substantially downwardly projecting struts, of which the two outer struts support the inner bearings for the axles of the running wheels, whilst the outer bearings for the axles of the running wheels are located in the side walls of the storage container, and in which the two inner struts are provided with the attachment pin for the lower guide arms of the three point power jack of a tractor provided for the seed drill.

1 5. A seed drill as claimed in claim 14, in which the running wheels are displaceably located on the axles, and the two outer struts on the cross beam and the axles.

1 6. A seed drill as claimed in claim 14, in which the attachment pins for the lower guide arms of the three-point power jack are mounted, in known manner, vertically displaceable on the two inner struts.

17. A seed drill as claimed in claim 14, in which on the cross beam the holder elements for the upper guides of the three-point power lift of a tractor provided for the seed drill and at least two further struts are mounted and which project substantially upwards and on which the central region of the storage container is supported.

18. A seed drill as claimed in claims 1 and 14, in which a control gear located between the side walls of the storage container is provided for driving the metering devices and which is in operational engagement with the axle of a running wheel, whereby the driving device extends to the metering devices within the outwardly angled ends of a side wall.

1 9. A seed drill as claimed in claim 18, in which an agitating device located within the storage container and a dressing agent spreader are drivable by the driving device.

20. A seed drill as claimed in claims 18 or 19, in which the driving device of a side wall has chain drives between the angled ends, and in which the outwardly angled ends of the side walls are adapted to be interconnected by means of a cover plate outwardly of the driving device.

21. A seed drill as claimed in any of claims 1 8 to 20, in which the driving device is adapted to be positively optionally connected to running wheels provided on one side or on the other side.

22. A seed drill as claimed in claims 1 and 2, in which supporting wheels are adapted to be mounted on the outriggers in the outer region thereof.

23. A seed drill as claimed in claim 2 or 22 in which the pivotal axes of the outriggers are inclined to the rear in the direction of travel in such a manner that the outer ends of the outriggers in the upwardly pivoted conveying position are located behind the storage container.

24. A seed drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the conducting tubes comprise resilient hoses and the drill coulters are fitted with socket tubes projecting diagonally upwards and into which the lower ends of the conducting tubes loosely project.

25. A seed drill as claimed in claims 1 and 2, in which the drill coulters are mounted, via coulter holders to be pivotable vertically on coulter holding rails extending at right angles to the direction of travel whereby, between the coulter holders and the coulter holder rails, resilient elements are provided acting on the drill coulter to urge such in the direction towards the ground, and in which the central coulter holder rail is mounted on a cross beam connected to the cross support; and the lateral coulter holding rails are mounted on the outriggers.

26. A seed drill as claimed in claim 25, in which the resilient elements are located so as to be individually adjustable in their tension.

27. A seed drill as claimed in claim 25 or 26, in which the coulter holding rails are located rotatable about a pivotal axis extending at right angles to the direction of travel and lockable in various pivotal positions on the cross beam or in the outriggers, and in which holders for the resilient elements are provided on the coulter holding rails nonrotatably connected thereto.

28. A seed drill as claimed in claim 25 or 26, in which the coulter holding rails are mounted non-rotatable on the crossbeam or the outriggers, and the holders for the resil ient elements also being non-rotatably mounted on the rails which are rotatable about a pivotal axle each extending at right angles to the direction of travel and adapted to be locked in various pivotal positions.

29. A seed drill as claimed in any of claims 23 to 28, in which the outriggers are located on a plane in front of the crossbeam seen in the direction of travel.

30. A seed drill constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.